I dunno, Ansom is holding the pliers in the last panel. Which he himself admits to be the superb anti-uncroacked weapon. Made me think that he is planning on using them on warlords. In Ansoms point of view, whatever stashed in central hex is almost dead. Under that premise, if he does punch through the weak hex, it wont matter how smart the warlords in the central hex are. They cant run if not on their turn. They'd get slaughtered.