[Alneyan]

You were lucky then, or I was facing a pretty craven AI myself. Marignon and Caelum did not send in their Pretenders when I watched them, though they were quite eager to send mercenaries against impossible odds (ten pirates against as many knights and supporting units, I take your bets).

I am currently toying with the notion of putting five hundred clams in a corner of the map, and/or a few provinces with the Scrying magic sites. It should do the trick of watching all the moves of the AI, with the Eyes of the God thrown in for good measure.