Money will be tight, farming is a long way off in most of your home provinces so tighten your belt, and try to get mines and churches in as soon as possible.

Fib (iron) will be your upgrade province, and produces high valor pictish cav. You can keep upgrading to produce Mounted Crossbow there also.

Celtic Warriors are high valor in Athfotla, get that up to max valor.

Build your ports up to Slipway on Dromon, Orcades, and Moray protect your coasts from raiders.
Early in the game
1. Ally with anyone except the target (Scots), but especially the Vikings.
2. Make your navy. Your longboats are cheaper upkeep, so get the second shipbuilder and replace your first set of boats
3. Take the Scots out of the Isles, capture/kill the king and make them move to Ireland.

Middle of the Game
Take rebels, Ireland, Manu. Get farming going in your home provinces. Spies and assassins for protection. Upgrade another Iron province to make Mtd xbow and leave Fib to make the Pictish Cavalry. A third iron province should make upgrades to Celts/Berserks/crossbows
Start taking enemies on, moving south. Take the richest provinces first.

End of the game
Buy or take the viking provinces. Do this at the end, doing it earlier may result in a re-emgence of vikings in an area you cannot reinforce.


Units
1 Crossbows - You have the best armor piercing ranged weapon. These guys will make life much easier especially when you have to hit Mercians/Saxons/Vikings.
2. Mtd Crossbows - The best unit in the game to take care of those pesky Joms Vikings. You have the only mounted skirmishers. Once you get these guys no one can stand against you.
3. Celtic warriors - use them as spearkillers, they are 200 man sword units.
4. Pictish Cavalry - Light horse, very good with the valor upgrade from Fib.
5. Berserkers - You and the Vikings get these, with upgrades they will take on anyone, without upgrades take on spears and peasants for valor.

mfberg