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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 ×3
    2. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:47 · 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 · 29 steps
    1. RoverScout ×2
    2. BlitzBlitz
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    5. JanusJanus
    6. Mex
    7. JanusJanus
    8. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    9. Mex
    10. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    11. SentrySentry
    12. Wind
    13. JanusJanus
    14. SentrySentry
    15. Mex
    16. Wind
    17. WhistlerMissile truck
    18. SentrySentry
    19. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    20. Wind
    21. SentrySentry
    22. Wind
    23. BeamerBeamer
    24. Wind
    25. Con turret
    26. ShellshockerArty
    27. Wind
    28. ShellshockerArty
    29. GauntletGauntletdone 5:37 · 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 · 125 steps
    1. Con turret
    2. ShellshockerArty ×2
    3. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    4. ShellshockerArty
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Mex
    7. Wind
    8. BlitzBlitz
    9. Wind
    10. BlitzBlitz ×3
    11. Wind
    12. BlitzBlitz ×3
    13. Wind
    14. BlitzBlitz
    15. BeholderBeholder
    16. BlitzBlitz
    17. Wind
    18. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    19. Con turret
    20. Mex
    21. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    22. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    23. Wind ×3
    24. BlitzBlitz
    25. Mex
    26. Wind
    27. Mex
    28. Converter
    29. BlitzBlitz
    30. Wind
    31. Con turret
    32. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    33. BlitzBlitz
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. BlitzBlitz
    37. Converter
    38. BlitzBlitz
    39. Wind
    40. BlitzBlitz
    41. Wind ×2
    42. BlitzBlitz
    43. Wind
    44. BlitzBlitz
    45. Wind
    46. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:18
    47. BlitzBlitz
    48. Converter
    49. BlitzBlitz ×3
    50. Converter
    51. BlitzBlitz
    52. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    53. Converter
    54. BlitzBlitz
    55. Mex
    56. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    57. BlitzBlitz
    58. Wind
    59. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    60. Converter
    61. BlitzBlitz
    62. Wind
    63. BlitzBlitz
    64. Energy storage
    65. Wind
    66. BlitzBlitz
    67. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    68. BlitzBlitz
    69. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    70. Mex
    71. Wind
    72. BlitzBlitz
    73. Wind ×2
    74. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    75. Wind ×7
    76. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    77. Wind
    78. Con turret
    79. Wind
    80. BlitzBlitz
    81. Wind
    82. BlitzBlitz
    83. Wind
    84. BlitzBlitz
    85. Wind
    86. BlitzBlitz
    87. Wind
    88. BlitzBlitz
    89. Wind
    90. BlitzBlitz
    91. Wind
    92. BlitzBlitz
    93. Mex
    94. Wind
    95. BlitzBlitz
    96. Wind
    97. Metal storage
    98. BlitzBlitz ×2
    99. Wind
    100. BlitzBlitz
    101. Wind
    102. BlitzBlitz
    103. SentrySentry
    104. PersecutorPersecutordone 14:12
    105. Wind
    106. BlitzBlitz
    107. Wind
    108. BlitzBlitz
    109. Wind
    110. BlitzBlitz
    111. Wind
    112. BlitzBlitz ×6
    113. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    114. BlitzBlitz ×4
    115. HarpoonHarpoon
    116. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    117. PersecutorPersecutor
    118. Converter
    119. RoverScout
    120. Converter
    121. RoverScout ×2
    122. Converter
    123. RoverScout ×3
    124. Converter
    125. RoverScout

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is 0neTw0's (41 OS, 19/09/2026); 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

0neTw0

40.8 OS · 19/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
315 metal received · 13444 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