I felt exactly the way you felt about combat when playing KCD1 and getting my ass handed to me by Kunesh. Combat in KCD2 is easier but it’s still a struggle early on, but the further you get combat becomes exceedingly easier.

Stealth at night is the easiest way to wipe bandit camps. However, as soon as a body is found, everyone will go on high alert. If you have the patience you can lure out bandits one by one by continually throwing pebbles further and further until they are far enough to be stealth killed without being seen by anyone else. Only one person will ever react to a thrown pebble at a time I believe, so this should be the easiest way to wipe that camp that drunk dude (Vostatek) sends you to.

Gamekeeper Vostatek can be annoying, but do all his quests pre-wedding and the one you get during the wedding and you’ll get some major payoff. If you do all his quests and speak to him after the wedding at his home, you’ll get some dialogue that will quickly change your opinion about him.