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Rattlesnake defence

Pond builds pop-up artillery (Gauntlet/Rattlesnake/Agitator) from around 6:17, receiving a light transport from an ally early, to reinforce the front's defensive line.

#defence #artillery · 22 distinct matches · 9 players · 3% of Armada Pond games · team won 36% of 22 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 6:17 · 2% of role by thenOnly 2% of Pond games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:30
  • HerculesLight transport from an ally in 59%9% of all Pond games by then

Started with Gauntlet (45%), Rattlesnake (36%), Agitator (14%), Persecutor (5%).

Where those units first fight, in 22 games with kill data: in the middle 91%, on their own side 9%.

Those units destroy a typical 1,042 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Rattlesnake (23% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet by 6:17

  1. Open tidals and mex, then wind, skipping extra eco for boost duty.
  2. Drop a bot lab and start pumping units toward front.
  3. Place first Gauntlet to start the static plasma line.
  4. Layer Rattlesnake and Agitator behind Gauntlet to turtle middle.
  5. Add advanced mex and keep receiving light transport from air for support.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 22 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD POND
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 7:18 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 Early defence

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine8Wind−7 vs standard
    • Tidal Generator8Tidalfor allies
    • Tidal Generator1Tidal
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. GauntletEarly defence after 4 mex, 8 wind, 2 con turret
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret +2 vs standard

    Some games also: converter (36%) · con bot (32%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 2 converter

    By 6:00 in all: 4 mex · 8 wind (standard 15) · 1 tidal · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 11 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal
    3. Mex ×4
    4. Energy storage
    5. Con turret ×2
    6. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    7. Con turret
    8. Wind ×4
    9. BeamerBeamer
    10. Wind ×2
    11. GauntletGauntletdone 6:40
  2. 2

    Early defence to Bot Lab

    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 4 mex, 8 wind, 1 tidaldone ~7:19, middle half 4:06–10:04

    Some games also: wind (41%) · con turret (36%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 2 wind

    By 7:00 in all: 4 mex · 17 wind · 1 tidal · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 8 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Wind ×14
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    4. Wind
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    6. Wind
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    8. Wind
  3. 3

    Bot Lab to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−11 vs standard

    Some games also: con turret (41%) · Dragon's Teeth (32%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 19 wind (standard 31) · 1 tidal · 2 converter (standard 4) · 1 energy storage · 3 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 84 steps
    1. Converter ×4
    2. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 8:53
    3. Wind
    4. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:11
    5. Mex
    6. Wind ×2
    7. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    8. Wind
    9. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    10. Wind
    11. ButlerButler ×2
    12. HoundHound
    13. SmugglerJammer bot
    14. Wind
    15. HoundHound
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 11:01 · typical 9:01
    17. HoundHound
    18. Wind ×2
    19. HoundHound
    20. Mex
    21. Wind ×2
    22. HoundHound
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. Wind
    25. HoundHound
    26. Mex
    27. Wind
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Suicide front
    29. Mex
    30. HoundHound
    31. Wind ×3
    32. HoundHound
    33. Wind ×2
    34. HoundHound
    35. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:21
    36. HoundHound
    37. Wind
    38. WebberWebber
    39. SmugglerJammer bot
    40. CompassRadar bot
    41. GhostGhost
    42. Solar
    43. Wind
    44. GhostGhost
    45. Solar
    46. Wind ×2
    47. Solar
    48. GhostGhost
    49. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    50. Wind
    51. GhostGhost
    52. Wind ×2
    53. WebberWebber
    54. Wind
    55. GhostGhost
    56. Wind ×2
    57. HoundHound
    58. Wind ×2
    59. ArchangelArchangeldone 13:14
    60. Wind
    61. ArchangelArchangel
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Con turret
    64. Wind
    65. GhostGhost
    66. Wind ×2
    67. Mex
    68. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    69. WebberWebber
    70. Wind
    71. GhostGhost
    72. Wind
    73. WebberWebber
    74. ButlerButler
    75. Wind
    76. ButlerButler
    77. Con turret
    78. Wind ×2
    79. ButlerButler ×2
    80. Wind
    81. ButlerButler
    82. CitadelAnti-nukenot finished by 15:00
    83. ButlerButler
    84. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is UsurpeR's (51 OS, 31/08/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Tidal Generator8 Tidal to Suicide front or Frontfirst at 0:10 · in 95% of games

You get

  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Geo or Front or Suicide frontfirst at 2:20 · in 36% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 2:52 · in 64% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:43 · in 86% of games
  • Butler2 Butler from Techfirst at 9:29 · in 32% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build against the role’s standard build, running totals by minute

  • This build
  • Standard pond

Metal produced

010k20k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

22 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildMetal produced: Standard pondEnemy metal destroyed: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: Standard pondOwn metal lost: This buildOwn metal lost: Standard pond
1:001151150000
2:002922730000
3:008708170000
4:00153115100000
5:00229622310000
6:003317298527000
7:004122384123648000
8:00530747423011276217148
9:00667756938382025217379
10:00877568729352865697720
11:001017983342065331723641188
12:0012243102902489368424201616
13:0013942125932624426229901966
14:0016092149143497478048022454
15:0019181174564307532448023030
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Team won less than the standard build and this turtle destroyed far less enemy metal by 15:00 despite similar income.

  • + Metal production ahead of standard by 10:00 (8547 vs 6855).
  • + Gets Hercules transport support far earlier than role norm (57% by 2:50 vs 9%).
  • − Own metal lost by 15:00 is much higher than standard (4678 vs 3041).
  • − Enemy metal destroyed by 15:00 far below standard (4208 vs 5316).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

UsurpeR

50.5 OS · 31/08/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
36 metal received · 46190 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab7:19Middle 50%: 4:06–10:04 · n=15
Advanced Metal Extractor9:01Middle 50%: 7:48–10:25 · n=20

Played most by

UsurpeR10games of this build_X_3games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner2games of this buildHandicapping_mySelf2games of this build[Cookie]Baby_Evis1game of this build