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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 · 35 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal ×2
    3. Wind
    4. Converter
    5. Mex ×4
    6. Wind
    7. Energy storage
    8. Wind ×3
    9. HerringMissile corvette
    10. Construction ShipCon ship
    11. Converter
    12. SupporterGunboat
    13. Wind ×2
    14. SupporterGunboat
    15. Wind
    16. SupporterGunboat
    17. Wind ×3
    18. SupporterGunboat
    19. Wind
    20. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    21. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 7:54
    22. OppressorDestroyerdone 7:25 · typical 5:33
    23. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    24. Construction ShipCon ship
    25. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:36 · typical 9:14
    27. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    28. OppressorDestroyer
    29. BeholderBeholder
    30. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    31. Vehicle PlantEat Vehicle Plantreclaimed for its metal
    32. HerringMissile corvette
    33. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    34. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    35. Bot LabBot Labdone 9:51 · typical 1:12
  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 4:09 · 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 · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 1 step
    1. OppressorDestroyerdone 4:36
  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
    • 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 · 62 steps
    1. GruntGrunt ×6
    2. GraverobberGraverobber
    3. ShipyardEat Shipyardreclaimed for its metal
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Tidal ×2
    6. HerringMissile corvette
    7. Tidal ×2
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    9. Tidal
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. Tidal ×2
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    13. Tidal
    14. Construction BotCon bot
    15. Tidal ×2
    16. Construction BotCon bot
    17. Tidal
    18. Naval Construction Turret
    19. Construction BotCon bot
    20. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    21. Tidal ×2
    22. Wind
    23. Tidal
    24. Con turret
    25. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:45
    26. Wind
    27. Tidal ×2
    28. Wind ×2
    29. Tidal
    30. Con turret
    31. Tidal
    32. Wind
    33. Tidal
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. Tidal
    37. Wind
    38. Naval Construction Turret
    39. Con turret
    40. Wind
    41. Con turret
    42. Wind ×2
    43. Naval Construction Turret
    44. Con turret
    45. Wind
    46. Con turret
    47. Wind
    48. UrchinUrchin
    49. Con turret
    50. Wind
    51. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    52. Wind ×2
    53. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    54. Wind ×3
    55. Converter
    56. Wind ×3
    57. Converter
    58. Wind ×2
    59. Converter ×3
    60. Bot LabBot Labdone 14:59
    61. Wind ×2
    62. Converter ×3

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is enderOS1's (33 OS, 12/10/2026); 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
2:009272590000
3:0015217370000
4:00242214090000
5:0036412130510510
6:00503729495100900
7:006323382976003300
8:007449487413605472086
9:008850625721882201230189
10:009918766133803501850640
11:0011669985939307661850836
12:0012526120924222119623791075
13:0015008145344431157841901661
14:0017406168814889181445501995
15:0020202193616076263251302964
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

enderOS1

33.2 OS · 12/10/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
55 metal received · 41821 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