My plan actually worked pretty much as I expected. I lost most of a unit trying to reach the walls. I soundly defeated the walldefenders. But it went wrong when I left the walls and my infantry got overpowered in small pockets.
The plan had been to open up two gates and run the enemy down with the general and the Sarmatians. But since the Cilicians got butchered and the phalanx pikemen blocked the first gate I was stuck.

At least I lured out two family member who got killed by boiling oil and my reforming Levy Pikemen.

But I still think it is damned unfair that I lost men in units that had not even been in battle and whom I had withdrawn.
Is it just me or wasn't the patch intended to fix the 'fighting to the death' issue?