I think you are dead if you try a warspear.
Heavy lance is just longer and hits first. So you are dead.
Correct me , if i´m wrong. Thought the only weapon long enough to hit first before heavy lance is pike. But maybe i try a bamboo spear again. But that one failed too often while i tried it.
So that the heavy lance just hits first , and because you are dead , you can´t hit the horse anymore ...
And if you use shield and spear , you must decide if you want to be protected behind your shield=block ( 2 hits and a medium shield is crushed because of the speed bonus of the cav ) , or you want to try to stop the horse = dead , cause heavy lance is longer = hits first. Maybe i try a bamboo spear again. I tried it and it sucks too often .... so i changed to pike again. I know that i have no protection against ranged, while i use pike, but i think it´s a better option against cav than be protected with shield , and use bamboo spear ...
Maybe i must try again various combinations.
Edit :
How the hell this patch in any way could increase the number of hybrids.
It´s more or less the total opposite of what you said.
And @ Camaris : Simply cause i can´t use a pike after the patch, with 1h/shield ( when pike needs 3 slots ) , so i must choose something other than pike , that hits first before heavy lance hits me = ranged = no more melee only = hybrid ;-)
Edit : Maybe i try something with throwing too , after the patch, cause i think jarids or throwing spears , or axes could kill a horsie too.
But it´s totally clear that the patch will change my melee-only char to a hybrid char.