I couldn't agree more, and I really think a lot of the people kneejerking this post should reconsider what they mean by "challenge", and what makes a game enjoyable. I completely refuse to believe that anyone enjoys or even tolerates grinding for soldiers. This is a video game, not work.
Bannerlord has the AI spamming armies at you like crazy. <-This is the thing that need to be nerfed first, not the ability of the player to counter it. In games where enemies can regenerate infinitely like bannerlord or warband, the worst possible thing you could ever do is to take away the tools the player has to gain an advantage. I don't care if it's unbalanced or unfair, I'm playing a singleplayer game and I should be allowed to cheese the enemy if I want. Giving everyone shields when they take forever to break and cavalry and archers are useless is incredibly boring. I don't know why anyone has the balls to defend this crap, because all it does is remove any semblance of tactics and reinforce the ugly infantry moshpit that is the current meta. The only skill it "challenges" is your irl patience. I've played idle games with more engaging and tactical gameplay than the battles in bannerlord.
How many wars have you heard of where both sides routinely get their armies annihilated but carry on recruiting new armies?
You're steering away from the issue. OP has a problem with losing a miniscule amount of troops when fighting an enemy. His proposed solution? Nerf the enemy.
You ARE allowed to cheese the enemy if you want. Its called easy mode. The AI is slow AF in regenerating troops. If I'm at war with a kingdom and I want to befriend a lot of enemy lords to later get them to join my kingdom, I'll beat them (which is easy and fun because im not a twat) and release them again in order to gain relation.
But how often do I see lords with 30-40 troop armies existing for 75% out of recruits.
Oh so battles arent easy anymore, boehoeh. Good, start valueing the life of your troops and pick battles you can win.
Just change your tactic and adjust that shtty attitude if you want to win (in anything).