What is the best starting strategy for 12 domains?

[Pariah]

I'm curious if there is a "perfect" starting strategy for this map. I'll tell you what I do but i'm curious what you do.

I start off putting all my reinforcements at the castle that is in the worst position on the map trying to capture it in the quickest fashion possible and then sitting behind the 6 neutral troops and not expanding any further. I will usually commit 2 turns (6 men) to this castle before I start putting reinforcements at the other castles. While I am doing this I will attack provinces from my other castles that are adjascent to it but do not get in the way of me being able to conquer all the rest of the provinces in one assault, starting from the castle, on later turns when I start committing my reinforcements there. I will attack from the castle against 2 man armies when I have 4 or more men and I will attack 1 man armies when I have 3 or more men. As soon as all the provinces in my castle regions are conquered, or the majority of them are, I quickly expand out into the city as fast as I can from my stronger castle positions.

 

[empirejeff]

Multi player path reinforcements. Take all the regions in the west. Hold on for a few rounds and you pretty much have the game won. If you do not mess up.

No reinforcements. Taking one region at a time is a pretty effective strategy over all. The settings will effect how effective this is.

Bombarding neutrals is just not so good of a strategy.

 

[Cardinalsrule]

I'm curious if there is a "perfect" starting strategy for this map. I'll tell you what I do but i'm curious what you do.

I start off putting all my reinforcements at the castle that is in the worst position on the map trying to capture it in the quickest fashion possible and then sitting behind the 6 neutral troops and not expanding any further. I will usually commit 2 turns (6 men) to this castle before I start putting reinforcements at the other castles. While I am doing this I will attack provinces from my other castles that are adjascent to it but do not get in the way of me being able to conquer all the rest of the provinces in one assault, starting from the castle, on later turns when I start committing my reinforcements there. I will attack from the castle against 2 man armies when I have 4 or more men and I will attack 1 man armies when I have 3 or more men. As soon as all the provinces in my castle regions are conquered, or the majority of them are, I quickly expand out into the city as fast as I can from my stronger castle positions.

Pretty good strategy, but overall it depends on the settings. If you have path reinforcement, I'd not disagree with you. Although, going the other route, starting by deploying on your strongest position while letting your weakest just slowly take the domain (and, as you said, staying behind the 6-neut) is also viable. That way you can 'get out' faster and start conquering other domains.