BAR / BUILD ATLAS
SUPREME ISTHMUS / 8 VS 8

Know your ground.
Build your advantage.

Openings found in real games.
Follow the sequence. Understand the role.
Find your next first move.

THE OPENING BOOK

Builds from the battlefield11

MOST COMMON FIRST · WHAT SETS EACH BUILD APART · TYPICAL TIMINGSEVIDENCE
01
Suicide frontArmadaFactory first#artillery#defence

Gauntlet defence

Bot Lab first but committing to a Gauntlet by 4:10, much earlier than usual, to anchor the middle with area artillery before the standard timing.

Early defence from 4:10 · 8% of role by then

Bot Lab → Gauntlet → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGBot Lab→Metal Extractor→Wind Turbine→Metal Extractor→Sentry→Metal Extractor→Sentry→Metal Extractor ×2×2

5% of Armada Suicide front games · team won 47% of 106 · Then: rocketeer, Rattlesnake · Last seen 25 Sept

101MATCHES37 players
02
FrontArmadaEconomy first#defence#artillery

Gauntlet defence

Front builds a Gauntlet by around 5:30, well before the norm, to anchor a defensive line at middle while the economy develops, backing it later with Rattlesnake and more Gauntlets.

Early defence from 5:31 · 8% of role by then

Bot Lab → Vehicle Plant → Gauntlet → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Metal Extractor→Wind Turbine→Metal Extractor ×2×2→Solar Collector→Metal Extractor ×2×2

6% of Armada Front games · team won 56% of 86 · Then: rocketeer, blitz, Rattlesnake · Last seen 24 Sept

84MATCHES44 players
03
Suicide frontEconomy first#rush#raid#artillery

Janus skirmish rush

Vehicle Plant first with a Rover raid, then Janus skirmishers pushed to the middle by 1:18 to fight there well ahead of the usual timing, transitioning into Blitz/Whistler later.

T1 vehicle skirmishers from 1:18 · 6% of role by thenVehicle Plant in 100%Scout in 99%Blitz in 59%

Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGWind Turbine→Vehicle Plant→Wind Turbine→Metal Extractor ×3×3→Sentry→Metal Extractor ×2×2→Sentry ×2×2→Wind Turbine ×5×5

5% of Armada Suicide front games · team won 59% of 104 · Then: blitz, missile truck · Last seen 25 Sept

103MATCHES19 players
04
GeoArmadaEconomy first#artillery#t2#push

Mauser artillery

Geo skips straight to an Advanced Vehicle Plant and fields Mauser artillery from 5:57, much earlier than the role's usual T2 timeline, sometimes with Umbra jammer support, pushing into the middle and occasionally the enemy base.

T2 vehicle artillery from 5:57 · 3% of role by thenAdvanced Vehicle Plant in 71%Vehicle Plant in 71%Jammer in 45%

Bot Lab → Geothermal Powerplant → Vehicle Plant → Advanced Vehicle Plant

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Bot Lab→Construction Turret→Energy Storage→Metal Extractor→Geothermal Powerplant→Construction Turret

4% of Armada Geo games · team won 57% of 49 · Then: Jaguar, Starlight · Last seen 25 Sept

48MATCHES22 players
05
PondArmadaEconomy first#defence#artillery

Rattlesnake defence

Pond builds pop-up artillery (Gauntlet/Rattlesnake/Agitator) from around 6:17, receiving a light transport from an ally early, to reinforce the front's defensive line.

Early defence from 6:17 · 2% of role by thenLight transport from an ally in 59%

Bot Lab → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGTidal Generator ×8×8→Metal Extractor ×4×4→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Bot Lab→Energy Storage→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Gauntlet→Construction Turret ×2×2

3% of Armada Pond games · team won 36% of 22 · Then: Rattlesnake · Last seen 23 Sept

22MATCHES9 players
06
TechArmadaEconomy first#artillery#defence

Rattlesnake defence

Tech sets up early Rattlesnake pop-up artillery from 8:52 to hold the middle, supported by Butlers, instead of purely funneling T2 to the team.

