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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 · 583 distinct matches · 119 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 655 · 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 583 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 ~1:24, middle half 1:13–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (39%)

    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 1:24
  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 · 28 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. Wind
    4. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    5. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    6. Wind
    7. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    8. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    11. Con turret
    12. ValiantValiant ×2
    13. Wind ×3
    14. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Mex
    17. ValiantValiant ×4
    18. Wind ×2
    19. ValiantValiant
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Con turret
    22. Wind
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    25. Wind
    26. ValiantValiant
    27. Wind
    28. Energy storage
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 18 wind, 17 wind, 6 converterin 57% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret4 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken

    Some games also: con aircraft (35%) · fusion (34%) · 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 · 259 steps
    1. ShurikenShuriken
    2. Wind
    3. ShurikenShuriken
    4. Wind
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. Converter
    7. Wind
    8. ShurikenShuriken
    9. Converter
    10. Wind
    11. ValiantValiant
    12. Converter
    13. Wind
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Converter
    16. Wind
    17. Converter
    18. ValiantValiant ×2
    19. Wind
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:08 · typical 6:48
    22. Wind
    23. Wind ×3
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind
    26. Converter
    27. Wind
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Wind
    30. Converter
    31. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    32. Wind
    33. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:10
    34. Wind ×2
    35. HerculesLight transport
    36. Converter
    37. Wind
    38. ValiantValiant
    39. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    40. Wind
    41. ValiantValiant
    42. Wind
    43. Con turret
    44. ValiantValiant
    45. Construction AircraftCon aircraft ×2
    46. Con turret
    47. Wind
    48. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    49. Converter
    50. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    51. Con turret
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. Wind ×4
    55. ValiantValiant
    56. Wind
    57. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    58. Wind
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind
    61. Con turret
    62. Wind
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind ×3
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Wind ×4
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Con turret
    69. Wind
    70. Wind
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind ×2
    73. Con turret
    74. Wind ×2
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Con turret
    77. Wind
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind
    80. Wind
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Wind
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind
    85. Wind
    86. ValiantValiant ×2
    87. Wind ×2
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind
    94. Wind
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Wind ×2
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    99. Wind ×2
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Wind
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Con turret
    106. Wind ×3
    107. Con turret
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind ×2
    110. Con turret
    111. Wind
    112. ValiantValiant
    113. Wind
    114. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    115. Wind ×2
    116. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    117. Con turret
    118. Wind ×2
    119. Wind
    120. Wind
    121. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 11:56
    122. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    123. Wind
    124. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    125. Wind ×2
    126. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    127. Wind
    128. Wind
    129. Wind
    130. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    131. Wind ×2
    132. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    133. Wind ×2
    134. Wind
    135. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    136. Wind ×2
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind
    139. Converter
    140. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    141. Wind
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind
    144. Wind
    145. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    146. Converter
    147. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    148. Wind ×2
    149. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    150. Wind
    151. Converter
    152. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    153. Wind
    154. Wind
    155. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    156. Wind
    157. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    158. Wind
    159. Converter
    160. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    161. Wind ×3
    162. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    163. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    164. Converter
    165. Wind
    166. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    167. Wind
    168. Wind
    169. Wind
    170. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    171. Wind
    172. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    173. Converter
    174. Wind
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Wind ×2
    179. ValiantValiant
    180. Wind ×2
    181. Converter
    182. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    183. Wind
    184. Wind
    185. ValiantValiant ×2
    186. Wind
    187. ValiantValiant ×2
    188. Converter
    189. Wind
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind ×2
    192. ValiantValiant
    193. Wind ×2
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind ×2
    196. Wind
    197. Wind ×2
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Wind
    200. Converter
    201. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind
    204. ValiantValiant ×2
    205. Converter
    206. Wind ×2
    207. ValiantValiant ×2
    208. Wind ×3
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant ×2
    211. Wind
    212. Converter
    213. Wind ×3
    214. ValiantValiant ×2
    215. Wind ×5
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind
    221. Wind
    222. ValiantValiant
    223. Wind
    224. ValiantValiant
    225. Wind
    226. Converter
    227. ValiantValiant ×2
    228. Wind ×3
    229. Con turret
    230. Wind
    231. ValiantValiant
    232. Wind ×3
    233. Converter
    234. Wind ×2
    235. ValiantValiant ×2
    236. Wind ×2
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Con turret
    239. Wind
    240. Wind
    241. ValiantValiant
    242. Converter
    243. Wind
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Wind ×3
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Wind
    250. Con turret
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Converter
    253. Wind ×3
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind
    256. ValiantValiant
    257. Wind ×3
    258. Converter
    259. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Damsko's (40 OS, 02/10/2026); 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 2:25 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:39 · in 65% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 49% 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

655 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002055051
5:00276673116
6:003769125167
7:005146190219
8:007021226290
9:009346260342
10:0011817328467
11:0014409438638
12:0017109605950
13:00199519421277
14:002267214281816
15:002558320892709
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

Damsko

39.9 OS · 02/10/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
867 metal received · 12731 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:24Middle 50%: 1:13–1:35 · n=655
Advanced Metal Extractor6:48Middle 50%: 6:21–7:25 · n=629
Fusion Reactor10:55Middle 50%: 9:56–12:17 · n=401

Played most by

DRM38games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildTheGeneraI32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort27games of this build