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Pond / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Destroyer rush

Cortex Pond build order · Supreme Isthmus

Pond rushes a Shipyard and pumps Riptides and Oppressors from before 4:30 for an early naval push toward the middle, though many games show it losing base buildings and fighting defensively afterward.

Usually pumps units (71%)

#naval #push · 24 distinct matches · 18 players · 3% of Cortex Pond games · team won 42% of 24 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • RiptideT1 naval assault from 4:08 · 4% of role by thenFrom the Shipyard. Only 4% of Pond games have it by then; others who build it get it around 4:24
  • HerringMissile corvette in 100%3% of all Pond games by then
  • ShipyardShipyard in 96%3% of all Pond games by then
  • OrcaSubmarine in 54%2% of all Pond games by then
  • RiptideFrigate in 46%2% of all Pond games by then

Started with Riptide (63%), Oppressor (38%).

Where those units first fight, in 23 games with kill data: in the middle 87%, on their own side 13%.

Those units destroy a typical 4,058 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into destroyer (35% of army), missile corvette (9% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Riptide by 4:10

  1. Build Bot Lab fast, then rush Shipyard right after.
  2. Get Shipyard up, then add T1 naval anti-air (Herring).
  3. Push Riptide frigates, then Oppressor destroyers, from Shipyard.
  4. Fight on your own side first before contesting the middle.
  5. Transition into Advanced Metal Extractor once naval push stalls.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 24 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD POND
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:00 step by step: what to build now, what comes next, and where it goes. At 1× it keeps pace with your own game.

  1. 1

    Up to the Bot Lab

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor3Mex+3 vs standard
    • Wind Turbine2Wind+2 vs standard
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 3 mex, 4 winddone ~1:12, middle half 1:10–1:20

    Some games also: wind for allies (38%)

    By 0:56 in all: 3 mex (standard 0) · 2 wind (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Wind ×2for Air
    4. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:12 · typical 1:12
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Shipyard

    Order
    1. ShipyardShipyard after 4 mex, 5 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~3:02, middle half 2:25–3:38

    Some games also: wind (46%) · mex (46%) · Graverobber (42%) · con bot (42%) · energy storage (42%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 3 mex · 2 tidal

    By 2:45 in all: 4 mex · 5 wind (standard 1)

    The example game in this phase · 15 steps
    1. Wind
    2. GraverobberGraverobber
    3. Construction BotCon bot
    4. Wind
    5. GraverobberGraverobber
    6. Wind ×2
    7. GraverobberGraverobber
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. Energy storage
    10. TrasherTrasher
    11. Construction BotCon bot
    12. GruntGrunt ×2
    13. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    14. TrasherTrasher
    15. ShipyardShipyarddone 3:24 · typical 3:02
  3. 3

    Shipyard to T1 naval assault

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    Order
    1. Bot LabEat Bot Lab in 50% of games
    2. RiptideT1 naval assault after 6 mex, 5 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~4:24, middle half 3:42–5:11
    Builders
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship

    Some games also: submarine (42%) · Radar Tower (42%) · missile corvette (42%) · wind (33%)

    By 4:08 in all: 6 mex (standard 4) · 6 wind (standard 4) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 9 steps
    1. Construction ShipCon ship
    2. Mex
    3. OrcaSubmarinedone 4:14 · typical 4:14
    4. ThistleThistle
    5. Mex
    6. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    7. Mex
    8. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    9. RiptideFrigatedone 4:46 · typical 4:24
  4. 4

    T1 naval assault to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor3Mex+3 vs standard
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−18 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship
    • Death Cavalry1 Death Cavalry
    Army
    • Riptide5 Frigate +5 vs standard
    • Oppressor2 Destroyer +2 vs standard
    • Herring1 Missile corvette
    Other
    • Naval Radar / Sonar Tower1 Naval Radar / Sonar Tower

    Some games also: Radar Tower (33%) · converter (33%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 4 converter · 2 con turret

