I'd call it calous, but not an exploit! Would be nice if your faction leader / local generals gained traits as a result of such actions...

I accidentally let some unsupported artillery (my favourite pair of 5XP ballistae and a catapult!) get caught up in a field battle (the rest of the army had pressed on to besiege Marseille). I let them mash up the enemy before retreating (first shot killed their general :D ) but was enjoying the fireworks too much and sustained substantial losses. Still, that upped their experience somewhat and after retraining one of them is now a 20-strong 7XP unit! I am pretty sure they cost substantially more to retrain than training a no-experience ballista, so I do not consider this an exploit.

But what would you guys do about the following? I have (or rather had, he died off a few days ago!) an 8XP Crusader Knight (is that the right name? The early period mounted unit only available on crusades) It will be a long time before I can crusade again to get him any friends, and being a special crusade unit there is no retraining option. I would like to make him a general through Man of the Hour (would the general keep this experience?) but I do not know how to force him to take command, and I can hardly send him alone against a real enemy! And even if I did, the lone knight would still remain...

What would you guys do with such a unit? Does a MOTH general have the experience of the unit he commanded in battle? How is the general determined in armies without a family member?