I really like the new feature. It will be great for training companions, though. Weaken the enemy a bit, then lead your companions (or even just a certain one) into battle for great XP! I really want to make companions into an elite force and have them follow me into the thick of things, while all the other soldiers just stay together in formation and fight the normal way. And even better, due to copious amounts of time playing the beta online, I'm actually pretty good at M&B now, so maybe I'll actually achieve more than capturing a few castles!
But sadly I only have the beta of Warband since I need to save money to go learn French in Frenchie-Canada.