The Grenadier, despite its name, wields a mortar (and can't use grenades). It excels at providing indirect fire at enemies from the safety of cover. Unlike most classes, it actually has multiple weapon lines that are worth researching. You'll want to keep up-to-date with both the general mortar and its anti-tank (AT) variant.

The Cactus can initially carry two squad members, a number that can be gradually increased to five over the course of the game by researching upgrades. Squad members can be loaded into the Cactus while in Command Mode (if they are standing close to it), while controlling them (by having them approach and select the "Carry" option), or while controlling the Cactus (by approaching squad members and selecting the "Carry" option). Squad members can only be unloaded from the Cactus while in Command Mode. Select the Cactus, press , and select "Unload". This will cost 1 CP and you will immediately begin controlling the squad member you unloaded.

, and select "Unload". This will cost 1 CP and you will immediately begin controlling the squad member you unloaded. Direct command allows one squad member to take command over up to two others. While they're under that unit's command they will will accompany them as they move and fire. This movement costs the two units no AP but will only last for the commanding unit's turn. To initiate direct command, select a leader unit while in Command Mode, press , and select "Direct Command". This will cost 1 SP and 1 CP, and you will take control of that leader unit. While controlling that squad member, you will be able to approach friendly infantry units and select "Link" to have them begin following you.

Most importantly, save often, while using multiple slots. You can save your game whenever in Command Mode. While the game is by no means extremely difficult, there will definitely be times when you want to do something over. And, if you're so inclined, save scumming will make pretty much anything the game throws at you trivial.For those familiar with the first title in the series, the most important new aspects of the game are the introduction of the Grenadier class, the Cactus APC, and direct commands. The latter two allow you to quickly move units on the map at much lower CP and AP cost than normal.It may take a little while before you get the hang of getting the most out of these two options, but doing so will make getting S Ranks much easier. Incidentally, vehicles also now only cost 1 CP to use, making them much more useful than they were in the previous game.Certain characters are considered leaders and grant you +1 CP if assigned to a mission. These include those characters central to the story (Claude, Raz, Kai, etc.) and a Corporal designated by you (this feature is unlocked as you progress through the story). You should always assign all of these characters to missions for the CP bonus even if they're otherwise not particularly useful.This guide includes maps of every mission in the game, notes on major events that occur in them, and tips on particularly difficult encounters. It does not include detailed walkthroughs. Most of the challenge in the game comes from not knowing what is going to happen, so knowing where all enemy units are ahead of time, when unexpected enemy reinforcements are going to arrive, etc., should be enough for most players.The maps are intended to reflect positions on the battlefield when a mission begins. Enemy aces are marked with a stylized "A" and enemy leaders are (admittedly inconsistently) marked with stars. Don't rely on the facing markers for enemy units on the maps as enemies can turn. All maps also show the initial unit deployment I used when earning an S Rank on the mission.Mission names are abbreviated to save space and to avoid language differences. Every mission is referred to using a pair of numbers; the first designates the chapter and the second when the mission appears in that chapter. So, for example, 4-3 refers to the third mission in Chapter 4. When a mission has two parts, these are distinguished by using "a" and "b" (for example, 1-1a and 1-1b). Skirmishes are listed as s1, s2, etc., and squad stories as ss1, ss2, etc. The number listed in parentheses under the mission name is the turn limit for earning an S rank.Between missions, you should be upgrading your weapons and vehicle parts, levelling up your classes, and learning new orders in the Mess Hall. It can be tempting to put off the Mess Hall in favor of spending experience points on your classes, but don't neglect it too much as orders have to be learned in a fixed order and later ones are very helpful. Also, all infantry weapons have three upgrade paths, but you won't have enough money to buy them all unless you do a lot of grinding between missions. So, it's better to stick to a single upgrade path for each class (with the exception of the Grenadier).Getting an S rank is solely dependent on completing a mission within a certain number of turns. That means that if you think you can slap a few orders on a unit and just rush the enemy base, there's really no reason not to. The tactic doesn't work as well as it did in the first game (there is no Awaken Potential order), but there are still times when it's a viable tactic.This guide features no story spoilers, although reading mission notes will reveal which bosses you have to face in each mission. None of these are startling reveals, however.