I noticed that just a single stinger & aspis are enough of a protection. With a good positioning that's hard to engage, it turns into a distraction more than anything.
My current strategy was to build an amph bot in the back, 5 ducks, rush towards mid, 5 buoys, build a stinger close to the frontline, keep ducks and buoys in a line formation at the mid without going further, build an aspis and the cloakbot factory. The clockbot factory is, preferrably, behind natural terrain, or in a hard-to-press position.
With 2 additional plates, it is possible to pump out 15 glaives at the frontline within sheer seconds, along with 6 conjurers (which can get in the right places fast). If need be, every unit is cheap & fast to pump out, and it is far easier to get reclaim. Even if the enemy tries to take out the aspis, chances are, they'll waste time & patience doing so, if not feed the cloak rush.
Here are three games I had with it:
https://zero-k.info/Battles/Detail/1742644https://zero-k.info/Battles/Detail/1742615https://zero-k.info/Battles/Detail/1742599Here is a failed game (which could have been won if not for the nuke):
https://zero-k.info/Battles/Detail/1742681