I thought it was difficult, especially towards the end when there was like 5 shocktroopers defending the base. The tanks, I had no problems with. Maybe I was underleveled or something? What level were you at that battle?

So that's why i've gotten those weapons sporadically.  Heh never made the connection.

The empire weapons don't jive with me in either case.  I perfer the extra range over the extra damage.

I don't remember precisely but I believe I was mainly lvl 6

I did not encountering 5 shock together ever i this mission, perhaps they were re-inforcement? the only big bunch I encounter was at the flag position which had 3 trooper and a scout.

My A grad was done with 2 shock trooper, a lancer (lancer didn't do much actually) and a scount. Alicia was mainly used to grenade the enemy out of crounch position while Rosie did the hard work. I ignored the tank btw.

My hardest mission by far was 7 (I could NOT A grade that mission) and 8a (not hard per say but hard to perfect), I kept getting a B no matter how hard I try in 8a, I don't know what I am doing wrong :(.

 Also @mtofu I urge you to keep going and complete the game! You can begin again with all your save data once you finish and try to ace everything (I will be doing this myself) The second play through apparently has the benefit of having all the book mission being replayable too.

You can finish this mission in 1 turn (just like mission 12), DO NOT READ THE BELOW IF YOU CONSIDER SCOUT RUNNER AN EXPLOIT.

Just use Alicia with evade and defense up order and run towards the end, there is only 1 red shock trooper at the final outpost, grenade him out of crouch and headshot him (make sure you are in position under the flag before doing this). This is the easiest mission in the game.

This is also a way to get a ridiculous amount of xp in skirmish mode once you get it, as a single A run gives around 27k xp*

I got my scout to lvl 19 because of this...

I've completely changed my tunes since hitting elite: scouts are the very best unit in the game, you can complete entire missions with just scouts and orders and they are essential to A grading just about every mission.

As a further note, anyone more further ahead than me can confirm if Zaka is useful other than giving me an extra CP? I have not touched him in any mission yet...

I've use Zaka defensively mostly. Putting him in an area with maybe an extra scout or something to shoot at anybody that tries to pass. or as a mobile wall if my eidellweiss is busy elsewhere. Other than that, I haven't really used him much at all.

The good thing about Zaka and his Shamrock : they never get destroyed but only retire when they've taken too much damage (loosing a command point obviously) which means you can just send the Samrock ahead to clear a path for your troops.

I just use him regularly. Of course i handicap myself when i play.

I don't use a unit more then once per turn unless all the other units on the map have moved. (outside that battle with Maximillion early in the game.)

I've actually never thought of that! Good point, I usually park Welk in front as a bullet sponge and leave Zaka behind because Welk has better firepower and can be more useful situationally.

Also your sig confuse me, I keep thinking you're outlaw...

@Kasz: that is some handicap you got there, I'd go crazy in the later levels with that restriction

Well i'm only at level 14 right now.   Maybe i'll have to break it there.

I dunno, i enjoy the game more that way for whatever reason.

Whoa, I just learned you can buy episodes! I didn't know that's what the "writing on the wall" was.