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Gauntlet defence

Economy-first start that leads with a Gauntlet from 5:30 to anchor the middle with area-control artillery well before it's normal for the role, fighting purely forward in the middle before transitioning into a broader army.

#defence #artillery · 92 distinct matches · 48 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 57% of 95 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:30 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:13

Where those units first fight, in 81 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 (12% of army), rocketeer (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 92 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:30 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 0:39–6:40

    Some games also: Vehicle Plant (42%)

    By 0:28 in all: 2 mex · 1 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:46 · 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 ~6:32, middle half 6:06–7:03
    Builders
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot +2 vs standard
    Army
    • Sentry1 Sentry
    • Rocketeer5 Rocketeer +5 vs standard

    Some games also: tick (48%) · Lazarus (46%) · con turret (45%) · centurion (39%) · Radar Tower (36%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 2 con vehicle · 3 janus

    By 5:30 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind (standard 6) · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 23 steps
    1. Construction BotCon bot
    2. TickTick
    3. Mex
    4. TickTick ×9
    5. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    6. Mex
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    9. Wind
    10. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    11. LazarusLazarus
    12. Mex
    13. Wind
    14. RocketeerRocketeer ×3
    15. Mex
    16. Energy storage
    17. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    18. BeamerBeamer
    19. LazarusLazarus
    20. RocketeerRocketeer
    21. SentrySentry ×2
    22. RocketeerRocketeer ×5
    23. GauntletGauntletnot finished by 15:00 · typical 6:32
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

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

    Some games also: Beamer (47%) · Dragon's Teeth (46%) · energy storage (45%) · Sentry (40%) · converter (39%)

    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 · 177 steps
    1. SentrySentry
    2. RocketeerRocketeer
    3. LazarusLazarus ×2
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. Con turret ×2
    6. TickTick
    7. Wind
    8. TickTick
    9. Wind
    10. TickTick
    11. Wind
    12. TickTick
    13. Wind
    14. TickTick
    15. Converter
    16. TickTick
    17. Wind
    18. TickTick
    19. Wind
    20. TickTick
    21. Wind ×2
    22. TickTick
    23. Wind
    24. LazarusLazarus
    25. Converter
    26. Wind ×3
    27. LazarusLazarus
    28. Wind ×2
    29. Converter
    30. Wind
    31. LazarusLazarus
    32. Wind ×4
    33. TickTick
    34. CenturionCenturion
    35. Converter
    36. Wind ×4
    37. CenturionCenturion
    38. Wind
    39. Converter
    40. Wind ×4
    41. TickTick
    42. Wind
    43. TickTick
    44. Converter
    45. TickTick
    46. Wind
    47. TickTick
    48. Wind
    49. TickTick
    50. Wind
    51. Mex
    52. Wind
    53. CenturionCenturion
    54. Wind
    55. Converter
    56. Wind ×2
    57. CenturionCenturion
    58. Wind
    59. Con turret
    60. Wind
    61. Con turret
    62. CenturionCenturion
    63. Wind
    64. CenturionCenturion
    65. Converter
    66. Con turret ×2
    67. Wind ×3
    68. CrossbowCrossbow
    69. Con turret
    70. NettleNettle
    71. Wind ×2
    72. Converter
    73. Wind
    74. CrossbowCrossbow
    75. Wind
    76. CrossbowCrossbow
    77. Wind ×2
    78. CenturionCenturion
    79. Wind
    80. Converter
    81. Construction BotCon bot
    82. Converter
    83. Wind ×2
    84. Converter
    85. Wind
    86. Construction BotCon bot
    87. Wind ×2
    88. Converter ×2
    89. Construction BotCon bot
    90. Wind ×2
    91. Converter
    92. Wind ×2
    93. Converter
    94. Wind
    95. Converter
    96. Wind ×2
    97. Converter
    98. Wind
    99. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    100. Wind
    101. Converter
    102. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    103. Wind
    104. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    105. Converter
    106. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    107. Wind ×2
    108. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    109. Converter
    110. Wind
    111. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    112. LazarusLazarus
    113. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    114. Wind
    115. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    116. Converter ×2
    117. Construction BotCon bot
    118. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    119. Wind
    120. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    121. Wind
    122. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    123. Metal storage
    124. Converter
    125. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    126. Converter
    127. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    128. Converter
    129. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    130. Converter ×2
    131. BeamerBeamer
    132. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 12:50
    133. Wind
    134. Con turret
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×2
    138. BeamerBeamer
    139. Wind ×3
    140. Converter
    141. Con turret ×3
    142. Wind ×5
    143. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    144. Wind
    145. Converter
    146. Con turret
    147. Wind ×6
    148. Converter
    149. Wind ×3
    150. Converter
    151. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 14:20 · typical 9:10
    152. Wind ×4
    153. Converter
    154. Wind ×2
    155. ButlerButler
    156. Wind ×5
    157. ButlerButler
    158. Wind ×2
    159. Converter ×2
    160. ButlerButler
    161. Wind ×6
    162. ButlerButler
    163. Converter
    164. Wind
    165. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    166. Wind ×5
    167. Converter
    168. Wind ×3
    169. Converter
    170. Wind ×7
    171. Converter
    172. Wind
    173. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    174. Wind ×2
    175. Con turret
    176. Converter
    177. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Xad's (44 OS, 28/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

Nothing regular.

You get

  • Tidal Generator4 Tidal from Pondfirst at 0:18 · in 75% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:27 · in 65% 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

95 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
2:0086484631213131
3:0016611625130141106105
4:0027252716435541323333
5:00390538688551199614818
6:00516950781464211210951522
7:00638763302102298617222420
8:00767976622854387123213347
9:00911490883649467928674310
10:0010984106954045532333955055
11:0013268126234568582145415711
12:0016136148465244638556956524
13:0019023174505721701065817236
14:0022403201836552762378048103
15:0025904227236984837486098946
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

Xad

43.6 OS · 28/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units
1891 metal received · 81769 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:45Middle 50%: 0:39–6:40 · n=66
Vehicle Plant0:47Middle 50%: 0:42–0:55 · n=58
Gauntlet6:32Middle 50%: 6:06–7:03 · n=79
Advanced Metal Extractor9:10Middle 50%: 8:15–10:32 · n=78

Played most by

Leohvm14games of this buildDRM7games of this buildGodmother134games of this buildImmort4games of this build[MooDeng]NongJohn3games of this build