Reading the map before you place a single tower

In tower defence, the players who win aren't the ones with the flashiest towers. They're the ones who read the map first. Before I build anything now, I trace the whole enemy path with my eyes.

Look for the choke points, the long straights where slow effects pay off, and the corners where splash damage hits multiple lanes at once. Those spots are worth more than any single upgrade.

I also check what the map hides from me. If a section of the path is off-screen at normal zoom, I plan not to rely on towers there, because I won't spot problems in time. Ironvale Siege has a few maps built specifically to punish that blind spot.

Spend the pre-wave seconds planning, not building. The build part is easy once you know where the pressure will come from.