Following the usual approach in games, certainly the best strategy is to stack the most expensive equipment on your character, but "Wasteland OL" is a whole different story.
Whether it's equipment or level, or even the player's own experience, these are just one of the factors that determine the outcome of combat, not all of them.
The overly realistic collision volumes and physics system often make battles full of uncertainties.
It's like rolling dice.
Experienced warriors have a higher probability of rolling higher numbers, but a small mistake or a moment's hesitation can cause the dice to be thrown again.
If Save/Load was an option, Ye Wei swore he would never spend a million silver coins on a "coffin" to be buried in.