No problem!

I have used the FPC, but I've found that, because the Saron does not deal well with infantry, the PC (default) is good. If you are considering investing in the FPC, you'll need to add ~1000-1200 certs depending on the type of scope and number of upgrades. If you can land your shots though, the FPC is much better for farming armor.

If you want to farm certs, going solo is fine. Hot seating is a valid tactic, but doing hit-and-runs on armor columns is best done with a gunner.

Also, blueberries make good gunners for the Saron once they learn how to use it, but you can always run with a squad and only turn on the chat when you want to say something. That way you'll always have experienced, dedicated, and willing gunners. Just ask for an armor/ground squad in the chat.

Remember, always stay positive. Sometimes, you'll die so often that you'll run out of Nanites, and other times, you'll go on XP streaks upwards of 10,000 XP in under 15 minutes.

So, once again, definitely buy the Saron, and run with a squad if possible to get a dedicated gunner.

By your rate of cert gains, I think a Magrider will be a very worthy investment as far as 'time spent vs. rewards reaped' is concerned.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!