All your base

Well I managed to finish chapter 17, but it took a lot of patients.

The problem I was having before was that I was trying to rush too much at once, and spreading my forces too thin. This wasn't a problem in the past since it meant I could kill off key bad guys before they caused any trouble, but the AI was too organized and strong for that to work here. So instead I opted for a more cautious route, where I would focus on securing one base at a time, and only move to the next when all opposition in the area was clear. Also I saved after each base was taken so I wouldn't lose much if something unexpected happened, and I managed to luck out some rounds where potentially fatal shots missed me.

In the end I got one of my few D ranks scores for taking so long, but I did manage to kill the tank. Next it's on to the final chapter.