Okay, Taril and neprostoman, I think you've given TedAmerica enough food for thought there, and hopefully not enough that they regret asking the question
As those of us who have played the game a lot know, there are loads of potentially successful strategies that can be used, particularly on the two easier difficulty settings. Let's share approaches that have worked for us and allow others to do the same, and let TedAmerica and other newcomers to the game choose what sounds appealing to them, rather than getting sidetracked into debates between ourselves.