You are discovering my game's secrets! You will be the first Grandmaster of Hoppsi. =^)
I have been playing many games against a computer opponent, and I discovered the blunder of the captain opening move! Moving two pieces on the same side to open is also a mistake if your opponent quickly exploits it! I have also discovered that you cannot be afraid to bring your captain into play because it is good at controlling the center as along as you do not set it up to be captured by accident.
You must be willing to sacrifice your runners in order to get your captain into the open for a breach.
You are also right about how a Total Wipeout (meaning capturing all the runners and the captain) is impossible due to the rules. In fact, just getting a regular wipeout (capture all the runners) will require great skill or great blunder!
One thing I have started looking at is to make the board 5 squares wide and 6 squares tall in order to improve the number of possible opening moves. This is a double edge sword because it might improve the game, but I move away from a somewhat standard board. I have tried 7x7, 8x8 and 5x7 with different piece counts, but none of them feel right. There is an elegance in using the 5x5 and 5 pieces.... but a 5x6 might better serve the game.