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Front / Armada / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Gauntlet defence

Armada Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first start that commits early to a Gauntlet from around 5:14, well ahead of the role norm, using its area-control plasma to anchor the middle before transitioning into the usual T1 army mix.

#defence #artillery · 161 distinct matches · 77 players · 6% of Armada Front games · team won 52% of 164 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 5:14 · 9% of role by thenOnly 9% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:01

Where those units first fight, in 145 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 610 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into rocketeer (14% of army), blitz (11% of army), Rattlesnake (8% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet by 5:28

  1. Open mex and Vehicle Plant as standard economy-first Front.
  2. Add early Sentries and Beamers to hold the wider gap.
  3. Rush a Gauntlet well before the usual 11:13 timing.
  4. Reclaim Vehicle Plant in a third of games to pay for defence.
  5. Push into Blitz and Rattlesnake army as T2 approaches.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 161 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD FRONT
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:15 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
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 1 winddone ~0:44, middle half 0:33–0:51

    Some games also: wind (48%)

    By 0:27 in all: 2 mex

    The example game in this phase · 35 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Solar
    3. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:45 · typical 0:49
    4. RoverScout ×4
    5. BlitzBlitz ×2
    6. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    7. JanusJanus
    8. Mex
    9. BlitzBlitz ×2
    10. JanusJanus
    11. Mex
    12. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    13. Mex
    14. BlitzBlitz
    15. SentrySentry
    16. JanusJanus
    17. SentrySentry ×2
    18. RoverScout
    19. JanusJanus ×2
    20. Con turret
    21. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    22. WhistlerMissile truck
    23. Mex
    24. JanusJanus
    25. ShellshockerArty ×2
    26. JanusJanus
    27. Con turret
    28. JanusJanus
    29. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    30. BeamerBeamer
    31. BlitzBlitz
    32. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    33. BlitzBlitz
    34. Vehicle PlantEat Vehicle Plantreclaimed for its metal
    35. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:13 · typical 0:44
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Early defence

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine3Wind−2 vs standard
    Order
    1. GauntletEarly defence after 6 mex, 5 wind, 1 con turretdone ~6:24, middle half 5:46–6:54
    Builders
    • Construction Bot3 Con bot +2 vs standard
    • Lazarus1 Lazarus
    Army
    • Sentry1 Sentry
    • Rocketeer9 Rocketeer
    • Tick1 Tick

    Some games also: con turret (42%) · Beamer (40%) · Radar Tower (39%) · centurion (38%) · pawn (36%)

    By 5:14 in all: 6 mex · 5 wind · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 1 step
    1. GauntletGauntletdone 6:49 · typical 6:24
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine17Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret

    Some games also: Dragon's Teeth (47%) · energy storage (46%) · Beamer (45%) · rocketeer (44%) · Sentry (43%)

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 24 wind · 1 energy storage · 4 con turret (standard 2)

