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Gauntlet defence

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 5:30 · 8% of role by thenOnly 8% of Front games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:13

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

Those units destroy a typical 600 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into blitz (12% 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 6:30 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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:39 · 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 6:06–7:03
    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 5:30 in all: 6 mex · 8 wind (standard 6) · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 61 steps
    1. TickTick ×3
    2. PawnPawn
    3. Wind
    4. PawnPawn ×2
    5. LazarusLazarus
    6. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    7. Mex
    8. RocketeerRocketeer ×2
    9. Mex
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. RocketeerRocketeer
    12. Con turret
    13. RocketeerRocketeer
    14. Mex ×2
    15. RocketeerRocketeer
    16. SentrySentry
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    19. RocketeerRocketeer
    20. Wind ×2
    21. RocketeerRocketeer
    22. CenturionCenturion
    23. Wind
    24. RocketeerRocketeer
    25. Wind
    26. RocketeerRocketeer
    27. Wind
    28. SentrySentry
    29. Wind
    30. RocketeerRocketeer
    31. SentrySentry
    32. Wind ×2
    33. BeamerBeamer
    34. RocketeerRocketeer
    35. Wind ×2
    36. RocketeerRocketeer
    37. Wind
    38. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    39. Wind
    40. RocketeerRocketeer
    41. Wind
    42. RocketeerRocketeer
    43. Wind ×2
    44. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    45. RocketeerRocketeer
    46. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    47. BeamerBeamer
    48. Wind
    49. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    50. RocketeerRocketeer
    51. Wind ×2
    52. BeamerBeamer
    53. RocketeerRocketeer
    54. Wind
    55. Construction BotCon bot
    56. Energy storage
    57. RocketeerRocketeer
    58. Con turret
    59. Wind
    60. RocketeerRocketeer
    61. GauntletGauntletdone 6:32 · 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 · 298 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Construction BotCon bot
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    6. Wind ×2
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    8. LazarusLazarus
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    10. Wind
    11. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    16. Wind
    17. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    18. PawnPawn
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    20. Wind
    21. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    22. Wind
    23. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    24. PawnPawn
    25. Converter
    26. Wind ×3
    27. PawnPawn
    28. Converter
    29. TickTick ×2
    30. Converter
    31. Wind ×2
    32. TickTick
    33. Wind
    34. TickTick
    35. Wind
    36. TickTick
    37. Converter
    38. TickTick
    39. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:33 · typical 9:10
    40. TickTick
    41. Converter
    42. Wind
    43. TickTick
    44. Wind
    45. TickTick
    46. Wind ×2
    47. TickTick
    48. Converter
    49. TickTick ×2
    50. Wind
    51. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    52. TickTick
    53. Con turret
    54. Wind
    55. TickTick ×4
    56. Wind ×2
    57. TickTick
    58. Wind
    59. TickTick
    60. Wind
    61. TickTick
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    64. TickTick
    65. Wind
    66. TickTick ×2
    67. Con turret
    68. Energy storage
    69. Converter
    70. Con turret
    71. TickTick
    72. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    73. TickTick
    74. Wind
    75. TickTick ×2
    76. Wind ×2
    77. TickTick
    78. Wind
    79. TickTick
    80. Converter
    81. TickTick
    82. SentrySentry
    83. TickTick
    84. Wind
    85. Converter
    86. Wind ×2
    87. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    88. Wind
    89. Construction BotCon bot
    90. Wind
    91. Converter
    92. Wind ×2
    93. TickTick
    94. Converter
    95. Wind
    96. Construction BotCon bot
    97. Wind ×3
    98. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    99. TickTick
    100. Wind
    101. Construction BotCon bot
    102. Wind ×2
