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Front / Armada / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

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 · 140 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 0:31 · typical 0:47
    3. RoverScout
    4. Wind ×3
    5. RoverScout
    6. Mex
    7. RoverScout
    8. BlitzBlitz
    9. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    10. Mex ×2
    11. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    12. JanusJanus
    13. SentrySentry
    14. JanusJanus
    15. Mex
    16. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    17. SentrySentry
    18. ShellshockerArty
    19. Mex
    20. SentrySentry
    21. ShellshockerArty
    22. BeamerBeamer
    23. ShellshockerArty
    24. Wind
    25. ShellshockerArty
    26. Wind
    27. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    28. BeamerBeamer
    29. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    30. ShellshockerArty
    31. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    32. Wind
    33. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×10
    34. BlitzBlitz
    35. Con turret ×2
    36. BlitzBlitz ×5
    37. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    38. BlitzBlitz
    39. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    40. BlitzBlitz
    41. Wind
    42. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    43. BlitzBlitz
    44. Wind
    45. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    46. BlitzBlitz
    47. Wind
    48. BlitzBlitz
    49. Wind
    50. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    51. BlitzBlitz
    52. BeholderBeholder
    53. Wind
    54. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    55. Wind
    56. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    57. BlitzBlitz
    58. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    59. Wind
    60. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    61. BlitzBlitz
    62. Wind
    63. BlitzBlitz
    64. Energy storage
    65. BlitzBlitz ×2
    66. Con turret
    67. BlitzBlitz ×3
    68. Wind
    69. BlitzBlitz
    70. Wind
    71. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    72. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:57 · typical 9:10
    73. Wind
    74. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    75. Wind ×3
    76. SentrySentry
    77. Wind
    78. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    79. Wind ×2
    80. Con turret
    81. Wind
    82. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    83. Con turret
    84. Wind
    85. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    86. Wind ×9
    87. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    88. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    89. Con turret
    90. Wind ×2
    91. Con turret
    92. Wind ×2
    93. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    94. Wind ×2
    95. Con turret
    96. Wind ×2
    97. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    98. JunoJuno
    99. Wind
    100. SentrySentry
    101. Wind
    102. RattlesnakeRattlesnakenot finished by 15:00
    103. Wind
    104. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    105. Wind
    106. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    107. RoverScout
    108. Wind
    109. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    110. SentrySentry
    111. RoverScout
    112. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    113. Wind
    114. RoverScout ×2
    115. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    116. RoverScout
    117. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    118. SentrySentry
    119. RoverScout
    120. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    121. SentrySentry
    122. RoverScout
    123. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    124. BlitzBlitz
    125. SentrySentry
    126. BlitzBlitz ×2
    127. Wind
    128. SentrySentry
    129. BlitzBlitz
    130. Wind
    131. BlitzBlitz ×2
    132. Wind
    133. BlitzBlitz ×2
    134. SentrySentry
    135. Wind
    136. BlitzBlitz ×2
    137. Wind
    138. BlitzBlitz
    139. Wind
    140. Bot LabBot Labdone 13:35 · 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 ~6:37, 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 · 1 step
    1. GauntletGauntletdone 5:55 · 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 · 35 steps
    1. BlitzBlitz ×2
    2. Wind
    3. SentrySentry
    4. BlitzBlitz
    5. Wind
    6. BlitzBlitz
    7. LazarusLazarus
    8. BlitzBlitz
    9. LazarusLazarus
    10. Wind
    11. BlitzBlitz
    12. Con turret
    13. Wind
    14. Converter
    15. BlitzBlitz
    16. LazarusLazarus
    17. BlitzBlitz
    18. LazarusLazarus
    19. Converter
    20. BlitzBlitz
    21. LazarusLazarus
    22. BlitzBlitz
    23. LazarusLazarus
    24. Converter
    25. BlitzBlitz
    26. LazarusLazarus
    27. BlitzBlitz
    28. Converter
    29. BlitzBlitz
    30. Converter
    31. Advanced Vehicle PlantAdvanced Vehicle Plantdone 14:55
    32. Converter ×3
    33. SentrySentry ×2
    34. Converter
    35. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehicle

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Gieds's (46 OS, 11/09/2026); 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

Gieds

45.8 OS · 11/09/2026

Open source match ↗

11 received units · includes a constructor
100 metal received · 22362 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