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Pond / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Destroyer rush

Pond skips the usual eco-only start to build a shipyard by ~3:00 and push Riptides and Oppressors into the middle from under 4 minutes, pumping T1 naval assault far earlier than any normal Pond.

Usually pumps units (63%)

#naval #rush #push · 16 distinct matches · 13 players · 6% of Cortex Pond games · team won 44% of 16 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • RiptideT1 naval assault from 4:09 · 6% of role by thenFrom the Shipyard. Only 6% of Pond games have it by then; others who build it get it around 4:21
  • HerringMissile corvette in 100%5% of all Pond games by then
  • ShipyardShipyard in 94%5% of all Pond games by then
  • OppressorDestroyer in 50%3% of all Pond games by then
  • HerculesLight transport from an ally in 50%5% of all Pond games by then

Started with Riptide (50%), Oppressor (50%).

Where those units first fight, in 15 games with kill data: in the middle 80%, on their own side 20%.

Those units destroy a typical 3,508 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into destroyer (38% of army), missile corvette (9% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Shipyard by 2:46

  1. Skip the usual eco-first boosting job and rush a Shipyard instead.
  2. Get Shipyard up well ahead of the role's normal pace.
  3. Push out destroyer or frigate to start fighting the middle seas.
  4. Add Herring for light anti-air and sonar coverage at sea.
  5. Keep feeding destroyers as your main naval force.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 16 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 1:09–6:42

    Some games also: wind for allies (44%) · tidal for allies (31%)

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

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Tidal ×2
    2. Construction ShipCon ship
    3. OrcaSubmarinedone 1:33
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Shipyard

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex−3 vs standard
    Order
    1. ShipyardShipyard after 4 mex, 5 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~3:02, middle half 2:44–3:45

    Some games also: Graverobber (44%) · wind (44%) · con bot (44%) · trasher (38%) · energy storage (38%)

    By 2:46 in all: 4 mex · 5 wind (standard 1)

    The example game in this phase · 1 step
    1. ShipyardShipyarddone 0:39 · typical 3:02
  3. 3

    Shipyard to T1 naval assault

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    Order
    1. RiptideT1 naval assault after 5 mex, 5 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~4:24, middle half 3:42–5:35

    Some games also: Radar Tower (50%) · con ship (50%) · missile corvette (44%) · wind (38%) · Guard (31%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 4 wind

    By 4:03 in all: 6 mex (standard 4) · 5 wind · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 7 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Wind ×4
    3. GuardGuard
    4. Mex
    5. OrcaSubmarine
    6. HerringMissile corvette
    7. RiptideFrigatedone 2:27 · typical 4:24
  4. 4

    T1 naval assault to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor3Mex+3 vs standard
    Builders
    • Death Cavalry2 Death Cavalry +2 vs standard
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship
    Army
    • Riptide4 Frigate +4 vs standard
    • Oppressor2 Destroyer +2 vs standard
    • Herring2 Missile corvette +2 vs standard
    Other
    • Naval Radar / Sonar Tower1 Naval Radar / Sonar Tower

    Some games also: wind (50%) · converter (31%) · Radar Tower (31%) · geo (31%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 8 wind

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

    The example game in this phase · 78 steps
    1. Mex
    2. RiptideFrigate
    3. HerringMissile corvette
    4. RiptideFrigate ×2
    5. HerringMissile corvette
    6. RiptideFrigate ×2
    7. HerringMissile corvette
    8. OppressorDestroyer ×2done 5:03 · typical 5:06
    9. RiptideFrigate ×2
    10. HerringMissile corvette
    11. RiptideFrigate ×2
    12. HerringMissile corvette
    13. OppressorDestroyer
    14. RiptideFrigate
    15. UrchinUrchin
    16. RiptideFrigate
    17. HerringMissile corvette
    18. OppressorDestroyer
    19. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry ×3
    20. Construction ShipCon ship ×2
    21. Mex
    22. Construction ShipCon ship ×2
    23. Mex
    24. Advanced ShipyardAdvanced Shipyarddone 11:34
    25. Naval Construction Turret
    26. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 11:05
    27. Naval Construction Turret ×2
    28. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    29. Naval Construction Turret
    30. Con turret
    31. Advanced Construction SubAdvanced Construction Sub
    32. Con turret
    33. Mex
    34. Con turret
    35. PathfinderPathfinder
    36. Naval Advanced Metal ExtractorNaval Advanced Metal Extractordone 12:26
    37. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    38. Tidal
    39. PathfinderPathfinder
    40. Wind
    41. Tidal ×2
    42. Wind
    43. Tidal
    44. Wind
    45. Tidal
    46. Advanced Vehicle PlantAdvanced Vehicle Plantdone 13:06
    47. PathfinderPathfinder
    48. Mex
    49. Wind
    50. Tidal
    51. Wind
    52. PathfinderPathfinder
    53. Tidal
    54. Wind
    55. PathfinderPathfinder
    56. Tidal
    57. Naval Advanced Metal ExtractorNaval Advanced Metal Extractor
    58. Wind
    59. Tidal
    60. PathfinderPathfinder
    61. Tidal
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    64. Wind ×2
    65. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehiclefor Geo sea
    66. Wind
    67. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehiclefor Front
    68. Naval Advanced Metal ExtractorNaval Advanced Metal Extractor
    69. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    70. Advanced Construction SubAdvanced Construction Sub
    71. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehiclefor Beach sea
    72. PhantasmRadar jammer ship
    73. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehicle
    74. TzarTzardone 14:42
    75. Naval Advanced Metal ExtractorNaval Advanced Metal Extractor
    76. BuccaneerCruisernot finished by 15:00
    77. OmenRadar vehicle
    78. FuryFurynot finished by 15:00

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [AFUS]Trotski's (83 OS, 18/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Tidal Generator8 Tidal to Suicide front or Frontfirst at 0:14 · in 31% of games
  • Wind Turbine2 Wind to Air or Suicide front or Frontfirst at 1:35 · in 50% of games

You get

  • Finch1 Finch from Airfirst at 1:41 · in 50% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Air or Beach seafirst at 2:10 · in 50% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:58 · in 44% 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

010k20k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

16 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
1:003961150000
2:009242790000
3:0014828160000
4:00241515090000
5:00353222161630510
6:00474829616090920
7:006241382211633052610
8:006573462215501065856180
9:0074765551270314951166615
10:0094406683341021591631903
11:001145082043685267716311360
12:0011623101383915308220221680
13:0013225124464234342730202144
14:0016107144344627381833212791
15:0018865168434627417740563299
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Dealt and took more damage than the standard build but the team won less often, trading eco role for early naval fights.

  • + Enemy metal destroyed well above standard by 10:00 (3380 vs 2196).
  • + Metal produced ahead of standard at every checkpoint shown.
  • − Team win rate 40% versus standard's 52%.
  • − Own metal lost at 10:00 nearly double standard (1850 vs 941).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

[AFUS]Trotski

83.0 OS · 18/09/2026

Open source match ↗

45 received units
14588 metal received · 79683 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:12Middle 50%: 1:09–6:42 · n=10
Shipyard3:02Middle 50%: 2:44–3:45 · n=15
Riptide4:24Middle 50%: 3:42–5:35 · n=13
Oppressor5:06Middle 50%: 4:43–5:48 · n=16
Advanced Metal Extractor9:28Middle 50%: 9:06–10:00 · n=8

Played most by

PlatinumBlonde3games of this buildDeathkebab2games of this build[AFUS]Trotski1game of this build[MooDeng]NongJohn1game of this buildAlphacure1game of this build