1. I don't think Dain has any 'plans' as such. He is responding to a call for
aid from a kinsmen, disinterestedly. He is not coming for the gold, he's coming
to help Thorin & Co.
2. Thorin didn't necessarily expect to kill Smaug in the first place. He hoped
to, but suspected he'd just have to try and steal some of the treasure.
Especially when they couldn't secure the services of a good Hero, and had to
make do with a burglar - just Thorin's 'luck' that he ended up with a Hero
after all as Beren IV argued a few weeks ago.
Given this approach to Smaug, 500 noisy Dwarves of implacably resentful natures
could put the task of potting a bit of treasure at risk. For a bit of biffo
against an Elven-King, however, 500 Dwarves are certainly a better choice than
one Hobbit (heroic or not).
3. Roac seems like a very sensible bird. Any war is going to be a bad outcome
for everyone. Even a stalemate would be
better.
"...the same behaviour or even the same good can appear distinguished to one person, pretentious to someone else, and cheap or showy to yet another." Bourdieu
