BAR / BUILD ATLAS
← All builds
Front / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard front

The role's baseline: fast Bot Lab, economy first, then a Thug/Grunt/Aggravator mix moves up to hold the wider gap and contest middle with the ally.

#defence · 168 distinct matches · 58 players · 65% of Cortex Front games · team won 42% of 170 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Bot Lab by 0:40

  1. Take 3 mex, then wind before opening Bot Lab.
  2. Finish Bot Lab, start producing Thug, Grunt and Aggravator.
  3. Send early units to coast first to stop leaks, not straight to mid.
  4. Add Twin Guard and Radar Tower to hold the wider gap.
  5. Bring Advanced Metal Extractor online as army transitions to T2.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 168 GAMES
  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 Bot Lab

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 1 winddone ~0:40, middle half 0:34–0:46

    Some games also: wind (48%)

    By 0:24 in all: 2 mex

    The example game in this phase · 2 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:45 · typical 0:40
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Bot3 Con bot
    • Graverobber2 Graverobber
    Army
    • Guard2 Guard
    • Thug6 Thug
    • Grunt4 Grunt
    • Aggravator3 Aggravator

    Some games also: con turret (43%) · Radar Tower (35%)

    By 5:00 in all: 6 mex · 5 wind

    The example game in this phase · 41 steps
    1. GruntGrunt ×3
    2. Construction BotCon bot
    3. Wind
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Con turret
    6. GruntGrunt
    7. Mex
    8. ThugThug ×6
    9. Mex
    10. ThugThug
    11. Mex
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. GuardGuard ×2
    14. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    15. Wind
    16. AggravatorAggravator
    17. GuardGuard
    18. Wind
    19. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    20. AggravatorAggravator
    21. Wind
    22. AggravatorAggravator
    23. Wind
    24. AggravatorAggravator
    25. Wind
    26. Construction BotCon bot
    27. Wind
    28. AggravatorAggravator
    29. Wind
    30. AggravatorAggravator
    31. Wind
    32. AggravatorAggravator
    33. Wind
    34. AggravatorAggravator
    35. WardenWarden
    36. GraverobberGraverobber
    37. Wind
    38. Construction BotCon bot
    39. WardenWarden
    40. Wind
    41. Con turret
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine17Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret
    • Graverobber1 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot
    Army
    • Guard1 Guard
    • Grunt7 Grunt
    • Thug1 Thug

    Some games also: aggravator (44%) · energy storage (42%) · Twin Guard (38%) · converter (35%) · Radar Tower (34%)

