Smoother normal game play - warrior, paladin, or mage

[Zechnophobe]

Well, I've said it many times over now: The hardest part of the game is the (Rusty/Early Verona) part of the game. You will find many people who got stuck in just that area. Search around a bit for more detailed advice, but here's a few quick tips:

1) Get the green dragon from Rusty Anchor
2) Pillage like mad. Sneak around enemies and take the loot near them, especially on verona which is very large and heavily laden with goodies.
3) Make sure you are using a good, generally high level, army. (Note, if you are losing a lot of units against slightly stronger foes, you are either in need of some better tactics, or in need of a better army.)