    The example game in this phase · 163 steps
    1. Wind ×3
    2. TickTick
    3. RocketeerRocketeer
    4. Wind
    5. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    6. Wind
    7. RocketeerRocketeer
    8. Wind
    9. LazarusLazarus
    10. Wind
    11. RocketeerRocketeer
    12. Wind
    13. RocketeerRocketeer
    14. Wind
    15. CrossbowCrossbow
    16. Converter
    17. Wind
    18. TickTick
    19. RocketeerRocketeer
    20. Wind
    21. RocketeerRocketeer
    22. Wind
    23. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    24. Wind
    25. LazarusLazarus
    26. Converter
    27. Wind
    28. RocketeerRocketeer
    29. Wind
    30. RocketeerRocketeer
    31. TickTick
    32. RocketeerRocketeer
    33. Wind
    34. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:03
    35. Converter
    36. RocketeerRocketeer
    37. Wind
    38. RocketeerRocketeer
    39. Wind
    40. RocketeerRocketeer
    41. LazarusLazarus
    42. RocketeerRocketeer
    43. Wind
    44. Converter
    45. RocketeerRocketeer
    46. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    47. TickTick
    48. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    49. RocketeerRocketeer
    50. Wind
    51. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    52. RocketeerRocketeer
    53. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    54. RocketeerRocketeer
    55. Wind
    56. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    57. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    58. RocketeerRocketeer
    59. Wind
    60. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    61. LazarusLazarus
    62. Converter
    63. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    64. RocketeerRocketeer
    65. Wind
    66. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    67. RocketeerRocketeer
    68. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    69. TickTick
    70. SentrySentry
    71. RocketeerRocketeer
    72. Wind
    73. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    74. Wind
    75. RocketeerRocketeer
    76. PawnPawn
    77. Converter
    78. Wind
    79. PawnPawn
    80. Wind
    81. Construction BotCon bot
    82. Wind
    83. PawnPawn
    84. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    85. PawnPawn
    86. Wind
    87. PawnPawn ×3
    88. Wind
    89. PawnPawn
    90. Converter
    91. PawnPawn
    92. Wind
    93. PawnPawn
    94. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    95. PawnPawn
    96. Wind
    97. PawnPawn
    98. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    99. Converter
    100. PawnPawn ×2
    101. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    102. PawnPawn
    103. Converter
    104. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    105. PawnPawn ×2
    106. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    107. PawnPawn ×4
    108. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    109. PawnPawn
    110. Converter
    111. PawnPawn ×2
    112. Con turret
    113. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    114. PawnPawn
    115. TickTick ×4
    116. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    117. Con turret
    118. TickTick ×2
    119. Converter
    120. TickTick
    121. PersecutorPersecutornot finished by 15:00
    122. Con turret
    123. TickTick ×4
    124. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    125. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 13:50
    126. TickTick ×2
    127. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 14:00
    128. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    129. TickTick
    130. Converter
    131. BlitzBlitz
    132. TickTick ×3
    133. BlitzBlitz
    134. TickTick
    135. BlitzBlitz
    136. TickTick
    137. BlitzBlitz ×2
    138. TickTick
    139. BlitzBlitz
    140. Converter
    141. TickTick
    142. BlitzBlitz ×3
    143. TickTick
    144. BlitzBlitz
    145. Wind
    146. BlitzBlitz
    147. TickTick
    148. BlitzBlitz
    149. Wind
    150. BlitzBlitz ×2
    151. TickTick
    152. BlitzBlitz
    153. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    154. BlitzBlitz ×3
    155. Wind
    156. TickTick
    157. BlitzBlitz
    158. Converter
    159. BlitzBlitz ×2
    160. TickTick
    161. BlitzBlitz
    162. Wind
    163. BlitzBlitz

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is starbird's (32 OS, 12/09/2026); 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 71% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:18 · in 59% 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

164 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
2:0085484021213131
3:001627161813013595108
4:0027232700402522294333
5:00389038477471128597787
6:00514850351327192811431428
7:00634462501898272017362303
8:00761875352751354624693173
9:00907089733662433031764071
10:0010860105424220501139254810
11:0013159123754690554045815548
12:0015780145285394599858406409
13:0018135168596033647066367001
14:0021314192176637718680457827
15:0024597218497448787089048694
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Lower team win rate than standard despite better metal production, suggesting the early Gauntlet reacts to pressure rather than prevents losses.

  • + Metal production reaches 25200 vs 22627 standard by 15:00.
  • + Own metal lost stays close to standard by 15:00 (8904 vs 8940).
  • − Team win rate drops to 53% vs 62% standard.
  • − Enemy metal destroyed trails standard at every checkpoint.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

starbird

31.6 OS · 12/09/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
128 metal received · 26090 energy received

Allied construction assistance is unknown. Timings are observations, not a promise of solo reproducibility.

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:44Middle 50%: 0:33–0:51 · n=124
Vehicle Plant0:49Middle 50%: 0:44–8:12 · n=94
Gauntlet6:24Middle 50%: 5:46–6:54 · n=134
Advanced Metal Extractor9:00Middle 50%: 8:14–9:48 · n=126

Played most by

Leohvm13games of this buildTheGeneraI12games of this buildDRM9games of this buildGodmother136games of this buildEpicTyrannus5games of this build