Little too fast and confusing

Hi there, playing DK1 + KFX earnestly for the first time.

I'm enjoying myself, but I'm a bit overwhelmed with it. I'm on Mission 8 Tickle right now, and I'm not really sure how i _should_ be playing. When I get into battles with the enemy keeper, it dops all its monsters seemingly instantaneously, while also zapping every monster that steps on one of its tiles. It take a bit for me to hurl ma monsters there, and in the end, I#m not sure whats really going on but most of my monsters croak.

Is that how its usually goes? As in, drop all your monsters, compare the dungeon strength right then and there, and then whoever won gets to demolish everything the other keeper had? It just seems so chaotic. I can't keep up with the AI in magic frequency and their minions always seem just a tad bit stronger. i've had scores of monsters just vanishing, and not really knowing or understanding how or why or what i could've done differently.

Sometimes I just want to be able to pause, and look at the scenery to make actual non-panic-clicking-decisions.

I know there is the cheesing way to tunnel somewhere and fortify the walls so i have all the time i need, but I don't actually want that, seems like an exploit to me.

And hint and tips?