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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4for Tech
    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 · 36 steps
    1. Windfor Tech
    2. FinchFinch
    3. Windfor Tech
    4. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    5. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    6. Wind ×2for Tech
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    8. Windfor Tech
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Tech
    10. Con turretfor Tech
    11. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Tech
    12. Mex
    13. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    14. Windfor Tech
    15. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    16. Windfor Tech
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. HerculesLight transport ×2for Tech
    19. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    20. Windfor Tech
    21. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    22. Windfor Tech
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. ShurikenShuriken ×2for Tech
    25. Windfor Tech
    26. ShurikenShurikenfor Tech
    27. Windfor Tech
    28. ShurikenShurikenfor Tech
    29. Energy storagefor Tech
    30. Windfor Tech
    31. ShurikenShurikenfor Tech
    32. Wind ×2for Tech
    33. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    34. Windfor Tech
    35. ValiantValiant
    36. Wind ×2for Tech
  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 · 157 steps
    1. Wind ×5for Tech
    2. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Techdone 6:18 · typical 6:54
    3. Con turretfor Tech
    4. Windfor Tech
    5. FinchFinch
    6. Windfor Tech
    7. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2for Tech
    9. Wind ×2for Tech
    10. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Tech
    11. Wind ×9for Tech
    12. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:48
    13. Windfor Tech
    14. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    15. Wind ×2for Tech
    16. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    17. Windfor Tech
    18. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    19. Windfor Tech
    20. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    21. Windfor Tech
    22. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    23. Wind ×3for Tech
    24. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    25. Wind ×2for Tech
    26. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    27. Wind ×2for Tech
    28. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    29. Wind ×4for Tech
    30. Converterfor Tech
    31. Windfor Tech
    32. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    33. Converterfor Tech
    34. Wind ×4for Tech
    35. Converterfor Tech
    36. Construction BotCon bot ×2for Tech
    37. Converterfor Tech
    38. Windfor Tech
    39. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    40. Converterfor Tech
    41. Wind ×2for Tech
    42. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    43. Converterfor Tech
    44. Windfor Tech
    45. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    46. Wind ×4for Tech
    47. Converterfor Tech
    48. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    49. Wind ×3for Tech
    50. Converterfor Tech
    51. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    52. Windfor Tech
    53. Converterfor Tech
    54. Wind ×2for Tech
    55. Converterfor Tech
    56. Wind ×3for Tech
    57. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    58. Converter ×2for Tech
    59. Wind ×4for Tech
    60. Converterfor Tech
    61. Windfor Tech
    62. Con turretfor Tech
    63. Windfor Tech
    64. Converterfor Tech
    65. Wind ×3for Tech
    66. Converterfor Tech
    67. Windfor Tech
    68. Con turretfor Tech
    69. Windfor Tech
    70. Converterfor Tech
    71. Wind ×3for Tech
    72. Con turretfor Tech
    73. Wind ×2for Tech
    74. Converterfor Tech
    75. Windfor Tech
    76. Con turretfor Tech
    77. Windfor Tech
    78. Converterfor Tech
    79. Wind ×4for Tech
    80. Con turretfor Tech
    81. Windfor Tech
    82. Converterfor Tech
    83. Con turretfor Tech
    84. Windfor Tech
    85. Con turretfor Tech
    86. Wind ×5for Tech
    87. Converterfor Tech
    88. Con turretfor Tech
    89. Wind ×2for Tech
    90. Con turretfor Tech
    91. TracerTracerfor Tech
    92. Wind ×3for Tech
    93. Converterfor Tech
    94. GruntGruntfor Tech
    95. Windfor Tech
    96. Con turretfor Tech
    97. Windfor Tech
    98. GruntGruntfor Tech
    99. Converterfor Tech
    100. Wind ×3for Tech
    101. GruntGruntfor Tech
    102. Wind ×2for Tech
    103. GruntGruntfor Tech
    104. Converter ×2for Tech
    105. Windfor Tech
    106. GruntGruntfor Tech
    107. Windfor Tech
    108. Converter ×2for Tech
    109. Windfor Tech
    110. Converterfor Tech
    111. Wind ×3for Tech
    112. Converter ×2for Tech
    113. Wind ×2for Tech
    114. Converterfor Tech
    115. Windfor Tech
    116. Hardened Energy Storagefor Tech
    117. Windfor Tech
    118. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    119. Windfor Tech
    120. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 11:42
    121. Wind ×2for Tech
    122. Converterfor Tech
    123. Wind ×2for Tech
    124. Converterfor Tech
    125. Wind ×2for Tech
    126. Converterfor Tech
    127. Wind ×4for Tech
    128. Converterfor Tech
    129. Wind ×2for Tech
    130. Fusion ReactorFusionfor Techdone 13:17 · typical 10:53
    131. Wind ×3for Tech
    132. Converterfor Tech
    133. Wind ×3for Tech
    134. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    135. Converterfor Tech
    136. Wind ×4for Tech
    137. Converter ×2for Tech
    138. Wind ×3for Tech
    139. Converterfor Tech
    140. Wind ×3for Tech
    141. Converterfor Tech
    142. Wind ×3for Tech
    143. Converterfor Tech
    144. Wind ×6for Tech
    145. Converterfor Tech
    146. Wind ×5for Tech
    147. Converterfor Tech
    148. Wind ×3for Tech
    149. Converter ×2for Tech
    150. Wind ×6for Tech
    151. Converter ×2for Tech
    152. T2 converterfor Tech
    153. Wind ×7for Tech
    154. Converterfor Tech
    155. Wind ×3for Tech
    156. Converterfor Tech
    157. Wind ×2for Tech

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Zippo9's (37 OS, 12/10/2026); 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

Zippo9

37.0 OS · 12/10/2026

Open source match ↗

3 received units · includes a constructor
395 metal received · 69265 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