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Front / Armada / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Gauntlet defence

Front builds a Gauntlet by around 5:30, well before the norm, to anchor a defensive line at middle while the economy develops, backing it later with Rattlesnake and more Gauntlets.

#defence #artillery · 84 distinct matches · 44 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 56% of 86 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:31 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:14

Where those units first fight, in 72 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

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

Then transitions into rocketeer (12% of army), blitz (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 84 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:32 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 0:39–0:55

    Some games also: Vehicle Plant (41%)

    By 0:28 in all: 2 mex · 1 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:39 · 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 ~6:37, middle half 6:07–7:10
    Builders
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot +2 vs standard
    Army
    • Sentry2 Sentry
    • Rocketeer3 Rocketeer +3 vs standard

    Some games also: tick (49%) · con turret (48%) · Lazarus (45%) · centurion (42%) · Radar Tower (36%)

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

    By 5:31 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 37 steps
    1. TickTick ×2
    2. Construction BotCon bot
    3. Mex
    4. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    5. Mex
    6. CenturionCenturion ×2
    7. Mex
    8. LazarusLazarus
    9. RocketeerRocketeer
    10. SentrySentry
    11. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    12. Mex
    13. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    14. LazarusLazarus
    15. SentrySentry
    16. BeamerBeamer
    17. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    18. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    19. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    20. Wind
    21. LazarusLazarus
    22. RocketeerRocketeer
    23. Wind
    24. RocketeerRocketeer
    25. Con turret
    26. RocketeerRocketeer
    27. Wind
    28. RocketeerRocketeer
    29. LazarusLazarus
    30. Converter
    31. Energy storage
    32. Mex
    33. Wind
    34. LazarusLazarus
    35. Mex
    36. Wind
    37. GauntletGauntletdone 7:06 · typical 6:37
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

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

    Some games also: energy storage (50%) · Dragon's Teeth (47%) · Beamer (45%) · converter (40%) · Sentry (38%)

    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 · 159 steps
    1. Con turret
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Construction BotCon bot
    4. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    5. Wind
    6. Construction BotCon bot
    7. Con turret
    8. Wind
    9. Construction BotCon bot
    10. Wind
    11. Construction BotCon bot
    12. Wind
    13. Construction BotCon bot
    14. Con turret
    15. Wind
    16. Mex
    17. Wind ×5
    18. GauntletGauntlet
    19. Metal storage
    20. Wind
    21. Mex
    22. Con turret
    23. Wind ×8
    24. BeamerBeamer
    25. Converter
    26. Wind ×3
    27. Con turret
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:33 · typical 9:10
    29. Wind ×3
    30. Construction BotCon bot
    31. BeamerBeamer
    32. Wind ×2
    33. AnemoneAnemone
    34. Con turret
    35. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    36. Converter
    37. Wind
    38. Construction BotCon bot
    39. AnemoneAnemone
    40. Wind ×2
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind ×2
    43. Con turret
    44. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    45. Wind
    46. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    47. Con turret
    48. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    49. Converter
    50. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    51. Wind
    52. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    53. BeamerBeamer
    54. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    55. Wind
    56. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Con turret
    59. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    60. Wind ×3
    61. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Con turret
    64. Wind
    65. BeholderBeholder ×2
    66. Wind
    67. Converter
    68. Wind
    69. Converter
    70. Wind ×2
    71. Con turret
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×2
    74. Con turret
    75. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    76. Wind ×7
    77. Converter
    78. Wind ×7
    79. Converter
    80. Wind
    81. Converter
    82. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    83. Wind ×7
    84. Converter
    85. Wind ×4
    86. Converter
    87. Wind ×4
    88. Converter ×2
    89. Wind ×5
    90. RattlesnakeRattlesnakedone 13:16
    91. Wind ×6
    92. Converter ×2
    93. Wind ×6
    94. Converter
    95. Wind ×3
    96. Con turret
    97. Converter
    98. Wind
    99. Converter
    100. Wind
    101. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    102. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 13:37
    103. Converter
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. Wind ×2
    107. Converter
    108. Wind
    109. BlinkScout plane
    110. RattlesnakeRattlesnake
    111. Wind
    112. Converter
    113. Wind
    114. BlinkScout plane
    115. Wind ×4
    116. Converter
    117. Con turret
    118. BlinkScout plane
    119. Wind ×5
    120. VeilVeil
    121. Wind
    122. BlinkScout plane
    123. Wind
    124. Con turret
    125. Converter
    126. Wind
    127. Converter
    128. Wind
    129. BlinkScout plane
    130. Wind
    131. ArbalestArbalest
    132. Wind ×3
    133. BlinkScout plane
    134. Con turret
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×2
    138. Converter ×2
    139. Wind ×2
    140. BlinkScout plane
    141. Wind
    142. BlinkScout plane
    143. Wind ×2
    144. ShipyardShipyarddone 14:42
    145. Wind ×8
    146. RattlesnakeRattlesnake
    147. Wind
    148. EelSubmarinenot finished by 15:00
    149. Converter
    150. BlinkScout plane
    151. Wind
    152. BlinkScout plane
    153. Converter
    154. Wind ×2
    155. BlinkScout plane
    156. Converter
    157. Wind
    158. Converter
    159. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is krtf's (44 OS, 23/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

Nothing regular.

You get

  • Tidal Generator4 Tidal from Pondfirst at 0:19 · in 79% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:23 · in 63% 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

86 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
2:0086284629213131
3:0016571624127140109105
4:0027052712435540302333
5:00387938688501188593813
6:00509650761444209910881526
7:00633763141987298417222459
8:00762976622705387122953365
9:00906090873544463228574312
10:0010927106663958530833545060
11:0013153126084497581943315701
12:0015864148155115631355116521
13:0018984174405686698165067256
14:0022200201836548758475798093
15:0025798226307050839486268939
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

krtf

44.1 OS · 23/09/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
581 metal received · 35994 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:45Middle 50%: 0:39–0:55 · n=57
Vehicle Plant0:47Middle 50%: 0:41–1:00 · n=54
Gauntlet6:37Middle 50%: 6:07–7:10 · n=72
Advanced Metal Extractor9:10Middle 50%: 8:15–10:41 · n=69

Played most by

Leohvm12games of this buildDRM7games of this buildCentientWaffle4games of this buildGodmother134games of this buildarmjanus3games of this build