BAR / BUILD ATLAS
SUPREME ISTHMUS / 8 VS 8

Know your ground.
Build your advantage.

Openings found in real games.
Follow the sequence. Understand the role.
Find your next first move.

THE OPENING BOOK

Builds from the battlefield08

MOST COMMON FIRST · WHAT SETS EACH BUILD APART · TYPICAL TIMINGSEVIDENCE
01
Geo seaEconomy first#naval#eco

Standard geo sea

The role's default economy-first play: bot lab then shipyard in the cove, quick frigate/submarine/destroyer navy to contest sea and hold the coast, transitioning into whatever the sea fight needs.

Bot Lab → Shipyard → Submarine → Frigate

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine→Solar Collector ×2×2→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Metal Extractor→Construction Turret→Metal Extractor

83% of Cortex Geo sea games · team won 52% of 1005 · Then: frigate, destroyer, submarine · Last seen 25 Sept

897MATCHES97 players
02
FrontEconomy first#eco

Standard front

Standard economy-first Front play: Bot Lab and Vehicle Plant almost immediately, Advanced Metal Extractor around 9 minutes, with a mixed T1 army of Blitz, Rocketeer, Pawn and Janus sent to hold the wider gap and then middle.

Bot Lab → Vehicle Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Metal Extractor ×3×3→Construction Turret→Wind Turbine ×9×9→Construction Turret→Wind Turbine ×15×15

75% of Armada Front games · team won 63% of 1063 · Then: blitz, rocketeer, pawn · Last seen 25 Sept

935MATCHES127 players
03
Beach seaEconomy first#naval#eco

Standard beach sea

The role's usual play: com goes to sea to build a shipyard around 2 minutes, pumping frigates and destroyers to contest enemy sea entry or hold vision, with an advanced metal extractor around 10 minutes as the transition into the team's…

Shipyard → Frigate → Destroyer → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Solar Collector→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Energy Storage→Wind Turbine→Shipyard→Tidal Generator→Metal Extractor ×3×3

84% of Cortex Beach sea games · team won 55% of 789 · Then: frigate, destroyer · Last seen 25 Sept

729MATCHES102 players
04
TechEconomy first#eco#t2#team support

Standard tech

Standard Tech play: rush T2 factory and constructor by ~4:15-4:33, upgrade the first mexes to advanced, and hand off constructors and army to Geo and allies while scaling eco over the game.

Bot Lab → Advanced Bot Lab → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×8×8→Energy Storage→Bot Lab→Construction Turret→Metal Extractor→Construction Turret→Wind Turbine ×2×2

59% of Armada Tech games · team won 53% of 793 · Then: anti-nuke, Platypus, anti-nuke · Last seen 25 Sept

681MATCHES101 players
05
GeoEconomy first#eco#t2

Standard geo

Standard Geo economy-first play: geothermal by 3:26, T2 constructor by 4:55, advanced geothermal and vehicle plant around 7:07, transitioning into Starlight and T1 vehicles for front while supplying allies with cons and Lazarus.

Bot Lab → Geothermal Powerplant → Advanced Metal Extractor → Advanced Geothermal Powerplant

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×2×2→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×4×4→Metal Extractor ×2×2→Energy Storage→Geothermal Powerplant→Construction Turret ×2×2

58% of Armada Geo games · team won 55% of 745 · Then: Starlight, Jaguar, blitz · Last seen 25 Sept

660MATCHES107 players
06
AirEconomy first#eco#team support#air

Standard air

The usual Cortex air game: Aircraft Plant just after the start, Advanced Metal Extractor around 7 minutes and Fusion Reactor around 11 minutes, making transports and fighters for the team while scaling economy normally.

Aircraft Plant → Advanced Metal Extractor → Fusion Reactor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Solar Collector→Wind Turbine ×2×2→Aircraft Plant→Wind Turbine ×10×10→Metal Extractor→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Construction Turret

80% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 559 · Then: valiant, shuriken · Last seen 25 Sept

501MATCHES111 players
07
PondEconomy first#eco#team support

Standard pond

Standard Pond play: fast Bot Lab and early boosting into Advanced Metal Extractor, sending Tick/Pawn/Blitz to front while tidal-boosting allies throughout.

Bot Lab → Advanced Metal Extractor

OPENINGTidal Generator ×10×10→Metal Extractor ×4×4→Wind Turbine ×8×8→Energy Storage ×2×2→Wind Turbine ×17×17→Energy Converter→Bot Lab→Energy Converter ×3×3

59% of Armada Pond games · team won 50% of 510 · Then: tick, pawn, blitz · Last seen 25 Sept

448MATCHES96 players
08
TechArmadaEconomy first#eco#t2

Fast fusion

Tech pushes a Fusion Reactor much earlier than normal (from 8:50 instead of ~12:11) to accelerate its own and the team's energy income, while still funneling T2 constructors to Geo.

Fusion Reactor from 8:50 · 13% of role by then

Bot Lab → Advanced Bot Lab → Advanced Metal Extractor → Fusion Reactor

OPENINGMetal Extractor ×3×3→Wind Turbine ×3×3→Bot Lab→Wind Turbine ×4×4→Metal Extractor→Wind Turbine→Construction Turret ×2×2→Energy Storage

6% of Armada Tech games · team won 66% of 77 · Then: anti-nuke, Armageddon, Platypus · Last seen 25 Sept

76MATCHES28 players
Initial collection in progressHow builds are found ↗
01 / OBSERVE

Real games. Real sequences.

02 / RECOGNISE

Repeated openings, made readable.

03 / ADAPT

A starting point for your own game.