Honestly, Iamsmart is right, don't play it if you want to succeed. If you just want to set yourself a challenge, then by all means go for it, but pretty much every other route is more useful to an alliance, and is more powerful in solo play.
...
The units aren't even that good at close tick. Fanatics aren't really any better than SAs, certainly not better enough to justify their close-only status.
...
No battle reports, 24/7 contactibility, half way through the round I got bored and restarted as something else.
... Everyone just runs away from you.
All of that from what I remember of the round I tried them. Actually, I think I went from another route to Fanatics after we'd won, and it was awful. 5 points for my profile I regret.