BAR / BUILD ATLAS
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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

The role's baseline: Aircraft Plant immediately, transports and scouts for the team first, Advanced Metal Extractor and Fusion Reactor on a normal timeline, transitioning into Valiant fighter coverage over the game.

Usually transports first (72%)

#eco #team support #air · 598 distinct matches · 119 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 671 · 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 598 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 ~1:24, middle half 1:13–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (39%)

    By 1:03 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 1:41 · typical 1:24
  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 · 18 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. Wind
    3. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    4. Wind ×2
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    7. ValiantValiant ×2
    8. Mex
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. Wind ×4
    11. Con turret
    12. Wind
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Con turret ×2
    17. Converter
    18. HerculesLight transport
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • 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 (35%) · fusion (35%) · 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 · 261 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Converter
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. Wind
    7. Converter
    8. Wind
    9. Converter
    10. Wind
    11. Mex
    12. Converter
    13. Wind
    14. Converter
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Converter
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Converter
    19. Wind ×2
    20. FinchFinch
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. FinchFinch
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Wind
    27. Converter
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:51 · typical 6:48
    29. Wind
    30. Converter
    31. Con turret
    32. Wind ×2
    33. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    34. Wind
    35. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    36. Wind
    37. Con turret
    38. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    39. Wind ×5
    40. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:15
    41. Wind
    42. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    43. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:34
    44. ValiantValiant
    45. Wind
    46. ValiantValiant ×5
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant ×2
    49. Wind
    50. ValiantValiant ×2
    51. Wind
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. ValiantValiant ×6
    55. Wind
    56. ValiantValiant ×2
    57. Wind
    58. ValiantValiant
    59. Wind
    60. ValiantValiant ×2
    61. Construction BotCon bot
    62. Con turret
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Con turret ×2
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Con turret
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Construction BotCon bot
    69. ValiantValiant ×6
    70. Construction BotCon bot
    71. ValiantValiant ×2
    72. Construction BotCon bot
    73. ValiantValiant ×2
    74. Construction BotCon bot
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Wind
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Construction BotCon bot
    79. Wind
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Wind
    84. ValiantValiant ×2
    85. Construction BotCon bot
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Wind
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Construction BotCon bot
    90. Wind
    91. ValiantValiant
    92. Wind
    93. ValiantValiant
    94. Wind
    95. Construction BotCon bot
    96. ValiantValiant
    97. Wind
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Wind
    104. Con turret
    105. ValiantValiant ×3
    106. Wind
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Wind
    111. ValiantValiant ×2
    112. Wind
    113. ValiantValiant
    114. Wind
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Wind
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Con turret
    119. Con turret
    120. Wind
    121. ValiantValiant
    122. Wind
    123. ValiantValiant
    124. Wind
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind
    127. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    128. Wind ×2
    129. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    130. Wind
    131. Con turret
    132. Wind
    133. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    134. Wind ×2
    135. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    136. Wind ×3
    137. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    138. Wind ×2
    139. ValiantValiant
    140. Wind ×3
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind ×2
    143. Converter
    144. ValiantValiant
    145. Wind
    146. TickTick
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind ×2
    149. TickTick
    150. Wind
    151. TickTick
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. Wind
    154. TickTick
    155. Wind
    156. TickTick
    157. Wind
    158. ValiantValiant
    159. Con turret
    160. TickTick
    161. Wind ×2
    162. TickTick
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. TickTick
    165. Converter
    166. TickTick
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Wind
    169. TickTick
    170. Wind
    171. ValiantValiant
    172. TickTick
    173. Wind
    174. TickTick
    175. Wind ×2
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. TickTick
    178. Wind ×2
    179. TickTick
    180. Wind
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. TickTick
    183. Wind
    184. TickTick
    185. Wind ×2
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. TickTick
    188. Wind ×2
    189. TickTick
    190. Wind
    191. FinchFinch
    192. TickTick
    193. Converter
    194. TickTick
    195. Wind
    196. Converter
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. TickTick ×2
    199. Wind ×2
    200. ValiantValiant
    201. TickTick
    202. Wind ×3
    203. TickTick
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. TickTick
    206. Wind ×3
    207. TickTick
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind ×2
    210. TickTick
    211. Wind ×2
    212. TickTick
    213. Wind
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Con turret
    216. ValiantValiant
    217. Converter ×2
    218. ValiantValiant
    219. Wind ×2
    220. ValiantValiant
    221. Wind
    222. Con turret
    223. Wind ×2
    224. Con turret
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. Wind ×2
    227. Con turret
    228. Wind
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind ×2
    231. Con turret
    232. Converter ×2
    233. ValiantValiant
    234. Con turret ×2
    235. Wind ×2
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Wind ×3
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind ×3
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Wind ×2
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind ×2
    246. Converter
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind ×2
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Wind ×2
    253. ValiantValiant
    254. Wind ×2
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind
    257. Converter
    258. ValiantValiant
    259. Wind ×2
    260. ValiantValiant
    261. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Xad's (40 OS, 03/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:51 · 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 2:25 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:39 · in 65% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 49% 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

671 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002054051
5:00276673116
6:003772125167
7:005147190224
8:007026240292
9:009354263343
10:0011850338467
11:0014411439631
12:0017116585949
13:00199489191276
14:002269914241819
15:002558820892709
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

Xad

40.2 OS · 03/10/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
13 metal received · 119148 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:24Middle 50%: 1:13–1:35 · n=671
Advanced Metal Extractor6:48Middle 50%: 6:22–7:25 · n=645
Fusion Reactor10:55Middle 50%: 9:53–12:11 · n=413

Played most by

DRM39games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildTheGeneraI32games of this buildImmort28games of this buildNutzz28games of this build
Standard air · Cortex Air build order · BAR Build Atlas