Interesting, I was reading through the guides again, thinking about which provinces are best to get on the map.Some of the better provinces are harder to keep (more rebellious) or are in tougher locations (abetting many provinces). Shamefully, in my current campaign some of the better provinces for overall income I gave up as I pulled back to defend my overstretched empire (Anitoch, Tripoli, whereas Kazar I gave up when the Horde came). I still hold Constanople, Venice, Flanders, and just recently picked up Sicily and Naples (after a necessary Pope cleaning).

But since in my current GA campaign I have a lot of enemies, trade is minimal. So holding more of my home provinces, provinces for building units, and good farming provinces are more useful.

As to building, I have some rebellions internally, one a reemergence in Aquitaine (the Argonese 3X), and the Germans bribing Provance. In some cases some provinces that are more likely to be lost I don't build on too much, Croatia and Greece are good examples. I have heavy troops nearby in Venice and Constanople, both of which are more built up. The Polish are just getting strong enough maybe to attack (from Hungary and Austria). So often areas that are good for farming, can build fairly good troops with a special bonus are good to have. Switzerland and Tyrolia are good for troops later (and now, still teching up), but they are not good income producers.

I was wondering, what provinces do you most like to hold, and why, and what do you tend to build there. Of course, getting some provinces may be the luck of the draw in certain campaigns (and of course your starting faction), but I asume people have their favorites. By the way I tend to build balanced armies (both good for attack and defense), so I like some long and short range missile troops, some cav, and spears and perhaps a few swords. Usually I tend to have more spears and missile types, with the scattered missile units and cavs. Of course, gaining Wales helps, as well as the earlier mentioned Switzerland and Tyrolia for good spears. Also of course, often it easier to defend provinces closer to each other, though I know it can be possible to gain provinces spread out from each other to increase trading in various areas (though defense of these provinces can be tougher).