Two decisions separate improving BAR players from stuck ones: how to use reclaim effectively, and when to tech to T2. This guide tackles both with clear rules of thumb.
Every destroyed unit and building leaves wreckage on the map. That wreckage contains a percentage of the original build cost as reclaimable metal. The reclaim formula is roughly 50 percent of build cost, though some structures vary slightly.
Reclaim is the fastest way to increase your income during a match. A hotly contested frontline generates thousands of metal worth of wreckage. Players who actively reclaim with constructors during and after fights pull ahead of those who only rely on metal extractors.
Air constructors move faster than ground builders and can reach wreckage anywhere on the map. This mobility means they reclaim more total metal in the same amount of time compared to stationary ground constructors.
The reclaim benefit compounds: more metal reclaimed means more metal extractors built sooner, which means more permanent income. Air constructors also help build forward factories and defenses that ground constructors cannot reach as quickly.
The T2 transition is a timing decision based on two factors: economic readiness and strategic pressure.
The mistake most new players make is going T2 too late. By the time a player at 1000 rating feels comfortable upgrading, a player at 1200 rating has been producing T2 units for several minutes and already controls the engagement tempo.
Both Armada and Cortex follow the same fundamental timing rules. T2 tech requires a T2 factory, which costs significantly more metal than a T1 factory. The investment only pays off if you can produce T2 units quickly enough to apply pressure or defend against enemy T2 pushes.
Players who go T2 on one economy and then metal-stall from having too few extractors will lose the advantage. Always expand your metal economy in parallel with your tech transition.