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Gauntlet defence

Armada Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first start that commits early to a Gauntlet around 5:30 for static area-control defence at the front, well ahead of the usual time, holding the middle while eco continues behind it.

#defence #artillery · 114 distinct matches · 54 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 54% of 117 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:27 · 9% of role by thenOnly 9% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:11

Where those units first fight, in 102 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 600 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into blitz (13% of army), rocketeer (11% of army), Rattlesnake (8% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet by 5:30

  1. Open 3 mex into wind and a vehicle plant, economy first as usual.
  2. Add radar and early defence (Sentry, Beamer) toward the coast gap.
  3. Commit to a Gauntlet well ahead of schedule to anchor a forward line.
  4. Reinforce the line with Blitz and Rocketeer around the Gauntlet.
  5. Upgrade mex to advanced and transition into the normal t1 mix.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 114 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:27 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 0:39–8:37

    Some games also: Vehicle Plant (39%)

    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, 6 wind, 1 con turretdone ~6:30, middle half 6:00–7:03
    Builders
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot +2 vs standard
    Army
    • Sentry1 Sentry

    Some games also: rocketeer (49%) · tick (47%) · Lazarus (44%) · con turret (44%) · Radar Tower (41%)

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

    By 5:27 in all: 6 mex · 7 wind · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 43 steps
    1. Wind
    2. TickTick ×2
    3. Wind
    4. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    5. CenturionCenturion
    6. Mex
    7. PawnPawn
    8. CenturionCenturion
    9. Mex
    10. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    11. TickTick
    12. Mex
    13. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    14. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    15. RocketeerRocketeer
    16. Wind
    17. RocketeerRocketeer
    18. Mex
    19. Construction BotCon bot
    20. SentrySentry
    21. Wind
    22. LazarusLazarus
    23. TickTick
    24. RocketeerRocketeer
    25. Wind
    26. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    27. Wind
    28. RocketeerRocketeer
    29. Construction BotCon bot
    30. SentrySentry
    31. Wind
    32. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    33. Wind
    34. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    35. Wind
    36. AggravatorAggravator
    37. LazarusLazarus
    38. AggravatorAggravator
    39. PawnPawn
    40. Wind
    41. Wind
    42. TickTick
    43. GauntletGauntletnot finished by 15:00 · typical 6:30
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine16Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret

    Some games also: Dragon's Teeth (46%) · energy storage (45%) · Beamer (45%) · Sentry (39%) · converter (36%) · eat Vehicle Plant (32%)

