Spec in Intelligence early for those Commanding and Leadership skills. Sometimes you'll get a good game roll with small groups of bandits running around, but I've been personally hard-pressed for a start where the early fights are even with your starting capabilities. Putting points in Medic is also good for saving money as time goes on, since it gives your guys a chance of being injured as opposed to killed.
They did a neat thing with the sprint, where you can hold the key (shift by default) down and when you let go you stop sprinting, or if you tap you toggle it. Both are active at the same time and I've yet to see it interfere with me much.
Realistic tactics are very effective. Proper cover, elevation, and positioning are largely more important than troop numbers, and one squad on a good flank can definitely swing a battle in that side's favor. And yes, I say that side's and not just yours because the AI is also surprisingly adept. In a very recent battle I was on a map loaded with hills and valleys. Me and my men were headed for a nice hill when we were engaged by the enemy from a hilltop overlooking our approach to our destination. We wound up having to form a line on the lower hills we were traversing, with me ordering the squads to peel off so we could engage on more favorable terms. I had a squad hooked up with me and we were about to pull back when a good half-dozen enemies suddenly crested over the hill we were on not ten yards away. In a move Anakin would be proud of, these guys had used the low ground to avoid being spotted by my men or myself, so they did not appear on the overhead map, and I could not prepare for them. We lucked out, having a few rocks to use as hard cover, but if it wasn't for that then they definitely would have outplayed us.
Getting killed punishes you almost as badly as Mount and Blade. If your guys were winning they'll probably still win, but you're not gonna get any loot. Despite this, I think once you get a rifle of some kind, which should be your first purchase outside of Volunteers, sticking at the front is your best bet. Not only do you get the firsthand knowledge of what the enemy is doing as well as exactly what the terrain you're dealing with is, but you can also spot movement outside of the range of your guys, allowing you to adjust your forces appropriately well before they get close enough to fire on your guys.
I haven't gotten too far in the game yet, but so far it's been amazing and addicting. I've only fought Looters and their ilk and the Uman Brotherhood, both of which rely more on numbers than skill, so I can't wait to see how a fight with one of the larger factions goes. The Pozni look like they'll be especially interesting, what with how many snipers and recon units I see.