If you don’t realize that Elena and her neighbors are going to hit you back, and you start throwing tiles or specials at them, it’s too late to fix it after they counter and kill your heroes. All of those little icons on heroes mean something, and it will greatly improve your experience if you learn what they mean and how they behave. Other than experience, the link above is the next best place to learn.
Ugh, it’s bad enough watching ten minions whack away for 7 damage apiece. If a hero responds to every tile and special hitting them, it’s going to induce seizures.