Changes in balance since the patch?

So I stopped playing before the patch.

Back then, spears dominated the game, and it was surprisingly efficient to use a full army of, say, chivalric sergeants.

I gather a lot has changed since then. Could anyone distill the general patch changes for me? NOthing too involved is necessary. I'm just wondering how the general balance of the game has changed.

This is an old issue since the patch was released months ago and most players have VI now. If you do a search, I´m sure you´ll find lots of info about the original MTW post-patch.
But to answer youre question. After the patch cavalry and non-spear infantry are stronger.