Good summary of Dale, Count. I have played them a few times between updates. I have always played defense in the east against North Rhun/Dorwinion/Rhovanion. I have built up the military capabilities of Framsburg as fast as possible, then built large armies of cheap woodmen units (to keep my military costs down) then vacuumed up all the orc holds I could get in the north. Since the game engine tries to keep you family members to about 75% of your settlements all these orc holds increases my territory number without increasing the need for extra governors. Once I start taking "real" settlements later I have enough family members to govern most of them. Also, your expansion penalty against your land tax is almost completely unaffected (except for one real province, the Grey Mountains). I try to keep a full stack of cheap woodmen bows in Gundabad hold, and at the very minimum, one cheap army around Framsburg to encourage the Beornings to behave. Once the orc holds have been "paved over" with improved walls I can expand into the east with large masses of crossbowmen and barding longbowmen, backed up by some cavalry units to run down fleeing enemies.