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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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Solar
    3. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:44 · typical 0:47
  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 · 36 steps
    1. RoverScout ×3
    2. BlitzBlitz
    3. Mex
    4. Wind
    5. BlitzBlitz ×3
    6. RoverScout
    7. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    8. Mex
    9. JanusJanus
    10. Mex
    11. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    12. JanusJanus
    13. Mex
    14. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    15. Wind
    16. SentrySentry ×2
    17. JanusJanus
    18. Wind
    19. JanusJanus
    20. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    21. Wind
    22. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×8
    23. WhistlerMissile truck
    24. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    25. BeamerBeamer
    26. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    27. Wind
    28. WhistlerMissile truck
    29. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    30. Wind
    31. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    32. Con turret
    33. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    34. Wind
    35. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    36. GauntletGauntletdone 5:39 · 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 · 178 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    2. Wind
    3. Energy storage
    4. Wind
    5. OverwatchOverwatch
    6. Wind ×5
    7. Con turret
    8. Wind ×3
    9. GauntletGauntlet
    10. Wind ×5
    11. BeamerBeamer
    12. Con turret
    13. Mex
    14. BeamerBeamer
    15. Con turret
    16. BeamerBeamer
    17. Con turret
    18. Energy storage
    19. Con turret
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:14
    21. Mex
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    23. Wind ×2
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind ×3
    26. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 10:09
    27. Wind
    28. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    29. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    30. Con turret
    31. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    32. Wind
    33. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    34. Mex
    35. Wind
    36. AnemoneAnemone
    37. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    38. Wind
    39. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    40. Wind ×2
    41. Con turret
    42. AnemoneAnemone
    43. Wind
    44. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    45. Wind ×2
    46. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    47. Wind ×2
    48. Con turret
    49. StoutStout
    50. AnemoneAnemone
    51. Wind
    52. Con turret
    53. Wind ×2
    54. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    55. Wind ×2
    56. StoutStout
    57. Wind ×5
    58. StoutStout
    59. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    60. Wind ×2
    61. StoutStout
    62. Wind ×3
    63. StoutStout
    64. Wind ×4
    65. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    66. StoutStout
    67. Wind
    68. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    69. Wind ×2
    70. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    71. Wind
    72. StoutStout
    73. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    74. Wind
    75. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    76. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    77. Converter
    78. Wind ×2
    79. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    80. Wind
    81. StoutStout
    82. Wind ×4
    83. StoutStout
    84. Wind
    85. Converter
    86. Wind ×2
    87. StoutStout
    88. Wind
    89. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    90. Wind
    91. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    92. StoutStout
    93. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    94. Wind
    95. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    96. Wind
    97. StoutStout
    98. Wind
    99. Converter
    100. StoutStout
    101. Wind ×2
    102. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    103. Wind ×2
    104. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    105. Wind ×2
    106. StoutStout
    107. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    108. Wind
    109. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    110. Wind
    111. StoutStout
    112. Wind
    113. Converter
    114. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    115. Wind
    116. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    117. Wind
    118. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    119. StoutStout
    120. Wind ×3
    121. StoutStout
    122. Wind ×4
    123. StoutStout
    124. Wind ×3
    125. Converter
    126. Wind
    127. StoutStout
    128. Wind ×3
    129. PersecutorPersecutordone 14:19
    130. StoutStout
    131. Wind ×3
    132. StoutStout
    133. Wind ×2
    134. Converter
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×2
    138. StoutStout
    139. Wind ×2
    140. Converter
    141. Wind ×2
    142. Converter
    143. Wind
    144. StoutStout
    145. Wind ×4
    146. Converter
    147. Wind ×2
    148. Converter
    149. StoutStout
    150. Wind ×5
    151. StoutStout
    152. Wind
    153. Converter
    154. FerretFerret
    155. Converter
    156. NettleNettle
    157. Wind ×2
    158. StoutStout
    159. Wind ×2
    160. StoutStout
    161. Wind
    162. Converter
    163. Wind ×2
    164. StoutStout
    165. Converter
    166. PersecutorPersecutor
    167. Wind ×2
    168. StoutStout
    169. Wind ×3
    170. StoutStout
    171. Wind
    172. Converter
    173. Wind
    174. Converter
    175. StoutStout
    176. Wind ×3
    177. StoutStout
    178. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Leohvm's (50 OS, 04/09/2026); 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

Leohvm

49.6 OS · 04/09/2026

Open source match ↗

17 received units · includes a constructor
480 metal received · 67022 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