Using assassins for expansion

[Torin]

They dont reappear.
The best way to know how many commanders the indy province has is to attack with a single commander with retreat orders. you loose nothing and you get to see the exact forces in that province.

still that expansion is unreliable unless your assasins are strong, good if you get an assasin right away (abysia?), but if you recruit an assasin then you are not recruiting a mage...