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

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

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 · 555 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 624 · 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 555 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 1:13–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (38%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:21 · 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
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken

    Some games also: energy storage (45%) · light transport (44%) · converter (39%) · con turret (33%)

    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 · 35 steps
    1. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    2. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    3. ValiantValiant
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    5. Wind
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Wind ×3
    8. FinchFinch
    9. Wind
    10. Con turret
    11. FinchFinch
    12. Mex
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind ×2
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Wind
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. Wind
    19. ValiantValiant
    20. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    21. Con turret
    22. Converter
    23. Con turret ×2
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Wind
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. Wind
    30. Wind
    31. Wind ×2
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Wind
    35. Wind
  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 · 264 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Converter
    3. Wind
    4. Wind
    5. Wind
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Converter
    9. Wind
    10. Wind
    11. Converter
    12. Wind
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. Converter
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. Wind
    20. Wind
    21. Wind
    22. Wind
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:15 · typical 6:50
    24. Wind
    25. Wind
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    27. Wind
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Con turret
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. Wind
    32. Solar
    33. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:21
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:29
    36. ShurikenShuriken ×5
    37. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:58
    38. Construction BotCon bot ×8
    39. Wind
    40. Construction BotCon bot
    41. Wind ×2
    42. Construction BotCon bot
    43. Wind
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Wind ×2
    46. Construction BotCon bot
    47. Wind
    48. Construction BotCon bot
    49. Wind ×2
    50. Construction BotCon bot
    51. Wind
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. Wind ×2
    54. Construction BotCon bot
    55. Wind
    56. Construction BotCon bot
    57. Wind
    58. Construction BotCon bot
    59. Wind ×2
    60. Construction BotCon bot
    61. Wind ×2
    62. Construction BotCon bot
    63. Wind
    64. Construction BotCon bot
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Construction BotCon bot
    67. Wind ×2
    68. Construction BotCon bot
    69. Wind ×9
    70. Converter
    71. Wind ×5
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×3
    74. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 11:31
    75. Wind ×3
    76. Converter
    77. Wind ×6
    78. Converter
    79. Wind ×3
    80. Energy storage
    81. Wind ×3
    82. Converter
    83. Wind ×6
    84. Converter
    85. Wind
    86. Converter
    87. Wind ×4
    88. Con turret
    89. Wind
    90. Converter
    91. Wind ×3
    92. Converter
    93. Wind ×2
    94. Con turret
    95. Wind
    96. Converter
    97. Wind
    98. Converter
    99. Wind ×5
    100. Converter
    101. Wind ×2
    102. Converter
    103. Wind
    104. Con turret
    105. Wind ×3
    106. Converter
    107. Wind
    108. Converter
    109. Wind ×6
    110. Converter ×2
    111. Wind ×6
    112. Converter
    113. Wind
    114. Converter
    115. Wind ×4
    116. NighthawkNighthawk
    117. Converter
    118. Wind ×3
    119. Converter
    120. Con turret
    121. NighthawkNighthawk
    122. Wind
    123. Con turret
    124. Wind ×2
    125. Converter
    126. Wind
    127. Converter
    128. Wind
    129. Energy storage
    130. Wind
    131. NighthawkNighthawk
    132. Energy storage
    133. Wind ×3
    134. Converter
    135. NighthawkNighthawk
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×3
    138. Converter
    139. Wind
    140. NighthawkNighthawk
    141. Wind ×3
    142. WaspWasp
    143. Converter
    144. Wind ×2
    145. Converter
    146. Wind ×2
    147. WaspWasp
    148. Wind
    149. Converter
    150. Wind ×4
    151. Converter
    152. Wind
    153. WaspWasp
    154. Wind ×2
    155. Converter
    156. Wind ×4
    157. Converter
    158. WaspWasp
    159. Wind ×2
    160. Converter
    161. Wind ×4
    162. WaspWasp
    163. Converter
    164. Wind ×3
    165. Converter
    166. Wind
    167. NighthawkNighthawk
    168. Wind ×3
    169. Converter
    170. Wind
    171. NighthawkNighthawk
    172. Wind ×3
    173. Con turret
    174. Converter
    175. Wind
    176. Con turret
    177. Wind ×3
    178. Converter
    179. NighthawkNighthawk
    180. Wind ×2
    181. Converter
    182. Wind
    183. NighthawkNighthawk
    184. Wind ×2
    185. Converter
    186. NighthawkNighthawk
    187. Wind ×4
    188. NighthawkNighthawk
    189. Converter
    190. Wind
    191. NighthawkNighthawk
    192. Wind ×3
    193. Converter
    194. NighthawkNighthawk
    195. Wind ×2
    196. Converter
    197. NighthawkNighthawk
    198. Wind
    199. AnglerTorpedo bomberdone 13:31
    200. Wind ×3
    201. Converter
    202. Wind ×2
    203. Converter
    204. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    205. Wind ×5
    206. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    207. Converter ×2
    208. Wind ×4
    209. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    210. Con turret
    211. Wind ×2
    212. Converter
    213. Con turret
    214. Wind
    215. Converter
    216. Con turret
    217. Wind ×3
    218. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    219. Wind ×3
    220. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    221. Wind
    222. Converter
    223. T2 converter
    224. Wind ×3
    225. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    226. Wind ×5
    227. Converter
    228. Wind ×4
    229. Converter
    230. Wind
    231. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    232. Wind ×2
    233. Converter
    234. Wind
    235. Con turret
    236. Wind ×3
    237. Con turret
    238. Wind
    239. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    240. Con turret ×2
    241. Converter ×2
    242. Con turret
    243. Wind ×4
    244. Con turret
    245. Wind
    246. AnglerTorpedo bomber
    247. Wind ×3
    248. Con turret
    249. Converter ×2
    250. NighthawkNighthawk
    251. Wind ×2
    252. NighthawkNighthawk
    253. Wind ×2
    254. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 14:53
    255. NighthawkNighthawk
    256. Wind ×2
    257. Converter
    258. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    259. Wind
    260. NighthawkNighthawk
    261. Wind
    262. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    263. Wind ×2
    264. NighthawkNighthawk

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Cokeado's (39 OS, 17/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:51 · in 96% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Geofirst at 2:06 · in 99% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:26 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 64% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 48% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:20 · in 85% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:03 · 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

624 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003759125167
7:005136190219
8:007017225290
9:009298258342
10:0011788328471
11:0014383440641
12:0017097606958
13:00199439331269
14:002265314171801
15:002554320602701
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

Cokeado

39.2 OS · 17/09/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
2044 metal received · 298151 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:35 · n=624
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=599
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:16 · n=383

Played most by

DRM37games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build