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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 · 91 distinct matches · 38 players · 12% of Cortex Pond games · team won 46% of 91 · 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 91 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, 3 wind, 2 tidaldone ~3:33, middle half 3:23–4:45

    By 3:14 in all: 4 mex · 2 tidal (standard 4) · 2 wind · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Tidal ×9for Suicide front
    2. Tidal ×2
    3. Mex ×3
    4. Bot LabBot Labnot finished by 15:00 · typical 3:33
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−4 vs standard

    Some games also: con bot (49%) · con turret (45%) · converter (36%)

    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 · 18 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:08
    3. Wind
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Construction BotCon bot ×5
    7. Wind
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. Wind ×4
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind
    14. Construction BotCon bot
    15. Con turret
    16. Wind ×3
    17. Naval Energy Converter
    18. Converter
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine15Wind+15 vs standard
    • Energy Converter3Converter+3 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: grunt (47%) · con bot (32%) · eat Bot Lab (43%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 24 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 · 220 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Naval Energy Converter
    3. Wind
    4. Naval Energy Converter
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Naval Energy Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Naval Energy Converter
    9. Wind ×5
    10. Naval Energy Converter
    11. Wind ×2
    12. GruntGrunt
    13. Wind ×2
    14. Naval Energy Converter
    15. Wind
    16. GruntGrunt
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Naval Energy Converter
    19. GruntGrunt
    20. Wind
    21. GruntGrunt
    22. Naval Energy Converter
    23. Wind
    24. GruntGrunt
    25. Wind
    26. GruntGrunt
    27. Naval Energy Converter
    28. GruntGrunt
    29. Wind
    30. GruntGrunt
    31. Wind
    32. GruntGrunt
    33. Naval Energy Converter
    34. Wind
    35. GruntGrunt ×2
    36. Wind
    37. Naval Energy Converter
    38. GruntGrunt
    39. Wind
    40. GruntGrunt
    41. Wind
    42. GruntGrunt
    43. Naval Energy Converter
    44. GruntGrunt
    45. Wind
    46. GruntGrunt
    47. Wind
    48. Naval Energy Converter
    49. GruntGrunt
    50. Wind
    51. GruntGrunt
    52. Wind
    53. GruntGrunt
    54. Naval Energy Converter
    55. GruntGrunt
    56. Wind
    57. GruntGrunt
    58. Wind
    59. GruntGrunt
    60. Naval Energy Converter
    61. Wind
    62. GruntGrunt
    63. Wind
    64. GruntGrunt ×2
    65. Wind
    66. GruntGrunt
    67. Naval Energy Converter
    68. Wind
    69. GruntGrunt ×2
    70. Wind
    71. GruntGrunt
    72. Naval Energy Converter
    73. Wind
    74. GruntGrunt ×2
    75. Wind
    76. GruntGrunt ×2
    77. Naval Energy Converter
    78. Wind
    79. GruntGrunt ×2
    80. Wind
    81. GruntGrunt
    82. Naval Energy Converter
    83. Wind
    84. GruntGrunt ×2
    85. Wind
    86. GruntGrunt ×2
    87. Naval Energy Converter
    88. Wind
    89. GruntGrunt ×2
    90. Wind
    91. GruntGrunt
    92. Naval Energy Converter
    93. Wind
    94. GruntGrunt ×2
    95. Wind
    96. GruntGrunt
    97. Naval Energy Converter
    98. Wind
    99. GruntGrunt
    100. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 11:29 · typical 9:06
    101. GruntGrunt
    102. Wind
    103. Naval Energy Converter
    104. GruntGrunt
    105. Wind
    106. GruntGrunt
    107. Naval Energy Converter
    108. GruntGrunt
    109. Wind
    110. GruntGrunt ×2
    111. Wind
    112. GruntGrunt
    113. Wind
    114. GruntGrunt
    115. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    116. GruntGrunt
    117. Wind
    118. GruntGrunt
    119. Wind
    120. GruntGrunt
    121. Wind ×2
    122. Fortification WallFortification Wall ×2
    123. Wind
    124. Mex
    125. Wind ×2
    126. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    127. Wind
    128. Mex
    129. Wind
    130. Bot LabBot Labdone 10:59
    131. Mex ×2
    132. GraverobberGraverobber
    133. GruntGrunt ×2
    134. Con turret
    135. GruntGrunt
    136. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    137. Wind
    138. GruntGrunt
    139. Wind
    140. GruntGrunt
    141. Wind
    142. GruntGrunt
    143. Wind
    144. GruntGrunt
    145. Wind
    146. GruntGrunt
    147. Wind
    148. GruntGrunt
    149. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    150. Wind
    151. GruntGrunt
    152. Wind
    153. Con turret
    154. GruntGrunt
    155. Wind
    156. GruntGrunt
    157. Wind ×2
    158. GruntGrunt
    159. Wind
    160. GruntGrunt
    161. Wind
    162. GruntGrunt
    163. Wind
    164. GruntGrunt
    165. Wind
    166. GruntGrunt
    167. Wind
    168. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    169. GruntGrunt
    170. Wind
    171. GruntGrunt
    172. Wind
    173. GruntGrunt
    174. Wind
    175. Bot LabBot Labdone 13:26
    176. Wind
    177. GruntGrunt ×2
    178. Wind
    179. Con turret
    180. PawnPawn
    181. Wind
    182. GruntGrunt
    183. PawnPawn
    184. Con turret
    185. Wind
    186. GruntGrunt
    187. PawnPawn
    188. Wind
    189. PawnPawn
    190. GruntGrunt
    191. Wind
    192. PawnPawn ×2
    193. GruntGrunt
    194. Wind
    195. GuardGuard
    196. PawnPawn
    197. GruntGrunt
    198. PawnPawn
    199. Wind
    200. GruntGrunt
    201. PawnPawn
    202. GruntGrunt
    203. Wind
    204. PawnPawn
    205. Wind
    206. GruntGrunt
    207. PawnPawn
    208. GruntGrunt
    209. PawnPawn
    210. Wind
    211. GruntGrunt
    212. PawnPawn
    213. GruntGrunt
    214. Wind
    215. PawnPawn
    216. GruntGrunt
    217. PawnPawn
    218. GruntGrunt
    219. Wind
    220. PawnPawn

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is RollingBread's (34 OS, 02/10/2026); 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 7:19 · in 79% 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

91 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0011500
2:0025900
3:0073700
4:00140900
5:00213000
6:00294900
7:00382900
8:0048745486
9:006257220189
10:007661350640
11:009859766836
12:001209211961075
13:001453415781661
14:001688118141995
15:001936126322964
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

33.9 OS · 02/10/2026

Open source match ↗

2 received units · includes a constructor
805 metal received · 28679 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab3:33Middle 50%: 3:23–4:45 · n=67
Advanced Metal Extractor9:06Middle 50%: 7:42–10:16 · n=74

Played most by

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