Just now I had a battle to remember, not so much because of its uniqueness or because it was a surprising victory - though it was, even if I lost the battle itself. One of my usual run-of-the-mill armies of four Feudal Sergeants, three archers, two arbalests, two Feudal foot knights (dismounted mercenary Druz*whatever* cavalry, very handy if you can get them), two Chivalric Knights and a Royal Cavalry against a couple of those typical Horde armies with massive armoured cavalry, Horse archers and Horde foot warriors. At first I thought "I can take ´em", usually its a matter of finding a good position on a hill, let your sergeants absorb the missiles from the foot guys and kill the armoured cav with your crossbows. Works like a charm, really. For some reason, the Horde guy stop just short of my spears, let their archers shoot at the front rank and leaver their precious cavalry in crossbow range like sitting ducks. So they did this time, with their army being lead by their king or Khan. Well, whatever, obviously, he ended as a pincushion, what with 160 arbalesters putting their bolts into him. That´s usually nice, since when the general´s done this world the service of leaving it, things usually go downhill. Well, all the units on the battlefield were properly horrified and fled, sadly making space for those thrice - blasted Horse archers that no decent catholic cavalry can catch. My spears shot to pieces by the foot soldiers, my archers out of ammo and all of my army generally pretty tired, the reinforcements swept me off the field.
I was already thinking I´m done, the Horde would sweep all the way through my precious and expensively built empire, when I came to the strategic map, I was told the Horde was no more! Their Khan had no heir left when he let himself turn into a pincushion
That´s what you get from being brave instead of sensible - as my generals are, watching the action from a bit back and let the fighting for those who are more...expendable