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Pond / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard pond

Economy-first Pond that builds tidal generators and wind for the fronts, often receives a Fatboy from an ally early, then adds a lab and sends units forward while boosting eco throughout.

#eco #team support · 102 distinct matches · 28 players · 40% of Cortex Pond games · team won 55% of 104 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • FatboyFatboy from an ally in 43%18% of all Pond games by then

Then transitions into grunt (23% of army), tick (15% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: T2 constructor by 7:57

  1. Drop 10 tidal generators immediately to boost front's wind.
  2. Take 3 mex, then a fourth, and get a bot lab by 3:02.
  3. Layer in wind and a guard for base defense.
  4. Push for your own T2 constructor once eco is stable.
  5. Transition into advanced mex and small bot army like Grunt and Tick.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 102 GAMES
  1. 1
  2. 2
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 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Tidal Generator8Tidalfor allies
    • Wind Turbine8Wind
    • Tidal Generator2Tidal
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage

    Some games also: converter (48%)

    By 5:00 in all: 4 mex · 8 wind · 2 tidal · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 11 steps
    1. Tidal ×8for Suicide front
    2. Tidal ×2
    3. Mex ×3
    4. Energy storage
    5. Mex
    6. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:08
    7. Wind
    8. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    9. Construction BotCon bot
    10. Con turret
    11. Wind ×8
  2. 2

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine3Wind

    Some games also: converter (45%) · con turret (39%) · wind (33%) · grunt (33%) · con turret (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 16 wind · 2 tidal · 4 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 77 steps
    1. Con turret
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    4. Wind
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    6. Wind
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    8. Mexfor Front
    9. Wind ×8
    10. Converter ×9
    11. Bot LabBot Labdone 9:29
    12. GruntGrunt ×4
    13. GraverobberGraverobber
    14. GruntGrunt ×2
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:41 · typical 9:23
    16. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    17. GruntGrunt
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    19. Bot LabBot Labdone 11:15
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    21. LazarusLazarus
    22. Wind
    23. Con turret
    24. Energy storage
    25. LazarusLazarus
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    27. LazarusLazarus
    28. CenturionCenturion
    29. Wind ×2
    30. CenturionCenturion
    31. Wind
    32. CenturionCenturion
    33. Wind ×2
    34. CenturionCenturion
    35. Wind
    36. CenturionCenturion
    37. Wind
    38. Con turret
    39. Bot LabBot Labdone 13:19
    40. CenturionCenturion
    41. PawnPawn ×2
    42. Wind
    43. LazarusLazarus ×2
    44. Wind
    45. LazarusLazarus
    46. PawnPawn
    47. LazarusLazarus
    48. Wind
    49. PawnPawn ×2
    50. CrossbowCrossbow
    51. Wind
    52. CrossbowCrossbow ×3
    53. Wind
    54. PawnPawn ×5
    55. Wind
    56. PawnPawn ×4
    57. Wind
    58. PawnPawn
    59. LazarusLazarus ×2
    60. PawnPawn ×9
    61. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 14:27
    62. PawnPawn ×4
    63. BruteBrute
    64. PawnPawn ×2
    65. Con turret
    66. PawnPawn ×2
    67. LazarusLazarus ×2
    68. BruteBrute
    69. Con turret
    70. Converter
    71. BeamerBeamer
    72. PawnPawn ×2
    73. BeamerBeamer
    74. PawnPawn
    75. Converter
    76. BruteBrute
    77. PawnPawn ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is [Cookie]Maco's (52 OS, 15/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Tidal Generator8 Tidal to Suicide front or Frontfirst at 0:11 · in 97% of games

You get

  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Geo or Beach seafirst at 2:27 · in 35% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport from Air or Techfirst at 4:42 · in 37% of games
  • Fatboy1 Fatboy from Techfirst at 5:18 · in 43% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:47 · in 94% 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

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

02k4k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

104 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0011500
2:0027800
3:0081600
4:00151000
5:00221700
6:00296200
7:0038262880
8:0046231070189
9:0055351507591
10:0066512171899
11:00825026931360
12:001019431341695
13:001257434542159
14:001466838212820
15:001700442743392
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Standard pond wins slightly more than half its games while producing far less metal than most roles, matching its support job.

  • + Team win rate at 52%, the highest among the six standard builds shown.
  • + 42% of games receive a Fatboy from an ally by 5:17, well above the 18% role norm.
  • − Metal produced by 15:00 is only 16843, the lowest of all builds listed.
  • − Own metal lost climbs to 3271 by 15:00 despite the defensive role.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

[Cookie]Maco

52.5 OS · 15/09/2026

Open source match ↗

280 received units · includes a constructor
621 metal received · 56022 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Advanced Metal Extractor9:23Middle 50%: 8:39–10:27 · n=99

Played most by

[Grump]Matsuri24games of this buildDeathkebab11games of this buildBoozha9games of this buildEXZoPrimer37games of this buildNazarid7games of this build

Supporting games

Pick a game to read and play it above.

Boozha25/09/2026 · 36 OS↗JustSomeGuy25/09/2026 · 38 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri25/09/2026 · 39 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri25/09/2026 · 39 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri25/09/2026 · 39 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri25/09/2026 · 39 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri25/09/2026 · 39 OS↗Boozha25/09/2026 · 36 OS↗[Cookie]Maco15/09/2026 · 52 OS↗
32 more of 96, the most recentCommandoMan25/09/2026 · 35 OS↗Deathkebab24/09/2026 · 36 OS↗Boozha24/09/2026 · 36 OS↗[Cookie]Maco23/09/2026 · 53 OS↗Deathkebab23/09/2026 · 36 OS↗Deathkebab23/09/2026 · 36 OS↗PongoPygmaeus23/09/2026 · 36 OS↗zeus_on_god23/09/2026 · 37 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri23/09/2026 · 39 OS↗CommandoMan23/09/2026 · 35 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri22/09/2026 · 40 OS↗hihimik21/09/2026 · 35 OS↗zeus_on_god21/09/2026 · 38 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri21/09/2026 · 39 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri21/09/2026 · 39 OS↗Boozha20/09/2026 · 36 OS↗Espera20/09/2026 · 38 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri20/09/2026 · 41 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri19/09/2026 · 41 OS↗zeus_on_god17/09/2026 · 37 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri17/09/2026 · 40 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri17/09/2026 · 40 OS↗[Grump]Matsuri17/09/2026 · 40 OS↗Boozha16/09/2026 · 38 OS↗MischievousDragonGF16/09/2026 · 41 OS↗Boozha16/09/2026 · 38 OS↗MischievousDragonGF15/09/2026 · 42 OS↗MischievousDragonGF15/09/2026 · 42 OS↗MischievousDragonGF15/09/2026 · 42 OS↗EpicTyrannus15/09/2026 · 42 OS↗EpicTyrannus14/09/2026 · 41 OS↗
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