My first suggestion:
The Champion stack issue. I started a new game and noted that I had about 5 champions before my first building was done. They should be more rare. I personally expect to have 2 or 3 champions and my sovereign, but right now, the game seems to push you towards a mob of Aragorns. Maybe the recruitment system itself should be adjusted so that Champions find you, also, that way when the map is cleared of champions (either killed by your opposing faction or recruited) you still have a chance for one to visit you to look for work. This might be an interesting second use for Prestige or buildings like Inns that increase the chance. Just a suggestion to help those who want 9 champions to get them, while still keeping them rare early to prevent the stack of doom before anyone has a counter for it.
Second Suggestion:
Traits for the army. Most of them add +x to this and -x to that. That is boring. Traits should be passive and active abilities that determine how that unit plays. You can include traits in all 3 tech trees that make sense. Examples that I pondered up to try and paint the picture of what I mean:
Traits unlocked from Civics techs:
Conscript: Reduces maintenance by 50%.
Healer: Can create a Healer Camp on the current tile. It takes one season to set up the camp. All units grouped with the unit heal at a greatly increased rate and the group cannot move while this is active.
Hunter: This unit can perform a special attack that does bonus damage against beasts.
Traits from Warfare:
Assassinate: This unit can perform a special attack that does bonus against Champions.
Pillager: Whenever this unit emerges victorious from combat, they yield bonus Gold and Materials that are sent back to their home city.
Snap Shots: This unit can use their ranged weapon twice in one round, but at reduced accuracy.
Traits from Magic:
Slayers: This unit can perform a special attack that does bonus damage against Monsters.
Pathfinder: This unit ignores terrain movement penalties and starts with +10 initiative if engaging while on Forest or Mountain tiles.
Mana Focus: This unit produces Mana whenever it survives combat, based on the number of enemies killed.
These are more what I expect to find from traits. Doing slight adjustments to the stats the units have isn't half as interesting as giving units abilities that truly define their role in your army.
