INTRODUCTION

I won't be talking a lot about Tier 5 fliers in this post. This is because they tend to be affected by veneration the most. For the same reason, MOST regenerator, speed, and ailment stacking builds aren't going to be mentioned much. I may post about terrestrials/aquatics+semi-aquatics... but I mainly wanted to discuss fliers, since those are the creatures that most people in the community play or want to learn about more.

First off, what makes a "cheap" flier?

Here are the conditions a cheap, low-budget flier must fulfill:

> Obviously, the cost of the flier itself must be lower than 5k mush. I'll try to keep most on this list below 2k. Feel free to correct me on prices in comments, I'm not too good with them (lol).

> It cannot be reliant on veneration. T5 fliers, especially the ones that fall under the 29/30 speed range, are victim to this. For example, Sang Toare gains about 20% health at Ven 5. This is because veneration grants flat health and weight values, so those with lower base health and weight will benefit more from a higher veneration. Also, creatures above T3 tend to benefit from traits more than lower Tiers. This is because their stat values are higher in general.

> Best-in-slot plushies must be cheap, below 5k. A lot of fliers fail to meet this requirement because their best builds are regenerator, speed, and ailment stacking.

Setup

Before you even think about jumping straight into choosing a creature, buy 2 Horned Beetlefly plushies. Please, they are only ~100 mush each in trade realm. If you REALLY want to try a regenerator, get 2 Magichorn Prongbugs, which are the same price as the Horned plushies.

This totals to 400 mush!

Choosing a Flier

Most fliers shown here are going to be damage dealers because they are the cheapest to run.

I will be showing some from each Tier along with their best builds. Traits will be included in those builds, but you are not required to hunt for them. In practice, the only time traits really make or break a creature is when it's a venerated speed/regenerator build. Don't worry about traits too much! Skill is much more important than that... and, sadly, FPS too, but I'll get into that later.

Tier 1

Kemoti (Magichorn x2) (Gentle Elder) (Health+Stamina Regen/Bite)

<100 mush

Kemoti has a whopping 2 poison, 2 bleed, and 2 necropoison PER SECOND. It also has Energy Breath which deals considerable damage, as well as Bleed immunity and base Health Regen of 12%. Dazzling Flash and an annoying Drowsy Yolk Bomb, Kemoti is the uncontested BEST anklebiter in the game. It deletes larger creatures, especially superbehemoths.

Tier 2

Kaluaka (Magichorn x2) (Gentle Elder) (Health+Bite)

<100 mush

Don't let its status as a starter creature fool you -- Kaluaka can be quite an annoying regenerator bleeder that has both the benefits of being all-terrain AND having burrow. Sand Breath is the cherry on top so that those behemoths won't know what's hitting them.

Tier 3

Vaumora (Beetlefly x2*) (Powerful Elder) (Speed+Damage)

<100 mush

Both a damage dealer and a disabler in one -- Vaumora excels in sending enemy fliers to the ground with Lightning Breath and Shock Area. Then, it proceeds to hit them while it's out of reach like it does terrestrials. Just note that as a glass cannon, its Health stat is quite lacking... ensure that you do your due diligence of tailriding instead of dangling yourself in front of your enemy's face.

Venatrox (Beetlefly x2*) (Powerful Elder) (Speed+Damage)

<100 mush

A min-maxed glass cannon that deals absurd damage with overwhelming Corrosion. First Strike makes Venatrox even more of a menace. Like Vaumora, be aware that you're a glass cannon. Venatrox is somewhat less forgiving than Vaumora because it tends to lose First Strike after taking a single hit. Note that Venatrox has 30 takeoff cost, so it needs at least 1 Horned plush equipped.

Tier 4

Konomushi (Beetlefly x2*) (Powerful Elder) (Speed+Damage // Damage+Weight)

~500 mush

A crazy ambusher with First Strike, Invisibility and Spite as well as an overwhelming 4 Injury that near-instantly disables any Tier 3/4 enemy fliers. Kono is a bit squishy, having 3k base Health and Weight, but it more than makes up for that with all the other tools in its disposal.

Tier 5

Raiquazok (Beetlefly x2) (Powerful Elder) (Damage+Weight)

~300 mush

Raiquazok is one of the gods of Tier 5 fliers. There, I said it. Why? It has insane damage, 325 at base with a 0.8 bite cooldown (don't forget 50% Spite for a massive first bite). It has crazy amounts of Bleed as well as a nice 1 offensive Injury that pairs nicely with 7.5k base Weight. It has nice Burn, Bleed and Injury block that makes slowing it down all the more difficult. One of Raiquazok's largest highlights is its hitbox. When angled correctly, it can cover its whole body!