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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 · 1515 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1820 · 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 1515 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 · 6 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Mex
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Energy storage
    6. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:32 · 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 · 35 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    5. Wind
    6. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    8. Wind
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    11. Wind
    12. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    13. Wind
    14. Con turret
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Mex
    17. Con turret
    18. ValiantValiant ×2
    19. Con turret
    20. Converter
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Converter
    23. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Tech
    24. Converter
    25. Wind
    26. Converter
    27. Wind ×2
    28. Converter
    29. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    30. Wind
    31. Con turret
    32. Converter
    33. Con turret
    34. Wind
    35. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantnot finished by 15:00
  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 · 313 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    3. Wind ×4
    4. Converter
    5. Wind
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Wind
    9. Converter
    10. Wind
    11. Wind
    12. Wind
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind ×6
    17. Converter
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:43 · typical 6:54
    20. Wind
    21. Con turret
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    23. Wind ×3
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind
    26. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:17
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    28. Construction BotCon bot
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind
    31. Construction BotCon bot
    32. Wind
    33. Construction BotCon bot
    34. Wind
    35. Construction BotCon bot
    36. Wind ×2
    37. Construction BotCon bot
    38. Wind ×9
    39. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:10
    40. Wind
    41. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    42. Wind ×3
    43. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    44. Wind ×6
    45. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    46. Wind ×4
    47. ValiantValiant
    48. Wind ×2
    49. Con turret
    50. ValiantValiant
    51. Wind ×2
    52. Converter
    53. Con turret
    54. Wind
    55. HerculesLight transport
    56. Wind ×5
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Wind
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind ×3
    61. ValiantValiant ×6
    62. Con turret
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind ×3
    65. Converter
    66. Wind ×8
    67. Converter
    68. Con turret
    69. Wind ×2
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Wind ×3
    72. Converter
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Wind ×4
    77. FinchFinch
    78. Converter
    79. Wind ×2
    80. FinchFinch
    81. Wind ×3
    82. FinchFinch
    83. Wind ×2
    84. Converter ×2
    85. Wind ×2
    86. FinchFinch
    87. Wind ×3
    88. FinchFinch
    89. Wind
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind ×4
    92. Converter
    93. Wind
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind ×3
    96. Converter
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Wind
    99. Converter
    100. Wind
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind ×4
    103. Converter
    104. Wind ×4
    105. ValiantValiant
    106. Wind
    107. Converter
    108. Wind ×3
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Wind ×5
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Wind
    113. Converter
    114. Wind ×2
    115. Converter
    116. Wind
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Wind ×4
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Converter
    121. Wind ×4
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Converter
    124. Wind ×3
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind ×3
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. Wind
    129. Converter
    130. Wind
    131. Converter
    132. Wind
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Wind ×2
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. Wind ×4
    137. Converter
    138. ValiantValiant
    139. Wind
    140. Converter
    141. Wind ×3
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind ×2
    144. Converter
    145. Wind ×4
    146. ValiantValiant
    147. Wind
    148. Converter
    149. Wind
    150. ValiantValiant
    151. Wind ×3
    152. Converter
    153. Wind
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Wind ×4
    156. Converter
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Wind ×2
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind ×2
    161. Converter
    162. Wind
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind
    165. Converter
    166. Wind ×4
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Advanced solar
    169. Wind ×3
    170. Converter
    171. Wind
    172. ValiantValiant
    173. Wind ×3
    174. ShurikenShuriken
    175. Wind
    176. Converter
    177. ShurikenShuriken
    178. Wind ×3
    179. Converter
    180. Wind ×2
    181. ShurikenShuriken
    182. Advanced solar
    183. Wind
    184. Converter
    185. ShurikenShuriken
    186. Wind ×2
    187. ShurikenShuriken
    188. Wind ×2
    189. ValiantValiant
    190. Converter
    191. Wind ×4
    192. Advanced solar
    193. Converter
    194. Wind
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Wind ×2
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Wind
    199. Converter
    200. Wind ×2
    201. ValiantValiant
    202. Converter
    203. Wind ×3
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Wind ×2
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Con turret
    208. Converter
    209. Wind ×2
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Converter
    212. Wind
    213. Con turret
    214. Wind ×4
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Con turret
    217. Converter
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Con turret
    221. Converter
    222. Wind ×3
    223. Con turret
    224. Wind
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. Converter
    227. Wind ×2
    228. Con turret
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind ×4
    231. ValiantValiant
    232. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    233. Wind
    234. Converter
    235. Wind ×2
    236. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    237. Converter
    238. Wind
    239. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    240. Wind ×2
    241. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    242. Wind ×2
    243. Converter
    244. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    245. Wind
    246. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    247. Wind ×3
    248. Converter
    249. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    250. Wind ×3
    251. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    252. Wind
    253. Converter
    254. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    255. Wind
    256. Converter
    257. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    258. Wind ×4
    259. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    260. Converter
    261. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    262. Wind
    263. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    264. Wind
    265. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    266. Wind ×2
    267. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    268. Converter ×2
    269. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    270. Wind ×2
    271. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    272. Converter
    273. Wind
    274. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    275. Wind
    276. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    277. Wind ×2
    278. Converter
    279. Wind
    280. ValiantValiant
    281. Converter
    282. ValiantValiant ×2
    283. Wind ×2
    284. ValiantValiant
    285. Wind ×2
    286. ValiantValiant ×2
    287. Converter
    288. Wind ×2
    289. Converter
    290. ValiantValiant
    291. Wind
    292. ValiantValiant ×2
    293. Wind ×2
    294. ValiantValiant
    295. Converter
    296. Wind
    297. ValiantValiant
    298. Wind
    299. ValiantValiant
    300. Converter
    301. ValiantValiant
    302. Wind ×2
    303. ValiantValiant
    304. Wind
    305. ValiantValiant
    306. Wind
    307. ValiantValiant
    308. Wind
    309. ValiantValiant ×2
    310. Converter ×2
    311. ValiantValiant ×2
    312. Wind
    313. ValiantValiant ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is bob7's (30 OS, 27/09/2026); 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 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 2:23 · 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

1820 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
6:003709102124
7:005089146167
8:006903190219
9:009285231271
10:0011765292380
11:0014373367535
12:0017074512780
13:00198647751095
14:002271012621682
15:002573918112415
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

bob7

30.4 OS · 27/09/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
759 metal received · 31815 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=1820
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1760
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:45–12:16 · n=1165

Played most by

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