Early defence from 8:52 · 2% of role by then

Bot Lab → Advanced Bot Lab → Advanced Metal Extractor → Rattlesnake

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×4×4→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×5×5→Construction Turret→Metal Extractor→Construction Turret→Energy Storage

2% of Armada Tech games · team won 52% of 23 · Last seen 25 Sept

23MATCHES14 players
07
FrontCortexEconomy first#raid#artillery#push

Lasher skirmishers

Vehicle Plant opens instead of Bot Lab, and by 2:08 the player commits to Lasher missile trucks (with early Incisor raiding) that push straight to middle and fight there, well ahead of the role's usual T2 constructor timing.

T1 vehicle skirmishers from 2:08 · 9% of role by thenVehicle Plant in 100%Incisor in 100%Lasher in 82%

Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Vehicle Plant→Wind Turbine→Metal Extractor ×2×2→Guard ×2×2→Twin Guard→Metal Extractor ×2×2

7% of Cortex Front games · team won 59% of 17 · Then: incisor, brute · Last seen 23 Sept

17MATCHES11 players
08
Suicide frontCortexEconomy first#push#raid#artillery

Pounder assault push

Vehicle plant into an early Pounder riot line by 1:16, backed by Rascal raiders, Wolverine artillery and Brute assault tanks, pushing into the middle earlier than the norm.

T1 vehicle riot from 1:16 · 10% of role by thenVehicle Plant in 100%Wolverine in 84%Rascal in 79%

Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×2×2→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Vehicle Plant→Metal Extractor→Guard→Metal Extractor→Guard→Radar Tower

3% of Cortex Suicide front games · team won 63% of 19 · Then: brute, wolverine, Rattlesnake · Last seen 24 Sept

18MATCHES6 players
09
FrontArmadaEconomy first#artillery#rush

Shellshocker artillery

Front rushes Shellshocker artillery from the Vehicle Plant by 3:09, well earlier than the norm, using it with Janus to shell the middle before transitioning into the usual Blitz-led army.

T1 vehicle artillery from 3:09 · 10% of role by thenArty in 56%Janus in 50%

Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Vehicle Plant→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Metal Extractor ×3×3→Construction Turret→Dragon's Teeth ×2×2→Construction Turret→Dragon's Teeth ×3×3

1% of Armada Front games · team won 63% of 16 · Then: blitz, janus, Rattlesnake · Last seen 20 Sept

16MATCHES9 players
10
GeoCortexEconomy first#push#artillery

Starlight push

Geo builds toward T2 vehicles and brings out Starlight tachyon tanks around 8-9 minutes to snipe from range in the middle, alongside Umbra support, instead of the usual bot-based T2 push.

T2 vehicle snipers from 8:22 · 6% of role by thenBot Lab in 92%Vehicle Plant in 92%Advanced Vehicle Plant in 85%

Bot Lab → Geothermal Powerplant → Advanced Metal Extractor → Bot Lab

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Bot Lab→Energy Storage→Construction Turret→Metal Extractor→Geothermal Powerplant→Energy Converter

3% of Cortex Geo games · team won 69% of 13 · Then: Jaguar · Last seen 22 Sept

13MATCHES6 players
11
FrontCortexEconomy first#raid#artillery#push

Brute assault

Vehicle Plant with early Rascal raiding and Wolverine artillery builds into a Brute-led push from 3:13, sending tanks forward into the middle and sometimes into the enemy base well ahead of the role's normal tempo.

T1 vehicle assault from 3:13 · 5% of role by thenVehicle Plant in 100%Rascal in 100%Wolverine in 92%

Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine→Vehicle Plant→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Metal Extractor ×2×2→Wind Turbine→Metal Extractor→Wind Turbine

5% of Cortex Front games · team won 42% of 12 · Then: incisor, wolverine · Last seen 23 Sept

12MATCHES5 players
Initial collection in progressHow builds are found ↗
01 / OBSERVE

Real games. Real sequences.

02 / RECOGNISE

Repeated openings, made readable.

03 / ADAPT

A starting point for your own game.