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Rattlesnake defence

Armada Pond build order · Supreme Isthmus

Pond builds early turret-like artillery (Gauntlet, Rattlesnake) from 6:26 to defend the middle instead of its usual boosting.

#defence #artillery · 39 distinct matches · 23 players · 2% of Armada Pond games · team won 38% of 39 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • GauntletEarly defence from 6:26 · 2% of role by thenOnly 2% of Pond games have it by then; others who build it get it around 11:46
  • HerculesLight transport from an ally in 49%9% of all Pond games by then

Started with Gauntlet (49%), Rattlesnake (38%), Agitator (10%), Persecutor (3%).

Where those units first fight, in 36 games with kill data: in the middle 92%, on their own side 8%.

Those units destroy a typical 826 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Rattlesnake (21% of army), pawn (10% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Gauntlet/Rattlesnake defence by 5:43

  1. Open tidal and mex as usual, boosting front early.
  2. Build Bot Lab on a normal Pond timing.
  3. Add early Gauntlet for defensive arty near middle.
  4. Fight in the middle with Gauntlet and Rattlesnake together.
  5. Upgrade mex and shift to mixed arty/army composition.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 39 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD POND
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 7:26 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 Extractor4Mex
    • Tidal Generator8Tidalfor allies
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • Tidal Generator1Tidal
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 4 mex, 4 wind, 1 tidaldone ~3:50, middle half 3:07–7:23

    Some games also: con turret (31%)

    By 3:39 in all: 4 mex · 4 wind · 1 tidal · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 6 steps
    1. Tidal ×5for Suicide front
    2. Tidal
    3. Tidal ×3for Suicide front
    4. Tidal
    5. Mex ×4
    6. Bot LabBot Labdone 2:57 · typical 3:50
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Early defence

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine7Wind−4 vs standard
    Order
    1. GauntletEarly defence after 4 mex, 15 wind, 2 con turret
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot

    Some games also: converter (44%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 3 converter

    By 6:26 in all: 4 mex · 16 wind · 1 tidal · 1 converter (standard 4) · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 36 steps
    1. Construction BotCon bot
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Construction BotCon bot ×4
    4. NettleNettle
    5. Wind ×5
    6. SentrySentry
    7. PawnPawn
    8. Wind
    9. SentrySentry
    10. Wind
    11. PawnPawn
    12. Wind ×2
    13. PawnPawn
    14. Wind
    15. SentrySentry
    16. Wind
    17. PawnPawn
    18. Wind ×2
    19. PawnPawn
    20. Wind
    21. PawnPawn ×2
    22. Wind
    23. PawnPawn ×2
    24. Wind
    25. PawnPawn
    26. Wind
    27. PawnPawn ×2
    28. Wind
    29. PawnPawn ×2
    30. Wind
    31. PawnPawn
    32. BeamerBeamer
    33. PawnPawn
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. RattlesnakeRattlesnakenot finished by 15:00
  3. 3

    Early defence to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine4Wind−17 vs standard
    Order
    1. Bot LabEat Bot Lab in 56% of games

    Some games also: con turret (46%) · converter (38%) · Dragon's Teeth (31%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 4 converter

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 28 wind (standard 38) · 1 tidal · 4 converter (standard 9) · 1 energy storage · 3 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 6 steps
    1. PawnPawn ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    4. Con turret
    5. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×4done 12:14 · typical 8:26
    6. Con turret

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Boozha's (34 OS, 26/09/2026); 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 92% of games

You get

  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 3:23 · in 49% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:30 · in 82% 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

010k20k30k
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

39 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
2:002812680000
3:008447990000
4:00150714730000
5:00227021850000
6:00317829950000
7:004129391021021210
8:0054004948300170232117
9:0066806223844379455316
10:00868277051164611773552
11:0010376964517908421998855
12:0012622120522012116922081289
13:0015291145382174155331721876
14:0017953174272621213449252535
15:0020531201884170259958873249
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won less often than the standard build despite higher metal production, trading extra losses for more enemy metal destroyed.

  • + Enemy metal destroyed by 15:00 nearly doubles standard (5525 vs 2982).
  • + Metal production ahead of standard by 15:00 (23551 vs 20997).
  • − Own metal lost nearly doubles standard by 15:00 (6224 vs 3531).
  • − Team win rate below standard (41% vs 45%).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

Boozha

33.6 OS · 26/09/2026

Open source match ↗

3 received units · includes a constructor
1851 metal received · 3889 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab3:50Middle 50%: 3:07–7:23 · n=31
Advanced Metal Extractor8:26Middle 50%: 7:29–9:54 · n=32

Played most by

YogaBoy15849711games of this build_X_3games of this buildAlphacure2games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner2games of this buildGraceful2games of this build