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

Standard pond

Cortex Pond build order · Supreme Isthmus

Standard Pond play: eco first with Bot Lab and later Advanced Metal Extractor, boosting the fronts with Tidal Generators and sending Grunts forward; no special catch.

#eco #team support · 94 distinct matches · 38 players · 13% of Cortex Pond games · team won 47% of 94 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Bot Lab by 5:03

  1. Build tidal generators first to start boosting the fronts.
  2. Grab mex and energy storage before committing further.
  3. Put down the bot lab and start sending Grunts forward.
  4. Fill out wind and add a Guard for early defense.
  5. Transition to T2 with an advanced mex once front stabilizes.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 94 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 Bot Lab

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Tidal Generator8Tidalfor allies
    • Tidal Generator2Tidal−2 vs standard
    • Wind Turbine2Wind
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 4 mex, 2 tidal, 2 winddone ~3:32, middle half 3:21–4:35

    By 3:13 in all: 4 mex · 2 tidal (standard 4) · 2 wind · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal ×3
    3. Mex ×4
    4. Bot LabBot Labdone 2:59 · typical 3:32
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−4 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot

    Some games also: con turret (47%) · converter (37%) · Graverobber (32%)

    By 5:00 in all: 4 mex · 7 wind · 2 tidal (standard 4) · 1 energy storage · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 16 steps
    1. Wind
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    3. Wind
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. Wind
    6. Construction BotCon bot ×6
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. Wind
    10. Con turret
    11. Converter
    12. Wind ×3
    13. Converter
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Construction BotCon bot
    16. Wind
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine18Wind+18 vs standard
    • Energy Converter4Converter+4 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: grunt (48%) · con bot (33%) · eat Bot Lab (45%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 25 wind (standard 8) · 2 tidal (standard 4) · 6 converter (standard 1) · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret (standard 0)

