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Front / Armada / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Gauntlet defence

Armada Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first start that commits early to a Gauntlet from around 5:14, well ahead of the role norm, using its area-control plasma to anchor the middle before transitioning into the usual T1 army mix.

#defence #artillery · 161 distinct matches · 77 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 51% of 164 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:09 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:01

Where those units first fight, in 146 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 655 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into rocketeer (14% of army), blitz (11% of army), Rattlesnake (8% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet by 5:28

  1. Open mex and Vehicle Plant as standard economy-first Front.
  2. Add early Sentries and Beamers to hold the wider gap.
  3. Rush a Gauntlet well before the usual 11:13 timing.
  4. Reclaim Vehicle Plant in a third of games to pay for defence.
  5. Push into Blitz and Rattlesnake army as T2 approaches.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 161 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:09 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
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 1 winddone ~0:43, middle half 0:33–0:51

    Some games also: wind (46%)

    By 0:27 in all: 2 mex

    The example game in this phase · 1 step
    1. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:20 · typical 0:43
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Early defence

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine3Wind
    Order
    1. GauntletEarly defence after 6 mex, 5 winddone ~6:21, middle half 5:41–6:51
    Builders
    • Construction Bot3 Con bot +2 vs standard
    • Lazarus1 Lazarus
    Army
    • Sentry1 Sentry
    • Rocketeer8 Rocketeer +2 vs standard
    • Tick1 Tick

    Some games also: con turret (40%) · Beamer (38%) · centurion (37%) · Radar Tower (37%) · pawn (34%)

    By 5:08 in all: 6 mex · 6 wind · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 32 steps
    1. Wind
    2. TickTick ×2
    3. Wind
    4. LazarusLazarus
    5. Mex
    6. Wind
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. Mex
    9. Construction BotCon bot
    10. Mex
    11. TickTick ×3
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. Mex
    14. TickTick ×2
    15. Construction BotCon bot
    16. CenturionCenturion
    17. Mex
    18. LazarusLazarus
    19. Construction BotCon bot
    20. Mex
    21. RocketeerRocketeer
    22. Wind
    23. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    24. SentrySentry
    25. Wind
    26. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    27. Wind
    28. LazarusLazarus
    29. RocketeerRocketeer
    30. Wind
    31. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    32. GauntletGauntletdone 5:04 · typical 6:21
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

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

    Some games also: Dragon's Teeth (47%) · energy storage (45%) · Beamer (45%) · rocketeer (44%) · Sentry (43%) · eat Vehicle Plant (30%)

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 24 wind · 1 energy storage · 4 con turret (standard 2)