    By 10:00 in all: 9 mex (standard 4) · 12 wind (standard 24) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 144 steps
    1. Mex
    2. GuardGuard
    3. Mex
    4. RiptideFrigate
    5. ThistleThistle
    6. Mex
    7. GuardGuard
    8. Mexfor Suicide front
    9. OppressorDestroyerdone 6:10 · typical 5:29
    10. GuardGuard
    11. Mex
    12. GuardGuard ×3
    13. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    14. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    15. Wind
    16. RiptideFrigate
    17. GuardGuard
    18. Wind
    19. Mex
    20. Wind
    21. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    22. HerringMissile corvette
    23. Wind
    24. RiptideFrigate
    25. Wind
    26. GuardGuard
    27. RiptideFrigate
    28. Wind ×2
    29. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:54 · typical 9:23
    30. Construction ShipCon ship
    31. Wind ×2
    32. OppressorDestroyer
    33. Wind
    34. Con turret
    35. Mex
    36. Wind
    37. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    38. OppressorDestroyer
    39. Wind ×6
    40. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    41. Wind
    42. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    43. Wind ×2
    44. RiptideFrigate
    45. Wind ×3
    46. HerringMissile corvette
    47. Wind
    48. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    49. Wind ×2
    50. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    51. Wind
    52. HerringMissile corvette
    53. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    54. Wind
    55. Construction ShipCon ship
    56. Converter
    57. HerringMissile corvette
    58. Converter
    59. Wind
    60. Naval Construction Turret
    61. RiptideFrigate
    62. SlingshotSlingshot
    63. Tidal
    64. Converter
    65. Wind
    66. Tidal
    67. RiptideFrigate
    68. Tidal
    69. GuardGuard
    70. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    71. Tidal ×2
    72. Wind
    73. OppressorDestroyer
    74. Tidal
    75. SlingshotSlingshot
    76. Converter
    77. Tidal ×2
    78. Wind
    79. Tidal
    80. GuardGuard
    81. Naval Energy Converter
    82. SupporterGunboat
    83. Wind
    84. Naval Energy Converter
    85. SupporterGunboat ×2
    86. CoralCoral
    87. SupporterGunboat
    88. Wind
    89. GuardGuard
    90. SupporterGunboat
    91. Mex
    92. SupporterGunboat
    93. Naval Energy Converter
    94. SupporterGunboat
    95. Wind
    96. SupporterGunboat
    97. Naval Energy Converter
    98. SupporterGunboat
    99. Naval Energy Converter
    100. SupporterGunboat
    101. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    102. Wind
    103. Naval Energy Converter
    104. GuardGuard
    105. Naval Energy Converter
    106. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    107. Wind
    108. Naval Energy Converter
    109. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    110. Naval Metal Storage
    111. RiptideFrigate
    112. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    113. Naval Energy Converter
    114. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    115. Wind
    116. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    117. HerringMissile corvette
    118. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    119. Naval Energy Storage
    120. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    121. Naval Construction Turret
    122. RiptideFrigate
    123. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    124. Wind
    125. Naval Energy Converter
    126. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    127. Naval Construction Turret
    128. HerringMissile corvette
    129. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    130. Wind
    131. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    132. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    133. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    134. Naval Construction Turret
    135. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    136. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    137. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    138. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    139. Advanced ShipyardAdvanced Shipyardnot finished by 15:00
    140. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    141. HerringMissile corvette
    142. Wind
    143. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    144. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Kontraption's (31 OS, 29/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Wind Turbine2 Wind to Air or Suicide front or Frontfirst at 1:36 · in 46% of games

You get

  • Finch1 Finch from Airfirst at 1:57 · in 50% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 2:13 · in 46% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:58 · in 58% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build against the role’s standard build, running totals by minute

  • This build
  • Standard pond

Metal produced

010k20k30k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

02.5k5k7.5k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

24 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildMetal produced: Standard pondEnemy metal destroyed: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: Standard pondOwn metal lost: This buildOwn metal lost: Standard pond
1:003991150000
2:009282590000
3:0015307370000
4:00243014090000
5:0036602130510260
6:00504529494910710
7:006412382981803060
8:007218487414405476586
9:008729625725182201321189
10:009787766134103502080640
11:0011450985940767662203836
12:0012967120924306119625731075
13:0015224145344556157843701661
14:0017599168815038181447751995
15:0020391193616609263251552964
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Slightly underperformed the standard build's win rate despite destroying more enemy metal by 15:00.

  • + Destroys 5982 enemy metal by 15:00 vs 3127 standard.
  • − Own metal lost by 10:00 is 2365 vs 755 for standard.
  • − Team win rate of 44% trails the standard build's 46%.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

Kontraption

30.7 OS · 29/09/2026

Open source match ↗

14 received units · includes a constructor
70 metal received · 11714 energy received

Allied construction assistance is unknown. Timings are observations, not a promise of solo reproducibility.

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:12Middle 50%: 1:10–1:20 · n=13
Shipyard3:02Middle 50%: 2:25–3:38 · n=23
Orca4:14Middle 50%: 3:54–4:30 · n=13
Riptide4:24Middle 50%: 3:42–5:11 · n=21
Oppressor5:29Middle 50%: 5:02–5:59 · n=23
Advanced Metal Extractor9:23Middle 50%: 8:55–10:31 · n=14

Played most by

JesterB3games of this buildPlatinumBlonde3games of this buildDeathkebab2games of this buildKontraption2games of this build_X_1game of this build