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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 (68%)

#naval #push · 25 distinct matches · 19 players · 3% of Cortex Pond games · team won 44% of 25 · 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 4:21
  • HerringMissile corvette in 100%3% of all Pond games by then
  • ShipyardShipyard in 96%4% of all Pond games by then
  • OrcaSubmarine in 52%2% of all Pond games by then
  • HerculesLight transport from an ally in 48%3% of all Pond games by then

Started with Riptide (64%), Oppressor (36%).

Where those units first fight, in 24 games with kill data: in the middle 88%, on their own side 13%.

Those units destroy a typical 3,690 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into destroyer (36% 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 25 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 1:10–1:18

    Some games also: wind for allies (40%)

    By 0:55 in all: 3 mex (standard 0) · 2 wind (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 2 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Shipyard

    Order
    1. ShipyardShipyard after 4 mex, 5 winddone ~3:08, middle half 2:33–3:38

    Some games also: mex (48%) · wind (44%) · Graverobber (44%) · con bot (44%) · energy storage (40%)

    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 · 1 step
    1. ShipyardShipyarddone 1:33 · typical 3:08
  3. 3

    Shipyard to T1 naval assault

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    Order
    1. Bot LabEat Bot Lab in 52% of games
    2. RiptideT1 naval assault after 6 mex, 5 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~4:19, middle half 3:44–5:08
    Builders
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship

    Some games also: submarine (40%) · Radar Tower (40%) · missile corvette (40%) · wind (32%)

    By 4:08 in all: 6 mex (standard 4) · 5 wind (standard 3) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 22 steps
    1. Construction ShipCon ship
    2. HerringMissile corvette
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Mex
    5. Construction ShipCon ship
    6. Wind ×2
    7. SupporterGunboat
    8. Mex
    9. Wind
    10. SupporterGunboat
    11. Wind
    12. SupporterGunboat
    13. Wind
    14. Mex
    15. Wind
    16. SupporterGunboat
    17. Wind
    18. Tidal
    19. OrcaSubmarinedone 3:54 · typical 4:14
    20. Tidal ×2
    21. Mex
    22. RiptideFrigatedone 4:14 · typical 4:19
  4. 4

    T1 naval assault to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor3Mex+3 vs standard
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−19 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship
    • Death Cavalry1 Death Cavalry
    Army
    • Riptide4 Frigate +4 vs standard
    • Oppressor2 Destroyer +2 vs standard
    • Herring1 Missile corvette
    Other
    • Naval Radar / Sonar Tower1 Naval Radar / Sonar Tower

    Some games also: Radar Tower (36%) · converter (36%) · Guard (32%)

    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 · 101 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    3. RiptideFrigate
    4. UrchinUrchin
    5. OppressorDestroyerdone 5:40 · typical 5:33
    6. Con turret
    7. RiptideFrigate
    8. Mex ×2
    9. Wind
    10. RiptideFrigate
    11. Wind
    12. GuardGuard ×2
    13. RiptideFrigate
    14. Wind
    15. JellyfishJellyfish
    16. Wind
    17. RiptideFrigate
    18. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    19. Wind
    20. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    21. Wind
    22. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    23. Wind
    24. HerringMissile corvette
    25. OppressorDestroyer
    26. ThistleThistle
    27. Wind ×2
    28. RiptideFrigate
    29. Wind
    30. RiptideFrigate
    31. Wind ×2
    32. Naval Construction Turret
    33. Wind ×2
    34. Construction ShipCon ship
    35. Wind
    36. RiptideFrigate
    37. Wind
    38. RiptideFrigate
    39. Wind
    40. Naval Energy Converter
    41. HerringMissile corvette
    42. Wind
    43. Naval Energy Converter
    44. OppressorDestroyer
    45. Naval Energy Converter
    46. Con turret
    47. Naval Energy Converter
    48. HerringMissile corvette ×2
    49. Tidal
    50. HerringMissile corvette
    51. Tidal
    52. HerringMissile corvette
    53. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 12:16
    54. Tidal
    55. HerringMissile corvette
    56. Tidal
    57. Wind
    58. HerringMissile corvette
    59. Naval Construction Turret
    60. Tidal ×2
    61. Wind
    62. HerringMissile corvette
    63. Tidal
    64. HerringMissile corvette
    65. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    66. Wind
    67. Tidal
    68. Naval Construction Turret
    69. HerringMissile corvette
    70. Wind
    71. Tidal
    72. Naval Construction Turret
    73. Construction ShipCon ship
    74. Tidal
    75. Wind
    76. Naval Construction Turret
    77. Tidal
    78. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    79. Wind
    80. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantnot finished by 15:00
    81. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    82. Wind
    83. Naval Construction Turret
    84. Tidal
    85. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    86. Wind
    87. Advanced ShipyardAdvanced Shipyardnot finished by 15:00
    88. HerringMissile corvette
    89. Tidal
    90. Wind
    91. RiptideFrigate
    92. Tidal
    93. Construction ShipCon ship
    94. Wind
    95. Construction ShipCon ship
    96. Wind
    97. Tidal
    98. Wind
    99. Construction ShipCon ship
    100. Wind ×2
    101. Tidal

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is JesterB's (33 OS, 19/09/2026); 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 48% of games

You get

  • Finch1 Finch from Airfirst at 1:53 · in 52% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 2:10 · in 48% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:57 · in 60% 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

25 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
1:003981150000
2:009272600000
3:0015217520000
4:00242214140000
5:0036412142510510
6:00503729515100900
7:006323383976003300
8:007449491313605172073
9:008850634021881851230172
10:009918775133803211850513
11:0011669989939307401850796
12:0012526123514222114223791054
13:0015008149104431157541901637
14:0017406172094889183745502073
15:0020202199346076262351302966
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

JesterB

32.8 OS · 19/09/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
182 metal received · 9997 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:12Middle 50%: 1:10–1:18 · n=14
Shipyard3:08Middle 50%: 2:33–3:38 · n=24
Orca4:14Middle 50%: 3:54–4:30 · n=13
Riptide4:19Middle 50%: 3:44–5:08 · n=22
Oppressor5:33Middle 50%: 5:02–6:05 · n=24
Advanced Metal Extractor9:14Middle 50%: 8:56–10:28 · n=15

Played most by

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