Surviving the First Hours of Tidewatch Command

Tidewatch Command throws you into a resource crunch early, and the instinct is to build defenses everywhere. That instinct is wrong, and it cost me my first two playthroughs.

The game rewards concentrating your strength. Pick the outpost that matters, overbuild it, and let the weaker ones trade space for time. Spreading thin just gets everything overrun slowly.

Scouting is underrated here. A couple turns spent reading the enemy's approach saved me far more resources than reflexive building ever did. The information pays for itself.

Expect to lose your first run. The game is really teaching you its rhythm during those hours, and the second attempt feels like a different, far more winnable game.