Let me share a few more thoughts ;) I played through it a second time. It took 5 months less, I had money to burn, and I crushed the pink one like a bug. Regarding the money: I chose the brown one because I already had the Treasury early on. As for the rest...
This time, I used the Book of Air. :smile13: It makes things so much easier, giving a significant advantage over the computer. Mobility is greatly increased. I could quickly eliminate the scattered cockroaches with a "whiz-whiz." I could jump through garrisons without a fight, and many of the tent guards didn't even need to be touched. In general, most of the epic battles were spent defending castles from their unfortunate owners, rather than attacking.
Wrapping up: the book is overpowered:smile27:, so it might be worth removing it for those who like a challenge.