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 · 1506 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1811 · 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 1506 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×6
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:48 · 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 · 23 steps
    1. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    2. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    3. Con turret
    4. ValiantValiant ×2
    5. Wind
    6. Mex
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Con turret
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Wind
    11. Con turret
    12. Wind ×5
    13. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    14. Wind
    15. Converter
    16. Wind
    17. HerculesLight transport
    18. Wind
    19. Converter
    20. Wind ×3
    21. Converter
    22. Wind ×3
    23. Converter
  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 (47%) · 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 · 262 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. Wind
    4. Converter
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Wind
    10. Converter
    11. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:10 · typical 6:54
    13. Wind
    14. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    15. Wind
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    20. Bot LabBot Labdone 6:59
    21. Construction BotCon bot ×5
    22. Converter
    23. Wind
    24. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    25. Wind ×4
    26. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 8:57 · typical 10:53
    27. Wind ×3
    28. Con turret
    29. Wind ×2
    30. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    31. Wind ×11
    32. Converter
    33. Wind ×4
    34. Converter
    35. Wind ×2
    36. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:14
    37. Wind ×2
    38. Converter
    39. Wind ×4
    40. Converter
    41. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    42. Wind ×4
    43. ValiantValiant
    44. Converter
    45. Wind
    46. ValiantValiant
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. Wind ×2
    50. ValiantValiant
    51. Converter
    52. Wind
    53. ValiantValiant
    54. Wind
    55. ValiantValiant
    56. Wind
    57. Con turret
    58. Wind
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind
    61. ValiantValiant
    62. Wind ×2
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Wind ×2
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Converter
    72. Wind
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Converter
    77. Wind ×2
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind
    82. Converter
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Converter
    87. Wind
    88. ValiantValiant ×2
    89. Converter
    90. Wind ×2
    91. ValiantValiant
    92. Wind ×2
    93. ValiantValiant
    94. Converter
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Wind ×2
    97. Converter
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind ×2
    100. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    101. Converter
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Wind
    104. Con turret
    105. Wind
    106. Converter
    107. Wind
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind
    110. Con turret
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Converter
    113. Wind ×3
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Con turret
    116. Converter
    117. Wind
    118. Con turret
    119. Wind
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind
    122. Con turret
    123. Wind
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Con turret
    126. Converter
    127. Wind
    128. ValiantValiant
    129. Wind
    130. Con turret
    131. Wind
    132. Con turret
    133. Converter
    134. Wind
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. Wind
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind
    139. ValiantValiant
    140. Converter
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind
    143. ValiantValiant
    144. Converter
    145. Wind
    146. ValiantValiant ×3
    147. Wind ×2
    148. ValiantValiant
    149. Converter
    150. ValiantValiant ×2
    151. Wind
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. Wind
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Converter
    156. ValiantValiant ×2
    157. Wind ×2
    158. ValiantValiant ×2
    159. Converter
    160. ValiantValiant
    161. Wind
    162. ValiantValiant
    163. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    164. Wind
    165. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    166. Wind
    167. Converter
    168. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    169. Wind
    170. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    171. Wind
    172. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    173. Converter
    174. Wind
    175. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    176. Wind ×2
    177. Converter
    178. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    179. Wind ×2
    180. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    181. Converter
    182. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    183. Wind ×2
    184. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    185. Wind
    186. Converter
    187. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    188. Wind
    189. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    190. Wind ×2
    191. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    192. Converter
    193. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    194. Wind
    195. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    196. Wind
    197. Converter
    198. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    199. Wind
    200. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    201. Wind
    202. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    203. Converter
    204. Wind
    205. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    206. Wind
    207. Converter
    208. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    209. Wind ×2
    210. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    211. Converter
    212. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    213. Wind ×2
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. FinchFinch
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind ×2
    219. ValiantValiant ×3
    220. Wind
    221. ValiantValiant
    222. Wind
    223. Converter
    224. ValiantValiant ×2
    225. Wind ×2
    226. Converter
    227. ValiantValiant ×3
    228. Wind
    229. Converter
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind
    232. ValiantValiant ×3
    233. Converter
    234. Wind ×2
    235. ValiantValiant ×2
    236. Wind ×2
    237. ValiantValiant ×2
    238. Converter
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Wind ×2
    244. ValiantValiant ×2
    245. Converter
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Wind
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Wind
    250. ValiantValiant
    251. Wind ×2
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Converter
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind
    256. ValiantValiant ×2
    257. Wind
    258. ShurikenShuriken
    259. Wind ×2
    260. ShurikenShuriken
    261. Converter
    262. ShurikenShuriken

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is DonGarillo's (33 OS, 05/10/2026); 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 2:23 · 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

1811 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
6:003707102124
7:005089146167
8:006902190219
9:009284230270
10:0011758292380
11:0014356369536
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811102
14:002270412641689
15:002573618132420
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

DonGarillo

33.1 OS · 05/10/2026

Open source match ↗

2 received units · includes a constructor
877 metal received · 31049 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=1811
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1751
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:45–12:17 · n=1159

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this build