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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

The role's baseline: Aircraft Plant immediately, transports and scouts for the team first, Advanced Metal Extractor and Fusion Reactor on a normal timeline, transitioning into Valiant fighter coverage over the game.

Usually transports first (72%)

#eco #team support #air · 633 distinct matches · 123 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 48% of 707 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 1:24

  1. Take 3 mex and open wind before committing to aircraft plant.
  2. Finish aircraft plant to start churning scouts and transports.
  3. Send Hercules, Finch and Hephaestus to allies as they ask.
  4. Get your advanced metal extractor up to fund fighter spam.
  5. Bring fusion online and shift into Valiant fighter coverage.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 633 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 ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:16 · 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 (46%) · light transport (44%) · converter (40%) · 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 · 26 steps
    1. FinchFinch
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. Solar
    4. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    5. Solar
    6. HerculesLight transport
    7. ShurikenShuriken
    8. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    9. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    10. Mex
    11. ValiantValiant ×3
    12. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    13. Energy storage
    14. Wind
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Wind
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Con turret
    19. Wind
    20. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    21. Wind
    22. HerculesLight transport
    23. Wind
    24. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    25. Wind
    26. Con turret
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plant
    2. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 18 wind, 17 wind, 6 converterin 58% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret4 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant

    Some games also: shuriken (50%) · fusion (36%) · con aircraft (35%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 24 wind · 19 wind · 8 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 283 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. Wind
    3. Con turret
    4. ValiantValiant
    5. Wind
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Wind
    8. ValiantValiant
    9. Wind
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Wind
    12. ShurikenShuriken
    13. Wind
    14. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    15. Converter
    16. ShurikenShuriken
    17. Converter
    18. ShurikenShuriken
    19. Wind
    20. Converter ×2
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:34 · typical 6:50
    22. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    23. Converter
    24. Wind ×2
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Converter
    27. Wind ×4
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Wind ×9
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:55
    32. Wind
    33. ValiantValiant
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    37. Con turret ×2
    38. Wind ×3
    39. ValiantValiant
    40. Con turret
    41. Wind
    42. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    43. Wind
    44. ShurikenShuriken
    45. Wind
    46. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    47. Wind
    48. ShurikenShuriken
    49. Wind
    50. ShurikenShuriken
    51. Wind
    52. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    53. Wind
    54. ShurikenShuriken ×9
    55. Wind
    56. ShurikenShuriken ×4
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    59. Wind
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    62. Wind
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    69. ValiantValiant
    70. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    71. Wind
    72. ValiantValiant
    73. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 11:22 · typical 10:52
    76. Construction AircraftCon aircraft ×2
    77. Wind
    78. Converter
    79. Wind
    80. Wind ×3
    81. Wind
    82. Wind ×2
    83. Converter
    84. Wind
    85. Wind
    86. Wind
    87. Converter
    88. Wind ×3
    89. Wind
    90. Wind ×2
    91. Converter
    92. Wind
    93. Wind
    94. Con turret
    95. Wind
    96. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    97. Converter
    98. Wind
    99. Wind
    100. Wind ×2
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind
    103. Con turret
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. Con turret
    107. Wind
    108. Converter
    109. Con turret
    110. ValiantValiant ×2
    111. Wind ×2
    112. Converter
    113. Wind
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind
    116. ValiantValiant
    117. Wind
    118. Converter
    119. Wind ×3
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Wind ×2
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Con turret
    126. Converter
    127. Con turret
    128. Wind
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Con turret ×2
    131. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    132. Wind
    133. Wind
    134. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×2
    138. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    139. Converter ×2
    140. Con turret
    141. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    142. Wind
    143. Wind ×2
    144. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    145. Wind
    146. Wind
    147. Wind
    148. Converter ×2
    149. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    150. Wind
    151. Wind
    152. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    153. Wind
    154. Converter
    155. Con turret
    156. Wind
    157. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    158. Wind
    159. Wind ×3
    160. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    161. Converter
    162. Wind ×2
    163. Converter
    164. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    165. Wind ×3
    166. Wind
    167. Con turret
    168. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    169. Con turret
    170. Converter
    171. Wind
    172. Wind ×2
    173. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    174. Wind ×2
    175. Wind
    176. Converter
    177. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    178. Wind ×4
    179. Converter
    180. Con turret
    181. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    182. Wind ×2
    183. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    184. Wind
    185. Converter
    186. Wind
    187. Wind
    188. Wind
    189. FinchFinch
    190. Wind ×2
    191. Converter
    192. FinchFinch
    193. Converter
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind ×2
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. Wind ×2
    198. Wind
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Wind ×2
    201. Converter
    202. Wind
    203. Wind
    204. Converter
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Wind
    207. ValiantValiant
    208. Wind
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind
    212. Converter
    213. ValiantValiant
    214. Wind ×4
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind
    217. Converter
    218. ValiantValiant
    219. Wind
    220. Wind
    221. ValiantValiant
    222. Wind ×4
    223. Converter
    224. ValiantValiant
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Converter
    230. Wind ×2
    231. Wind
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Converter
    234. Wind ×3
    235. Wind
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Wind
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. Converter ×2
    241. Wind
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. Wind ×2
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. Converter
    250. Wind
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Converter
    253. Wind ×2
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind ×2
    256. Wind
    257. ValiantValiant
    258. Wind
    259. ValiantValiant
    260. Converter
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Converter
    263. Wind ×4
    264. ValiantValiant
    265. Wind
    266. ValiantValiant
    267. Wind
    268. Wind
    269. Wind
    270. ValiantValiant
    271. Converter
    272. ValiantValiant
    273. Wind ×2
    274. Wind
    275. Converter
    276. Wind ×3
    277. ValiantValiant ×2
    278. Wind ×2
    279. ValiantValiant
    280. Wind
    281. ValiantValiant
    282. Wind
    283. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is DRM's (45 OS, 06/10/2026); 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 Beach seafirst 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 1:38 · 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 85% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:03 · in 95% 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

707 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002057051
5:00276873116
6:003751125167
7:005142190225
8:007010240292
9:009301263344
10:0011805340474
11:0014399440641
12:0017093607949
13:00199139491280
14:002269914671852
15:002558321432789
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Standard air sits below average team win rate at 48%, reflecting the role's support nature rather than kills.

  • + Aircraft plant lands fast at 1:24, enabling early transport and scout support.
  • − Own metal lost still reaches 2705 by 15:00 despite a support-first role.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

DRM

45.1 OS · 06/10/2026

Open source match ↗

7 received units · includes a constructor
245 metal received · 59917 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=707
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:24–7:25 · n=681
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:53–12:08 · n=442

Played most by

DRM44games of this buildAdeus37games of this buildTheGeneraI32games of this buildImmort29games of this buildNutzz29games of this build
Standard air · Cortex Air build order · BAR Build Atlas