TBH, I think this and the 0 AP generation approaches miss the mark a bit, in that AP refunds, though game breaking in excess, are fun and choice enhancing in moderation. It can be a very good, satisfying and deserving play to use Rally to squeeze out that one shot your need to get out of a jam.
Last night I was playing a Lair mission, and after bragging about how not-so-difficult those missions were, I got a tough one. It all really came down to the wire. I had to count every WP, both of the enemies and of my soldiers. I only managed to get my assault/serker to the Spawnery with a Synedrion AR. His melee/sniper teammate got stuck on the body of a Terror Sentinel, and couldn’t move [bug reported via F12 
], the heavy with the Deceptor had one arm and one leg broken, and no ammo for the Fury. The three other guys were holding the flank close to the starting position, but the Pandas were already closing in on the Spawnery through a different route.
And then this Arthron opened up with his MG at my serker at close range - not enough to kill him, but enough to give him a significant damage buff through blood lust to finish off the Spawnery.
It was epic, and throughout the mission though I didn’t break my rule of no skill spamming, I used skills profusely, and I fancy rather imaginatively…
But of course some may call it meta, magic, or otherwise deride it’s lack of plausibility in reality as if it was a bad thing
What I’m trying to say is that skills do add depth to the game, and Rally the Troops in particular. There is an interesting tradeoff when you have to choose whether to lose 2 APs with that particular soldier to gain 5 or more APs spread among the team. Of course this tradeoff disappears then you can then recoup those 2 APs with 2 more rallies…
That’s why I’m always stranded between arguing for one nerf or another, and against taking it too far…