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 ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:30 · 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 · 27 steps
    1. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    2. FinchFinch ×2
    3. Wind ×4
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    5. Wind ×2
    6. HerculesLight transport
    7. ValiantValiant ×4
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Mex
    10. Wind
    11. ShurikenShuriken ×4
    12. Converter ×2
    13. ShurikenShuriken
    14. Con turret
    15. ShurikenShuriken
    16. Con turret
    17. HerculesLight transport
    18. ShurikenShuriken
    19. Converter
    20. ShurikenShuriken
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. ShurikenShuriken
    24. Wind
    25. ShurikenShuriken
    26. Converter
    27. 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 · 276 steps
    1. Wind
    2. ShurikenShuriken ×5
    3. Con turret
    4. Wind ×6
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:09 · typical 6:50
    7. Wind ×4
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    9. Wind
    10. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    11. Wind ×4
    12. Wind
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Wind
    20. Wind
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    22. Wind
    23. ShipyardShipyarddone 8:31
    24. Converter ×2
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Con turret
    27. Con turret
    28. Converter
    29. Con turret ×3
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. Con turret
    32. JellyfishJellyfish
    33. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:20
    34. Con turret ×2
    35. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    36. Con turret ×3
    37. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    38. Con turret
    39. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    40. Con turret
    41. Wind
    42. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    43. Wind
    44. Wind
    45. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    46. Con turret
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. ShipyardShipyarddone 10:00
    50. Wind
    51. Wind
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Wind
    56. Wind
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Wind
    59. Construction ShipCon ship
    60. Wind
    61. ValiantValiant
    62. Wind
    63. ValiantValiant ×2
    64. Wind
    65. Wind
    66. ValiantValiant
    67. OrcaSubmarinedone 10:17
    68. Con turret
    69. ValiantValiant
    70. Wind
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind
    73. Wind
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind
    78. OrcaSubmarine
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind
    81. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    82. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    83. Wind ×2
    84. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    85. Wind ×2
    86. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    87. Wind ×2
    88. Wind
    89. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    90. Wind
    91. Mex
    92. OrcaSubmarine
    93. Wind
    94. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    95. Wind ×2
    96. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    97. Wind
    98. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    99. Wind
    100. Wind
    101. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    102. Wind ×2
    103. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    104. Wind
    105. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    106. OrcaSubmarine
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind
    109. Wind
    110. ValiantValiant ×5
    111. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    112. Mex
    113. Wind
    114. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    115. OrcaSubmarine
    116. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    117. Wind ×2
    118. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    119. Wind
    120. Wind
    121. ValiantValiant
    122. FinchFinch
    123. Wind
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. FinchFinch
    126. Wind
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. FinchFinch
    129. Wind ×2
    130. ValiantValiant
    131. ShurikenShuriken
    132. Wind
    133. Wind
    134. HerringMissile corvette
    135. ShurikenShuriken
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. ShurikenShuriken
    138. Wind
    139. ShurikenShuriken
    140. ValiantValiant
    141. HerringMissile corvette
    142. Wind
    143. Wind
    144. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    145. Wind
    146. ValiantValiant
    147. ShurikenShuriken
    148. Wind
    149. HerringMissile corvette
    150. Wind
    151. ShurikenShuriken
    152. Wind
    153. Wind
    154. ShurikenShuriken
    155. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. ShurikenShuriken
    158. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    159. Wind
    160. HerringMissile corvette
    161. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    162. ShurikenShuriken
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind
    165. ShurikenShuriken
    166. ValiantValiant
    167. ShurikenShuriken
    168. Wind
    169. Wind
    170. ValiantValiant
    171. HerringMissile corvette
    172. ShurikenShuriken
    173. Wind
    174. ValiantValiant
    175. ShurikenShuriken
    176. Wind
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. FinchFinch
    179. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    180. RiptideFrigatedone 12:06
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. ShurikenShuriken
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. ShurikenShuriken
    186. FinchFinch
    187. ShurikenShuriken
    188. FinchFinch ×2
    189. Wind
    190. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. Wind
    193. RiptideFrigate
    194. ValiantValiant ×5
    195. Wind
    196. Wind
    197. ValiantValiant ×3
    198. RiptideFrigate
    199. ValiantValiant ×2
    200. Wind
    201. Wind
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    206. Wind
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant ×2
    209. RiptideFrigate
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind
    212. Wind
    213. ValiantValiant ×2
    214. Wind
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind
    217. ValiantValiant ×3
    218. Wind
    219. Wind
    220. RiptideFrigate
    221. ValiantValiant ×2
    222. Wind
    223. ValiantValiant ×2
    224. Wind
    225. ValiantValiant ×2
    226. OppressorDestroyerdone 13:49
    227. Wind
    228. Wind
    229. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    230. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:01 · typical 10:56
    231. Wind
    232. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    233. ValiantValiant ×2
    234. Wind
    235. Wind
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Wind ×2
    238. Wind
    239. OppressorDestroyer
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind
    242. Wind
    243. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind
    246. ValiantValiant ×2
    247. Wind
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Wind
    250. FinchFinch ×2
    251. Wind
    252. FinchFinch ×4
    253. ValiantValiant
    254. Wind
    255. OppressorDestroyer
    256. ValiantValiant ×2
    257. Wind
    258. ValiantValiant ×2
    259. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    260. Wind
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. T2 converter
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. Wind ×2
    265. ValiantValiant
    266. RiptideFrigate
    267. Wind
    268. Death CavalryDeath Cavalry
    269. ValiantValiant ×2
    270. Wind ×2
    271. T2 converter
    272. ValiantValiant
    273. Wind
    274. ValiantValiant
    275. RiptideFrigate
    276. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is LucyGoesAir's (35 OS, 06/08/2026); 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

LucyGoesAir

35.4 OS · 06/08/2026

Open source match ↗

77 received units · includes a constructor
1467 metal received · 66127 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