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Gauntlet defence

Armada Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first start that leads with a Gauntlet from 5:30 to anchor the middle with area-control artillery well before it's normal for the role, fighting purely forward in the middle before transitioning into a broader army.

#defence #artillery · 92 distinct matches · 48 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 57% of 95 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:28 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:11

Where those units first fight, in 81 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 620 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into blitz (13% of army), rocketeer (12% of army), Rattlesnake (9% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet by 5:34

  1. Open double mex and wind into a Vehicle Plant for the usual eco-first start.
  2. Add Beamer and defensive turf like Dragon's Teeth while eco grows.
  3. Commit early to a Gauntlet well ahead of the normal timing.
  4. Bring Rattlesnake into the mix to hold the defensive line at middle.
  5. Transition into T2 constructor once the line is anchored.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 92 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:28 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 Extractor2Mex
    • Wind Turbine1Wind
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 3 mex, 1 winddone ~0:45, middle half 0:39–6:40

    Some games also: Vehicle Plant (42%)

    By 0:28 in all: 2 mex · 1 wind

    The example game in this phase · 2 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:44 · typical 0:45
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Early defence

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind−2 vs standard
    Order
    1. GauntletEarly defence after 6 mex, 7 wind, 1 con turretdone ~6:32, middle half 6:07–7:03
    Builders
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot +2 vs standard
    Army
    • Sentry1 Sentry
    • Rocketeer5 Rocketeer +5 vs standard

    Some games also: tick (48%) · Lazarus (46%) · con turret (45%) · centurion (39%) · Radar Tower (36%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 2 con vehicle · 3 janus

    By 5:28 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind (standard 6) · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 34 steps
    1. Solar
    2. TickTick ×2
    3. PawnPawn
    4. LazarusLazarus ×2
    5. PawnPawn ×3
    6. Construction BotCon bot
    7. CenturionCenturion
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    10. Con turret
    11. Mex
    12. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    13. Mex
    14. RocketeerRocketeer
    15. SentrySentry
    16. Mex
    17. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    18. Wind
    19. CenturionCenturion
    20. SentrySentry
    21. Wind
    22. BeamerBeamer
    23. RocketeerRocketeer
    24. Wind
    25. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    26. RocketeerRocketeer
    27. Wind
    28. BeamerBeamer
    29. RocketeerRocketeer
    30. Wind
    31. BeamerBeamer
    32. RocketeerRocketeer
    33. Wind
    34. GauntletGauntletdone 7:14 · typical 6:32
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine17Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret

    Some games also: Beamer (47%) · Dragon's Teeth (46%) · energy storage (45%) · Sentry (40%) · converter (39%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 2 blitz

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 27 wind · 1 energy storage · 4 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 68 steps
    1. Wind
    2. RocketeerRocketeer
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. LazarusLazarus
    6. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    7. Mex
    8. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    9. RocketeerRocketeer
    10. Con turret
    11. Mex
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. LazarusLazarus
    14. TickTick
    15. SentrySentry
    16. TickTick ×8
    17. Wind
    18. TickTick
    19. Wind
    20. TickTick
    21. Wind
    22. TickTick
    23. Wind
    24. TickTick
    25. Wind
    26. TickTick
    27. Wind
    28. TickTick
    29. Mex
    30. Wind
    31. TickTick ×2
    32. Wind
    33. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:16 · typical 9:10
    34. TickTick ×3
    35. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    36. TickTick
    37. Wind
    38. TickTick
    39. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:23
    40. TickTick ×2
    41. Wind
    42. TickTick
    43. Wind
    44. OspreyHeavy transport
    45. TickTick
    46. Con turret
    47. TickTick ×4
    48. Con turret
    49. TickTick ×2
    50. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    51. TickTick
    52. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    53. Energy storage
    54. TickTick ×4
    55. Energy storage
    56. TickTick ×4
    57. Energy storage
    58. TickTick
    59. NettleNettle
    60. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    61. Con turret
    62. TickTick
    63. Bot LabBot Labdone 12:29
    64. NettleNettle
    65. TickTick
    66. NettleNettle
    67. Construction BotCon bot
    68. MaceMace

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [Grump]_Doni's (51 OS, 01/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

Nothing regular.

You get

  • Tidal Generator4 Tidal from Pondfirst at 0:18 · in 75% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:27 · in 65% of games

How it plays out

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

  • This build
  • Standard front

Metal produced

010k20k30k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

05k10k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

05k10k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

95 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildMetal produced: Standard frontEnemy metal destroyed: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: Standard frontOwn metal lost: This buildOwn metal lost: Standard front
1:003333330000
2:0086484831213131
3:0016681625130141106105
4:0027292715435542302333
5:00391438638601200604820
6:00518550721494211210951523
7:00640863142104298617222450
8:00768876362854386323213360
9:00911490793649468228674312
10:0010984106794045533533955062
11:0013268125884568582145415713
12:0016136148155244637756956524
13:0018944174135721698565817236
14:0022369201686552761978288094
15:0025830226696984837486438952
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won less often than the standard build and destroyed noticeably less enemy metal, despite pulling ahead in metal produced by 15:00.

  • + Metal produced by 15:00 clearly ahead (23942 vs 22219)
  • + Own metal lost by 15:00 about even (8933 vs 8949)
  • − Team win rate below standard (51% vs 61%)
  • − Enemy metal destroyed by 15:00 well behind (6999 vs 8347)
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

[Grump]_Doni

51.3 OS · 01/09/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
254 metal received · 14998 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:45Middle 50%: 0:39–6:40 · n=66
Vehicle Plant0:47Middle 50%: 0:42–0:54 · n=58
Gauntlet6:32Middle 50%: 6:07–7:03 · n=80
Advanced Metal Extractor9:10Middle 50%: 8:15–10:32 · n=78

Played most by

Leohvm14games of this buildDRM7games of this buildGodmother134games of this buildImmort4games of this build[MooDeng]NongJohn3games of this build