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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Gieds's (47 OS, 18/09/2026); 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

Gieds

46.8 OS · 18/09/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
1 metal received · 18 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