    The example game in this phase · 334 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Converter
    3. Wind
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. Wind
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Wind ×2
    10. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind ×3
    14. Converter
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Energy storage
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Converter
    21. Wind ×3
    22. Converter
    23. Wind
    24. Converter
    25. Wind ×2
    26. Converter
    27. Wind ×3
    28. Bot LabBot Labdone 6:47
    29. Wind
    30. Converter
    31. Wind ×3
    32. Converter
    33. Wind ×2
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Converter
    36. Wind ×3
    37. Construction BotCon bot
    38. Wind
    39. Converter
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Converter
    44. Wind
    45. Construction BotCon bot
    46. Wind
    47. Converter
    48. Wind
    49. Construction BotCon bot
    50. Wind
    51. Converter
    52. Wind ×2
    53. Construction BotCon bot
    54. Wind
    55. Converter
    56. Construction BotCon bot
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Construction BotCon bot
    59. Wind
    60. Converter
    61. Wind
    62. Construction BotCon bot
    63. Converter
    64. Wind
    65. Construction BotCon bot
    66. Wind
    67. Construction BotCon bot
    68. Converter
    69. Construction BotCon bot
    70. Wind ×2
    71. Converter
    72. Construction BotCon bot
    73. Wind ×2
    74. Construction BotCon bot
    75. Converter
    76. Wind
    77. GruntGrunt ×2
    78. Wind
    79. GruntGrunt
    80. Wind
    81. Converter
    82. GruntGrunt
    83. Wind ×2
    84. Converter
    85. Wind ×2
    86. Converter
    87. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    88. Wind
    89. Converter
    90. Metal storage
    91. Wind ×2
    92. Converter
    93. Wind
    94. Bot LabBot Labdone 9:12
    95. Wind
    96. GruntGrunt
    97. Converter
    98. GruntGrunt ×5
    99. Converter
    100. GruntGrunt ×2
    101. Wind
    102. GruntGrunt
    103. Wind
    104. GruntGrunt
    105. Tidal
    106. GruntGrunt
    107. Converter
    108. Wind
    109. GruntGrunt ×2
    110. Wind
    111. GruntGrunt
    112. Tidal
    113. Wind
    114. GruntGrunt
    115. Wind
    116. GruntGrunt
    117. Converter
    118. GruntGrunt
    119. Wind
    120. GruntGrunt
    121. Tidal
    122. Wind
    123. GruntGrunt ×2
    124. Wind
    125. GruntGrunt
    126. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:31 · typical 9:07
    127. Wind
    128. GruntGrunt
    129. Tidal
    130. Wind
    131. GruntGrunt
    132. Wind
    133. Tidal
    134. Wind
    135. GruntGrunt
    136. Wind
    137. Tidal
    138. Wind ×2
    139. GruntGrunt
    140. Wind
    141. Tidal
    142. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    143. GruntGrunt
    144. Wind
    145. GruntGrunt
    146. Wind ×2
    147. Tidal
    148. Wind ×5
    149. Tidal
    150. Wind
    151. Con turret
    152. Wind
    153. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    154. Wind
    155. GruntGrunt
    156. Tidal
    157. Wind
    158. Con turret
    159. Wind ×3
    160. Con turret
    161. Tidal
    162. Wind ×2
    163. Con turret
    164. Wind ×3
    165. Con turret
    166. GruntGrunt
    167. Wind
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. GruntGrunt ×2
    171. Wind
    172. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    173. GruntGrunt
    174. Tidal
    175. GruntGrunt
    176. Wind
    177. GruntGrunt
    178. Converter
    179. Wind
    180. GruntGrunt ×2
    181. Tidal
    182. Wind
    183. GruntGrunt ×2
    184. Wind
    185. Converter
    186. GruntGrunt ×2
    187. Wind
    188. Tidal
    189. GruntGrunt
    190. Wind
    191. GruntGrunt
    192. Converter
    193. GruntGrunt
    194. Wind
    195. GruntGrunt ×2
    196. Wind
    197. GruntGrunt
    198. Wind
    199. Converter
    200. GruntGrunt ×2
    201. Tidal
    202. Wind
    203. GruntGrunt ×2
    204. Wind
    205. GruntGrunt
    206. Converter
    207. Tidal
    208. GruntGrunt
    209. Wind
    210. GruntGrunt ×2
    211. Wind
    212. GruntGrunt
    213. Converter
    214. Tidal
    215. Wind
    216. GruntGrunt ×2
    217. Wind
    218. GruntGrunt
    219. T2 converter
    220. GruntGrunt
    221. Wind
    222. Tidal
    223. Converter
    224. GruntGrunt
    225. Wind
    226. GruntGrunt ×2
    227. Wind
    228. GruntGrunt
    229. Tidal
    230. GruntGrunt
    231. Converter
    232. Wind
    233. GruntGrunt ×2
    234. Wind
    235. Tidal
    236. GruntGrunt ×2
    237. Wind
    238. GruntGrunt
    239. Converter
    240. GruntGrunt
    241. Wind
    242. GruntGrunt
    243. Tidal
    244. Wind
    245. Construction BotCon bot
    246. Converter
    247. Wind
    248. Tidal
    249. Wind ×2
    250. Converter
    251. Wind ×2
    252. Tidal
    253. Wind
    254. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    255. Converter
    256. Wind
    257. Tidal
    258. Wind
    259. Construction BotCon bot
    260. T2 converter
    261. Wind
    262. Construction BotCon bot
    263. Converter
    264. Wind
    265. Tidal
    266. GruntGrunt ×2
    267. Wind
    268. GruntGrunt ×2
    269. Wind
    270. Bot LabBot Labdone 13:55
    271. Tidal
    272. GruntGrunt
    273. Converter
    274. Wind
    275. GruntGrunt ×3
    276. Wind
    277. Tidal
    278. GruntGrunt ×3
    279. Wind
    280. GruntGrunt ×3
    281. Converter
    282. GruntGrunt
    283. Wind
    284. GruntGrunt
    285. Tidal
    286. GruntGrunt
    287. Wind
    288. GruntGrunt ×4
    289. Wind
    290. GruntGrunt ×2
    291. Tidal
    292. GruntGrunt
    293. Wind
    294. GruntGrunt
    295. Converter
    296. GruntGrunt ×2
    297. Wind
    298. GruntGrunt
    299. Bot LabBot Labdone 14:24
    300. GruntGrunt ×2
    301. Wind
    302. Tidal
    303. GruntGrunt
    304. Converter
    305. Con turret
    306. GruntGrunt
    307. Wind
    308. Con turret
    309. GruntGrunt
    310. Tidal
    311. GruntGrunt ×2
    312. Converter
    313. GruntGrunt ×4
    314. Tidal
    315. GruntGrunt ×3
    316. Wind
    317. GruntGrunt ×6
    318. Converter
    319. GruntGrunt
    320. Tidal
    321. GruntGrunt
    322. Wind
    323. GruntGrunt ×7
    324. Wind
    325. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    326. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    327. GruntGrunt ×2
    328. Tidal
    329. GruntGrunt
    330. Wind
    331. GruntGrunt
    332. Converter
    333. GruntGrunt ×4
    334. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is RollingBread's (34 OS, 22/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Tidal Generator8 Tidal to Suicide front or Frontfirst at 0:14 · in 96% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:22 · in 80% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build, running totals by minute

Metal produced

010k20k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

01k2k3k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

01k2k3k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

94 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0011500
2:0026000
3:0075200
4:00141400
5:00214200
6:00295100
7:00383900
8:0049135173
9:006340185172
10:007751321513
11:009899740796
12:001235111421054
13:001491015751637
14:001720918372073
15:001993426232966
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

This Cortex pond baseline wins under half its games, with enemy metal destroyed just ahead of own losses by 15:00.

  • + Enemy metal destroyed (3099) edges past own metal lost (3482) less than in Armada pond.
  • − Bot Lab finishes later (5:03) than the Armada pond norm (3:41), slower front support.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

RollingBread

34.1 OS · 22/09/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
487 metal received · 98594 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab3:32Middle 50%: 3:21–4:35 · n=70
Advanced Metal Extractor9:07Middle 50%: 7:43–10:16 · n=77

Played most by

Yamato18games of this buildzeus_on_god7games of this buildEpicTyrannus6games of this buildEXZoPrimer36games of this buildBoozha5games of this build