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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 · 1486 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1790 · 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 1486 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 · 5 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Energy storage
    4. Wind ×2
    5. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:41 · 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 (41%)

    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 · 38 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    4. Wind ×4
    5. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    6. Wind
    7. Con turret
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Mex
    10. Wind ×2
    11. ValiantValiant
    12. Wind ×3
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Con turret
    15. Wind ×3
    16. Wind
    17. Con turret
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Wind
    21. ShurikenShuriken
    22. Wind
    23. HerculesLight transport
    24. ValiantValiant
    25. Wind
    26. Converter
    27. ValiantValiant
    28. Converter
    29. Wind
    30. ValiantValiant
    31. Converter
    32. Wind
    33. HerculesLight transport
    34. Converter
    35. Wind
    36. Converter
    37. Wind
    38. 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 (48%) · fusion (38%) · con aircraft (35%) · 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 · 401 steps
    1. Wind ×5
    2. Converter
    3. Wind ×3
    4. Converter
    5. Wind ×2
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:05 · typical 6:54
    9. Wind
    10. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    11. Wind
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    13. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    14. Wind
    15. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Pond
    16. Wind ×2
    17. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    18. Wind
    19. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:36
    20. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    21. Con turret
    22. Construction BotCon bot
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. Construction BotCon bot ×5
    25. Wind
    26. Construction BotCon bot
    27. Wind ×2
    28. Construction BotCon bot
    29. Wind
    30. Con turret
    31. Wind ×2
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. Wind ×3
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Wind ×2
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Wind ×2
    38. Wind
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind ×3
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Wind ×2
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Wind ×2
    46. Wind
    47. Wind
    48. Construction BotCon bot
    49. Wind ×2
    50. Wind
    51. Converter
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. Wind ×3
    54. Converter
    55. Wind
    56. Wind
    57. Wind
    58. Construction BotCon bot
    59. Wind ×2
    60. Converter
    61. Wind ×2
    62. Wind
    63. Converter
    64. Construction BotCon bot
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Wind
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Converter
    69. Wind
    70. Converter
    71. Wind ×5
    72. Wind
    73. Wind ×2
    74. Converter
    75. Wind ×2
    76. Converter
    77. Wind
    78. Wind ×5
    79. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Geo
    80. Wind
    81. Wind
    82. Converter
    83. Wind
    84. Converter
    85. Wind ×2
    86. Wind
    87. Wind ×4
    88. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    89. Wind
    90. Con turret
    91. Converter
    92. Wind
    93. Wind
    94. Wind
    95. Converter
    96. Wind
    97. ShurikenShuriken
    98. Wind ×3
    99. Wind
    100. Wind
    101. Con turret
    102. Wind ×3
    103. Converter
    104. Wind
    105. ShurikenShuriken
    106. Converter
    107. Wind
    108. Wind ×3
    109. ShurikenShuriken
    110. Wind ×3
    111. Wind
    112. ShurikenShuriken
    113. Wind
    114. Converter
    115. Wind ×3
    116. ShurikenShuriken
    117. Converter
    118. Wind ×3
    119. Con turret
    120. ShurikenShuriken
    121. Wind
    122. Wind ×4
    123. ShurikenShuriken
    124. Wind
    125. Converter
    126. Wind
    127. ShurikenShuriken
    128. Wind
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind
    131. Wind
    132. Converter
    133. Wind ×3
    134. Con turret
    135. Wind
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. Wind ×2
    138. Wind
    139. Converter
    140. Wind ×5
    141. Wind
