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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 ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal ×2
    3. Energy storage
    4. Wind
    5. Mex ×4
    6. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:25 · 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 · 27 steps
    1. Construction BotCon bot
    2. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    3. SentrySentry
    4. Converter
    5. Construction BotCon bot
    6. Converter ×2
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. Wind
    9. MaceMace ×2
    10. Wind
    11. MaceMace
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Con turret
    14. Wind ×4
    15. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    16. Wind ×2
    17. TickTick
    18. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    19. Wind
    20. TickTick ×2
    21. Wind
    22. TickTick ×4
    23. Wind ×2
    24. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    25. Wind
    26. TickTick ×2
    27. GauntletGauntletdone 8:00
  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 · 60 steps
    1. TickTick
    2. Wind
    3. TickTick ×3
    4. Converter
    5. TickTick ×2
    6. Converter
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. Converter
    9. Con turret
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    12. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    13. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    14. Converter ×2
    15. OverwatchOverwatch
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:50 · typical 8:26
    17. Converter ×2
    18. Construction BotCon bot
    19. Wind
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    21. Wind ×3
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    23. Wind ×2
    24. Con turret
    25. Wind ×2
    26. Con turret
    27. Wind ×2
    28. OverwatchOverwatch
    29. Wind
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. OverwatchOverwatch
    32. Wind
    33. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    34. Converter
    35. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    36. Wind
    37. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    38. Wind
    39. Dragon's ClawDragon's Claw
    40. Wind ×2
    41. Converter
    42. Wind ×2
    43. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    44. BeamerBeamer
    45. Wind
    46. GauntletGauntlet
    47. Wind ×2
    48. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    49. Wind
    50. BeamerBeamer
    51. Wind
    52. Converter
    53. Wind ×5
    54. Advanced solar
    55. Wind
    56. Converter
    57. Wind ×3
    58. Advanced solar
    59. BeamerBeamer
    60. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is illusiveman2024's (31 OS, 12/08/2026); 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 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

illusiveman2024

31.3 OS · 12/08/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
601 metal received · 125118 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