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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 · 2 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:33 · 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 · 49 steps
    1. Wind
    2. TickTick ×2
    3. Wind
    4. TickTick
    5. PawnPawn
    6. Wind
    7. PawnPawn
    8. Wind
    9. Mex
    10. PawnPawn
    11. Wind
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. Mex
    14. MaceMace
    15. Con turret
    16. MaceMace
    17. SentrySentry
    18. MaceMace
    19. Construction BotCon bot
    20. Mex
    21. MaceMace
    22. SentrySentry
    23. Construction BotCon bot
    24. Wind
    25. SentrySentry
    26. MaceMace
    27. Wind
    28. MaceMace
    29. Wind
    30. Construction BotCon botfor Pond
    31. Wind
    32. RocketeerRocketeer
    33. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    34. Wind
    35. RocketeerRocketeer
    36. Mex
    37. Wind
    38. RocketeerRocketeer
    39. Wind
    40. RocketeerRocketeer
    41. Wind
    42. RocketeerRocketeer
    43. Wind
    44. SentrySentry
    45. RocketeerRocketeer
    46. Wind
    47. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    48. Con turret
    49. GauntletGauntletnot finished by 15:00 · 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 · 157 steps
    1. RocketeerRocketeer
    2. Converter
    3. RocketeerRocketeer
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. CenturionCenturion
    7. BeamerBeamer
    8. Wind
    9. CenturionCenturion
    10. Energy storage
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. PawnPawn
    14. Wind
    15. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    16. Converter
    17. PawnPawn
    18. SentrySentry
    19. Wind
    20. PawnPawn
    21. Converter
    22. PawnPawn
    23. SentrySentry
    24. PawnPawn
    25. Wind
    26. PawnPawn
    27. Wind
    28. PawnPawn
    29. Wind
    30. PawnPawn
    31. Con turret
    32. PawnPawn ×2
    33. Con turret
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. MaceMace ×2
    36. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:14 · typical 9:10
    37. MaceMace
    38. Con turret
    39. MaceMace
    40. Mex
    41. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    42. MaceMace ×4
    43. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    44. MaceMace ×7
    45. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    46. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    47. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    48. NettleNettle
    49. CenturionCenturion
    50. PawnPawn
    51. NettleNettle
    52. PawnPawn ×3
    53. NettleNettle
    54. PawnPawn
    55. Wind
    56. PawnPawn
    57. Wind
    58. PawnPawn
    59. Wind
    60. Converter
    61. PawnPawn
    62. Wind
    63. PawnPawn ×2
    64. Wind
    65. Mex
    66. PawnPawn
    67. Converter
    68. Wind
    69. PawnPawn
    70. SentrySentry
    71. Converter
    72. PawnPawn
    73. Wind
    74. Converter
    75. PawnPawn
    76. SentrySentry
    77. Converter
    78. TickTick ×2
    79. Converter
    80. TickTick ×2
    81. Wind
    82. TickTick
    83. Wind
    84. TickTick ×4
    85. Wind
    86. TickTick
    87. Wind
    88. TickTick ×2
    89. Wind
    90. TickTick
    91. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    92. TickTick
    93. Wind
    94. TickTick ×2
    95. Wind
    96. TickTick
    97. Wind
    98. TickTick
    99. Wind
    100. TickTick
    101. Wind
    102. TickTick
    103. Wind
    104. TickTick ×3
    105. Wind
    106. TickTick ×14
    107. Wind
    108. TickTick ×2
    109. Wind
    110. TickTick
    111. Wind
    112. TickTick
    113. Wind
    114. TickTick ×2
    115. Wind
    116. TickTick ×12
    117. Wind
    118. TickTick ×2
    119. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    120. Wind
    121. TickTick
    122. Wind
    123. TickTick ×2
    124. Wind
    125. TickTick ×3
    126. Wind
    127. TickTick ×2
    128. Wind
    129. TickTick ×11
    130. RattlesnakeRattlesnakedone 13:51
    131. TickTick
    132. Wind
    133. TickTick ×2
    134. Con turret
    135. TickTick ×2
    136. Wind
    137. TickTick ×3
    138. Wind
    139. TickTick ×2
    140. Wind
    141. TickTick ×4
    142. Con turret
    143. TickTick ×22
    144. Bot LabBot Labdone 14:20
    145. TickTick ×6
    146. Con turret
    147. TickTick ×2
    148. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    149. TickTick
    150. Con turret
    151. TickTick ×3
    152. Con turret
    153. TickTick ×4
    154. Con turret
    155. TickTick ×3
    156. KeeperKeepernot finished by 15:00
    157. TickTick ×6

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [NWP]1347's (36 OS, 24/09/2026); 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

[NWP]1347

35.9 OS · 24/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
12 metal received · 54755 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