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Pond / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Shuriken air support

Pond goes air instead of the usual ground boost, building an Aircraft Plant by ~3:30 and dropping in a transport, then sending Shuriken and Valiant to fight forward in the middle from under 5 minutes.

Usually goes air (85%)

#air #drop #push · 13 distinct matches · 6 players · 5% of Cortex Pond games · team won 62% of 13 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • ShurikenT1 air support from 4:39 · 10% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 10% of Pond games have it by then; others who build it get it around 4:51
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 100%15% of all Pond games by then
  • HephaestusHeavy transport in 92%11% of all Pond games by then
  • ShurikenShuriken in 69%4% of all Pond games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 69%7% of all Pond games by then

Where those units first fight, in 13 games with kill data: in the middle 85%, on their own side 15%.

Then transitions into valiant (16% of army), grunt (10% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 3:34

  1. Open tidals and wind, get mex up, boost eco as usual for Pond.
  2. Build Aircraft Plant well before the role norm.
  3. Get a heavy transport (Hephaestus) to drop units behind enemy lines.
  4. Lead with Shuriken paralyzer drones out of the Aircraft Plant.
  5. Add Valiant fighters and transition into T2 constructor as normal.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 13 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD POND
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:00 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 Aircraft Plant

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Tidal Generator8Tidalfor allies
    • Wind Turbine7Wind+2 vs standard
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 4 mex, 7 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~3:52, middle half 3:29–4:24

    Some games also: tidal (31%)

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

    By 3:34 in all: 4 mex · 7 wind (standard 5) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 15 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Naval Energy Storage
    4. Mex ×4
    5. Converter
    6. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:26
    7. Converter
    8. GraverobberGraverobber ×2for Suicide front
    9. Construction BotCon bot
    10. Wind
    11. Con turret
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Con turret
    14. Wind
    15. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 4:58 · typical 3:52
  2. 2

    Aircraft Plant to T1 air support

    Order
    1. ShurikenT1 air support after 4 mex, 9 wind, 1 energy storage
    Army
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport

    Some games also: con aircraft (31%) · wind (31%)

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

    By 4:39 in all: 4 mex · 9 wind · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 2 steps
    1. Wind
    2. ShurikenShurikendone 5:08
  3. 3

    T1 air support to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine16Wind+12 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret +3 vs standard
    Army
    • Shuriken11 Shuriken +11 vs standard
    • Valiant3 Valiant +3 vs standard
    • Hercules1 Light transport

