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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

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 · 547 distinct matches · 115 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 615 · 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 547 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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:08 · 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 · 31 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. Wind ×2
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    5. Wind
    6. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    7. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    8. Wind
    9. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    10. Wind
    11. Energy storage
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind ×4
    14. HerculesLight transport
    15. Wind
    16. ValiantValiant
    17. Mex
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. ThistleThistle
    20. Wind
    21. HerculesLight transport ×3for Geo sea
    22. Con turret
    23. HerculesLight transport
    24. FinchFinch
    25. ValiantValiant ×2
    26. Wind
    27. ShurikenShuriken
    28. Wind
    29. ValiantValiant
    30. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Tech
    31. Con turret
  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 · 359 steps
    1. Wind
    2. ValiantValiant
    3. Converter ×2
    4. ShurikenShuriken
    5. Converter
    6. FinchFinch
    7. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    8. Converter
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. Con turret
    11. Converter ×2
    12. Con turret
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:45 · typical 6:50
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    16. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    17. Wind
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    19. Wind
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    21. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:43
    22. Con turret
    23. Construction BotCon bot
    24. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    25. Wind
    26. Construction BotCon bot
    27. Con turret
    28. Wind
    29. Con turret
    30. Construction BotCon bot
    31. Wind
    32. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    33. Construction BotCon bot
    34. LazarusLazarus
    35. Wind
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Con turret
    38. Wind
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Wind
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Wind
    46. Construction BotCon bot
    47. Wind
    48. Wind ×2
    49. Construction BotCon bot
    50. Wind
    51. Wind ×2
    52. Wind
    53. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    54. Wind
    55. Wind
    56. Wind
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Wind
    59. Construction BotCon bot
    60. Wind
    61. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:41
    62. Wind ×5
    63. Con turret
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Con turret
    67. Wind ×2
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Con turret
    70. Wind
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind ×3
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. Converter
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind ×3
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind ×2
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind ×4
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Wind ×3
    84. ValiantValiant
    85. Wind ×4
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Converter
    88. Wind ×3
    89. ValiantValiant
    90. Wind
    91. Converter
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind ×4
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind
    96. Converter
    97. Wind
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind ×4
    100. Converter
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind
    103. ValiantValiant
    104. Wind ×2
    105. Converter
    106. Wind ×2
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind ×3
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Wind
    111. Converter
    112. Wind
    113. Converter
    114. Wind
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Wind ×3
    117. Con turret
    118. Wind
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Wind ×2
    121. ValiantValiant
    122. Wind
    123. Converter
    124. Wind ×2
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind ×2
    127. Converter
    128. Wind
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind ×3
    131. Converter
    132. Wind
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Wind
    135. Converter
    136. Wind
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind ×3
    139. Converter
    140. Wind
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind ×4
    143. Converter ×2
    144. ValiantValiant
    145. Wind ×2
    146. ValiantValiant
    147. Wind
    148. Converter
    149. Wind
    150. Converter
    151. Wind
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. Wind ×4
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Converter
    156. Wind ×2
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Wind ×2
    159. Converter
    160. ValiantValiant
    161. Converter
    162. Wind ×4
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Converter
    165. Wind ×2
    166. ValiantValiant
    167. Wind
    168. ValiantValiant
    169. Wind
    170. Converter
    171. Wind
    172. ValiantValiant
    173. Wind ×2
    174. Converter
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Wind ×2
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Wind
    179. Converter
    180. Wind
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. Wind
    183. ValiantValiant
    184. Wind ×3
    185. Converter
    186. Wind
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Wind
    189. ValiantValiant
    190. Wind
    191. Converter
    192. Wind ×3
    193. Converter
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind
    196. Converter
    197. Wind
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Wind ×4
    200. ValiantValiant
    201. Converter
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind ×2
    204. FinchFinch
    205. Wind ×3
    206. Converter
    207. FinchFinch ×3
    208. Converter
    209. Wind ×2
    210. FinchFinch
    211. Wind ×2
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Converter
    214. Wind
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind
    217. Converter
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind ×2
    221. ValiantValiant
    222. Wind ×2
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Converter ×2
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind ×2
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Wind
    230. Converter
    231. Wind
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Wind
    234. ValiantValiant
    235. Wind ×4
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Converter ×2
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Pond
    240. Wind ×4
    241. ValiantValiant ×3
    242. Wind
    243. Converter ×2
    244. Wind
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind
    251. Converter
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Wind
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind ×2
    256. ValiantValiant
    257. Converter
    258. ValiantValiant
    259. Wind ×3
    260. ValiantValiant
    261. Wind
    262. ValiantValiant
    263. Converter
    264. Wind
    265. ValiantValiant
    266. Wind
    267. ValiantValiant
    268. Wind ×2
    269. ValiantValiant ×2
    270. Wind
    271. Converter
    272. Wind
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. Converter
    275. Wind
    276. ValiantValiant
    277. Wind
    278. ValiantValiant
    279. Wind
    280. ValiantValiant
    281. Converter
    282. Wind
    283. ValiantValiant
    284. Wind ×2
    285. ValiantValiant
    286. Wind
    287. Converter
    288. ValiantValiant
    289. Wind
    290. ValiantValiant
    291. Wind
    292. Converter
    293. Wind
    294. ValiantValiant
    295. Wind
    296. ValiantValiant
    297. Wind
    298. ValiantValiant
    299. Converter
    300. Wind ×3
    301. ValiantValiant
    302. Converter
    303. ValiantValiant
    304. Wind ×2
    305. ValiantValiant
    306. Wind ×3
    307. ValiantValiant
    308. Converter
    309. ValiantValiant
    310. Wind ×2
    311. ValiantValiant
    312. Wind
    313. Converter
    314. ValiantValiant
    315. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    316. Wind ×2
    317. ValiantValiant
    318. Converter
    319. Wind ×2
    320. ValiantValiant
    321. Con turret
    322. Wind
    323. ValiantValiant
    324. Wind
    325. Converter
    326. Wind ×2
    327. Con turret
    328. Wind
    329. ValiantValiant
    330. Wind
    331. Con turret
    332. ValiantValiant
    333. Converter
    334. Wind ×3
    335. Energy storage
    336. ValiantValiant
    337. Converter
    338. Wind
    339. ValiantValiant
    340. Con turret
    341. Wind
    342. Converter
    343. Wind ×2
    344. Con turret
    345. ValiantValiant
    346. Wind
    347. ValiantValiant
    348. Wind
    349. Converter
    350. ValiantValiant
    351. Wind ×2
    352. ValiantValiant
    353. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00 · typical 10:56
    354. Wind ×2
    355. ValiantValiant
    356. Converter
    357. Wind
    358. Con turret
    359. Wind ×5

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is RitualMurder's (38 OS, 26/09/2026); 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 2:25 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 65% 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 84% 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

615 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145800
4:002052051
5:00276573109
6:003755125167
7:005136190219
8:007019220290
9:009335250341
10:0011795327471
11:0014399439641
12:0017100619962
13:00199489301269
14:002264113951807
15:002553020492701
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

RitualMurder

37.8 OS · 26/09/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
699 metal received · 62434 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=615
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=590
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:14 · n=375

Played most by

DRM36games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build