Ehhhhh, I wouldn't bet on that... Remember how Darka was only putting 20kish CS in the field for a while until you guys got really motivated? I imagine CE could pull off a similar surge if it had a compelling reason to.
There is none. They come along with their friends and they bang their heads against the wall. 2-3 days of looting don't do much difference like they never did to Coria. After that boredom kicks in and nobles leave or just stay in the capital.
