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[another_guest]

A more radical method: if you know you don't stand a chance against ethereals, just take blaster launchers, and some laser rifles or such but equip everyone with the launchers. Fire as much as possible from within your skyranger/avenger, targeting buildings. Don't reload any of the launchers until the next turn, then shoot again. Pick up laser rifles to shoot any MC'ed soldiers at close range, then drop the rifles. Or leave the MC'ed soldiers momentarily, since they won't reload their launchers anyway.
Every civilian in the city will probably die, but that would have happened anyway if you lost the battle. You'll randomly hit some aliens, evening the negative scores from your own soldiers that died. And you won't suffer the penalty of having ignored the terror site.
Not a great tactic, but it works in extreme situations. Even with only rookies. Just make sure to take off before you've lost all your soldiers.