Just recently starting playing this game as Julli on Easy/Easy because I've never played a game like this before, I hardly play games so it's taking me some time to get used to it and luckily I read alot of the faqs and manual.

Reading some FAQs around, I tried my best to follow them and currently I own Corinth, Castilla or something, Sparta, Crete, Carthage(Captial), and northern Italy which is blockaded to prevent Gauls from pouring in like water on rock. I'm readying a force to take out Gaul and maybe start a war with the Numidians to secure my position and cut off Scipii, I've already cut off Brutii from advancing any further but I was unable to prevent thermon and athens from falling into their hands and their fighting the macedonians.

Carthage pretty much is pumping out Principles, so far the best units I have on hand and are upgraded with an armoury I think along with one of my core cities.

I think most of my victories were because of my wardogs which I must admit are nice cannon fodder and can distract and hold an enemy long enough to either route them or allow your guys to flank them. Another thing I noticed is that the enemy never charges in front of you and always splits up into smaller groups which are easy for my troops to flank and smash them, does the AI always does this?