I also like half strokes. They feel more natural for me when grinding metal & yes, they work great for smiling edges. Another thing to try is to do them 1 direction w/o pulling the razor back on the stone. Just pick the razor off & do another stroke from the starting position.
On a bevel setter when you're getting close, or a 4k, try 10/10, 5/5, 3/3, 2/2, then go to x-strokes w/ light pressure & gradually back off to no pressure & test.