no, i don´t rob Asmadeo from XP, i don´t use skeleton archers, i had use a single skeleton, and this only to start the battle, not to fight
I have use the first Twinkling boot from the start, because you can farm it without a fight (if you are lucky to have one in the game), the second one after i was in verona, because i had the metal normally always if i reach verona if i have Archmages and 10 stone skin every battle.
It is simple, buy a portion of rage and drink it before the first fight, than you can make one fight after the other (because you don´t need mana), you have always enough rage for walls, if it don´t work drink another portion of rage till Asmadeo is strong enough and has a few heal ablities.
Don´t wait for mana after a fight, you can´t buy enough portion of rage to drink it for every fight, a wall is better then 3 or 4 spells in a fight, rage is more important as mana to keep Asmadeo alive the first fights. If you have the luck (as i have) that you can choose the heal/round at the first level and the more HP at the second level it is done. If there is no of these two it can really be hard...
If i begin new i would rather made a fighter instead of my paladin or your mage, it is slightly easier as a fighter because you can build a few Defense Points quick and at the beginning every point defence is the best you can get. And a mage is later total useless, because Asmadeo make more damage and every wait for full mana is later boring (as every playgame i made as a mage).
Money is total useless (only for items) so if you would like to play as an mage then buy a few strong Damagespells and cast them without mana from the scroll (because you can´t learn it at the beginning). If you play a mage i guess that you know that trap and any poison spell are the best at the start (because of the lowering of Attacking by poisend enemys). Or a slowing spell is more worth as a firebolt and so on...but i don´t use this method, i only use a few spells to kill the 3 enemies at the second battle in the training.
But without kiting or reloading many times for better items at the start i don´t think a solo is working (i hate both, it is boring, thats the reason i gave me a Twinkle boot to use and a helm with 1 defence and a boot with 1 defence - because you can get it from the first few shops if you are lucky).
Edit: and there are a few enemys at the first island that are in every playgame really week, like the two Devilfish at the beach or the few units at the academy. Search for enemys without range attack or week range attack and don´t try to kill every enemy in sight. And don´t forget to make the training at the start, the two battles are really easy and you get 3 items (i destroyed the paladins bevor the fight with the thieves) and you will get a free level for your hero after the training to get a few important runes.
If you run out of money because you will buy spells please note that if you have a sea dog in one of the two not in the battle working spaces you will get 10% Gold of every fight AND every goldpiece you pick up outside the fights.