So auto-resolve when the battle is in your favor always?
Also, I have an interesting side-note that maybe you could put in here. It's something I've noticed while playing as the catholic factions. Idk if this is in another guide, but if you take a priest within the first few turns and send it to a non-catholic nation, your favor with the pope will increase greatly within a few turns, along with your pope's piety increasing, thus bumping him up the list of cardinals.