You can quickly remove forests by  building a woodmill and directly canceling the woodmill. The first time I was suprised but I could replicate this some turn later with another town.

Building troops with advanced weaponry costs metal, this is not the case for kingdoms...

Also, the wooden shield costs 160 gold and the buckler (the next best thing from the civic branch) costs 80.

Is this all intentional?

(version 0.77.01, playing as Verga)

Edit: The Woodmill thing also happens for kingdoms. The better shield is only 60. And only the warhammer costs no metal, in contrast with the dagger/axe.