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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 · 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. Wind
    3. Mex ×3
    4. Bot LabBot Labdone 2:21 · 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 · 15 steps
    1. Wind
    2. GraverobberGraverobber
    3. Wind
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    7. Mex
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. Con turret
    10. GuardGuard
    11. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    12. Wind ×3
    13. WardenWarden
    14. Wind
    15. Energy storage
  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 · 74 steps
    1. Wind ×3
    2. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    3. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    4. Wind
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    6. Wind
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    8. Wind
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    10. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:27 · typical 9:07
    11. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    12. Converter ×2
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    14. Converter
    15. CastroCastro
    16. Converter
    17. Con turret
    18. CastroCastro
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    20. Wind ×5
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    22. Wind
    23. Con turret
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind ×6
    26. Energy storage
    27. Wind ×8
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Wind ×8
    30. Con turret
    31. Wind
    32. Con turret ×2
    33. Wind
    34. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 11:03
    35. Wind
    36. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 12:01
    37. Con turret
    38. Wind ×2
    39. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    40. Wind
    41. Converter
    42. Wind ×6
    43. Con turret
    44. Wind
    45. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 12:15
    46. Converter
    47. Wind
    48. Converter
    49. Wind
    50. Converter ×2
    51. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    52. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    53. Wind
    54. Converter
    55. BeholderBeholder
    56. Converter
    57. Wind
    58. BeholderBeholder
    59. Converter
    60. GuardGuard
    61. Converter
    62. GuardGuard
    63. Wind
    64. GuardGuard
    65. Converter
    66. Wind
    67. Converter
    68. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×5
    69. Converter
    70. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    71. Converter
    72. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    73. Converter
    74. WhirlwindWhirlwind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is zeus_on_god's (39 OS, 06/10/2026); 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 7:22 · 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

zeus_on_god

38.9 OS · 06/10/2026

Open source match ↗

2 received units · includes a constructor
481 metal received · 50600 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