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

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 26 wind · 1 energy storage · 4 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 247 steps
    1. AggravatorAggravator
    2. Con turret
    3. BeamerBeamer
    4. Con turret
    5. RocketeerRocketeer
    6. Wind
    7. Wind
    8. AggravatorAggravator
    9. Mex
    10. Wind
    11. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    12. AggravatorAggravator
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. RocketeerRocketeer
    16. AggravatorAggravator
    17. Wind
    18. GruntGrunt
    19. RocketeerRocketeer
    20. Wind
    21. GruntGrunt
    22. Construction BotCon bot
    23. Wind
    24. Wind
    25. GruntGrunt
    26. Wind
    27. GruntGrunt
    28. RocketeerRocketeer
    29. Wind
    30. RocketeerRocketeer
    31. GruntGrunt
    32. OverwatchOverwatch
    33. Wind
    34. RocketeerRocketeer
    35. GruntGrunt
    36. Wind
    37. RocketeerRocketeer
    38. Wind
    39. GruntGrunt
    40. CenturionCenturion
    41. GruntGrunt
    42. Wind
    43. GruntGrunt ×2
    44. Wind
    45. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    46. GruntGrunt
    47. Wind
    48. Wind
    49. GruntGrunt ×5
    50. Wind
    51. GruntGrunt
    52. CenturionCenturion
    53. GruntGrunt ×5
    54. Wind
    55. GruntGrunt
    56. Mex
    57. GruntGrunt ×4
    58. LazarusLazarus
    59. GruntGrunt
    60. Wind
    61. GruntGrunt
    62. PawnPawn
    63. GruntGrunt
    64. PawnPawn
    65. GruntGrunt
    66. PawnPawn
    67. GruntGrunt
    68. PawnPawn
    69. GauntletGauntlet
    70. GruntGrunt
    71. PawnPawn
    72. GruntGrunt
    73. Wind
    74. PawnPawn
    75. GruntGrunt
    76. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    77. PawnPawn
    78. GruntGrunt
    79. PawnPawn
    80. GruntGrunt
    81. PawnPawn
    82. GruntGrunt
    83. PawnPawn
    84. GruntGrunt
    85. Wind
    86. PawnPawn
    87. GruntGrunt
    88. PawnPawn
    89. GruntGrunt
    90. PawnPawn
    91. GruntGrunt
    92. LazarusLazarus
    93. GruntGrunt
    94. PawnPawn
    95. GruntGrunt
    96. PawnPawn
    97. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    98. GruntGrunt
    99. Wind
    100. PawnPawn
    101. BeamerBeamer
    102. PawnPawn
    103. BlitzBlitz
    104. Wind
    105. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    106. BeamerBeamer
    107. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:42 · typical 8:58
    108. Wind
    109. ArbalestArbalest
    110. Wind
    111. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehicle
    112. Mex
    113. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    114. Mex
    115. ProphetRadar vehicle
    116. Wind
    117. UmbraJammer
    118. StarlightStarlightdone 10:23
    119. SentrySentry
    120. BeamerBeamer
    121. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    122. Wind
    123. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    124. StarlightStarlight
    125. BeamerBeamer
    126. Wind
    127. StarlightStarlight
    128. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    129. ConsulConsulfor Beach sea
    130. StarlightStarlight
    131. Wind
    132. BeamerBeamer
    133. JaguarJaguar
    134. Wind
    135. Con turret
    136. JaguarJaguar
    137. Con turret
    138. JaguarJaguar
    139. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    140. CitadelAnti-nukedone 12:12
    141. JaguarJaguar
    142. Wind
    143. Con turret
    144. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    145. Con turret
    146. JaguarJaguar
    147. Wind
    148. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    149. JaguarJaguar
    150. GruntGrunt
    151. JaguarJaguar
    152. ProphetRadar vehicle
    153. GruntGrunt
    154. UmbraJammer
    155. Wind
    156. GruntGrunt
    157. StarlightStarlight
    158. GruntGrunt ×3
    159. StarlightStarlight
    160. Wind
    161. TickTick
    162. PawnPawn
    163. GruntGrunt
    164. PawnPawn
    165. GruntGrunt
    166. PawnPawn
    167. GruntGrunt
    168. PawnPawn
    169. StarlightStarlight
    170. GruntGrunt
    171. PawnPawn
    172. GruntGrunt
    173. LazarusLazarus
    174. Wind
    175. GruntGrunt
    176. PawnPawn
    177. GruntGrunt
    178. PawnPawn
    179. JaguarJaguar
    180. GruntGrunt
    181. PawnPawn
    182. JaguarJaguar
    183. GruntGrunt
    184. PawnPawn
    185. JaguarJaguar
    186. PawnPawn
    187. GruntGrunt
    188. Wind
    189. StarlightStarlight
    190. PawnPawn
    191. GruntGrunt
    192. Con turret
    193. PawnPawn
    194. GruntGrunt
    195. Con turret
    196. PawnPawn
    197. GruntGrunt
    198. PawnPawn
    199. GruntGrunt
    200. PawnPawn
    201. Wind
    202. GruntGrunt
    203. PawnPawn
    204. JaguarJaguar
    205. GruntGrunt
    206. PawnPawn
    207. JaguarJaguar
    208. JunoJuno
    209. GruntGrunt
    210. JaguarJaguar
    211. PawnPawn
    212. GruntGrunt
    213. JaguarJaguar
    214. GruntGrunt
    215. JaguarJaguar
    216. Wind
    217. GruntGrunt
    218. JaguarJaguar
    219. PawnPawn
    220. ParalyzerParalyzernot finished by 15:00
    221. GruntGrunt
    222. JaguarJaguar
    223. GruntGrunt
    224. JaguarJaguar ×2
    225. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:51
    226. PawnPawn
    227. GruntGrunt
    228. JaguarJaguar
    229. PawnPawn
    230. Wind
    231. PawnPawn
    232. JaguarJaguar
    233. GruntGrunt
    234. PawnPawn ×2
    235. JaguarJaguar
    236. PawnPawn
    237. GruntGrunt
    238. PawnPawn
    239. JaguarJaguar
    240. PawnPawn
    241. VeilVeil
    242. Wind
    243. GruntGrunt
    244. PawnPawn ×3
    245. GruntGrunt
    246. T2 converter
    247. PawnPawn

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is JustSomeGuy's (41 OS, 06/10/2026); 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 73% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:13 · in 66% 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

117 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
2:0086084426213131
3:0016531621129143106105
4:0027252709409545312333
5:00391138558361200614813
6:00518550601453208011131512
7:00634962991998294118572450
8:00763476242719378025513332
9:00906290603589460931554251
10:0010919106614045524339754952
11:0013268125914574574647745677
12:0015966147745287630557256491
13:0018610173765781690666507192
14:0022005200896594756378328079
15:0025153226567101829589338940
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won less often than the standard build, with lower kills despite better own metal production.

  • + Metal production by 15:00 ahead of standard (25351 vs 22714).
  • + Own metal lost by 15:00 close to standard despite early defensive commitment (8868 vs 8944).
  • − Team win rate only 58% vs 63% for standard build.
  • − Enemy metal destroyed by 15:00 clearly lower (7050 vs 8365).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

JustSomeGuy

40.8 OS · 06/10/2026

Open source match ↗

85 received units · includes a constructor
957 metal received · 69250 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:45Middle 50%: 0:39–8:37 · n=80
Vehicle Plant0:47Middle 50%: 0:42–0:53 · n=71
Gauntlet6:30Middle 50%: 6:00–7:03 · n=97
Advanced Metal Extractor8:58Middle 50%: 8:12–10:14 · n=94

Played most by

Leohvm14games of this buildDRM8games of this buildGodmother135games of this buildJustSomeGuy5games of this buildIcouldbeToxic4games of this build