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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 · 109 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:36 · typical 0:47
    3. RoverScout
    4. Wind
    5. RoverScout
    6. Wind
    7. RoverScout
    8. Wind
    9. RoverScout
    10. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    11. BlitzBlitz ×2
    12. Mex
    13. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    14. JanusJanus
    15. Mex ×2
    16. JanusJanus
    17. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    18. SentrySentry
    19. JanusJanus
    20. Mex
    21. JanusJanus
    22. SentrySentry ×2
    23. BeamerBeamer
    24. BlitzBlitz
    25. Mex
    26. BlitzBlitz ×4
    27. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    28. Con turret
    29. BlitzBlitz
    30. Wind
    31. BlitzBlitz
    32. Wind
    33. BlitzBlitz ×2
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. BlitzBlitz
    37. Wind ×3
    38. BlitzBlitz
    39. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    40. Wind ×2
    41. BlitzBlitz
    42. BeamerBeamer
    43. Wind ×2
    44. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    45. BlitzBlitz
    46. Wind ×2
    47. BlitzBlitz
    48. Wind ×2
    49. Mex
    50. BlitzBlitz
    51. Wind ×3
    52. BlitzBlitz
    53. Wind ×5
    54. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    55. Wind
    56. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    57. Wind
    58. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    59. Wind
    60. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    61. Wind
    62. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    63. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    64. Wind
    65. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    66. Wind ×4
    67. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    68. Wind ×2
    69. Con turret
    70. Wind
    71. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    72. Wind ×2
    73. BeamerBeamer
    74. Wind
    75. BlitzBlitz
    76. Wind ×2
    77. BlitzBlitz
    78. NettleNettle
    79. BeamerBeamer
    80. BlitzBlitz
    81. Wind
    82. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    83. Wind
    84. BlitzBlitz
    85. Wind
    86. SentrySentry
    87. Wind
    88. BlitzBlitz
    89. Wind
    90. BlitzBlitz
    91. Energy storage
    92. Wind ×4
    93. BlitzBlitz
    94. Wind
    95. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:25 · typical 9:10
    96. SentrySentry
    97. BlitzBlitz
    98. Wind ×4
    99. SentrySentry
    100. Wind ×3
    101. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    102. Wind
    103. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    104. Wind ×2
    105. SentrySentry
    106. Wind ×3
    107. Mex
    108. Wind ×2
    109. Bot LabBot Labnot finished by 15:00 · 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 · 1 step
    1. GauntletGauntletdone 6:31 · 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 · 102 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    3. Con turret
    4. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    7. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:26
    8. Wind
    9. Con turret
    10. NettleNettle
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind
    14. TickTick ×2
    15. Wind
    16. TickTick
    17. SentrySentry
    18. TickTick
    19. Converter
    20. TickTick
    21. FerretFerret
    22. TickTick ×3
    23. Wind
    24. TickTick
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. TickTick ×2
    27. Wind
    28. TickTick
    29. Con turret
    30. NettleNettle
    31. TickTick
    32. Converter
    33. Construction BotCon bot
    34. Wind
    35. TickTick ×3
    36. Wind ×2
    37. TickTick ×5
    38. Con turret
    39. Wind
    40. TickTick
    41. Con turret
    42. TickTick
    43. RattlesnakeRattlesnakedone 13:00
    44. TickTick
    45. Wind
    46. TickTick
    47. Wind
    48. Con turret
    49. TickTick ×2
    50. Wind
    51. TickTick ×7
    52. Wind ×2
    53. TickTick ×4
    54. Wind
    55. TickTick
    56. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    57. TickTick ×2
    58. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    59. TickTick
    60. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    61. TickTick ×2
    62. Wind
    63. TickTick
    64. Wind
    65. TickTick ×6
    66. Wind
    67. TickTick ×8
    68. Wind ×2
    69. TickTick ×5
    70. FerretFerret
    71. TickTick ×2
    72. ShipyardShipyarddone 14:01
    73. Wind
    74. TickTick ×3
    75. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    76. TickTick
    77. Wind
    78. TickTick
    79. Wind
    80. TickTick
    81. Con turret
    82. TickTick
    83. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    84. TickTick
    85. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    86. DolphinDolphin
    87. TickTick
    88. Wind
    89. TickTick
    90. Wind
    91. DolphinDolphin
    92. TickTick ×2
    93. Wind
    94. DolphinDolphin
    95. TickTick
    96. Con turret
    97. Wind
    98. DolphinDolphin
    99. Wind
    100. Converter
    101. Con turret
    102. Wind ×3

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is PRO_Rerory's (49 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

PRO_Rerory

49.4 OS · 24/09/2026

Open source match ↗

11 received units · includes a constructor
0 metal received · 6022 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