I want to address the mechanics of the game, the historical accuracy, and these two meeting under the current in-game meta.
Cavalry has set off to get nerfed vs pikes and x-bows in an upcoming update. I don’t think this is necessary. At the moment, mass pikes already deal pretty good with cavalry, and they’re a backup to top players. The current meta employs pikes and/or archers, not cavalry. If this move is presented, cavalry will just become obsolete.
Historical/real life accuracy: These are mounted KNIGHTS wearing full plate and/or lamellar armor. As proven in Tod’s Workshop video (ARROWS vs ARMOUR - Medieval Myth Busting - YouTube @ 13:45) arrows don’t penetrate plate armor whatsoever. Arrows only become deadly when they hit openings in the armor, and therefore, it makes sense in-game that archers do little damage to armored opponents.
Now, while crossbows DO puncture armor, it’s not enough to take someone out of the battle. And currently, in-game, crossbows are already melting knights.
It takes a significant greater amount of time and resources to train knights than pikes and crossbows, which is historically accurate, yet being armored on a horse SHOULD allow the individual to shred through a handful of opponents before being brought down considering the investment.
If we’re talking pike formations is one thing. But a solo pikeman should never beat an armored knights.
Imagine being solo, one’s self, against a lancer charging at you:
Heat Exhaustion: Can heat kill you in medieval armour? (We find out, it wasn't nice!) - YouTube @ 6:09.
In most scenarios the individual on foot is at a gargantuan disadvantage, not to include the psychological effect of the opponent being on a 6 foot animal fully armored and you’re holding a stick with a pointy end.
In formation, yes, pikes work. Individually, horseMAN (singular) wins.
Perhaps pikes should get a buff when en-masse against cavalry, something such as if there’s 4 or 6 pikes, near each other, SIDE BY SIDE, there’s a multiplier activated against cavalry.
But not individually. Please consider this.
The reason I’m bringing this up is because I actually tend to play the game as historically accurate as possible, and I do employ pike and bow/arquebus (hand cannon) tactics, and in the current meta I tend to set up a few bombards to the enemies laying in square formations, and as soon as they hit C on their keyboard to spread out, I send my cav in to cut through. This works (and is historically accurate) in the current meta, but it’ll become obsolete if a simple pike 1-shots a knight. PLEASE consider this.
PS: I would perhaps be more inclined to have a Halberdier available at castle or imperial age, that can actually solo 1v1 a knight hence Halberdiers had special polearms that didn’t just aim at the horse to stay away, rather attempted to dismount the horse rider.
In the end as much as i want a realistic accurate game… id get more pissed and angry at the mechanics of it and would play more: “ a game that’s entertaining and more game”ish