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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 0:40 · 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 · 34 steps
    1. TickTick
    2. Wind
    3. PawnPawn
    4. Wind
    5. PawnPawn ×2
    6. LazarusLazarus
    7. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    8. Mex
    9. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    10. Energy storage
    11. Mex
    12. RocketeerRocketeer
    13. Mex
    14. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    15. Mex
    16. LazarusLazarus
    17. SentrySentry
    18. RocketeerRocketeer
    19. SentrySentry
    20. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    21. TickTick
    22. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    23. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    24. RocketeerRocketeer
    25. SentrySentry
    26. RocketeerRocketeer
    27. LazarusLazarus
    28. SentrySentry
    29. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    30. Construction BotCon bot
    31. RocketeerRocketeer
    32. TickTick
    33. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    34. GauntletGauntletdone 6:43 · 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 · 104 steps
    1. LazarusLazarus
    2. Construction BotCon bot
    3. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:55
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. Con turret
    6. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    7. Wind
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. Wind
    10. Sneaky PeteSneaky Petefor Geo
    11. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    12. Wind
    13. Construction BotCon bot
    14. Wind
    15. Construction BotCon bot
    16. Wind
    17. Construction BotCon bot
    18. Wind
    19. Con turret
    20. Wind
    21. Construction BotCon bot
    22. Wind ×3
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. Wind ×3
    25. Construction BotCon bot
    26. Wind ×2
    27. Converter
    28. Wind ×4
    29. Converter
    30. Wind ×3
    31. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Wind ×3
    35. Converter
    36. Con turret
    37. Wind ×3
    38. Con turret
    39. Wind
    40. Converter
    41. Wind
    42. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 11:40
    43. Wind ×2
    44. Converter
    45. Wind
    46. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    47. Wind ×4
    48. Converter
    49. Wind ×2
    50. PlatypusPlatypus
    51. Wind ×2
    52. Converter
    53. Wind
    54. PlatypusPlatypus
    55. Wind ×2
    56. PlatypusPlatypus
    57. Wind
    58. Converter
    59. Wind
    60. PlatypusPlatypus
    61. Wind
    62. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    63. PlatypusPlatypus
    64. Converter
    65. PlatypusPlatypus ×2
    66. Converter
    67. PlatypusPlatypus
    68. Wind
    69. PlatypusPlatypus
    70. Wind
    71. PlatypusPlatypus
    72. Con turret
    73. Converter
    74. PlatypusPlatypus
    75. Wind
    76. PersecutorPersecutordone 13:47
    77. Wind
    78. PlatypusPlatypus
    79. Wind ×2
    80. Converter
    81. PlatypusPlatypus
    82. Wind ×3
    83. PlatypusPlatypus
    84. Converter
    85. Wind
    86. PlatypusPlatypus
    87. Wind ×2
    88. ScorpionScorpion
    89. Wind
    90. PlatypusPlatypus
    91. Con turret
    92. PlatypusPlatypus
    93. Wind ×2
    94. PlatypusPlatypus
    95. Wind ×3
    96. Converter
    97. Con turret
    98. Wind ×2
    99. Con turret
    100. Wind
    101. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    102. Wind
    103. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    104. Wind ×3

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Optimusprimenutt's (40 OS, 18/09/2026); 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

Optimusprimenutt

39.8 OS · 18/09/2026

Open source match ↗

11 received units · includes a constructor
49 metal received · 33875 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