A rare war game entry! Very nice!
Based on the designer's reply to other queries, i see that the game's initial condition and resources have been increased to reduce the more mundane levelling up at the initial stage. I agree that if most players are doing the same few sets of actions in the initial round to level up, then the designer should provide these resources so that the more 'fun' experience can be brought forward. It also helps to reduce thd length of the game.