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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 · 16 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Wind
    3. Mex ×4
    4. Wind ×3
    5. Energy storage
    6. Wind ×3
    7. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    8. Con turret
    9. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    10. Wind ×2
    11. Con turret
    12. Wind ×6
    13. Converter
    14. Wind ×2
    15. NettleNettle
    16. GauntletGauntletdone 7:06
  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 · 1 step
    1. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:36 · typical 7:19
  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 · 82 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Converter
    3. Wind ×4
    4. Converter
    5. Wind ×2
    6. NettleNettle
    7. Wind
    8. Converter
    9. Wind ×5
    10. Converter
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind ×2
    14. Converter
    15. ChainsawChainsaw
    16. Converter
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Converter ×2
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:30 · typical 9:01
    22. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×12
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. Mex
    25. ChainsawChainsaw
    26. Sneaky PeteSneaky Pete
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    28. BeholderBeholder ×3
    29. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plant ×2done 10:46
    30. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 12:48
    31. Con turret
    32. BlitzBlitz
    33. Con turret
    34. BlitzBlitz
    35. Con turret
    36. BlitzBlitz
    37. Con turret
    38. BlitzBlitz ×2
    39. Wind
    40. Con turret
    41. BeholderBeholder
    42. BlitzBlitz
    43. BeholderBeholder
    44. Wind
    45. StoutStout
    46. BeholderBeholder
    47. BlitzBlitz ×2
    48. Wind
    49. BeholderBeholder
    50. BlitzBlitz ×2
    51. T2 converter
    52. BeholderBeholder
    53. BlitzBlitz ×2
    54. Wind
    55. BlitzBlitz
    56. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    57. BlitzBlitz
    58. SentrySentry
    59. BlitzBlitz
    60. StoutStout
    61. Wind
    62. SentrySentry
    63. StoutStout
    64. BlitzBlitz
    65. Fusion ReactorFusion
    66. BlitzBlitz
    67. Wind
    68. BlitzBlitz ×4
    69. Wind
    70. SentrySentry
    71. BlitzBlitz ×3
    72. SentrySentry
    73. Wind
    74. BlitzBlitz
    75. StoutStout
    76. Shark's TeethShark's Teeth ×2
    77. StoutStout
    78. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×6
    79. Wind
    80. BlitzBlitz
    81. SentrySentry
    82. BlitzBlitz ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is GeeGee's (37 OS, 23/09/2026); 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

GeeGee

37.0 OS · 23/09/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
520 metal received · 52624 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