General What's a TBS game where you felt smart just for surviving your first battle?

It's XCOM: Enemy Unknown. That first mission had me sweating. One wrong move and your soldiers will die permanently. I survived by luck and a little bit of caution, but the game made me feel like a real tactician. Every retreat, every careful shot felt earned to be honest.

Surviving first battle in that kind of game is not a small achievement. I remember my first serious match, the tension was everywhere. I wasn’t even trying to be smart, I was just avoiding stupid mistakes. When I finally survived it, the feeling was better than just winning normal games. It makes you respect planning.