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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 · 15 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal
    3. Mex ×4
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Energy storage
    6. Wind ×3
    7. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 3:44
    8. StorkLight transport ×2
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft ×3
    10. Con turret ×3
    11. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2done 5:40 · typical 9:01
    12. Wind ×8
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    14. Advanced solar ×2
    15. RattlesnakeRattlesnakedone 8:47
  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)

  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 · 76 steps
    1. Wind ×6
    2. Converter
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Converter
    5. Wind ×4
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Wind ×3
    10. Converter
    11. Wind ×4
    12. Naval Energy Converter
    13. Wind
    14. Energy storage
    15. Wind
    16. Naval Energy Converter
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Naval Energy Converter
    19. Wind ×4
    20. Naval Energy Converter
    21. Wind ×3
    22. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    23. Naval Energy Converter
    24. Con turret
    25. Wind
    26. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 10:34
    27. Wind
    28. Naval Energy Converter
    29. Con turret ×2
    30. Naval Energy Converter
    31. Con turret
    32. Naval Energy Converter ×2
    33. Converter ×3
    34. Naval Energy Converter
    35. Converter ×3
    36. Con turret
    37. Converter
    38. Naval Energy Converter
    39. Converter ×2
    40. Fusion ReactorFusion
    41. Converter ×2
    42. Naval Energy Converter
    43. Converter ×2
    44. Naval Energy Converter
    45. Converter
    46. Naval Energy Converter
    47. Converter
    48. Con turret
    49. Naval Energy Converter
    50. Con turret
    51. Converter ×3
    52. Fusion ReactorFusion
    53. Converter
    54. Naval Energy Converter ×2
    55. Converter
    56. Naval Energy Converter
    57. ArbalestArbalest
    58. Naval Energy Converter
    59. Converter
    60. Naval Energy Converter
    61. Converter
    62. Naval Energy Converter
    63. Converter
    64. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    65. Con turret
    66. Naval Energy Converter
    67. Con turret ×3
    68. Naval Energy Converter
    69. Con turret ×2
    70. Naval Energy Converter
    71. Con turret ×2
    72. Naval Energy Converter
    73. Con turret
    74. Naval Energy Converter ×7
    75. T2 converter
    76. Naval Energy Converter

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is _X_'s (53 OS, 01/09/2026); 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 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

_X_

52.8 OS · 01/09/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
1251 metal received · 32458 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