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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 · 65 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:42 · typical 0:47
    4. RoverScout
    5. Mex
    6. RoverScout ×2
    7. Wind
    8. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    9. BlitzBlitz ×3
    10. Mex
    11. BlitzBlitz ×3
    12. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    13. Mex
    14. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    15. BlitzBlitz
    16. Mex
    17. BlitzBlitz
    18. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    20. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    21. BlitzBlitz
    22. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    23. BlitzBlitz ×7
    24. BeamerBeamer
    25. BlitzBlitz
    26. Con turret
    27. BlitzBlitz ×3
    28. Wind
    29. BlitzBlitz
    30. Wind
    31. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    32. BeamerBeamer
    33. BlitzBlitz
    34. Wind ×5
    35. Vehicle PlantEat Vehicle Plantreclaimed for its metal
    36. Wind ×4
    37. Converter
    38. Wind
    39. Converter
    40. SentrySentry
    41. Wind
    42. SentrySentry
    43. Wind ×11
    44. Mex
    45. Wind
    46. BeamerBeamer
    47. Wind
    48. Converter ×2
    49. Mex
    50. Converter
    51. Con turret
    52. SentrySentry
    53. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:45 · typical 8:58
    54. SentrySentry
    55. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    56. Converter ×2
    57. Con turret
    58. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    59. Mex
    60. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    61. SentrySentry
    62. Mex
    63. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    64. Advanced solar ×2
    65. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:22 · 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 · 1 step
    1. GauntletGauntletdone 6:42 · 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 · 32 steps
    1. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    2. TickTick ×3
    3. Con turret
    4. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    5. TickTick ×5
    6. Con turret
    7. TickTick ×7
    8. CenturionCenturion
    9. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    10. TickTick
    11. CenturionCenturion
    12. TickTick
    13. CenturionCenturion
    14. BeamerBeamer
    15. TickTick
    16. CenturionCenturion
    17. TickTick
    18. CenturionCenturion
    19. TickTick
    20. CenturionCenturion
    21. TickTick
    22. CenturionCenturion
    23. TickTick ×5
    24. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    25. TickTick ×23
    26. LazarusLazarus ×6
    27. BeamerBeamer
    28. CenturionCenturion ×2
    29. BeamerBeamer
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. CenturionCenturion ×3
    32. TickTick ×16

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is AinzIsHere's (43 OS, 11/10/2026); 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

AinzIsHere

42.6 OS · 11/10/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
464 metal received · 6646 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
Gauntlet defence · Armada Front build order · BAR Build Atlas