    Some games also: converter (38%) · con aircraft (38%) · energy storage (31%) · Guard (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 22 wind (standard 16) · 1 energy storage · 3 con turret (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 168 steps
    1. Wind
    2. ShurikenShuriken
    3. Wind
    4. ShurikenShuriken ×7
    5. Wind
    6. ShurikenShuriken
    7. Wind
    8. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    9. HephaestusHeavy transport
    10. Wind ×2
    11. ShurikenShuriken
    12. Wind
    13. ShurikenShuriken
    14. Wind
    15. ShurikenShuriken
    16. FinchFinchfor Air
    17. Wind
    18. ValiantValiantfor Air
    19. Wind
    20. ValiantValiantfor Air
    21. Wind
    22. ValiantValiantfor Air
    23. Wind
    24. HephaestusHeavy transport
    25. Converter
    26. ValiantValiantfor Air
    27. ValiantValiant
    28. Converter
    29. FinchFinch
    30. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:40
    31. Converter ×2
    32. GruntGrunt
    33. Wind
    34. GruntGrunt ×2
    35. Wind
    36. Con turret
    37. GruntGrunt
    38. Wind
    39. GruntGrunt ×2
    40. Wind
    41. GruntGrunt
    42. Converter
    43. GruntGrunt
    44. Wind
    45. Converter
    46. GruntGrunt
    47. Wind
    48. Converter
    49. GruntGrunt
    50. Wind
    51. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 9:36 · typical 8:40
    52. Converter
    53. GruntGrunt
    54. Wind
    55. Converter
    56. GruntGrunt
    57. Construction BotCon bot
    58. Wind
    59. Construction BotCon bot
    60. Wind
    61. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    62. Wind
    63. Construction BotCon bot
    64. GruntGrunt ×2
    65. Wind
    66. GruntGrunt ×2
    67. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    68. GruntGrunt
    69. Wind
    70. GruntGrunt ×3
    71. Wind
    72. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:00
    73. Wind
    74. GruntGrunt
    75. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Suicide front
    76. Wind
    77. Converter
    78. GruntGrunt
    79. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Front
    80. GruntGrunt
    81. Wind
    82. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    83. GruntGrunt
    84. Wind ×2
    85. GruntGrunt
    86. Converter
    87. GruntGrunt
    88. Wind
    89. GruntGrunt
    90. Converter
    91. GruntGrunt
    92. Wind
    93. Converter
    94. GruntGrunt
    95. Wind
    96. GruntGrunt
    97. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:06
    98. Wind
    99. GruntGrunt
    100. Wind
    101. GruntGrunt
    102. Wind
    103. GruntGrunt ×2
    104. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    105. Con turret
    106. GruntGrunt
    107. Wind
    108. GruntGrunt
    109. Con turret
    110. GruntGrunt ×2
    111. Wind
    112. GruntGrunt ×2
    113. Wind
    114. Converter
    115. GruntGrunt ×9
    116. Wind
    117. GruntGrunt ×6
    118. Wind
    119. GruntGrunt ×5
    120. Converter
    121. Wind
    122. GruntGrunt ×4
    123. Converter
    124. GruntGrunt ×2
    125. Wind
    126. GruntGrunt ×7
    127. Con turret
    128. GruntGrunt ×2
    129. Wind
    130. Bot LabBot Labdone 12:38
    131. GruntGrunt ×6
    132. Wind
    133. GruntGrunt ×5
    134. Wind
    135. GruntGrunt ×7
    136. Wind
    137. GruntGrunt ×8
    138. GraverobberGraverobber ×3
    139. GruntGrunt
    140. Wind ×2
    141. GruntGrunt ×6
    142. Wind
    143. GruntGrunt ×5
    144. Wind
    145. GruntGrunt ×3
    146. Wind ×2
    147. GruntGrunt ×4
    148. Wind
    149. GruntGrunt ×4
    150. Wind
    151. GruntGrunt ×4
    152. Wind
    153. GruntGrunt ×5
    154. Wind
    155. GruntGrunt ×7
    156. Wind
    157. GruntGrunt ×3
    158. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:54
    159. GruntGrunt ×6
    160. GraverobberGraverobber ×3
    161. GruntGrunt ×3
    162. Wind
    163. GruntGrunt ×4
    164. Wind
    165. GruntGrunt ×3
    166. Wind
    167. GruntGrunt ×6
    168. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [Grump]Grumpiness's (49 OS, 19/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Tidal Generator8 Tidal to Suicide front or Frontfirst at 0:18 · in 77% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Tech or Airfirst at 6:53 · in 77% 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

13 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
2:003022780000
3:008928160000
4:00155415100000
5:002221221721000
6:00289429622760730
7:00361238263672884220
8:004406462340110701023189
9:005658553560015071202591
10:007202665178821711327899
11:0086698250788269317191360
12:001079810194884313432301695
13:001289012574884345432302159
14:0013121146681069382132302820
15:0015046170041373427440513392
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won more often than the standard build despite producing less metal by 15:00 and destroying far less enemy metal.

  • + Team win rate 57% vs 52% for standard build.
  • + Higher metal produced by 10:00 (7120 vs 6657).
  • − Enemy metal destroyed by 15:00 far lower (1418 vs 4391).
  • − Own metal lost by 15:00 higher (3798 vs 3271).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

[Grump]Grumpiness

49.0 OS · 19/09/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
1555 metal received · 71640 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant3:52Middle 50%: 3:29–4:24 · n=13
Advanced Metal Extractor8:40Middle 50%: 7:48–9:44 · n=10

Played most by

zeus_on_god4games of this buildkrtf3games of this buildBoozha2games of this buildRysica2games of this build[Grump]Grumpiness1game of this build