I feel the same way sometimes. But, I still love the battles since few games have ever done them so well. Try out MTW2 with Stainless Steel, since IIRC it corrects some issues and, again IIRC, makes auto-resolve a bit better and less "cheaty", and then just play only with the campaign map.
My favorite game mechanic about MTW2 was the significance of the non-combat pieces/units. Spies, assassins, religious units, etc.. It gave the game a really nice "boardgame" feel. That and the Pope, of course.
The UFO series is really good, far ahead of its time. Some of the graphics are... crap, but mostly just when you're trying to figure out multilevel maps. The atmosphere in the first of the series is, IMO, by far the best. The art design is outstanding for its day and what it lends to the feel of the game is something that's rare to find in any game. Late-game can get a bit "too easy" if you go for the somewhat "cheaty" builds for troops. Anyway, the first two are worth picking up in the next sale. The third is probably good too, but I'm not a fan of the setting/look.X-com - I enjoyed the originals, the remakes were a little over-hyped I felt but did enjoy the nostalgia.
Ah, gotcha. He did go a bit over the edge, there... But, it was so much like what "uber-gamers" scream on game forums that I took it "for realz."The video - aslong as you know it is a parody clip, the reviewer uses zero punctuation for comedic effect, his name is Yahtzee, this wouldn't be self evident unless you have seen his other reviews.
Another game to consider is something the Europa Universalis series. Extremely deep, complex, play that can, by all appearances of my youtube views of let's plays, be brutal.