BAR / BUILD ATLAS
← All builds
Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

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.

Usually transports first (72%)

#eco #team support #air · 501 distinct matches · 111 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 559 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 1:23

  1. Take 3 mex and open straight into Aircraft Plant.
  2. Finish Aircraft Plant, start pumping Valiant for escort duty.
  3. Get T2 constructor going to scale eco alongside air production.
  4. Add Advanced Metal Extractor to keep pace with team's economy.
  5. Bring Fusion Reactor online, keep making Hercules and Finch for allies.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 501 GAMES
  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 Aircraft Plant

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor3Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 3 mex, 4 winddone ~1:22, middle half 1:13–1:33

    Some games also: energy storage (37%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:09 · typical 1:22
  2. 2

    Aircraft Plant to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine9Wind
    • Wind Turbine3Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret
    • Construction Aircraft1 Con aircraft
    Army
    • Valiant5 Valiant
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Hercules2 Light transport for allies
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: energy storage (46%) · light transport (44%) · converter (40%) · con turret (31%)

    By 5:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 13 wind · 3 wind · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 31 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Solar
    5. Wind
    6. HerculesLight transportfor Geo
    7. Wind ×3
    8. FinchFinchfor Geo
    9. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Geo sea
    10. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    11. ValiantValiantfor Geo
    12. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Energy storage
    15. Mex
    16. ValiantValiantfor Geo
    17. HerculesLight transport ×2for Tech
    18. HerculesLight transport
    19. ValiantValiantfor Geo
    20. ShurikenShuriken
    21. Con turret
    22. ShurikenShuriken
    23. FinchFinch
    24. Con turret
    25. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    26. Wind
    27. Converter
    28. Wind
    29. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    30. Converter
    31. Wind ×2
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine5Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 18 wind, 17 wind, 6 converterin 58% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret4 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken

