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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 · 1 step
    1. Mex ×3
  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 · 19 steps
    1. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:49 · typical 0:47
    2. RoverScout ×3
    3. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    4. Mex
    5. Wind
    6. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    7. Wind ×3
    8. JanusJanus
    9. Wind
    10. Mex
    11. JanusJanus
    12. WhistlerMissile truck ×2
    13. Mex
    14. WhistlerMissile truck ×3
    15. SentrySentry
    16. WhistlerMissile truck
    17. BeamerBeamer
    18. WhistlerMissile truck ×2
    19. GauntletGauntletdone 5:03 · 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 · 36 steps
    1. WhistlerMissile truck ×2
    2. Construction VehicleCon vehicle ×2
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    4. Wind
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    6. Wind
    7. GauntletGauntlet
    8. Wind ×8
    9. BeamerBeamer
    10. Con turret
    11. Wind
    12. Con turret
    13. Wind ×3
    14. BeamerBeamer
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    17. Wind ×7
    18. BeamerBeamer
    19. Wind
    20. Converter
    21. BeamerBeamer
    22. Wind ×2
    23. Converter
    24. Wind
    25. Energy storage
    26. Wind
    27. BeamerBeamer
    28. SharpshooterSniper botdone 10:35
    29. Wind ×2
    30. BeamerBeamer
    31. SharpshooterSniper bot
    32. Wind
    33. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexnot finished by 15:00 · typical 9:10
    34. CompassRadar bot
    35. Wind
    36. SmugglerJammer bot

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is ITz_HonestAbee's (37 OS, 31/08/2026); 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
5:00391438658601200604821
6:00518550741494211210951523
7:00640863142104298517222452
8:00768876372854385323213361
9:00911490793649468128674319
10:0010984106844045532933955064
11:0013268125984568582045415719
12:0016136148215244636556956527
13:0018944174195721699665817244
14:0022369201726552762178288099
15:0025830226776984837686438960
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

ITz_HonestAbee

37.2 OS · 31/08/2026

Open source match ↗

72 received units · includes a constructor
1375 metal received · 14238 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