What is on the map... is on the map. That river might be a big or a small. There are also two rivers we see on the map, but they not that really wide when we cross them. We don't have a tactial map of the area to say that for sure, only the overview of the "travel" map. The area where "the line of skimrish" is located is rather small in my opinion. Otherwise Van would be capable of sending greater forces to harass Eric's supply line. Currently there are none of which we are know. Not counting spies, as they are not soldiers.
In my opinion most of the fighting is done at the small peninsula near the moutains. Whoever controls it can try to push further with small forces to harass the other one. So they probably sending men to skimrish there and looks like it both achived nothing. Where those at camp near the bridge or near the ocean are just... menacingly looking at eachother from the other shore when they spot eachother on patrol.
Well, Isha is... Isha. She might say one thing and do the other. Like any woman.
Also, there's quite big swamp nerby north of her location which of course would prove any huge or heavy scale operation impossible. Small units or scouts? I mean... at the beginning of the game MC can use "energy orc" exploit when working with Tia. And Tia isn't working that far from the village.
Ima's using her magic to hide the camp. There is no point in hiding the castle, even wooden one. No, the point of building a castle it to show it. It's a show of power at this point for both Humans and Orcs. "Look I have a castle and If you pass through the land near it I'm going to send my men to kick your ass! And if you want to kick my ass better bring some siege equipment, because It will surely hold long enough for my other men to get here and kick your ass when you try to kick mine!"
Path is way too narrow to make use of any siege equipment. Althrough I disagree on the bow range. From the ledge to the houses is somewhat around 20 meters. When I was still in school on PE we were shoting with bows up to 50 meters. Olimpic archers are shooting at somewhat 70 meters if I recall correctly? I don't think trained archers would have problem with shoting there.
As for fortifications, Current pallisade is in need of repair. It current state it would be quite easly to just... dig them up with thier own weight just by pushing at the other end. Any palisade and scaffolding would have to be higher than the ledge in order to prove any form of advantage and protection for defenders. Not to mention there are rocks everywhere. Shooting any attacker would be rather difficult with so many places they can cover behind. I would turn this outpost more into a lookout with quite high watchtower to overlook the area and a signal fire to light it up if huge forces are spotted. Other than that? Waste of resources.
Also, we don't know how current fortifications looks from the south and west side of the map.
On the other hand... instead of making it into fortification it would be wise to use Ima's magic here. Because this would be, as spy leader said, great place for cover operations. It's remote and far from prying eyes. It would require more trees and bushes to cover this up, but... keeping there a small garrison of battle ready soldiers to harass sieging army or raid enemy supply routes? Why not. But currently it is of more value to Van tto do that than to Eric or MC.
In my opinion we should have twice as much people everywhere. 10 guys is, in my opinion, the bare minium of a squad to put anywhere. Lower than that and squad is incapable of doing anything important of achieving meanigful.
I mean Giron is having more guys around and inside his house than we have in Arenfield to protect it! Add to that Royal Guards who are stationed there and our mercs are outnumbered!
There was more soldiers in the mine than 5 and they were overrun by goblins. Our mercenaries, even if might be better trained are worst armored. They have mails, which is not so common armor to have, but Eric soldiers have full armors with some plate elements... and damn helmets! They won't stand a chance if pests try to re-take the mine. They just... don't do anything right now.
So either fast assault on the poor-orc stronghold in order to suprise defenders so they won't be capable of taking thier positions, or night sneaking to disable balistas, drug water supplies, posion food and save prisoners followed by siege.
I like both options.
Also, "quality over quantity". Orcs don't know how to fight, they just charge at you. Even with superior numbers they will lose to our planning and tactics.
