I have a Brigand at level 31 and can tell you about life so far...
Agro Control - I have many abilities that either bring me up or down the agro list. Very useful when the tank is getting whipped, I zap myself up the hate list, can take a few hits (I wear chain armor), and let the tank get a breather, get healed, and let his Taunts refresh.
Then when I've had enough, I shed the agro off me like water off a ducks back. The abilites either reduce my hate-rating by a few hundred points, or an entire slot on the hate list. One particular de-agro ability puts me in Stealth, which leads right into a rear attack for extra damage. Not wise to turn your back to a Brigand. :)
Using these two ability chains, I can pretty much make the mob turn back and forth when I want to.
Debuff - I have several abilities that reduce the mobs stats, defense, and magic mitigation. I also have a Stun that leads into the classic Leap Behind and Double Rear Attack maneuver. Since several attacks require to be in the rear position, it works well.
Ranged is not very robust, and Brigands are geared for Thrown Weapon abilites. The only ranged Combat Art I have is pretty good, as it stuns and debuffs the mob. I could get better damage by using a bow, but I would then loose my special CA.
Having chain armor is a big plus over many other Scouts, which means I can take hits better.
Soloing is a breeze with the multitude of the previously mentioned abilites. I have a self-Stealth and group-Stealth (Smuggle) abilities that gets me and the group around places safely. At level 25 we get Escape (evac) which has saved the party many times.
Being in a group is even better, as I don't have to worry about taking the hits, focusing solely on rear attacks and debuffs. Oh, and watching out for the tank. :)