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Gauntlet defence

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 5:30 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:13

Where those units first fight, in 81 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 (12% 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 6:30 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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:54 · 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 6:06–7:03
    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 5:30 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind (standard 6) · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 52 steps
    1. LazarusLazarus
    2. TickTick ×3
    3. Construction BotCon bot
    4. LazarusLazarus
    5. Construction BotCon bot
    6. Mex
    7. CenturionCenturion
    8. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    9. Mex
    10. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    11. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    12. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    13. BeamerBeamerfor Air
    14. RocketeerRocketeer
    15. Construction BotCon bot
    16. Mex
    17. LazarusLazarus
    18. BeamerBeamer
    19. CenturionCenturion
    20. Energy storage
    21. Con turret
    22. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    23. Wind ×2
    24. RocketeerRocketeer
    25. Wind
    26. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    27. RocketeerRocketeer
    28. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×8
    29. Wind
    30. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    31. RocketeerRocketeer
    32. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    33. Wind
    34. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    35. RocketeerRocketeer
    36. Wind
    37. Con turret
    38. Wind
    39. RocketeerRocketeer
    40. Con turret
    41. Wind
    42. Construction BotCon bot
    43. Wind ×2
    44. BeamerBeamer
    45. LazarusLazarus
    46. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    47. Wind
    48. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    49. Wind
    50. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    51. RocketeerRocketeer
    52. GauntletGauntletdone 7:43 · 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 · 214 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    2. Wind
    3. RocketeerRocketeer
    4. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    5. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:42 · typical 9:10
    6. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    7. Wind
    8. RocketeerRocketeer
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    10. Wind
    11. Construction BotCon bot
    12. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    13. LazarusLazarus
    14. Wind
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    16. Wind
    17. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×10
    18. Wind
    19. LazarusLazarus
    20. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    22. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    23. LazarusLazarus
    24. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    25. TickTick
    26. Con turret
    27. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    28. TickTick
    29. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    30. TickTick
    31. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    32. TickTick
    33. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    34. TickTick
    35. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    36. TickTick
    37. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    38. TickTick ×4
    39. BeamerBeamer
    40. TickTick ×4
    41. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    42. TickTick
    43. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    44. TickTick ×3
    45. Con turret
    46. TickTick
    47. PawnPawn
    48. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    49. Wind
    50. Con turret
    51. SentrySentry
    52. Wind
    53. SharpshooterSniper botfor Geodone 9:44
    54. PawnPawn
    55. SentrySentry
    56. PawnPawn
    57. SentrySentry
    58. Wind
    59. Construction BotCon bot
    60. SentrySentry
    61. Wind
    62. SentrySentry
    63. Wind ×2
    64. Mex
    65. Wind
    66. Energy storage
    67. Wind
    68. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    69. Construction BotCon bot
    70. Wind ×2
    71. Con turret
    72. Construction BotCon bot
    73. Wind ×2
    74. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    75. Wind ×2
    76. Construction BotCon bot
    77. PawnPawn
    78. Wind ×2
    79. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:51
    80. PawnPawn
    81. TickTick
    82. Wind
    83. TickTick
    84. Wind
    85. TickTick ×2
    86. Wind
    87. TickTick ×2
    88. PawnPawn
    89. TickTick
    90. Wind ×2
    91. TickTick
    92. PawnPawn
    93. Wind
    94. TickTick ×3
    95. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    96. Wind
    97. TickTick
    98. Wind
    99. TickTick ×2
    100. Wind
    101. TickTick
    102. PawnPawn
    103. TickTick
    104. Converter
    105. Wind ×2
    106. TickTick ×2
    107. Wind
    108. PawnPawn
    109. TickTick
    110. Converter
    111. TickTick
    112. Wind
    113. TickTick ×2
    114. PawnPawn
    115. Converter
    116. Wind
    117. TickTick ×2
    118. Wind ×2
    119. TickTick ×2
    120. Wind
    121. TickTick
    122. Converter
    123. Wind
    124. TickTick
    125. PawnPawn
    126. TickTick
    127. Wind
    128. Converter
    129. PawnPawn
    130. Wind
    131. TickTick ×2
    132. Wind
    133. TickTick ×2
    134. Converter
    135. TickTick
    136. Wind
    137. TickTick ×3
    138. Wind
    139. PawnPawn ×2
    140. TickTick ×2
    141. Wind
    142. TickTick
    143. Wind
    144. TickTick
    145. Con turret
    146. TickTick ×2
    147. Wind
    148. TickTick
    149. Wind
    150. TickTick
    151. Wind
    152. PawnPawn
    153. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    154. Wind
    155. PawnPawn
    156. TickTick
    157. Con turret
    158. Wind
    159. TickTick ×3
    160. Wind
    161. TickTick ×2
    162. Con turret
    163. TickTick
    164. Wind
    165. TickTick
    166. Wind
    167. PawnPawn
    168. Con turret
    169. PawnPawn
    170. TickTick
    171. Wind
    172. TickTick ×2
    173. Wind
    174. TickTick ×5
    175. Wind
    176. PawnPawn ×2
    177. SentrySentry
    178. Wind
    179. TickTick ×3
    180. Wind
    181. TickTick ×3
    182. PawnPawn
    183. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    184. TickTick ×2
    185. Wind
    186. TickTick ×3
    187. Wind
    188. TickTick
    189. Wind
    190. TickTick
    191. PawnPawn ×2
    192. TickTick
    193. SentrySentry
    194. TickTick ×2
    195. Wind
    196. TickTick ×3
    197. Wind
    198. PawnPawn
    199. TickTick ×2
    200. Wind
    201. TickTick ×3
    202. Wind
    203. SentrySentry
    204. TickTick
    205. Wind
    206. TickTick
    207. Wind ×2
    208. PawnPawn ×2
    209. Wind ×2
    210. TickTick
    211. Wind
    212. TickTick
    213. Wind
    214. TickTick

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [MooDeng]NongJohn's (40 OS, 29/09/2026); 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
2:0086484631213131
3:0016611625130141106105
4:0027252716435541323333
5:00390538688551199614818
6:00516950781464211210951522
7:00638763302102298617222420
8:00767976622854387123213347
9:00911490883649467928674310
10:0010984106954045532333955055
11:0013268126234568582145415711
12:0016136148465244638556956524
13:0019023174505721701065817236
14:0022403201836552762378048103
15:0025904227236984837486098946
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

[MooDeng]NongJohn

39.8 OS · 29/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
563 metal received · 48665 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%: 0:42–0:55 · n=58
Gauntlet6:32Middle 50%: 6:06–7:03 · n=79
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