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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 · 29 steps
    1. TickTick
    2. PawnPawn ×2
    3. Mex
    4. Wind
    5. Construction BotCon bot
    6. Wind
    7. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    8. CenturionCenturion
    9. Mex
    10. RocketeerRocketeer
    11. Mex
    12. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    13. Mex
    14. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    15. SentrySentry
    16. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    17. SentrySentry
    18. RocketeerRocketeer
    19. BeamerBeamer
    20. RocketeerRocketeer
    21. SentrySentry
    22. RocketeerRocketeer ×4
    23. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    24. RocketeerRocketeer ×9
    25. Metal storage
    26. RocketeerRocketeer
    27. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    28. Energy storage
    29. 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 · 192 steps
    1. RocketeerRocketeer ×5
    2. Con turret
    3. RocketeerRocketeer
    4. Mex
    5. RocketeerRocketeer
    6. SentrySentry
    7. Con turret
    8. RocketeerRocketeer
    9. SentrySentry
    10. Converter
    11. RocketeerRocketeer
    12. Con turret
    13. RocketeerRocketeer
    14. Wind
    15. SentrySentry
    16. RocketeerRocketeer
    17. Converter
    18. Wind
    19. RocketeerRocketeer
    20. Wind
    21. Con turret
    22. Wind
    23. RocketeerRocketeer
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Con turret
    27. Wind
    28. RocketeerRocketeer
    29. Con turret ×2
    30. Wind ×2
    31. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 8:25 · typical 0:47
    32. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    33. Wind
    34. Converter
    35. Wind
    36. RocketeerRocketeer
    37. Wind ×2
    38. RocketeerRocketeer
    39. BlitzBlitz
    40. Converter
    41. Wind ×2
    42. RocketeerRocketeer
    43. Wind
    44. BlitzBlitz
    45. Wind
    46. BlitzBlitz ×2
    47. Wind
    48. RocketeerRocketeer
    49. BlitzBlitz
    50. Wind
    51. BlitzBlitz
    52. Wind
    53. BlitzBlitz
    54. Wind ×2
    55. Converter
    56. BlitzBlitz ×2
    57. Wind ×2
    58. BlitzBlitz
    59. Converter
    60. Wind
    61. BlitzBlitz
    62. Wind
    63. BlitzBlitz
    64. Wind
    65. Converter
    66. BlitzBlitz
    67. Wind
    68. BlitzBlitz
    69. Converter
    70. BlitzBlitz
    71. Wind
    72. BlitzBlitz
    73. Wind
    74. BlitzBlitz
    75. Con turret
    76. Wind
    77. Converter
    78. Wind
    79. Con turret
    80. Converter
    81. BlitzBlitz
    82. Mex
    83. Wind
    84. Converter
    85. Wind
    86. BlitzBlitz
    87. Converter
    88. Wind
    89. BlitzBlitz
    90. Wind
    91. Converter
    92. Wind
    93. BlitzBlitz
    94. Converter
    95. Wind ×2
    96. Converter
    97. BlitzBlitz
    98. Wind ×2
    99. Converter
    100. BlitzBlitz
    101. Wind
    102. BlitzBlitz
    103. Wind ×2
    104. Converter
    105. Con turret
    106. Wind
    107. BlitzBlitz
    108. Converter
    109. Wind
    110. BlitzBlitz
    111. Converter
    112. Wind
    113. BlitzBlitz
    114. Wind
    115. BlitzBlitz
    116. Wind ×2
    117. BlitzBlitz
    118. Wind
    119. Mex
    120. Wind
    121. BlitzBlitz
    122. Wind
    123. Con turret
    124. BlitzBlitz
    125. Wind
    126. BlitzBlitz
    127. Wind
    128. BlitzBlitz ×4
    129. Wind ×2
    130. BlitzBlitz
    131. Wind
    132. BlitzBlitz
    133. Wind
    134. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 12:27 · typical 9:10
    135. BlitzBlitz
    136. Wind ×3
    137. BeamerBeamer
    138. Wind ×2
    139. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    140. BeamerBeamer
    141. Wind
    142. Con turret
    143. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    144. Wind ×5
    145. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 13:13
    146. Wind ×7
    147. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    148. BlitzBlitz
    149. Wind
    150. BlitzBlitz
    151. Wind
    152. BlitzBlitz
    153. Wind ×2
    154. BlitzBlitz
    155. Wind
    156. BlitzBlitz
    157. Wind ×2
    158. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    159. BlitzBlitz
    160. Wind
    161. Mex
    162. Wind
    163. BlitzBlitz
    164. Wind ×3
    165. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    166. BlitzBlitz
    167. Wind ×2
    168. BlitzBlitz
    169. Wind
    170. BlitzBlitz
    171. Wind ×2
    172. BlitzBlitz
    173. Wind
    174. BlitzBlitz
    175. Wind ×2
    176. BlitzBlitz
    177. Wind ×2
    178. BlitzBlitz
    179. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantnot finished by 15:00
    180. Wind
    181. BlitzBlitz
    182. Wind ×2
    183. BlitzBlitz
    184. Wind ×2
    185. BlitzBlitz
    186. Wind ×2
    187. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    188. Wind
    189. BlitzBlitz
    190. Wind ×3
    191. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    192. Wind

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

Slump

40.4 OS · 09/09/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
513 metal received · 41686 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