1v1 Ranked Matches

Thought it was originally easy to move up the ranks, but now I'm coming across some very skilled players that impress me. Assuming that they aren't cheating, my win/loss ratio at Ranked 8 is maybe 1 in 8, this in both 1.5 Original and 2.2 Escalation. I know about capturing the first 1-2 spots, but I'm trying to find the right balance between all out capturing spots and being more defensive (both air/ground guns). Just seems like I've hit a brick wall now that I've reached Ranked 8. I'm trying to balance output and all of a sudden I get overran by forces twice my amount.