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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 · 1490 distinct matches · 252 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1793 · 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 1490 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:44 · 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 · 31 steps
    1. GuardGuard
    2. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    3. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    4. HerculesLight transport
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    7. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    8. Con turret
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Wind
    11. Mex
    12. Wind ×2
    13. HerculesLight transportfor Geo
    14. Con turret
    15. Wind ×3
    16. ShurikenShuriken
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind
    22. Converter
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. Converter
    25. Wind
    26. ValiantValiant ×2
    27. Converter
    28. Wind ×2
    29. HerculesLight transport
    30. Converter
    31. Wind
  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 (48%) · 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 · 335 steps
    1. Converter
    2. HerculesLight transport
    3. Wind ×4
    4. Con turret
    5. Wind ×6
    6. ValiantValiant ×3
    7. Wind ×4
    8. Con turret
    9. Converter
    10. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    11. Converter
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Converter
    14. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:24 · typical 6:54
    15. Converter
    16. Wind
    17. Energy storage
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×3
    19. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:29
    20. Converter
    21. Construction BotCon bot
    22. Converter
    23. Construction BotCon bot
    24. Converter
    25. Construction BotCon bot
    26. Converter
    27. Construction BotCon bot
    28. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:02
    29. Construction BotCon bot
    30. Wind
    31. ShurikenShuriken
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. ShurikenShuriken
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Wind
    36. ShurikenShuriken
    37. Wind
    38. Construction BotCon bot
    39. ShurikenShuriken
    40. Wind
    41. ShurikenShuriken
    42. Construction BotCon bot
    43. ShurikenShuriken
    44. Wind
    45. ShurikenShuriken
    46. Wind ×2
    47. ShurikenShuriken
    48. Construction BotCon bot
    49. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    50. Construction BotCon bot
    51. Wind ×4
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Construction BotCon bot
    54. Con turret
    55. Wind ×4
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind
    58. Construction BotCon bot
    59. ValiantValiant ×2
    60. Wind ×4
    61. ValiantValiant
    62. Wind
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind ×4
    65. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    66. ShurikenShuriken
    67. Wind ×2
    68. ShurikenShuriken
    69. Wind
    70. ShurikenShuriken
    71. Wind
    72. ValiantValiant
    73. Wind ×2
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind ×3
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind ×3
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind ×2
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind ×2
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Con turret
    84. Wind ×6
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind
    87. Converter
    88. ShurikenShuriken
    89. Wind ×2
    90. ShurikenShuriken
    91. Wind ×2
    92. ShurikenShuriken
    93. Wind
    94. ShurikenShuriken
    95. Wind
    96. ValiantValiant
    97. Wind
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Wind ×3
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind
    102. Converter
    103. Wind
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind
    106. ShurikenShuriken
    107. Wind
    108. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    109. Wind ×3
    110. ShurikenShuriken
    111. Con turret
    112. Wind ×2
    113. ShurikenShuriken
    114. Wind
    115. ShurikenShuriken
    116. Wind
    117. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    118. Wind ×3
    119. ShurikenShuriken
    120. Wind
    121. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    122. Wind ×2
    123. ShurikenShuriken
    124. Wind
    125. ValiantValiant ×2
    126. Wind ×3
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. Wind
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Converter
    131. Wind
    132. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    133. Wind ×2
    134. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    135. Wind ×4
    136. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    137. Wind
    138. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    139. Wind ×2
    140. Con turret
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind ×4
    143. ValiantValiant
    144. Converter
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind ×2
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind
    149. ValiantValiant ×2
    150. Wind ×3
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Wind
    153. Converter
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Wind
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Wind ×2
    158. ValiantValiant ×2
    159. Wind ×4
    160. ValiantValiant
    161. Converter
    162. ValiantValiant
    163. Wind ×3
    164. ValiantValiant ×2
    165. Wind ×3
    166. ValiantValiant
    167. Wind
    168. Converter
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind ×3
    171. ValiantValiant ×2
    172. Wind ×3
    173. ValiantValiant
    174. Wind
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Converter
    177. Wind
    178. GuardGuard
    179. Wind
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Converter
    184. Wind ×2
    185. ValiantValiant
    186. Wind ×2
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Converter
    189. Wind
    190. Converter
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. GuardGuard
    193. Wind ×2
    194. Con turret
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Wind ×3
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Wind
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Wind
    201. Converter
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Converter
    204. Wind
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Wind ×4
    207. ValiantValiant
    208. Converter
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. GuardGuard
    212. Converter
    213. ValiantValiant
    214. Wind ×2
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind ×3
    217. FinchFinch
    218. Wind
    219. Converter
    220. Wind
    221. FinchFinch
    222. Wind
    223. Converter
    224. FinchFinch
    225. Wind
    226. Converter
    227. FinchFinch
    228. GuardGuard
    229. Wind
    230. FinchFinch
    231. Converter
    232. Wind ×2
    233. FinchFinch
    234. Wind ×3
    235. FinchFinch
    236. Wind
    237. Converter
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. GuardGuard
    241. Converter
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. Wind ×2
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind ×2
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. Converter
    250. Wind ×2
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Converter
    253. GuardGuard
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind ×2
    256. ValiantValiant
    257. Wind
    258. Converter
    259. Wind
    260. ValiantValiant
    261. Wind ×2
    262. ValiantValiant
    263. Wind ×2
    264. ValiantValiant
    265. Con turret
    266. Wind
    267. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    268. Converter
    269. Wind ×3
    270. Con turret
    271. Wind ×2
    272. ValiantValiant
    273. Wind
    274. ValiantValiant
    275. Wind
    276. Converter
    277. Wind
    278. Converter
    279. ValiantValiant
    280. Wind
    281. Converter
    282. Wind
    283. ValiantValiant
    284. Wind ×3
    285. ValiantValiant
    286. Wind
    287. ValiantValiant
    288. Wind ×2
    289. Converter
    290. ValiantValiant
    291. Converter ×2
    292. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    293. Wind ×2
    294. ValiantValiant
    295. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    296. Wind ×3
    297. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    298. ValiantValiant
    299. Converter
    300. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    301. Wind
    302. ValiantValiant
    303. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    304. Converter
    305. Wind
    306. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    307. ValiantValiant
    308. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    309. Wind ×2
    310. ValiantValiant
    311. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    312. Converter
    313. Wind ×4
    314. ValiantValiant
    315. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    316. Converter
    317. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    318. ValiantValiant
    319. Wind ×2
    320. ValiantValiant
    321. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    322. Converter
    323. Wind
    324. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    325. ValiantValiant
    326. Converter
    327. Wind
    328. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    329. ValiantValiant
    330. Wind ×3
    331. Converter
    332. FinchFinch
    333. Wind
    334. Converter
    335. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is mobius1's (32 OS, 27/08/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · 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 72% 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

1793 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
6:003706102124
7:005088146167
8:006900190219
9:009279232270
10:0011757292384
11:0014351373540
12:0017061515781
13:00198467811109
14:002269912691689
15:002570018082409
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

mobius1

31.9 OS · 27/08/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
199 metal received · 147804 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=1793
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1734
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:47–12:18 · n=1147

Played most by

TheGeneraI113games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildMilkdragon51games of this buildAdeus50games of this build