The effective early NON-use of Pretenders in combat ....

[Firebreath]

Originally posted by magnate:
The default strength for indies is 3, which is hard enough. What on earth do you do at strength 9, other than use an SC?

No need for an SC (although it can help ). At strength 9, just build your forces for 2-3 turns and then attack the provinces that say they're defended by mostly millitia, light infantry and archers (and usually some heavy infantry). Try to avoid the ones with heavy cavalry and barbarians in, and you'll see your heavily armoured front rank smash through the vast hordes of millitia and light infantry in no time at all. If you have archers of your own, then the aborigines will just rout all the faster