I just started a new campaign, because I killed most of the masters in my last run and on every shard there were the same three guys against me (boring).

The first time the tutorial map felt quite hard, but with experience it is really easy :)

http://i.imgur.com/SbMfHEM.jpg

As buildings become available, I made a list in which order I usually build them.
This is difficulty beginner and played with wizard as main hero (pure mage with zombies as army) and a fighter sidekick for exploration, suppression etc.

Library -> Altar -> School of Necromancy -> Tavern -> Granary -> Crystal of Force
-> Workshop -> Pottery -> Carpenters Guild -> [Forge -> Diggers Guild] School of Sorcery
-> Show Booth -> Farmers Market -> Inn -> Armory -> Stable -> Practice Halls -> Drivers Guild
-> Sphere of Winds -> Foundry -> Pikeman School -> Brotherhood of light
-> Church -> Abbey -> Market -> Theater -> School of Wizardry -> Stonemasons Guild
-> Sorcerer's Workshop -> Sages Guild -> Sphere of Stone -> Traders Guild -> Foresters Guild
-> Enchanted Grove -> Herbalists Guild -> Stonehenge -> Brewery -> Infirmary

//edit: kicked the Warriors Guild only marginal better than Recruits. I mean the guards are not really there to stop the other masters, but to keep order and if the province is taken they soften up the force of the enemy hero.
Brethren of Light are my main choice at the moment. They are cheap, make people happy and can defend against a rabble (not the [Spanish] Inquisition though).
The Pikeman are place-holder in case I run out of zombies and until I get new ones you can hire those as defence.

1x magic arrow
1xraise zombie
several magic spark
http://i.imgur.com/9vrIl01.jpg
I really needed that province :)

A new list for good and evil play wizard:
Library -> Altar -> School of Necromancy -> Tavern -> Granary -> -> Workshop -> Pottery
-> Carpenters Guild -> Forge -> Crystal of Force -> [Diggers Guild ->] [School of Sorcery|Altar of Chaos]
-> [Show Booth|Church -> Haunted Cemetery (Guards) ->] Inn -> Farmers Market
-> [Armoury ->] Stable -> [Practice Halls ->] Drivers Guild -> School of Wizardry
-> [Brotherhood of light -> Church -> Abbey (Guards) ->] Market -> [Theatre ->] Sphere of Winds
-> Stonemasons Guild -> Sorcerer's Workshop -> Sages Guild -> Sphere of Stone -> Foresters Guild
-> Enchanted Grove -> Herbalists Guild -> Traders Guild -> Stonehenge -> Crystal Garden -> Magic Well
-> Brewery -> Winery -> Foundry
-> [Swordsman School -> Pikeman School -> Crossbowman School|Barbarian Camp -> Den of Thieves -> Brigand Lair -> Totem]
-> Fort -> Builders Guild -> Mages Guild -> [Geologists Guild ->] Temple of Immortals -> Crystal of Power
-> Pathfinders Guild -> Merchant Court -> Town Council -> [Monastery -> Secret Monastery (Guards)]
-> [Jewellery Store -> Journeyman Jeweller -> Master Jeweller]
-> Dungeon -> Treasury -> Infirmary -> Pharmacy -> Craft Shop -> Shipbuilders Guild
-> Chamber of Commerce -> Armoury -> Practice Halls -> Mercenaries Guild -> Military School (Guards)
-> Trappers Guild -> Alchemists Guild -> Crystal of Might -> Court -> Moneylender
-> [Haunted Cemetery ->] Necromancer Guild -> Secret Library -> Tower of Necromany -> Source of Crystals -> Artefact Market
-> Merchants Guild -> Monstrologists Guild -> Craftsman Guild -> Seafarers Guild -> Explorers Guild -> Healers Guild

[ ] in square brackets is optional or choice, but most likely needed as dependency later. Like the Diggers Guild if there are no hills in the starting area.
Evil: Altar of Chaos, Church -> Haunted Cemetory (Guards), Barbarian Camp -> Den of Thieves -> Brigand Lair -> Totem
Good: Show Booth, School of Sorcery, Practice Halls, Brotherhood of light -> Church -> Abbey (Guards), Theatre, Monastery -> Secret Monastery (Guards), Swordsman School -> Pikeman School -> Crossbowman School

In the provinces I either built:
Resource depending building (mill, mine etc.), Storehouse and Stable for speed.
OR
Fort, resource depending building and stable.

I played a shard complete evil, no extravanganza (10 gems) and every answer the worst for the population. As soon as an unrest was about to start, I put Walking Dead (40g) guards on the province and they were able to fend it off.
After that, you just need to check every round the province list when and where the next starts and make sure the guards are on 90-100% In the end, people actual got used to the undead and calmed down...

http://i.imgur.com/Ht5QnaU.jpg

As soon as one of the other masters declared war, I started raiding his/her provinces. Behind the war machine, I built forts and then plundered on the last province (40-50g every turn), casting it into dust at the end and abandon it. Usually the other master is happy to make piece by then.

http://i.imgur.com/IP30Bzf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8QgiV2B.jpg

p.s. title Avatar Zage The Dark ;)

//edit: last update:
Library -> Altar -> School of Necromancy -> Tavern -> Granary -> -> Workshop -> Pottery
-> Carpenters Guild -> Forge -> Crystal of Force -> [Diggers Guild ->] [School of Sorcery|Altar of Chaos]
-> [Church -> Haunted Cemetery (Guards) ->] Inn -> Farmers Market -> Show Booth
-> [Armoury ->] Stable -> [Practice Halls ->] School of Wizardry -> Drivers Guild
-> [Brotherhood of light -> Church -> Abbey (Guards) ->] Market -> [Theatre ->] Sphere of Winds
-> Stonemasons Guild -> Sorcerer's Workshop -> Sages Guild -> Sphere of Stone -> Foresters Guild
-> Enchanted Grove (Guards) -> Herbalists Guild -> Pathfinders Guild -> Traders Guild
-> Stonehenge (Guards) -> Crystal Garden -> Magic Well -> Brewery -> Winery -> Foundry
-> [Swordsman School -> Pikeman School -> Crossbowman School|Barbarian Camp -> Den of Thieves -> Brigand Lair -> Totem]
-> Fort -> Builders Guild -> Mages Guild -> [Geologists Guild ->] [Church ->] Temple of Immortals -> Crystal of Power
-> Merchant Court -> Town Council -> [Monastery -> Secret Monastery (Guards)]
-> [Jewellery Store -> Journeyman Jeweller -> Master Jeweller]
-> Dungeon -> Treasury -> Infirmary -> Pharmacy -> Craft Shop -> Shipbuilders Guild
-> Chamber of Commerce -> Armoury -> Practice Halls -> Mercenaries Guild -> Military School (Guards)
-> Trappers Guild -> Alchemists Guild -> Crystal of Might -> Court -> Moneylender
-> [Haunted Cemetery ->] Necromancer Guild -> Secret Library -> Tower of Necromany -> [Source of Crystals|Source of Gold]
-> Artefact Market -> Show Booth -> Arena -> Monstrologists Guild (Guards) -> Craftsman Guild -> Seafarers Guild -> Explorers Guild
-> Healers Guild -> Merchants Guild -> Oracle -> [Theatre ->] Travelling Circus

from there on, if you stick to the plan and survive, you shouldn't suffer of any shortage. Just don't fall below ~10000 gold for income.