The Dawn of Civil War
As news quickly spreads of Charles of Clossau's death, Bretagne is plunged into civil war; these first few weeks of war may determine your kingdom's future fortune or misfortune.  Act wisely.

Set your army to attack a neighboring province.  Don't bother scouting: no enemies will neighbor your home state and usually the Pope won't either.  If you're so unfortunate to unwittingly attack the Pope, either surrender the game as lost (due to such bleak omens and poor luck) or think of it as an extraordinary challenge.  Besides, the pre-attack dialogue shows which enemy's troops face yours, regardless of whether or not you've scouted the territory.  You may abort the attack if necessary.

Attack a state which borders the most other states.  If you've selected a kingdom near the edge of the map, carve an outer edge of states, leaving the inner states open for later conquest.

Think about using points from your Administrative or Political tasks to speed your early attacks.  Claiming the most territory possible before running into opponents is crucial.

Try to control states which supply the same resources: establish a monopoly.  Gold is probably the best.  This is the single most important economic strategic goal of the game and is rightly, and repeatedly, stressed in the manual.  Build an economic strength and trade for those resources you lack.

As your armies storm across your borders, set your Political task bar to scouting as much as possible.  As soon as your borders are established, begin trading with one neighbor and soliciting his (there are only Kings in Bretagne) good will.

Gold, Grain, and Wine
In the early parts of the game, concentrate on economic power.  Using diplomats to improve relations with one neighbor will improve trade relations as well.  Stockpile resources.  They disappear quickly.

Your Political tasks will be busy in the early game.  Remember to foster a friend on one border, remember the happiness of your own people, and remember to trade for those resources you lack.  Avoid the Black Market.

Your Administrative tasks should concentrate on gathering resources throughout the game.  Don't build large castles early: build the minimum necessary to maintain control of your kingdom and wait until later to think in terms of defense.

Almost without exception, use points from other tasks to bolster your economic growth.  If you've three states with the same resource and have castles of at least 50 points in each, your maximum yield becomes 6 resource points; assign, then, six points to draw the maximum resources for your effort.  Usually Political tasks need only 2 or 3 points for completion.  Use the excess in Administrative tasks.

More Than A Namesake, More Than Walls
Once your kingdom grows, start building central castles to prevent revolts of 100 points or more.  But consider: a 50 point castle can be built much more quickly and will double the resource production for its respective state.  It will also prevent revolt within that state.  The only advantages a 100 point castle offers are added defensive value and that they prevent revolts in neighboring territories.  It follows, perhaps, that a king should quickly build small castles in every state.  This will increase economic power, will take longer than building central, large castles but will grow incrementally faster.  Furthermore, a castle may always be added to later in the game.  However, one must balance large castles with small.  Build large ones in central territories for defense and to prevent revolts.  But remember that small castles have the same economic benefits with less time investment.

One last trick with castles: even if the building of a castle's walls have not been started, knights cannot pass through them.  Infantry units must climb over them.  Archers perched on them fire from an advantage.  Once you've taken a territory, design your castle.  It will help, even in its illusory state, with defense.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends.  Once more, or close the wall up with our English dead!

Wrong country, right idea.  Commit to an attack.  Build your forces beforehand and attack with strength.  Use spies to determine your opponent's army size.  Only attack with a numeric advantage.  Losing an attack will cripple your kingdom, and the computer's A.I. is adept at seizing the advantage in such cases.  Two quick losses will then decimate your once strong army and may lead to revolts of demoralized citizens.  And inevitably the Pope will ask for a tribute in this dark hour as well.  An irony which the programmers had to have created consciously.

When fighting in clear ground, array your troops so that your archers have the greatest possible time to attack your opponent's troops before they arrive near your front line.  Infantry units should be placed in the rear so that they arrive in time to protect the archers.  Knights should also arrive to protect the front line.

Tactics are limited in Castles-Siege & Conquest.  Try to place archers on high ground or in towers.  Keep knights away from swamps and water.  Think about focusing your archers on one or two targets in a opponent's line so as to destroy it quickly, rather than spread and mitigate your archers' effectiveness.

Always place knights in areas where they'll be able to pass through a breach or door in a castle.  Try to control each unit so that all of your troops act most efficiently.  Assign targets and movement orders.  Otherwise you'll see infantry units climbing walls directly adjacent to a breach your catapult just created, your archers will shoot equally, and ineffectively, at various targets, and your knights will charge into and soon find themselves surrounded by enemy troops.  The computer simply charges forward in open ground assaults - take advantage of it's rash tactics.

Pope
Be nice to him.  Send diplomats and make sure he likes you.  Don't attack him... and definitely don't let him box you in.

A Plot in Every Chicken
The last element in Castles deals with plots.  They have little bearing on the outcome of the game, but can bring advantages and misfortunes at opportune or inopportune times.  Discovering them is one of the joys of Castles - I'll not ruin your fun by listing which responses garner the best results.  However, don't patronize Arinseault.  He can tell.
