Mixed Conventional : 1 Tank/ Rocket Launcher and 10 Soldiers : Aggressive Tech Advance vs Sectoid
Initial Theory of Aggressive Tech Advance and Theory of Use
This build order variant is the most high technology leaning flavor of the 3 sub sets that are presented. These being - 14 Soldier : 1 Tank/ Rocket Launcher and 10 Soldiers : 2 Tank/ Cannon and 6 Soldiers
This is a technology race build in that you move into Laser Cannons after Researching the first alien technology that you can find. The build I go here initially involves Researching Plasma Pistol and Clip as well as Mind Probe early. You can then use the 'Free Tanks' Engineering efficiency window to make these your primary profit producing goods for no material costs.
This build will be more advantaged in the mid game and late game as a Technology-heavy option for the highest soldier preparation including Hovertanks/Flying suits and Blasterbombs. The curve the tech takes involves scouting for alien base early which relies on a good match with the race that you encounter first, with advantages in early high tech as a set-up at first take in January.
This orientation is the ideal set up for an early capture plan to rush into Sectoid Leader and Psionics in the early game before late April, and could be a quicker date-time based opening into advanced tech, than a more macro oriented strategy in terms of building Laboratories, Workshops( Or additional Hangars) as a step-up building plan for mid game.
The main power of the build revolves around the use of the opening equipment(deemed Mixed Conventional) which is in effect Ac-AP and HC-AP primarily. This allows the need to make only very small purchases other than Tank/Rocket Launcher (x 2) which is a powerful, more highly efficient HWP than Tank/Cannon. On average the Rocket Tank is the best opening in terms of raw power, vs opening Plasma Pistol fleet Sectoid. The advance topic of high technology as the goal is also apparent in this build by use of an opening Large Radar Array, which is a net benefit in Artifact recovery rates and number of detected UFOs in the early game.
Thule AFB anti-Type 1
For the depth of reasoning to be more obvious for this build I made another variant of the build that had an opposite strength in terms of facilities buildings not loadout of supplies, to allow myself room in this meta-game to build in the future. No further explanation on the anti-Type 1 of this Build.
Thule AFB Type 1
Building Purchases:
Alien Containment ( Building for 18 days) x 1 Cost Each : $400,000
Laboratory ( Building for 26 days) x 1 Cost Each : $750,000
Large Radar Array ( Building for 25 days) x 1 : $800,000
Living Quarters ( Building for 16 days) x 2 Cost Each : $400,000
Material Purchases:
Soldiers ( Transfer in 72 Hours) x 2 Cost Each : $40,000
Scientist ( Transfer in 72 Hours) x 20 Cost Each : $60,000
Tank/Rocket Launcher (Transfer in 96 hours) x 2 Cost : $480,000
HWP Rockets(Transfer in 48 hours) x 30 Cost : $3,000
Stun Rod ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 6 Cost Each : $1,260
Electro-flare ( Transfer in 24 Hours) x 26 Cost Each : $60
Loadout of SKYRANGER after Transfers (Jan 5th)
SKYRANGER-1 : 1 Tank/Rocket Launcher and 10 Soldiers
Items:
Pistol x 5 | Pistol Clip x 5
Rifle x 8 | Rifle Clip x 11
Auto-Cannon x 1 | AC-AP x 8
Heavy Cannon | HC-AP x 8 | HC-HE x 1
Rocket Launcher x 1 | Small Rocket x 4
Grenade x 13
Smoke Grenade x 5
Stun Rod x 4
Electro-flare x 6
INTERCEPTOR-1
Weapon 1: CANNON
Weapon 2: CANNON
INTERCEPTOR-2
Weapon 1: CANNON
Weapon 2: CANNON
Stores:
Research:
30 Scientists | Laser Weapons | Unknown
Engineering:
10 Engineers | no work
Jan 1st - Jan 5th
From my point of view in comparison, this mixed Conventional(Auto Cannon - AC-AP, Rocket Launcher, Heavy Cannon - HC-AP) loadout with Tank/Rocket Launcher, is the best inventory for the price, without advanced tactics related gameplay. It is most of what you would need in just the standard equipment and 1 Tank/ Rocket Launcher but I will buy 2 because it takes so much more time than you can afford in the early game to transfer them. The Standard Equipment Jan 1st in X-COM is the easiest to use, but not always best(for advanced tactics).
The use of Tank/Rocket Launcher is very efficient and effective in 1st strike opportunity vs 'Plasma Pistol fleet Sectoid'. It eventually produces an overmatched strongside vs the alien lines when in effect, which relates to your effective tactics being overwhelming even vs larger groups of Sectoids in the early game (Superhuman Difficulty).
Difference in use of Rocket Launcher vs open or 'locked' voxels at Range
You'll notice that if I point out that this was a direct hit on this Sectoid, the (actually really unlikely in my experience) 2-voxel wide bridge causes a weird field-of-fire inconsistency, where the number of squares effected move outwardly in multiple directions from a different pace based around the logic that only some blocks can be effected by explosion. I refer to the voxels this water case-state as 'locked' The main effect is that the water does not have a cratered appearance and thus will not be effected by explosion in the same way as walkable path ground.
You can see that the overall group of Soldiers is outpaced by the effective use of Tank/Rocket Launcher. If can aim correctly in lead, you can be almost sure of 1-2 kills per turn. If the Tank/ Rocket Launcher is a failure in the lead, the redundancy of group that made up the Soldiers contingent will use the overlap of the (available)Rocket Launcher that is a unit-item not attached as a HWP. You can see logistic and control issues using the unit-item Rocket Launcher as well as the Tank/Rocket Launcher in tandem terms of group dynamics as a 'Sensor'.
Jan 5th - Jan 8th
Consider losses in this scenario or continuity in this nearby link below: See full explanation here -> Over-use of primes explosives and time-released devices as Soldier in X-COM UFO Defense