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 24 wind · 3 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 257 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. AggravatorAggravator
    3. Wind
    4. Con turret
    5. AggravatorAggravator
    6. Wind ×6
    7. Mex
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    10. Wind
    11. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    12. Wind
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    14. Wind
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    16. Construction BotCon bot
    17. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    18. Wind
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    20. Construction BotCon bot
    21. AgitatorAgitatordone 7:39
    22. Wind ×3
    23. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    24. Con turret
    25. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    26. BeholderBeholder
    27. Wind
    28. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    29. Wind
    30. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    31. Wind
    32. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    33. Energy storage
    34. Wind ×3
    35. Energy storage
    36. Wind
    37. Con turret
    38. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:42 · typical 9:05
    39. Con turret
    40. Wind ×2
    41. Converter
    42. Con turret ×2
    43. Converter
    44. Wind ×2
    45. GuardGuard
    46. Converter ×3
    47. Wind
    48. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    49. Converter ×2
    50. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    51. Converter
    52. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    53. Wind
    54. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    55. Converter
    56. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    57. Converter
    58. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    59. Wind
    60. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    61. Converter
    62. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    63. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    64. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    65. Wind
    66. Converter
    67. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    68. Con turret
    69. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    70. Converter
    71. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    72. Wind
    73. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    74. Converter
    75. Wind
    76. Converter ×2
    77. Con turret
    78. Converter ×3
    79. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    80. Converter
    81. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    82. Converter
    83. Wind
    84. Converter ×2
    85. Con turret
    86. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    87. Wind
    88. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    89. Wind
    90. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    91. Con turret
    92. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    93. Wind
    94. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    95. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    96. Wind
    97. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    98. Converter
    99. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    100. Wind
    101. Converter
    102. Wind ×2
    103. Converter ×3
    104. Bot LabBot Labdone 10:42
    105. Converter ×2
    106. Wind ×3
    107. Converter
    108. Con turret
    109. Wind
    110. Converter
    111. TickTick
    112. Wind ×3
    113. TickTick
    114. Wind ×3
    115. Converter
    116. TickTick
    117. Con turret
    118. Wind
    119. Converter
    120. Wind
    121. TickTick
    122. Wind ×3
    123. TickTick
    124. Wind ×3
    125. Con turret
    126. Wind ×2
    127. TickTick
    128. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactordone 14:29
    129. Wind ×3
    130. TickTick
    131. Wind
    132. Con turret
    133. GuardGuard
    134. Wind ×3
    135. TickTick
    136. Wind
    137. Con turret
    138. Wind ×5
    139. TickTick
    140. Wind ×3
    141. Con turret
    142. Converter
    143. TickTick
    144. Wind ×2
    145. Converter
    146. TickTick
    147. Con turret
    148. Wind ×4
    149. TickTick
    150. Wind
    151. Con turret
    152. Wind ×3
    153. TickTick
    154. Con turret
    155. Wind ×3
    156. TickTick
    157. Wind ×4
    158. TickTick
    159. Wind ×3
    160. Con turret
    161. TickTick
    162. Wind ×2
    163. TickTick
    164. Wind ×2
    165. TickTick
    166. Converter
    167. TickTick
    168. Wind
    169. TickTick
    170. Converter
    171. Wind ×3
    172. TickTick
    173. Wind ×3
    174. TickTick
    175. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    176. Con turret
    177. Wind
    178. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    179. Wind ×2
    180. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    181. TickTick
    182. Wind
    183. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    184. Wind
    185. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    186. Wind
    187. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    188. TickTick
    189. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    190. Wind ×3
    191. PersecutorPersecutordone 13:38
    192. Wind
    193. TickTick
    194. Wind ×4
    195. TickTick
    196. Wind ×2
    197. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    198. TickTick
    199. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    200. Wind
    201. TickTick
    202. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    203. Wind
    204. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    205. Wind
    206. TickTick
    207. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    208. TickTick
    209. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    210. TickTick
    211. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    212. Converter
    213. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    214. TickTick
    215. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    216. TickTick ×2
    217. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    218. Converter
    219. TickTick
    220. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    221. TickTick
    222. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    223. TickTick
    224. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    225. TickTick
    226. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    227. Con turret
    228. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    229. Converter
    230. TickTick
    231. Con turret
    232. TickTick ×3
    233. Converter
    234. TickTick ×3
    235. Con turret
    236. TickTick
    237. Converter
    238. TickTick ×2
    239. Converter
    240. TickTick ×3
    241. ShroudShroud
    242. Converter
    243. TickTick
    244. ThistleThistle
    245. ArbalestArbalest
    246. TickTick
    247. Converter
    248. ThistleThistle
    249. TickTick ×4
    250. T2 converter
    251. Converter
    252. TickTick
    253. ThistleThistle
    254. Con turret
    255. TickTick
    256. Converter
    257. TickTick ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is iLike2Eco's (37 OS, 14/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

Nothing regular.

You get

  • Tidal Generator4 Tidal from Pondfirst at 0:17 · in 67% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:26 · in 68% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build, running totals by minute

Metal produced

010k20k30k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

02.5k5k7.5k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

05k10k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

170 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0033100
2:0086500
3:0016368582
4:002700346346
5:003812927944
6:00505516661729
7:00634423972625
8:00767132793691
9:00908138374391
10:001085443635097
11:001279249895920
12:001497752767008
13:001737159027663
14:001987662748693
15:002280569019752
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

This build has the worst win rate of the roles shown and trails Suicide front on kills while losing nearly as much metal.

  • + Produces more metal than Suicide front by 15:00 (22286 vs 18297).
  • + T2 constructor lands slightly faster (7:41) than Suicide front's 8:07.
  • − Loses 9797 own metal by 15:00, close to what it destroys (6775).
  • − Wins only 40% of games, well below every other role shown.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

iLike2Eco

36.7 OS · 14/09/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
826 metal received · 39707 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:40Middle 50%: 0:34–0:46 · n=151
Advanced Metal Extractor9:05Middle 50%: 8:08–10:29 · n=131

Played most by

Hummell19games of this buildwatermeloans19games of this buildiLike2Eco12games of this buildCentientWaffle9games of this buildGeeGee7games of this build