I love playing the Novgorodians, and did in M1 too.

You start out with three generals, the grand duke, prince and a third guy. I divide my forces into two led by the G.D and the prince. The prince goes directly for Helsinki where I build a castle and the move on Riga and Vilnius - let him hang around in this region to meet the Poles. The G.D heads directly for Kiev beating the Poles for that city. Hen then moves on to take Caffa, Sarkel, Bulgar, Moscow, Ryazan and Smolensk. With luck all of the russian steppes should belong to you within 25-30 turns. I initially build castles in Helsinki and Sarkel. The war with the Poles will usually give you an iron-curtain of castles in Thorn, Halych and the one down by the Black Sea, can´t remember its name.

Now you´re all set for anything, even the mongols. I one game they didn´t come my way but headed towards Egypt