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

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first air build: Aircraft Plant then Advanced Metal Extractor and Fusion Reactor, making transports and scouts for allies while transitioning into fighters and occasional bombers over the whole game.

Usually transports first (78%)

#eco #air #team support · 1490 distinct matches · 252 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1793 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 1:24

  1. Open 3 mex and wind, then drop Aircraft Plant early.
  2. Finish Aircraft Plant and start fighters for scouting and defense.
  3. Eat the Aircraft Plant once production needs outgrow it.
  4. Get Advanced Metal Extractor up to scale eco.
  5. Bring Fusion Reactor online and keep feeding transports, scouts, fighters to allies.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 1490 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 ~1:26, middle half 1:14–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (38%)

    By 1:07 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:16 · typical 1:26
  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
    • Hercules2 Light transport for allies
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Finch1 Finch
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: shuriken (49%) · energy storage (45%) · converter (44%) · light transport (40%)

    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 · 32 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch ×2for Beach sea
    3. Wind ×2
    4. FinchFinch
    5. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    6. Wind
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    8. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    9. Con turret
    10. ValiantValiant ×2
    11. Mex
    12. Wind ×2
    13. ValiantValiant ×3
    14. Wind ×2
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Wind ×2
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. Wind
    19. Wind
    20. Wind
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. Wind
    25. ValiantValiant
    26. Wind ×2
    27. ValiantValiant
    28. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    29. Wind
    30. Con turret
    31. HerculesLight transport
    32. Wind
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine21Wind
    • Wind Turbine5Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plant
    2. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 19 wind, 18 wind, 7 converterin 58% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant

    Some games also: shuriken (48%) · fusion (38%) · con aircraft (35%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 25 wind · 20 wind · 8 converter · 1 energy storage

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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is OsamaBinClappin's (30 OS, 24/09/2026); 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 Beach seafirst at 2:06 · in 99% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:23 · in 72% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:37 · in 64% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:42 · in 46% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:22 · in 88% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:05 · in 96% 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

01k2k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

01k2k3k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

1793 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002052051
5:0027635173
6:003706102124
7:005088146167
8:006900190219
9:009279232270
10:0011757292384
11:0014351373540
12:0017061515781
13:00198467811109
14:002269912691689
15:002570018082409
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Standard air play wins less than half its games, with very low combat losses and kills since the role mostly supports rather than fights.

  • + Own metal lost stays very low, only 2701 by 15:00.
  • + Metal production reaches 25740 by 15:00, a strong support economy.
  • − Team wins under half of games (47%).
  • − Enemy metal destroyed stays low at 2097 by 15:00, showing little direct impact.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

OsamaBinClappin

30.3 OS · 24/09/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
2115 metal received · 44776 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:26Middle 50%: 1:14–1:35 · n=1793
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1734
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:47–12:18 · n=1147

Played most by

TheGeneraI113games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildMilkdragon51games of this buildAdeus50games of this build