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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

Economy-first air build: Aircraft Plant then Advanced Metal Extractor and Fusion Reactor, making transports and scouts for allies while transitioning into fighters and occasional bombers over the whole game.

Usually transports first (78%)

#eco #air #team support · 1508 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1813 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 1:24

  1. Open 3 mex and wind, then drop Aircraft Plant early.
  2. Finish Aircraft Plant and start fighters for scouting and defense.
  3. Eat the Aircraft Plant once production needs outgrow it.
  4. Get Advanced Metal Extractor up to scale eco.
  5. Bring Fusion Reactor online and keep feeding transports, scouts, fighters to allies.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 1508 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 ~1:26, middle half 1:14–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (38%)

    By 1:07 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:10 · typical 1:26
  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
    • Hercules2 Light transport for allies
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Finch1 Finch
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: shuriken (49%) · energy storage (45%) · converter (44%) · light transport (40%)

    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 · 41 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    3. Wind ×3
    4. Con turret ×2
    5. Wind ×6
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Mex
    8. Wind ×2
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Energy storage
    11. Wind
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Wind
    16. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    17. Wind
    18. Wind
    19. Wind
    20. Converter
    21. Wind
    22. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    23. Wind
    24. Converter
    25. Wind
    26. Wind
    27. Converter
    28. Wind
    29. Converter
    30. Wind
    31. Wind
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    35. Wind
    36. Con turret
    37. Converter ×2
    38. Wind ×2
    39. Con turret
    40. Wind
    41. Converter
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine21Wind
    • Wind Turbine5Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plant
    2. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 19 wind, 18 wind, 7 converterin 58% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant

