De-Legro, Not so much really. If you do things efficiently you usually need a -lot- less nobles. You're right if people are going to "Blob of Doom" their way around, but why do that when you can drive people bannanas and leave the ole blobbers sitting and starving.
Tactics get people to care too, because they stop being just another foot soldier and have missions and goals. I mean, yes, you need a couple fo good marshals, but otherwise it's a self-feeding system.
More or less nobles, you still need a group willing to go along with the plan. You act like finding a couple of good marshals is somethings simple, I've known realms that would do almost anything for one good marshal, and these weren't small realms. People resort to blob of doom because it can work even when you realm lacks talent and/or activity levels.
But otherwise think about it this way, you are playing a game with lots of experienced players, and a fair few tactically quiet clever people. The idea that a single player in the game is the only person that has arrived at a winning tactic is quite ludicrous.