    Some games also: con aircraft (36%) · fusion (33%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 24 wind · 20 wind · 8 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 346 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Converter
    4. Wind
    5. Wind ×3
    6. Con turret
    7. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:15 · typical 6:50
    8. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    9. Con turret
    10. Wind ×2
    11. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    12. Wind
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    14. Wind
    15. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    16. FinchFinch
    17. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    18. Wind ×4
    19. ShurikenShuriken
    20. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:39
    21. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    22. Wind
    23. Con turret
    24. Construction BotCon bot
    25. Con turret
    26. Wind
    27. ValiantValiant
    28. Construction BotCon bot
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind
    31. Converter
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. Advanced solar
    34. Wind
    35. Construction BotCon bot
    36. Converter
    37. Wind
    38. ValiantValiantfor Geo
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Advanced solar
    41. Wind
    42. Construction BotCon bot
    43. Wind
    44. Advanced solar
    45. Converter
    46. Wind
    47. Construction BotCon bot
    48. Wind
    49. Converter
    50. Wind
    51. Construction BotCon bot
    52. Wind
    53. Converter
    54. Construction BotCon bot
    55. Con turret
    56. Wind
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Wind
    59. Converter
    60. Wind ×3
    61. Converter
    62. Wind
    63. Converter
    64. Wind ×2
    65. Con turret
    66. Converter
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Con turret
    69. Converter
    70. Wind
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind ×2
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. Advanced solar
    76. Converter
    77. Wind
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Construction BotCon bot
    80. Wind ×2
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Wind ×3
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind
    87. Advanced solar
    88. Wind
    89. ValiantValiant
    90. Wind
    91. Converter
    92. Windfor Geo
    93. ValiantValiant
    94. Wind ×2
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Wind
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Windfor Geo
    99. Wind ×2
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind ×2
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Converter
    104. Advanced solar
    105. ValiantValiant
    106. Wind ×5
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind ×2
    109. Converter
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Wind ×4
    112. Con turret
    113. Wind ×2
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Converter
    116. Wind ×2
    117. Wind
    118. Wind
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Wind ×2
    121. Wind ×2
    122. Wind
    123. ValiantValiant
    124. Wind ×2
    125. Wind
    126. Wind ×3
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. Wind
    129. Converter
    130. Wind
    131. ValiantValiant
    132. Wind ×2
    133. Wind
    134. Wind ×2
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. Wind
    137. Wind
    138. ValiantValiant
    139. Wind
    140. Windfor Geo
    141. Wind
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind
    144. Converter
    145. Wind
    146. Wind
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind ×2
    149. Windfor Geo
    150. Wind
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Wind
    153. ValiantValiant
    154. Wind ×2
    155. Converter
    156. Wind ×2
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Wind
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind ×2
    161. ValiantValiant
    162. Wind ×2
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind
    165. Converter
    166. Wind
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Wind ×3
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind
    171. ValiantValiant
    172. Wind ×2
    173. ValiantValiant
    174. Wind
    175. Converter
    176. Con turret
    177. Wind
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind
    180. Con turret
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. Wind ×2
    183. ValiantValiant
    184. Wind ×2
    185. Converter
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind ×3
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    190. Windfor Geo
    191. Wind
    192. ValiantValiant
    193. Wind ×3
    194. Windfor Geo
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Con turretfor Geo
    197. Wind ×3
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Wind
    200. Windfor Geo
    201. Wind
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind ×2
    204. Windfor Geo
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Wind ×2
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind ×4
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind ×2
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind ×2
    214. Converter
    215. Wind
    216. ValiantValiant
    217. Wind ×2
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind ×3
    221. Converter
    222. ValiantValiant
    223. Wind ×2
    224. ValiantValiant
    225. Converter
    226. Wind ×2
    227. Converter
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Wind ×2
    230. Wind
    231. ValiantValiant
    232. Wind
    233. Converter
    234. ValiantValiant
    235. Windfor Geo
    236. Wind
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Wind
    239. Converter
    240. Wind
    241. ValiantValiant
    242. Converter
    243. Windfor Geo
    244. ValiantValiant ×2
    245. Wind ×2
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Converter
    248. Wind
    249. Converter
    250. ValiantValiant
    251. Wind
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Wind
    254. Windfor Geo
    255. Converter
    256. Wind
    257. ValiantValiant ×2
    258. Wind
    259. Converter
    260. Wind
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Wind
    263. Windfor Geo
    264. Wind
    265. ValiantValiant
    266. Wind
    267. ValiantValiant
    268. Wind ×2
    269. ValiantValiant
    270. Converter
    271. ValiantValiant
    272. Wind ×2
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. Wind
    275. ValiantValiant
    276. Wind ×2
    277. ValiantValiant
    278. Wind ×2
    279. ValiantValiant
    280. Converter
    281. ValiantValiant
    282. Wind
    283. ValiantValiant
    284. Wind ×3
    285. ValiantValiant
    286. Wind
    287. ValiantValiant
    288. Wind
    289. ValiantValiant ×2
    290. Wind
    291. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Geo
    292. Wind
    293. Wind
    294. Wind
    295. ValiantValiant
    296. Wind
    297. ShurikenShuriken
    298. Wind
    299. ShurikenShuriken
    300. Wind
    301. ShurikenShuriken
    302. Wind
    303. Windfor Geo
    304. ShurikenShuriken ×3
    305. Wind ×2
    306. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    307. Windfor Geo
    308. Wind
    309. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    310. Wind
    311. ValiantValiant ×2
    312. Wind ×2
    313. ValiantValiant
    314. Windfor Geo
    315. Wind
    316. ValiantValiant
    317. Wind
    318. Wind
    319. ValiantValiant
    320. Wind ×2
    321. Converter
    322. ValiantValiant
    323. Windfor Geo
    324. ValiantValiant
    325. Wind ×2
    326. Converter
    327. Wind
    328. ValiantValiant
    329. Wind
    330. ValiantValiant
    331. Wind
    332. Converter
    333. ValiantValiant
    334. Wind
    335. ValiantValiant
    336. Wind ×2
    337. Wind
    338. ValiantValiant
    339. Converter
    340. Wind ×2
    341. ValiantValiant
    342. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00 · typical 10:56
    343. Wind
    344. Converter
    345. ValiantValiant
    346. Wind ×3

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is RitualMurder's (38 OS, 05/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · in 96% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Geofirst at 2:05 · in 98% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:26 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:38 · in 66% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:45 · in 48% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:19 · in 84% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:04 · in 94% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build, running totals by minute

Metal produced

010k20k30k
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

559 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092400
3:00145700
4:002052051
5:00276573102
6:003779124147
7:005128176219
8:007036220281
9:009352250341
10:0011841314464
11:0014395439635
12:0017109605955
13:00199329071256
14:002261913911819
15:002548920592748
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

This is the role's standard support job, winning less than half its games while producing little combat impact but reliably feeding transports and scouts to teammates.

  • + Reaches Aircraft Plant almost immediately (1:23), fast T2 constructor by 5:58.
  • + Keeps own losses low (2789 by 15:00) versus other roles.
  • − Destroys only 2027 enemy metal by 15:00, minimal combat contribution.
  • − Fusion Reactor only completes in 57% of games, some games stall on eco.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

RitualMurder

38.2 OS · 05/09/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
603 metal received · 53170 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:33 · n=559
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:23–7:27 · n=536
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:02–12:19 · n=338

Played most by

DRM35games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildAdeus28games of this buildNutzz25games of this buildhaaven24games of this build