Always listen to your Fabbis, don't just click through the screens. The things we tell you in the beginning of the game will save you a lot of grief later on.

Be sure to line up your troops in a sensible order. You want your melee units in the first two ranks, and casters and other units with less hit points in the back, where they'll be safer.

Check to see that a party is at full health before sending it out to attack another castle. If any of your units got "owned" in a previous battle, they are lost for good. Check your party's status by hitting the 'Party' then 'Form' screens. If anyone's in the hospital, hit 'Medical' first. If anyone got owned, you'll want to buy replacement units.

Spend a lot of time in Elynotis and Cressence, the first two "tutorial" realms, before moving on to the next realm. You'll want to acquire as much loot as possible here before advancing into the more difficult stages of the game. Twenty thousand loot is a good amount to save up before moving on.

If you're running out of loot and can't afford more troops, send out troops to Area Search. They'll usually come back with a bit of loot and some items you can sell -- do this enough, and you can replenish your treasury enough to build up an army again.

Don't sell off any copper that you win in battle (or any other items, if you can help it). Once your Fabbis explains the lab to you, you'll be able to use the copper ore to make weapons and armor for your troops.

Always scout an enemy castle before attacking it (especially when playing online). The overall defensive value shown can give you a clue as to just how tough the fight ahead is going to be, and whether you need to throw your best party at the castle, or soften it up first with some other troops.