Been having a good time, although the straegic (global) level is a struggle, when you randomly can´t find Phoenix Bases on the locations you scan on the various continents.
Then … one heaven defence … team got droped in the middel of a map for the first time with tall buildings (Anu). On the other side of the building a Scylla that mindblast so team is Dazed down to 1 Action Point unless you have 30 Will!!!
Then enter swarm of Crab Launchers from all around!
That is a bit much.
You couldn’t kill asap the Scylla? It looks like tiny maps late game I had in previous campaign. I even had Scylla and two bomb Chiron. That said I never had to endure a mind blast. 
I find those tiny maps are a questionable design choice.
If I were to guess it is probably less of a design choice and more of game optimization. Larger maps hit the performance more, frame rate struggles etc. The easiest solution is to make smaller maps, less to render.
I remember I’ve had a similar setup once, only my Scilla had some other skills. She rushed into the center of the building to the equipment I was defending and was killed at turn 2.
I remember this mission well because it was the only mission where my soldiers were never shot at all. They just took half of the enemy team down with paralyzing rifles from that rooftop and then finished the survivors with shotguns/mind control. Luckily the enemy team had no Chirons. I think the only occasion when someone from the enemy team fired a shot was RF from Arthron to my mind-controlled Triton.
Looks like one skill can really make the difference. I’ve never encountered that Mind Blast yet but it surely sounds dangerous.
Yep I did found similar situation for several times, it’s swarmed by crabbies (6-8 maybe), couple of triton and 1 to 2 siren (sometime it spawn 1 siren and 1 chiron formation), 1 scylla in the background.
Scylla scream and his/her rocket charge, then siren frenzy awaken crabbies speed…time to retreat! haven is lost. Once I realized I couldn’t win the battle, is time to run plan B (retreat).
That kind of situation usually I make way targeting their weakest (enemy) line that are aligned to the LZ for retreat, and move my squad in a bit spread formation…what I like in the game is that, at certain point/random circumstance they will hunt down and focus to one of the soldier - I don’t know, maybe just me 
just veteran difficulty level here.
I’m not sure about balance in current update, no time to calculate and think of it, but seeing them in general while playing 
. Can’t tell from one aspect (in my case enemy spawn). Maybe I need to build my squad unit to be more flexible for any combat situation or at least can hold and not retreating all time 
.
I have no issues with retreating, and have done so on more occasions. Problem here is, that the team can´t see the Scylla on the first round. When they know its there the next round, it is too late to retreat due to Daze.
If I had explored the map on the first round to see the Scylla in the far corner, I have no movement left to retreat.
Knowing the Scylla is there after the slaugther I can restart the mission and run for evac, but I really hate to play like that!
Hmm yea I guess that’s normal except the enemy did spot your position at very beginning of the combat, I rarely found this at vet. level. Usually I have a chance to spot their position first and yea that first turn is where of my decision to make, retreat or go fight 'em. I have 1 unit as recon (wannabe 
) or sometime use heavy-sniper with jetpack to scout the area from higher ground/rooftop for open field, there’s other option class that might even better for it. Can’t spot scylla in first place once you spawn at mid of the map? 
that’s suck…
Interesting. Ran into some crazy lair maps with explosive Chirons and maps with billions of Arthron Machine Gun / Spitter with return fire. Never had an issue spotting Scylla quickly or dealing with Mind Blast. Usually use Jet Pack Heavy / Sniper to get high ground if suspect Scylla (haven defense high or extreme danger). Then focus fire on Scylla with rage burst (if available, less sure after nerf) or combination of grenades (reduce armor somehow) sniper shots, and rush assault w/shotguns. Gotta take the Scylla out fast!
You are right - balance is still an issue.
I suspect that you’re right. It’s a shame though, between higher quality graphics and larger maps designs I’d much rather have the larger maps. For the TBS genre I’m not playing the game for its graphics, but for its game play.
I mean maps that shrink along campaign progression, not the general desig.