Yeah, that was totally a thing with the DCMS, and esp. the Sword of Light. Excessive focus on non-aggressive tactics might be seen as cowardice, especially when they knew they had good quality troops who would not break and could do what was asked of them. This led to a certain way of fighting. Obviously, it was a big problem for the DCMS (though to be fair at the same it is important to recognize that there was still different types of units within the DCMS even in that time, so it wasn't all just this way).
Thus the need for reform later and the tremendous effect of the Wolf's Dragoons, Ryuken, Genyosha and later Theodore's more intelligent and less hidebound approach on the threat posed by the Dragon. Their enemies could in the past at least rely on the DCMS being a bit predictable, thus susceptible to sneaky tactics (which the DCMS would then view as dishonorable). With several new units demonstrating increased awareness of tactics, their enemies could no longer rely on this.
Personally I like this period a lot. They're a great OpFor for scenarios or in an RP sense too - individually scary, honorable in a way that can at times make them greatly respectable enemies and monsters at other, but giving you an interesting puzzle; you know they're gonna come right at you, so how are you going to turn the tables on them? And just when you think you got them figured, they bring in one of these new units, pushing the boundaries...