Start on "Hero".

If you want something, you have to put up with it. Here's a good channel for beginners on how to play on "Hero" difficulty with companions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUuspYnSQHiac_AKeXp7Etg And yes: neutral creatures are easier to defeat on "Hero" than on Veteran or Warrior, assuming the armies are the same. This is because on "Hero" difficulty, more modes are enabled, such as the "danger" mode, where the enemy doesn't position itself to be attacked by our units, which gives us additional advantages and turns.