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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 · 107 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:50 · typical 0:47
    4. RoverScout
    5. Wind
    6. RoverScout ×2
    7. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    8. Mex
    9. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    10. Mex ×2
    11. JanusJanus ×2
    12. SentrySentry
    13. BeamerBeamerfor Pond
    14. JanusJanus
    15. Wind
    16. Mex
    17. BeamerBeamer
    18. SentrySentry
    19. Wind
    20. BeamerBeamerfor Geo
    21. JanusJanus
    22. Wind
    23. ShellshockerArty
    24. Wind
    25. ShellshockerArty ×2
    26. Wind
    27. ShellshockerArty
    28. Wind
    29. ShellshockerArty
    30. BeamerBeamerfor Geo
    31. JanusJanus
    32. Wind ×2
    33. JanusJanus
    34. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    35. BeamerBeamer
    36. BlitzBlitz ×2
    37. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    38. Wind
    39. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    40. BlitzBlitz
    41. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    42. Con turret
    43. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    44. BlitzBlitz
    45. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    46. BlitzBlitz
    47. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    48. Energy storage
    49. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    50. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:11 · typical 8:58
    51. BlitzBlitz ×4
    52. Con turret
    53. BlitzBlitz ×2
    54. Wind
    55. BlitzBlitz ×2
    56. Wind
    57. BlitzBlitz ×2
    58. Mex
    59. Wind
    60. Con turret
    61. BlitzBlitz
    62. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    63. Wind
    64. BlitzBlitz
    65. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    66. Mex
    67. Wind
    68. Con turret
    69. SentrySentry
    70. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    71. Wind ×2
    72. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    73. BlitzBlitz
    74. Wind ×3
    75. BlitzBlitz
    76. SentrySentry
    77. BlitzBlitz
    78. Wind
    79. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    80. BlitzBlitz
    81. Wind ×2
    82. BlitzBlitz
    83. Wind ×2
    84. Solar
    85. BlitzBlitz
    86. Wind ×3
    87. BlitzBlitz
    88. Wind
    89. BlitzBlitz
    90. Wind
    91. Con turret
    92. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    93. Wind
    94. BlitzBlitz
    95. Wind ×2
    96. BlitzBlitz
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Con turret
    99. BlitzBlitz
    100. Wind
    101. BlitzBlitz
    102. Con turret
    103. BlitzBlitz
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. BlitzBlitz
    107. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:16 · 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 5:20 · 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 · 110 steps
    1. Wind
    2. BlitzBlitz
    3. Converter
    4. Wind
    5. BlitzBlitz
    6. Wind
    7. TickTick ×2
    8. Converter
    9. TickTick
    10. BlitzBlitz
    11. TickTick ×2
    12. Wind
    13. TickTick
    14. BlitzBlitz
    15. TickTick ×3
    16. Converter
    17. TickTick
    18. BlitzBlitz
    19. TickTick ×2
    20. Wind
    21. TickTick ×3
    22. Converter
    23. TickTick
    24. BlitzBlitz
    25. TickTick
    26. Wind
    27. TickTick ×4
    28. Wind
    29. TickTick
    30. BlitzBlitz
    31. TickTick ×2
    32. Converter
    33. TickTick ×2
    34. BlitzBlitz
    35. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    36. TickTick ×2
    37. Wind
    38. TickTick ×4
    39. BlitzBlitz
    40. TickTick ×2
    41. Wind
    42. Converter
    43. TickTick
    44. BlitzBlitz
    45. TickTick ×4
    46. Converter
    47. TickTick ×2
    48. BlitzBlitz
    49. TickTick ×5
    50. BlitzBlitz
    51. TickTick ×3
    52. BlitzBlitz
    53. TickTick ×4
    54. BlitzBlitz
    55. TickTick ×3
    56. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    57. BlitzBlitz
    58. TickTick ×2
    59. BlitzBlitz
    60. Advanced solar
    61. TickTick
    62. BlitzBlitz
    63. TickTick ×7
    64. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 13:18
    65. TickTick
    66. BlitzBlitz
    67. Advanced solar
    68. BlitzBlitz
    69. TickTick ×6
    70. BlitzBlitz
    71. TickTick
    72. CrossbowCrossbow
    73. BlitzBlitz
    74. CrossbowCrossbow
    75. BlitzBlitz
    76. Advanced solar
    77. BlitzBlitz
    78. CrossbowCrossbow
    79. BlitzBlitz ×2
    80. CrossbowCrossbow
    81. BlitzBlitz
    82. CrossbowCrossbow
    83. BlitzBlitz
    84. CrossbowCrossbow
    85. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    86. Advanced solar
    87. BlitzBlitz
    88. CrossbowCrossbow
    89. BlitzBlitz ×2
    90. CrossbowCrossbow
    91. BlitzBlitz
    92. CrossbowCrossbow
    93. Advanced solar
    94. BlitzBlitz ×2
    95. CrossbowCrossbow
    96. PawnPawn
    97. BlitzBlitz
    98. PawnPawn
    99. BlitzBlitz
    100. PawnPawn
    101. BlitzBlitz ×2
    102. PawnPawn
    103. BlitzBlitz ×2
    104. PawnPawn
    105. BlitzBlitz ×2
    106. PawnPawn
    107. Advanced solar
    108. BlitzBlitz
    109. PawnPawn
    110. BlitzBlitz

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is IcouldbeToxic's (37 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

IcouldbeToxic

37.0 OS · 11/10/2026

Open source match ↗

36 received units · includes a constructor
580 metal received · 13531 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