The Stronghold is a pretty good Castle. Its advantages include a low price for units and good growth. This city is more convenient for playing for a quick victory, as development here takes place almost without problems. I consider the weak magic to be a disadvantage; besides that, I don't see anything that stands out. There are good heroes here – Battle Mages and Barbarians. For starters, I personally choose Dessa; she has Logistics, which is especially valuable at the beginning of the game. Then, I try to upgrade the birds during the first week, and then I follow a well-established scheme, building either Cyclops or Ogres, and then go into battle!