This itself will significantly reduce enemy numbers. Rhodok X-bowmen are the most powerful ranged NPC units in the game, and it is always convenient to begin a ballte by darkening the skies with crossbow bolts.
To get a fief, either impress your monarch or capture one yourself (or impress your monarch by capturing one yourself). Tips: get a fast horse and ride around the enemy in circles slashing and any who break away from the pack. So, anyone else playing Warband at the moment? Experiences or advice to share? The problem being that having to be available to ride to the rescue makes it a bit tricky to do anything.
My only problem is keeping up a steady supply of troops I've got enough for myself, but my garrisons are tiny, just enough to hold off an army for a little while until I ride to the rescue. Fortunately, the Sarranids have been beaten bloody by every other faction so they're hardly a threat and I've been able to drive of the Rhodoks pretty well so far. They're both at war with me, along with the Nords for some reason, and there's a Sarranid castle bang in the middle of my territory, with too many troops for me to take (200+, I grabbed the city and castle after they'd already been taken a few time by other armies and had less than 50 each). I've got my own faction now, the Calradian Dominion, with a city, a castle and a couple of villages stuck between the Sarranids and the Rhodoks. I picked up Warband a few days ago after having had the original for a few months, and things are starting to get heavy.