I don't get how AI gets so many heroes. Like, at the very start of the game (maybe turn 25 or so) it has a stack with 3 heroes - 15 HP 10 attack (combat rating 45), 26 HP 6 attack 7 defence (combat rating 25), 21 Hp 0 attack 5 defence. For comparision, i can hire a hero with 20 HP 8 Attack 19 defence for 19 defence (combat rating 34) for 1352 gold, and that's with one charisma book.
It will take a loooong time until i'll be able to make even 1350 gold. Should i always pick sovereign with high charisma? So far in two games AI just rushed me with a stack of 7 heroes, with no less than two heroes with attack 6+ not counting sovereign. Armed peasants aren't strong enough to counter it, even if i research some combat techs. So it seems critical to be able to hire strong heroes in the first 50 turns, but i don't get how to do it.