    Some games also: shuriken (47%) · fusion (38%) · con aircraft (35%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 25 wind · 20 wind · 8 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 329 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Wind
    4. Wind
    5. Wind
    6. Wind
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Wind
    9. Wind
    10. Converter
    11. Wind ×3
    12. Converter
    13. Wind ×3
    14. Converter
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. Wind
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:10 · typical 6:54
    20. Wind
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    22. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:00
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. ValiantValiant ×10
    25. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:47
    26. ValiantValiant
    27. Wind
    28. Con turret
    29. Construction BotCon bot
    30. Wind
    31. Wind
    32. ValiantValiant
    33. Construction BotCon bot
    34. HephaestusHeavy transport
    35. Wind
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Wind
    38. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. ShurikenShuriken
    42. Wind
    43. Construction BotCon bot
    44. ShurikenShuriken
    45. Construction BotCon bot
    46. ShurikenShuriken
    47. Wind
    48. Wind
    49. ValiantValiant
    50. Wind
    51. Construction BotCon bot
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. Wind
    55. ValiantValiant
    56. Wind ×2
    57. Construction BotCon bot
    58. ValiantValiant
    59. Wind
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Construction BotCon bot
    62. Wind ×2
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Construction BotCon bot
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Wind
    69. Wind ×2
    70. ValiantValiant ×2
    71. Wind
    72. Wind ×3
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Wind
    77. Wind
    78. ValiantValiant ×2
    79. Wind ×2
    80. Wind
    81. Wind
    82. ValiantValiant ×2
    83. Wind
    84. Wind
    85. Wind
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Wind ×2
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind
    90. Wind
    91. ValiantValiant
    92. Wind
    93. ValiantValiant
    94. Wind ×2
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Wind
    97. Wind
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind ×2
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind
    102. Wind ×2
    103. ValiantValiant
    104. Wind
    105. ValiantValiant
    106. Wind
    107. Wind
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. T2 converter
    110. Wind
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Con turret
    113. Wind
    114. Wind
    115. Wind ×3
    116. Con turret
    117. Wind ×2
    118. ShurikenShuriken
    119. Wind
    120. Wind
    121. ShurikenShuriken
    122. Wind
    123. ShurikenShuriken
    124. Wind
    125. Wind
    126. Wind
    127. ShurikenShuriken
    128. Con turret
    129. Wind ×2
    130. Wind
    131. ShurikenShuriken
    132. Con turret
    133. Wind ×5
    134. Wind
    135. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    136. Wind
    137. Wind
    138. Wind
    139. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    140. Wind
    141. ShurikenShuriken
    142. Wind ×2
    143. Wind
    144. Wind
    145. T2 converter
    146. Wind ×2
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Con turret
    149. Wind ×3
    150. Con turret
    151. Wind
    152. Wind
    153. Con turret
    154. Wind
    155. Con turret
    156. Wind
    157. Wind
    158. Con turret
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind ×3
    161. Wind
    162. Wind ×5
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind
    165. Wind
    166. ValiantValiant
    167. Wind
    168. ValiantValiant ×2
    169. Wind ×2
    170. ValiantValiant
    171. Wind
    172. Wind
    173. ValiantValiant ×3
    174. Wind
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Wind ×2
    177. Wind
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Wind ×2
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Wind
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. FinchFinch
    190. Wind ×2
    191. FinchFinch
    192. Wind
    193. FinchFinch
    194. Wind
    195. FinchFinch ×3
    196. Wind ×2
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Wind
    199. ValiantValiant ×2
    200. Wind
    201. Wind
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind
    204. ValiantValiant ×2
    205. Wind ×2
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind ×2
    214. Hardened Energy Storage
    215. ValiantValiant ×2
    216. Wind
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind ×3
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind
    221. Wind
    222. Wind
    223. T2 converter
    224. Wind ×6
    225. Wind
    226. Wind
    227. ValiantValiant
    228. Wind ×2
    229. T2 converter
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind
    232. Wind ×5
    233. Wind
    234. Wind ×3
    235. ValiantValiant
    236. Wind
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Wind
    239. Con turret
    240. Wind ×2
    241. Wind
    242. Con turret
    243. Wind
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind ×2
    246. Wind
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind ×2
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind ×3
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Wind
    253. ValiantValiant
    254. Wind
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind ×2
    257. ValiantValiant
    258. Wind
    259. ValiantValiant
    260. Wind ×2
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Wind
    263. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    264. Wind ×3
    265. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    266. Wind ×2
    267. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    268. Wind
    269. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    270. Wind ×2
    271. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    272. Wind
    273. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    274. Wind ×2
    275. ValiantValiant
    276. Wind ×2
    277. ValiantValiant
    278. Wind
    279. ValiantValiant
    280. Wind
    281. ValiantValiant
    282. Wind
    283. ValiantValiant ×2
    284. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    285. Wind
    286. ValiantValiant
    287. Wind
    288. ValiantValiant
    289. Wind
    290. ValiantValiant ×2
    291. Wind
    292. ValiantValiant
    293. Wind ×2
    294. ValiantValiant
    295. Wind
    296. ValiantValiant ×2
    297. Wind
    298. ValiantValiant
    299. Wind
    300. ValiantValiant
    301. Wind
    302. ValiantValiant ×2
    303. Wind ×2
    304. ValiantValiant ×2
    305. Wind
    306. ValiantValiant
    307. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    308. Wind ×3
    309. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    310. Wind ×3
    311. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    312. Wind
    313. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    314. Wind
    315. ValiantValiant
    316. Wind
    317. ValiantValiant ×2
    318. Wind
    319. ValiantValiant ×2
    320. Wind ×2
    321. ValiantValiant
    322. Wind
    323. ValiantValiant ×2
    324. Wind ×2
    325. ValiantValiant
    326. Wind
    327. ValiantValiant
    328. Wind
    329. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Herbiderpi's (33 OS, 11/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · 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 2:23 · in 71% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:37 · in 64% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:42 · in 46% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:22 · in 88% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:05 · in 96% 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

01k2k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

01k2k3k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

1813 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002052051
5:0027635173
6:003711102124
7:005089146167
8:006903190219
9:009285230270
10:0011761292379
11:0014370369533
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811101
14:002270412631689
15:002573618082409
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Standard air play wins less than half its games, with very low combat losses and kills since the role mostly supports rather than fights.

  • + Own metal lost stays very low, only 2701 by 15:00.
  • + Metal production reaches 25740 by 15:00, a strong support economy.
  • − Team wins under half of games (47%).
  • − Enemy metal destroyed stays low at 2097 by 15:00, showing little direct impact.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

Herbiderpi

32.6 OS · 11/10/2026

Open source match ↗

3 received units · includes a constructor
1292 metal received · 84566 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:26Middle 50%: 1:14–1:35 · n=1813
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1753
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:46–12:17 · n=1160

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this build