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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

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 · 555 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 624 · 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 555 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 1:13 · 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 · 24 steps
    1. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    2. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    3. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    4. Wind ×4
    5. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    6. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    7. FinchFinch
    8. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Con turret
    11. ValiantValiant ×2
    12. Wind ×3
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind
    15. Mex
    16. Energy storage
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. Wind
    19. HerculesLight transport ×2
    20. Con turret
    21. Wind
    22. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    23. Wind
    24. 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 · 271 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Converter ×2
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. Con turret
    7. Wind
    8. Converter ×4
    9. Wind
    10. Wind
    11. Wind ×7
    12. Wind
    13. Con turret ×2
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind
    17. Wind ×3
    18. Wind
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Wind
    21. Metal storage
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2done 8:00 · typical 6:50
    23. Wind
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    27. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:42
    28. Wind
    29. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    30. Converter
    31. Wind
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. Converter
    34. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    35. Converter
    36. Wind
    37. Construction BotCon bot
    38. Converter
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Converter
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Converter
    44. Wind
    45. Construction BotCon bot
    46. Wind
    47. Converter
    48. Wind
    49. Construction BotCon bot
    50. Wind
    51. Converter
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. Wind
    54. Construction BotCon bot
    55. Wind
    56. Construction BotCon bot
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Wind
    59. Wind
    60. Construction BotCon bot
    61. Converter
    62. Wind
    63. Construction BotCon bot
    64. Converter
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Converter
    67. Wind ×2
    68. Wind
    69. Converter
    70. Wind ×4
    71. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:19
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×3
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind ×2
    76. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    77. Converter
    78. Wind
    79. Wind
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind ×3
    82. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    83. Wind ×2
    84. ShurikenShuriken ×2for Beach sea
    85. Converter
    86. Wind
    87. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    88. Converter
    89. Wind ×2
    90. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    91. Converter
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind ×3
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind
    96. Wind
    97. Converter
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind ×3
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind
    102. Converter
    103. Wind ×2
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind ×2
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Converter
    108. Wind
    109. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    110. Wind
    111. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    112. Wind ×3
    113. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    114. Wind
    115. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    116. Wind ×2
    117. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    118. Converter
    119. Wind
    120. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    121. Wind
    122. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    123. Wind ×2
    124. ShurikenShuriken ×2for Beach sea
    125. Wind
    126. Converter
    127. Wind
    128. ShurikenShurikenfor Beach sea
    129. JunoJuno
    130. Converter
    131. Wind
    132. ValiantValiant
    133. Wind ×3
    134. Wind
    135. Wind ×6
    136. Con turret
    137. Wind ×4
    138. ValiantValiant
    139. Wind
    140. Converter
    141. Wind
    142. Con turret
    143. Wind ×2
    144. Wind
    145. FinchFinch
    146. Wind
    147. Con turret
    148. Wind ×5
    149. FinchFinch
    150. Wind ×3
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Converter
    153. Wind
    154. Converter
    155. ValiantValiant
    156. Wind ×3
    157. Converter
    158. ValiantValiant
    159. Wind
    160. Wind
    161. ValiantValiant
    162. Wind
    163. Converter
    164. Wind
    165. ValiantValiant
    166. Wind ×2
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Wind
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Converter
    171. Wind ×2
    172. ValiantValiant
    173. Wind
    174. ValiantValiant
    175. Wind ×3
    176. Converter
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Wind
    179. ValiantValiant
    180. Wind ×3
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. Wind ×3
    183. ValiantValiant
    184. Converter
    185. ValiantValiant
    186. Wind ×3
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Wind ×2
    189. ValiantValiant
    190. Wind
    191. Wind
    192. ValiantValiant
    193. Converter ×2
    194. Wind ×3
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Wind ×3
    197. ValiantValiant ×2
    198. Wind ×2
    199. Converter
    200. Wind
    201. ValiantValiant
    202. Wind ×2
    203. ValiantValiant
    204. Wind ×2
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Converter
    207. Wind
    208. Wind
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Wind ×2
    211. Converter
    212. Wind
    213. ValiantValiant
    214. Wind ×2
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind ×2
    221. Converter
    222. Wind ×2
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Converter
    225. Wind ×3
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind
    228. Wind
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Converter
    231. Wind ×2
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Wind
    234. Converter
    235. ValiantValiant
    236. Wind ×2
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Converter
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Converter
    244. Wind ×2
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind ×3
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. Wind
    250. Converter
    251. ValiantValiant ×2
    252. Converter
    253. Wind ×3
    254. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:45 · typical 10:56
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind ×3
    257. Converter
    258. Wind ×6
    259. Converter
    260. Wind
    261. Converter
    262. Wind ×5
    263. Converter
    264. Wind ×6
    265. Converter ×2
    266. Wind
    267. Wind ×3
    268. T2 converter
    269. Wind ×2
    270. Converter
    271. Wind ×6

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is mnt's (36 OS, 24/08/2026); 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 2:26 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 64% 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 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

624 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003759125167
7:005136190219
8:007017225290
9:009298258342
10:0011788328471
11:0014383440641
12:0017097606958
13:00199439331269
14:002265314171801
15:002554320602701
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

mnt

36.0 OS · 24/08/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
545 metal received · 30907 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=624
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=599
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:16 · n=383

Played most by

DRM37games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build