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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 · 501 distinct matches · 111 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 559 · 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 501 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 1:13–1:33

    Some games also: energy storage (37%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Solar ×2
    3. Mex
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:39 · 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
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: energy storage (46%) · light transport (44%) · converter (40%) · con turret (31%)

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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is NotReal's (40 OS, 07/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · in 96% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Geofirst at 2:05 · in 98% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:26 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:38 · in 66% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:45 · in 48% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:19 · in 84% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:04 · 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

559 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092400
3:00145700
4:002052051
5:00276573102
6:003779124147
7:005128176219
8:007036220281
9:009352250341
10:0011841314464
11:0014395439635
12:0017109605955
13:00199329071256
14:002261913911819
15:002548920592748
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

NotReal

40.3 OS · 07/09/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
446 metal received · 122808 energy received

Allied construction assistance is unknown. Timings are observations, not a promise of solo reproducibility.

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:33 · n=559
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:23–7:27 · n=536
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:02–12:19 · n=338

Played most by

DRM35games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildAdeus28games of this buildNutzz25games of this buildhaaven24games of this build