OK, so to tally up the votes so far:
A. Which region to campaign against:
Wessex: 6 votes.

B. What soldiers to recruit:
1.Feudal levy for the southern, eastern and southeastern counties: 4 votes.
2. Mix of Hampshire levy and mercs: 1 vote

For the negotiation:
Miles of Gloucester captured sixty soldiers, mostly knights and men-at-arms, half of which defended Stephen and permitted him to escape. You should note that without the soldiers who defended him, Stephen would be in one of Robert's prisons.

Also note: Wallingford is one of the strongest castles in England, commands a strategic crossing point on the Thames and is Gloucester's most easterly stronghold; his salient. Abergavenny is likewise an important castle on the Usk river, in the heart of the Welsh Marches.