How do you generally start your build?

[AmagicalFishy]

Hi.

So, I've just begun the Shards maps, and they're... huge—kind of intimidating. I'm just wondering, how do other players learn the dynamics of the map early-on before crafting their own build? (Mind you, I'm not the type to look someone's build up and copy it; that's no fun for me).

Are there any, I guess, hints that the map gives you? Any particular strategies you like to start off with?

[Rageamok]

most of the time when I start a new map I just run through and start throwing towers down with either my Squire or Apprentice, to where I think the tower may attack the enemies, and then watch the map during the waves to see where I was wrong xD

I used to start a difficulty lower than the one I think I could do well, to get a better feel for what's going to happen on the map :)

[Bipper]

I usually do the map on hard - at least for a few waves to look for choke points, wyvern paths, etc and work out a rough plan of what's needed.

Maybe then switch to insane (but usually just jump straight into nightmare :-p) and throw down gas traps first, then harpoons and auras for spider control - walls and buff beams last as the first couple of waves should be manageable without - even with an ogre beating on a harpoon. I'll watch for that and go dps it, but usually the harpoon will kill it at the lower waves without taking too much damage.

I've tried walls first, then harpoons, but time's usually too tight for me. I tend to find the EV wall and buff beam placement takes me the longest time - trying to get everything lined up and 'caught' within the buff beams.

[The Fire Chief]

What I do...
1. I always start any new map on easy.
2. run around map to find out where chests/mana pets are and to learn the general layout of the map.
3. look at the map to see what is coming out of what doors and build accordingly, always build a wall and harpoon to start with.
4. run map on medium then hard insane and then nightmare, by the time I'm doing nightmare I should know what and where to build.

[AmagicalFishy]

Awesome. Thanks a lot, guys. :D I was starting straight off on Nightmare, which doesn't seem like that great of an idea anymore.

[Darkman_0]

I spent so much time walking around aquanos on hard, the first time I loaded it. Still love the look of that map.

Anyway when I'm trying to come up with a build for nightmare I just plop down some walls, buff beam them. Doesn't take long if you're not too critical. If they're not positioned right I'll find out. Then harpoons/fireballs, auras usually next wave, followed by traps. Luckily in campaign mode you can get away with sub-par positioning, as the waves aren't typically that hard.

Big thing when transitioning to nightmare is your tower positioning relative to the spider spawns. That's always one thing I specifically look out for. Djinn need a little attention as they do tend to take differnent routes at times, sharken just require a specific order at your chokes.

Anyway that's what I do. If you need your walls and buff beams to be nearly perfect, the slow tactics (gas traps/ensnares) may be your first priority, followed by the damage towers.