Well I do look on this a bit differently, call me wrong, but I think recruitment is part of this game, a major part. I do agree recruit to win is wrong, how ever tactical recruitments as spoils of war are acceptable and if you don't take in best of what your enemy had, then with that war you gained nothing, the rest of world will just pass over you and eat you up.
On W87 I was general of enemy tribe, trusted right hand of duke, how ever duke left, tribe split and at that situation I had to find right place for my men, to get them to safety and to get them to world end (where most of them did get as winers). We joined our enemy, tribe that took us in with me as front-liner took out 2 more K's and worlds core, thus ensuring victory - I don't consider our recruitment as recruit to win, it was tactical move to gain control and players that can bring tribe to the end, loyal, skilled and active players.
So if you can get world end contender players, that are loyal, skilled and active, letting them pass is not honor or some other high ground, but pure tactical mistake in my book (If STD had to fight my crew on w87, world could have ended differently).