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Gauntlet defence

Armada Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

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 5:28 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:11

Where those units first fight, in 81 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 620 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into blitz (13% 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 6:28 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 · 137 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:46 · typical 0:47
    3. RoverScout ×2
    4. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    5. Wind
    6. Mex
    7. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    8. JanusJanus
    9. Mex
    10. JanusJanus
    11. Mex
    12. JanusJanus
    13. WhistlerMissile truck
    14. Mex
    15. JanusJanus
    16. BeholderBeholder
    17. JanusJanus
    18. BeamerBeamerfor Pond
    19. WhistlerMissile truck
    20. BeamerBeamerfor Pond
    21. WhistlerMissile truck ×3
    22. SentrySentry
    23. WhistlerMissile truck ×9
    24. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    25. WhistlerMissile truck ×2
    26. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    27. Con turret
    28. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    29. BlitzBlitz ×3
    30. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    31. BlitzBlitz
    32. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    33. BlitzBlitz
    34. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    35. BlitzBlitz
    36. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    37. BlitzBlitz
    38. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    39. BlitzBlitz
    40. Con turret
    41. BlitzBlitz ×5
    42. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    43. GauntletGauntletnot finished by 15:00 · typical 6:32
    44. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    45. BlitzBlitz ×3
    46. Con turret
    47. Energy storage
    48. BlitzBlitz
    49. RoverScout
    50. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    51. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:32 · typical 9:10
    52. Wind ×2
    53. BeamerBeamer
    54. Wind
    55. Con turret
    56. Wind
    57. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    58. Wind ×7
    59. BeamerBeamer
    60. Wind ×4
    61. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    62. Wind
    63. BeamerBeamer
    64. Wind ×3
    65. BeamerBeamer
    66. Wind ×6
    67. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 11:35
    68. Wind
    69. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    70. Wind ×3
    71. BlitzBlitz
    72. Wind ×2
    73. BlitzBlitz
    74. Wind
    75. BeamerBeamer
    76. Wind
    77. BlitzBlitz
    78. Wind ×2
    79. BlitzBlitz
    80. Wind ×2
    81. BlitzBlitz
    82. BeamerBeamer
    83. Wind ×2
    84. BlitzBlitz
    85. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    86. Wind ×2
    87. BlitzBlitz
    88. Wind ×2
    89. BlitzBlitz
    90. Wind ×2
    91. BlitzBlitz
    92. BeamerBeamer
    93. Wind ×2
    94. BlitzBlitz
    95. VeilVeil
    96. Wind ×2
    97. BlitzBlitz
    98. Wind
    99. BlitzBlitz
    100. Con turret
    101. BlitzBlitz ×2
    102. Wind
    103. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    104. BlitzBlitz
    105. Wind
    106. BlitzBlitz
    107. Wind
    108. BlitzBlitz
    109. Wind
    110. BlitzBlitz
    111. Wind
    112. BlitzBlitz
    113. Wind
    114. BlitzBlitz
    115. Wind
    116. BlitzBlitz
    117. Wind
    118. BlitzBlitz
    119. Wind
    120. BlitzBlitz
    121. Wind
    122. BlitzBlitz
    123. Wind
    124. BlitzBlitz
    125. Wind
    126. BlitzBlitz
    127. Wind
    128. BlitzBlitz
    129. Wind
    130. BlitzBlitz
    131. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    132. Wind
    133. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    134. Wind
    135. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    136. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    137. Bot LabBot Labdone 14:56 · 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 6:07–7:03
    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 5:28 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind (standard 6) · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 1 step
    1. GauntletGauntletdone 6:16
  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 · 2 steps
    1. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    2. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is DRM's (44 OS, 30/09/2026); 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
2:0086484831213131
3:0016681625130141106105
4:0027292715435542302333
5:00391438638601200604820
6:00518550721494211210951523
7:00640863142104298617222450
8:00768876362854386323213360
9:00911490793649468228674312
10:0010984106794045533533955062
11:0013268125884568582145415713
12:0016136148155244637756956524
13:0018944174135721698565817236
14:0022369201686552761978288094
15:0025830226696984837486438952
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

DRM

44.1 OS · 30/09/2026

Open source match ↗

22 received units · includes a constructor
376 metal received · 32019 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%: 0:42–0:54 · n=58
Gauntlet6:32Middle 50%: 6:07–7:03 · n=80
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