Im shocked at how handy it is playing the Franks. Its easier than the Huns position! I just played a fast Frank campaign there, VH/M but autoresolving all the battles just to see how it played out.

I horded straight away and across the bridge smack into Augusta Trevorum. One turn later sacked and split up, two stacks going left to Sambrovia, two taking a detour north to Colonia Aggrippa (?). By turn 3 Colonia was sacked too, and Sambrovia was under threat. I now began a very lucrative operation - blackmailing the WRE for peace. I made 10K for a ceasefire. Next turn I broke the deal, seiged Sambrovia and sacked it. Then we headed south en masse to Avaricarum. Blackmailed the WRE for another 10K. Broke the deal next turn and seiged Avaricarum. Sacked it. Blackmailed the WRE for another 10K (Theyve given me 30K now in 3-4 turns and show no signs of running out of cash). 3 stacks are heading for Burgilda whilst one stack stays to seige Avaricarum.Once Ive sacked Arles and Burgilda Ill take Avaricarum and make it my capital, though who knows, things are going so swimmingly I might as well keep going.

Ive currently got something like 92K in the kitty, and expect to ratchet that up to at least 120K by the time Im ready to settle and more than a few rebel cities between me and my erstwhile barbarian cousins that I can expand into later or use as a buffer zone. Iberia and Italy will soon lie open to me, and and Roman armies from either can be bottled up in the respective mountain passes.

I guess my advice with the Franks would be dont waste time, horde and sack the WRE from turn 1!