Well, really, what is desired is a way to simply increase the range of risk, training time, and damage output on the lower end.
Well...What about forgetting about "damage" for some of these low-end options? What about better scouts?
Just some examples:
"You sneak into the tent while the Marshal is out, and discover that he has Infantry Charge and Fortification Defense orders issued to his command staff"
"You observe the maneuvers of Sir Rhennthyl's troop and determine that his soldiers are marching in a box, keeping to the front, and appear braced to fight to the end"
"Carefully watching, you see that the enemy has around twenty banners, five siege engines, five caravans, and thirty healers"
"You listen in on the work of the civil servants, and discover that Lantzas is subject to a fourteen percent tax rate, has more than sufficient estates supporting authority, not quite enough supporting production, has around fifty bushels of food in its granaries, has around a hundred gold in its tax offices, and fifty troops in its recruitment centers"
That is stuff that can be low risk, and perhaps most importantly is
not a ban worthy offense. So you can train up on information gathering, and even if you get caught, they can't ban you for asking a few questions (yes, I'm aware that in the real world you could, but for game purposes this seems like the kind of thing that wouldn't be bannable).