    The example game in this phase · 205 steps
    1. Con turret
    2. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    3. Con turret
    4. BeamerBeamer
    5. NettleNettle ×2
    6. Wind
    7. BeamerBeamer
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    10. Wind
    11. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    16. Wind ×2
    17. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    20. Wind
    21. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    22. Wind
    23. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    24. Con turret
    25. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    26. Wind
    27. SentrySentry
    28. Con turret
    29. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    30. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    31. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:16 · typical 8:59
    32. SentrySentry
    33. Wind ×3
    34. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    35. SentrySentry
    36. Wind ×5
    37. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    38. Wind ×3
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Construction BotCon bot
    44. Wind ×3
    45. Construction BotCon bot
    46. FerretFerret
    47. Wind ×2
    48. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    49. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    50. Converter
    51. Wind ×6
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. SentrySentry
    54. Wind ×2
    55. Construction BotCon bot
    56. Wind
    57. Con turret
    58. Wind
    59. SentrySentry
    60. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    61. Converter
    62. Energy storage
    63. Construction BotCon bot
    64. Con turret
    65. Wind
    66. Con turret
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Converter
    69. Wind
    70. Con turret
    71. Wind
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×7
    74. Converter
    75. Wind ×9
    76. Converter
    77. Wind ×5
    78. Converter
    79. Wind ×4
    80. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    81. Wind ×2
    82. Converter
    83. Wind ×5
    84. Converter
    85. Wind ×4
    86. Converter
    87. Wind ×3
    88. Converter
    89. Wind ×3
    90. Converter
    91. Con turret
    92. Wind ×3
    93. Converter
    94. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    95. Wind ×4
    96. Converter
    97. Wind ×12
    98. Con turret
    99. Wind ×4
    100. Con turret
    101. Wind ×6
    102. Con turret
    103. Wind ×7
    104. Con turret
    105. Wind ×9
    106. Con turret
    107. Wind ×3
    108. Con turret
    109. Wind
    110. Con turret
    111. Wind
    112. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    113. Wind
    114. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 11:55
    115. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    116. Wind ×2
    117. Converter
    118. Wind
    119. Con turret
    120. SentrySentry
    121. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    122. Con turret
    123. Wind
    124. Converter
    125. SentrySentry
    126. Wind ×2
    127. Con turret
    128. Wind ×3
    129. Converter
    130. Wind
    131. Converter
    132. Wind
    133. Con turret
    134. Wind
    135. Converter
    136. RattlesnakeRattlesnakedone 12:55
    137. Wind
    138. Converter
    139. Con turret
    140. Wind ×2
    141. Con turret
    142. Wind
    143. Con turret
    144. Wind
    145. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    146. Advanced Bot LabEat Advanced Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    147. Con turret
    148. Converter
    149. Con turret
    150. Converter
    151. Wind
    152. Con turret
    153. Wind ×3
    154. Con turret
    155. Wind ×2
    156. Con turret
    157. Wind ×3
    158. Con turret
    159. Converter
    160. KeeperKeeperdone 13:41
    161. Wind
    162. Con turret
    163. Wind ×2
    164. Converter
    165. Wind ×3
    166. Con turret
    167. Wind
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. Converter
    171. Wind ×2
    172. T2 converter
    173. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    174. Wind
    175. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    176. VeilVeil
    177. T2 converter
    178. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    179. Wind ×2
    180. Converter
    181. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    182. Converter
    183. Wind
    184. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    185. Converter
    186. T2 converter
    187. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    188. Wind
    189. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    190. Converter
    191. Pit BullPit Bull
    192. Converter
    193. Con turret
    194. Wind
    195. Con turret
    196. Wind
    197. Con turret
    198. Pit BullPit Bull
    199. Wind
    200. KeeperKeeper
    201. Converter
    202. BeamerBeamer
    203. Wind
    204. Con turret ×2
    205. BeamerBeamer

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [crd]sisa's (45 OS, 14/10/2026); 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 72% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:25 · in 59% 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

164 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
2:0085284021213131
3:001626161913013595110
4:0027212700402522282333
5:00388438477381128597782
6:00513250341299193411581425
7:00632662541884272417362301
8:00761875382705354724693173
9:00908489813600433031764071
10:0010855105534081501337994808
11:0013057123884560553845615547
12:0015734145405383597657106401
13:0018135168985987647766146999
14:0021314192756592720579397829
15:0024691218927526787087608701
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Lower team win rate than standard despite better metal production, suggesting the early Gauntlet reacts to pressure rather than prevents losses.

  • + Metal production reaches 25200 vs 22627 standard by 15:00.
  • + Own metal lost stays close to standard by 15:00 (8904 vs 8940).
  • − Team win rate drops to 53% vs 62% standard.
  • − Enemy metal destroyed trails standard at every checkpoint.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

[crd]sisa

44.8 OS · 14/10/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
1057 metal received · 93291 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:43Middle 50%: 0:33–0:51 · n=124
Vehicle Plant0:49Middle 50%: 0:44–7:11 · n=95
Gauntlet6:21Middle 50%: 5:41–6:51 · n=134
Advanced Metal Extractor8:59Middle 50%: 8:14–10:02 · n=127

Played most by

Leohvm14games of this buildTheGeneraI11games of this buildDRM9games of this buildGodmother136games of this build[crd]sisa4games of this build