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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. Wind
    3. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:41 · 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 · 41 steps
    1. RoverScout ×2
    2. BlitzBlitz ×2
    3. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    4. Mex
    5. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    6. Wind
    7. JanusJanus
    8. Wind
    9. Mex ×2
    10. JanusJanus
    11. Wind
    12. SentrySentry
    13. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    14. Con turret
    15. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    16. SentrySentry
    17. Mex
    18. Con turret
    19. JanusJanus
    20. SentrySentry
    21. Wind ×3
    22. JanusJanus
    23. Wind ×2
    24. JanusJanus
    25. Wind ×2
    26. JanusJanus
    27. Wind
    28. BeamerBeamer
    29. ShellshockerArty
    30. Wind
    31. Energy storage
    32. ShellshockerArty
    33. Wind
    34. ShellshockerArty
    35. Wind
    36. ShellshockerArty
    37. Wind
    38. ShellshockerArty
    39. Wind ×2
    40. PincerPincer
    41. GauntletGauntletnot finished by 15:00 · 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 · 151 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. PincerPincer
    3. BeamerBeamer
    4. Wind
    5. BlitzBlitz
    6. Wind ×2
    7. BlitzBlitz
    8. Wind
    9. BlitzBlitz
    10. Wind ×2
    11. BlitzBlitz
    12. Con turret
    13. Wind
    14. BlitzBlitz
    15. Wind ×2
    16. BlitzBlitz
    17. Wind ×2
    18. BeamerBeamer
    19. BlitzBlitz
    20. Wind ×3
    21. BlitzBlitz
    22. Wind ×2
    23. BlitzBlitz
    24. Wind
    25. Con turret
    26. Wind
    27. RoverScout
    28. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    29. Wind
    30. RoverScout
    31. Wind
    32. RoverScout
    33. Wind ×2
    34. RoverScout
    35. Wind
    36. RoverScout
    37. Wind ×2
    38. RoverScout
    39. Wind ×2
    40. RoverScout
    41. Wind
    42. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    43. Wind
    44. RoverScout
    45. Wind
    46. RoverScout ×6
    47. Wind
    48. RoverScout
    49. Wind
    50. RoverScout
    51. Wind
    52. RoverScout ×2
    53. Wind
    54. RoverScout ×2
    55. Wind
    56. RoverScout ×2
    57. NettleNettle
    58. Con turret
    59. Wind
    60. RoverScout
    61. BlitzBlitz
    62. Wind
    63. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:37 · typical 9:10
    64. BlitzBlitz
    65. Wind
    66. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete ×2
    67. Wind
    68. Converter
    69. Wind
    70. Converter
    71. BlitzBlitz
    72. Converter
    73. Wind
    74. Converter
    75. RoverScout
    76. Wind ×2
    77. RoverScout
    78. Converter
    79. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    80. Wind
    81. RoverScout
    82. Converter
    83. RoverScout
    84. Wind
    85. RoverScout ×2
    86. Wind
    87. RoverScout
    88. Wind
    89. RoverScout ×2
    90. Wind
    91. RoverScout
    92. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    93. Wind
    94. RoverScout ×2
    95. Wind
    96. RoverScout ×2
    97. Wind
    98. RoverScout ×5
    99. Wind
    100. RoverScout ×10
    101. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    102. RoverScout
    103. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    104. Wind ×2
    105. RoverScout
    106. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    107. RoverScout
    108. Con turret
    109. RoverScout
    110. Wind
    111. RoverScout
    112. Wind ×2
    113. RoverScout
    114. Wind
    115. RoverScout
    116. Con turret
    117. RoverScout ×2
    118. Wind
    119. BlitzBlitz
    120. Wind
    121. BlitzBlitz
    122. Wind
    123. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    124. Wind
    125. BlitzBlitz
    126. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 13:43
    127. Wind
    128. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 13:52
    129. BlitzBlitz
    130. Wind
    131. BlitzBlitz
    132. Wind
    133. BlitzBlitz ×2
    134. JunoJuno
    135. BlitzBlitz ×2
    136. Wind
    137. BlitzBlitz
    138. Con turret
    139. BlitzBlitz ×2
    140. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    141. Con turret
    142. BlitzBlitz
    143. Wind ×2
    144. BlitzBlitz ×4
    145. Wind
    146. BlitzBlitz ×4
    147. Wind
    148. BlitzBlitz
    149. Wind
    150. Con turret
    151. BlitzBlitz ×4

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Hannodins's (37 OS, 15/09/2026); 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

Hannodins

36.9 OS · 15/09/2026

Open source match ↗

24 received units · includes a constructor
80 metal received · 12589 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