Catapults are imba

[Duke_of_Bavaria]

I've got a strategy that can't be beaten.

-------------gate------------<- wall
.C                  |P
.A                  |I
.V                  |K
.A                  |E
.L                  |M
.R                  |E
.Y                  |N

        CATAPULT

You can add some infantry behind the pikemen to make the line steadier. Use normal shots with the catapult and fire at command (don't let it fire at will or it will shoot your troops).
If the computer has any ladders or towers put some infantry on the walls to make absolutely sure he can't get to the flank or behind your pikemen. The pikemen are the core of this strategy. If they rout or get flanked you're screwed.
Anyway obviously this won't work online since a human will attack the catapult, the computer is an idiot and just goes for the pikemen. Anyhow.

Fire with the catapult, units will start routing, but they get stuck in the gate, an enormous meat-ball of units will form in the gate. Fire the catapult again (you get like 30-40 kills a shot!). More routing and more chaos. Rinse and repeat, you can win enormous battles like this.
It's extremely usefull if you have burgher pikemen or scottish pikemen, any LONG pikes will work really.
And it's extremly good against Mongols and other cavalry centered factions.

I've been playing the Teutonic order like this vs Russia and Lithuania (both cavalry factions) and I just can't loose if I have these units in a city.

Just a couple of hours ago I fought a battle with 175 men against Russia-Lithuania's 790 men. I lost 44 men, Russia-Lithuania lost approx 720 men.

If you have those trebuche looking things that fire barrels of fire you can have them shoot from the side against the troops outside the walls, it will make them rout easier. A no-brainer also ofc. if you have archers put them on the walls. Xbows work extremely well against cavalry and this is mostly an anti-cavalry strategy so if you can, do hire some xbowmen.

And I'm sure you realize what the cavalry on the other side is for. A general with loads of dread will work perfectly here.

If you haven't tried it out, do it.
Just create a single player battle. Make yourself the defender and give the enemy the best cavalry avalible, loooads of it, only a few infantry or w/e and then enjoy the show.

Unfortunatly this doesn't work if the enemy has canons since he will be able to flank you from the holes in the wall. That it unless you have several catapults and loads of pikemen.

*sry, long post*