There was a way to win......but
It didn't work. I thought meeting Ramsay and Lord Whitehill at the gate was fortunate when they agreed to come inside without their men, who were left locked out behind the portcullis. So when Ramsay orders his men into the Hall to enforce his edict on the Forresters later on, they cannot enter as they are locked out of Ironwrath. Unfortunately the game let them enter the hall anyway and the story ends the same.
You then have at least 3 armed men, 4 if you include Ethan and possibly more against Ramsay and Lord Whitehill. I wanted to take them both captive. Having Lord Whitehill would neutralise the threat from them and then you can sell Ramsay to the highest bidder, maybe sell him to the Greyjoys in exchange for protection from the Boltons.
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And you think the Boltons wouldn't kill them after getting back Ramsay?
Edit: I read it wrong, but the how could the Greyjoys secure protection from the Boltons? Also, the Forresters have few soldiers. The Whitehills and Boltons could easily attack them and take the captives. Even the Crown could help them in it, the Boltons are the new Warden of The North.
Well don't the Greyjoys hold at least one major keep in the North? And hasn't Ironrath been described as a somewhat formidable castle in the pre release materials. If so it wouldn't take a large garrison to hold it, more so when you consider how generally busy the Boltons are. Small groups holding captives are not to be treated lightly. Whena small group kidnapped the King, they had him for months before a daring rescue was carried out. That said I imagine even then taking Ramsay would still not go over swimmingly.
My bigger deal was more about, how the hell did all the extra guys get into the room. And did my dudes just let them leave after killing me? What the hell dudes?!? There was like 10 of them!
Duncan said: "We couldn't withstand a siege. If the Whitehills or the Boltons cut us off and wait us out, we'd only last a fortnight."
They may be able to hold Ramsay and Ludd for quite some time, but taking captives would only hurt the House in the end. Sooner or later, they would somehow get back the captives and Mira would have a hard time in King's Landing after that. They would be traitors after the capture, and that wouldn't be good.
The soldiers entering the room means either a traitor, or a plot hole. There was 20 enemy soldiers and they are much more than the Forrester's. If our men would have attacked them, they could just kill everyone within the walls without worrying about the consequences, as they didn't attack first.
The Greyjoys may have a keep, I don't about that honestly. But I don't think they have much influence with the Boltons.
I dunno, it beggars belief that literally 20 dudes is enough to push around the full force of the Forresters for a significant amount of time, but oh well.
Duncan says the food would only last a fortnight, and Ethan can make a choice to significantly increase the food stores. But yeah either way if the Forrestors only have 10 dudes, then they can't defend any castle, no matter how cool it is.
You saw what good their 'fiercest, meanest looking men' did.
I'm thinking whomever you didn't choose for your sentinel lost hope in the house and ordered the gates be opened.
Its a bit weird but ethan dying is too much of a big plot point to change
Well the full force of the Forresters no longer exists as they all kinda died.
It's kinda funny that the immoral houses seem to have the most soldiers, no doubt because they sent fewer troops south on what they'd know to be a bit of a fool's errand.
I think Royland hates the Whitehills too much to ever do that.