What's your strategy on Freestyle (Random Expert)?

[Enerril]

So I managed to survive a few games on that difficulty (The ones without dragons on day 1).
The only workable way was to fast war+heal ergo

gnome+blacksmith+rogues+marketplace+warguild+agrela

The usual "2markets+elves" never lasted day 2 =(

How do you survive?

[Joe]

Just finished my random expert, i get lucky with weak oponents (goblins camps+shadow beasts + random disasters) + marketplace at start.
gnome -> rangers -> blacksmith -> palace lv2 -> krypta -> fervus

[Ashe]

Gnomes are pretty much must haves for experts just so you have a decent team of builders to combat any sieges.

[Dorgath]

I prefer NE settings so I can go Blacksmith - Marketplace - Krolm - Inn - Palace level 2 - Elves - Rangers - Warriors - hopefully game is stablised bt then, Outpost - destroy Krolm - Agrela - and should have the game wrapped up, so you can build whatever after.

[Peach Jelly]

GENERAL TIPS (based on personal preference):

-- My go-to set up is to put a marketplace by the entrance of the castle for easy tax-collecting access. Research healing pots right away.
-- It doesn't much matter which hero guild you start with, but warriors are a sturdy choice.
-- When convenient, upgrade to castle 2 and put a trading post as close to the settlement as possible with its entrance protected with a guardhouse and arrows.
-- I personally favor building a Krypta temple, as the skeletons are quite an asset since they roam around and go after monsters.
-- When convenient, build a BS, upgrade it to 3, and build a dwarven settlement. -- Use ballista towers to your heart's delight to defend your settlement (since their price is fixed) and add more trading posts/upgrade the marketplace to rake in money.
-- In between all of this, depending on your funds, work on recruiting more heroes. Build enough inns to get an extra tax collector via the fountain. Set tax collectors to return on 25 gold but collect on about 250 gold or more (this will keep them going back and forth the short distance to the marketplace and not wander all over the freaking place).
-- A fairgrounds set to either magic or all tournament is also a great choice for collecting extra gold and getting heroes to level up.

[Dorgath]

You have time to do all of this during expert freestyle? I find the Priestesses pretty fragile... I may have to give it a try to see how it goes...