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Front / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard front

Standard Front play: Bot Lab immediately, expanding economy with an Advanced Metal Extractor around 9:00, then defending the wider gap with bots like Thug, Grunt and Aggravator as the middle firms up.

#eco #defence · 170 distinct matches · 59 players · 65% of Cortex Front games · team won 42% of 172 · 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 170 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 0:46 · 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 · 27 steps
    1. GruntGrunt ×3
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    3. Construction BotCon bot
    4. Mex
    5. Construction BotCon bot
    6. Mex
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. GuardGuard
    9. Construction BotCon bot
    10. GuardGuard
    11. AggravatorAggravator
    12. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    13. AggravatorAggravator
    14. Mex
    15. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    16. GuardGuard
    17. AggravatorAggravator ×2
    18. GuardGuard
    19. Wind
    20. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    21. Wind
    22. AggravatorAggravator ×4
    23. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    24. AggravatorAggravator ×6
    25. GuardGuard
    26. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    27. GuardGuard
  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 · 241 steps
    1. AggravatorAggravator
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    3. AggravatorAggravator ×2
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. GuardGuard
    6. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    8. AggravatorAggravator
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    10. AggravatorAggravator ×8
    11. GraverobberGraverobber
    12. AggravatorAggravator
    13. GraverobberGraverobber
    14. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:34 · typical 9:06
    15. AggravatorAggravator ×2
    16. GuardGuard
    17. Wind
    18. AggravatorAggravator
    19. GuardGuard
    20. Wind
    21. AggravatorAggravator ×2
    22. Wind ×2
    23. GuardGuard
    24. BlitzBlitz
    25. Wind
    26. GruntGrunt
    27. AggravatorAggravator
    28. Wind
    29. AggravatorAggravator
    30. GruntGrunt
    31. Wind
    32. AggravatorAggravator
    33. Wind
    34. GruntGrunt
    35. AggravatorAggravator
    36. Wind
    37. GruntGrunt
    38. BlitzBlitz
    39. AggravatorAggravator
    40. Wind
    41. GruntGrunt
    42. Wind
    43. GruntGrunt
    44. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    45. Construction BotCon bot
    46. Con turret
    47. GuardGuard
    48. Construction BotCon bot
    49. ThistleThistle ×2
    50. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    51. GruntGrunt
    52. Wind
    53. GruntGrunt ×3
    54. Wind ×2
    55. GruntGrunt
    56. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    57. Wind
    58. GruntGrunt
    59. Con turret
    60. Wind
    61. Con turret
    62. GruntGrunt
    63. Wind
    64. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 12:05
    65. Con turret
    66. Wind
    67. GruntGrunt
    68. Wind
    69. PawnPawn
    70. GruntGrunt
    71. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    72. Wind ×2
    73. PawnPawn
    74. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    75. Wind ×2
    76. Advanced solar
    77. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 11:43
    78. Wind ×4
    79. PawnPawn
    80. Wind
    81. GruntGrunt
    82. Wind ×2
    83. PawnPawn
    84. GruntGrunt
    85. Converter
    86. Advanced solar
    87. PawnPawn
    88. Wind
    89. GruntGrunt
    90. Con turret
    91. Wind
    92. GruntGrunt
    93. PawnPawn
    94. Con turret ×2
    95. GruntGrunt
    96. Converter
    97. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    98. PawnPawn
    99. Wind
    100. PawnPawn
    101. SheldonSheldondone 12:16
    102. GruntGrunt
    103. PawnPawn
    104. GruntGrunt
    105. Pit BullPit Bull
    106. Advanced solar
    107. Wind
    108. PawnPawn
    109. SheldonSheldon
    110. GruntGrunt
    111. Converter
    112. Advanced solar
    113. Wind
    114. GruntGrunt
    115. PrudePrudedone 13:30
    116. PawnPawn
    117. SheldonSheldon
    118. GruntGrunt
    119. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    120. Wind
    121. Pit BullPit Bull
    122. Advanced solar
    123. PawnPawn
    124. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    125. GruntGrunt
    126. SheldonSheldon
    127. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    128. GruntGrunt
    129. PawnPawn
    130. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    131. Wind
    132. DeceiverJammer bot
    133. AugurRadar bot
    134. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    135. GruntGrunt
    136. DeceiverJammer bot
    137. GruntGrunt
    138. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    139. Converter
    140. PawnPawn
    141. SheldonSheldon
    142. GruntGrunt
    143. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    144. Wind
    145. Wind
    146. GruntGrunt
    147. SheldonSheldon
    148. PawnPawn
    149. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    150. GruntGrunt
    151. Wind
    152. PawnPawn
    153. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    154. SheldonSheldon
    155. GruntGrunt
    156. PawnPawn
    157. Wind
    158. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    159. Wind
    160. Con turret
    161. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    162. SheldonSheldon
    163. GruntGrunt
    164. PawnPawn
    165. Wind
    166. Wind
    167. SheldonSheldon
    168. GruntGrunt
    169. Wind
    170. PawnPawn
    171. Converter
    172. GruntGrunt
    173. SheldonSheldon
    174. GruntGrunt
    175. Wind
    176. Wind
    177. SheldonSheldon
    178. GruntGrunt
    179. Wind
    180. PawnPawn
    181. SheldonSheldon
    182. GruntGrunt
    183. Wind
    184. GruntGrunt
    185. SheldonSheldon
    186. Wind
    187. Wind
    188. GruntGrunt
    189. SheldonSheldon
    190. PawnPawn
    191. GruntGrunt
    192. Wind
    193. PawnPawn
    194. SheldonSheldon
    195. GruntGrunt
    196. Wind
    197. ArbalestArbalest
    198. PawnPawn
    199. SheldonSheldon
    200. Converter
    201. Wind
    202. SheldonSheldon
    203. GruntGrunt
    204. SheldonSheldon
    205. PawnPawn
    206. SheldonSheldon ×4
    207. PawnPawn
    208. GruntGrunt
    209. Wind
    210. LazarusLazarus
    211. Wind
    212. GruntGrunt
    213. PawnPawn
    214. GruntGrunt
    215. PawnPawn
    216. GruntGrunt
    217. PawnPawn ×2
    218. Wind
    219. GruntGrunt
    220. Wind
    221. NettleNettle
    222. Con turret
    223. PawnPawn
    224. GruntGrunt
    225. PawnPawn ×3
    226. Wind
    227. Con turret
    228. GruntGrunt
    229. PawnPawn
    230. Wind
    231. PawnPawn
    232. GruntGrunt
    233. Con turret
    234. PawnPawn ×3
    235. Wind
    236. GruntGrunt
    237. PawnPawn
    238. Con turret
    239. GruntGrunt ×2
    240. Con turret
    241. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Erilium's (50 OS, 12/09/2026); 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 66% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:26 · in 67% 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

172 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0033100
2:0086700
3:0016368582
4:002700346346
5:003812927944
6:00506916851729
7:00638024952625
8:00767133083691
9:00908139044391
10:001085444245097
11:001279250825936
12:001497752977059
13:001737159477675
14:001987663318706
15:002280570109802
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

Erilium

49.8 OS · 12/09/2026

Open source match ↗

81 received units · includes a constructor
1497 metal received · 45684 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=153
Advanced Metal Extractor9:06Middle 50%: 8:09–10:30 · n=132

Played most by

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