    103. TickTick
    104. Wind ×2
    105. Construction BotCon bot
    106. Wind
    107. TickTick
    108. Construction BotCon bot
    109. Wind ×2
    110. TickTick
    111. Construction BotCon bot
    112. Wind ×3
    113. TickTick
    114. Wind
    115. Construction BotCon bot
    116. Wind
    117. TickTick
    118. Construction BotCon bot
    119. Wind ×2
    120. TickTick ×2
    121. Wind
    122. TickTick ×2
    123. Wind
    124. TickTick
    125. Wind
    126. Con turret
    127. TickTick
    128. Wind ×2
    129. TickTick
    130. Con turret
    131. TickTick
    132. Wind
    133. TickTick
    134. BeamerBeamer
    135. TickTick ×3
    136. Wind ×2
    137. TickTick
    138. Wind
    139. TickTick
    140. Wind ×3
    141. TickTick
    142. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 12:34 · typical 0:47
    143. Con turret
    144. TickTick
    145. Wind ×3
    146. TickTick
    147. Con turret
    148. TickTick
    149. Wind
    150. BlitzBlitz
    151. Wind
    152. TickTick ×2
    153. BlitzBlitz
    154. Wind
    155. TickTick
    156. Wind
    157. TickTick
    158. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 12:49
    159. BlitzBlitz
    160. TickTick
    161. Wind
    162. TickTick
    163. Wind
    164. TickTick
    165. BlitzBlitz
    166. TickTick
    167. BlitzBlitz
    168. Wind
    169. TickTick
    170. Wind
    171. BlitzBlitz
    172. TickTick ×2
    173. BlitzBlitz
    174. TickTick
    175. Wind ×2
    176. TickTick
    177. BlitzBlitz
    178. TickTick
    179. BlitzBlitz
    180. TickTick
    181. Wind
    182. BlitzBlitz
    183. TickTick
    184. Wind
    185. TickTick
    186. BlitzBlitz
    187. Wind
    188. TickTick
    189. BlitzBlitz
    190. TickTick ×2
    191. BlitzBlitz
    192. TickTick
    193. BlitzBlitz
    194. TickTick
    195. BlitzBlitz
    196. TickTick
    197. PawnPawn
    198. BlitzBlitz ×2
    199. PawnPawn
    200. BlitzBlitz ×2
    201. PawnPawn
    202. Wind
    203. BlitzBlitz ×2
    204. PawnPawn
    205. Con turret
    206. Wind
    207. PawnPawn
    208. Wind
    209. PawnPawn
    210. BlitzBlitz ×2
    211. Wind ×2
    212. PawnPawn
    213. TickTick
    214. BlitzBlitz
    215. Wind
    216. TickTick
    217. BlitzBlitz
    218. Wind
    219. TickTick
    220. BlitzBlitz
    221. TickTick
    222. BlitzBlitz
    223. TickTick
    224. Wind
    225. BlitzBlitz
    226. Wind
    227. TickTick
    228. Wind
    229. BlitzBlitz
    230. TickTick
    231. BlitzBlitz
    232. TickTick
    233. Wind
    234. BlitzBlitz
    235. TickTick ×2
    236. Wind
    237. BlitzBlitz
    238. TickTick
    239. BlitzBlitz
    240. TickTick
    241. Wind
    242. TickTick
    243. BlitzBlitz
    244. TickTick
    245. BlitzBlitz
    246. TickTick
    247. Wind
    248. BlitzBlitz
    249. TickTick
    250. Wind
    251. TickTick
    252. BlitzBlitz
    253. TickTick
    254. Wind
    255. BlitzBlitz
    256. TickTick ×2
    257. BlitzBlitz
    258. TickTick
    259. BlitzBlitz
    260. Wind
    261. TickTick
    262. BlitzBlitz
    263. TickTick
    264. BlitzBlitz
    265. TickTick
    266. Wind
    267. TickTick ×2
    268. BlitzBlitz ×2
    269. TickTick
    270. Wind
    271. TickTick
    272. Con turret
    273. BlitzBlitz ×2
    274. TickTick
    275. Wind
    276. TickTick
    277. BlitzBlitz
    278. Wind
    279. BlitzBlitz
    280. TickTick ×2
    281. BlitzBlitz ×2
    282. TickTick
    283. Con turret
    284. BlitzBlitz
    285. TickTick
    286. BlitzBlitz
    287. TickTick
    288. Wind
    289. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    290. Con turret
    291. BlitzBlitz
    292. TickTick ×2
    293. BlitzBlitz
    294. Wind
    295. TickTick
    296. Wind
    297. BlitzBlitz
    298. TickTick ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Hannodins's (37 OS, 29/09/2026); 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
2:0086484631213131
3:0016611625130141106105
4:0027252716435541323333
5:00390538688551199614818
6:00516950781464211210951522
7:00638763302102298617222420
8:00767976622854387123213347
9:00911490883649467928674310
10:0010984106954045532333955055
11:0013268126234568582145415711
12:0016136148465244638556956524
13:0019023174505721701065817236
14:0022403201836552762378048103
15:0025904227236984837486098946
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

37.2 OS · 29/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
8 metal received · 15266 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%: 0:42–0:55 · n=58
Gauntlet6:32Middle 50%: 6:06–7:03 · n=79
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