Valkyria Chronciles - Any suggestions or tips?

[Final-Fan]

Couldn't disagree more about tanks.

Tank vs. tank is foolish if you have a lancer that can do the job, but mortars are another story. Ridiculously good for taking out multiple soldiers behind sandbags.

Plus on defense it can just sit there mowing down enemies that try to run past.

[edit:  on second thought, I think that "couldn't disagree more" is pretty exaggerated.  I think I just gave the phrase "specific tactical purposes" too narrow an interpretation -- most of the time you'll use troops rather than tanks. 

[Also, that "if" in the "if a lancer" is extremely key.  Plenty of times a lancer would get slaughtered while a tank can just roll on in.  I know you guys surely know this but I had to clarify.]

[edit2:  P.S.  You think snipers are bad?  What about lancers?  You can't trust them to be more than like ten feet away from the target and still hit, at low levels. 

[And I LOVE engineers, I don't know what you're talking about.  They're almost as mobile as scouts, resupply all their lovely grenades, clear whole minefields, repair my tank to let it keep soaking damage ... and then repair the sandbags I just blew to hell so my guys can hide behind them.]