The upgrade tree mistakes we keep making

Every strategy and tower defence game with an upgrade tree tempts you the same way: a little bit of everything looks safe. It almost never is.

We've lost countless runs by putting one point into five different branches instead of three points into one. A half-upgraded tower is just an expensive weak tower. Specialization wins.

The second mistake is upgrading for the fight you're in instead of the fight that's coming. If the next wave is flying units, pouring resources into your anti-ground line feels productive but leaves you exposed.

Read the wave preview if the game offers one. Games like Ironline Defenders tell you what's coming, and ignoring that is just choosing to be surprised. We do it anyway sometimes, and we always regret it.

Our rule now: commit to a plan for a whole map, then judge it. Jumping between strategies every wave means you never actually test whether any of them worked.