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind ×2
    144. Converter
    145. Wind ×2
    146. Con turret
    147. Wind ×3
    148. Wind
    149. Converter
    150. Wind ×6
    151. Wind
    152. Wind
    153. Converter
    154. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    155. Wind
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Wind
    158. Converter
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind ×3
    161. Wind
    162. Wind ×2
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind ×3
    165. Wind
    166. FinchFinch
    167. Wind ×2
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. FinchFinch
    171. Wind
    172. Converter
    173. FinchFinch
    174. Wind ×2
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Wind
    177. Wind
    178. Wind ×3
    179. ValiantValiant
    180. Wind
    181. Converter
    182. Wind ×2
    183. Wind
    184. Converter
    185. Wind ×4
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind
    188. Wind
    189. Wind ×3
    190. Converter
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. Wind
    193. Converter
    194. Wind ×3
    195. Wind
    196. Wind ×2
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Wind ×5
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Converter
    201. Wind
    202. Wind
    203. Converter
    204. Wind
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Wind ×3
    207. Wind
    208. Wind
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Wind ×4
    211. Converter
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind
    214. Wind
    215. Converter
    216. Wind ×2
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind ×4
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind
    221. Wind
    222. ValiantValiant
    223. Wind ×2
    224. Converter
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind ×2
    228. Converter
    229. FinchFinch
    230. Wind
    231. Wind
    232. Wind ×2
    233. FinchFinch
    234. Wind ×2
    235. FinchFinch
    236. Wind
    237. Converter
    238. Wind
    239. Wind ×3
    240. Converter
    241. Wind ×3
    242. Wind
    243. Wind ×4
    244. Converter
    245. Wind ×3
    246. Wind
    247. Wind
    248. Converter
    249. Wind ×6
    250. Wind
    251. Wind
    252. Converter
    253. Wind
    254. Converter
    255. Wind ×2
    256. Wind
    257. Wind ×2
    258. T2 converter
    259. Wind ×2
    260. Converter
    261. Wind
    262. Wind
    263. Wind ×2
    264. Converter
    265. Wind ×3
    266. Wind
    267. Wind ×4
    268. Con turret
    269. Converter
    270. Wind ×2
    271. Con turret
    272. Wind
    273. Wind
    274. Converter
    275. Wind ×2
    276. HerculesLight transport
    277. Wind ×2
    278. Wind
    279. Wind ×2
    280. Converter
    281. Wind ×2
    282. Converter
    283. Con turret
    284. Wind
    285. Wind
    286. Wind
    287. T2 converter
    288. Wind ×5
    289. Wind
    290. Converter
    291. Wind ×4
    292. Converter
    293. Con turret
    294. Wind ×2
    295. Wind
    296. Wind ×2
    297. Con turret
    298. Converter
    299. Wind ×2
    300. Wind
    301. ValiantValiant
    302. Wind ×2
    303. T2 converter
    304. Wind
    305. ValiantValiant
    306. Converter
    307. Wind
    308. ChainsawChainsaw
    309. Wind
    310. Wind
    311. Wind
    312. ValiantValiant
    313. Wind
    314. Converter
    315. Converter
    316. Con turret
    317. ValiantValiant
    318. Wind ×2
    319. ValiantValiant
    320. Wind
    321. Wind
    322. Wind
    323. Converter
    324. ValiantValiant
    325. Wind
    326. ValiantValiant
    327. Wind
    328. ValiantValiant
    329. Wind
    330. Converter
    331. Wind
    332. ValiantValiant
    333. Converter
    334. Wind
    335. ValiantValiant
    336. Wind
    337. ValiantValiant
    338. Converter
    339. Wind
    340. ValiantValiant
    341. Wind
    342. ValiantValiant
    343. Wind
    344. Converter
    345. Wind
    346. ValiantValiant
    347. Converter
    348. Wind ×2
    349. ValiantValiant
    350. Con turret
    351. Wind
    352. ValiantValiant
    353. Wind
    354. Converter
    355. ValiantValiant
    356. Converter
    357. Wind
    358. Con turret
    359. Wind
    360. ValiantValiant
    361. Wind
    362. Converter
    363. Wind
    364. ValiantValiant
    365. Wind
    366. ValiantValiant
    367. Con turret
    368. Wind
    369. Wind
    370. ValiantValiant
    371. Wind ×2
    372. Converter
    373. Wind
    374. Converter
    375. ValiantValiant
    376. Wind ×2
    377. ValiantValiant
    378. Converter
    379. Wind
    380. Wind
    381. ValiantValiant
    382. Wind ×3
    383. ValiantValiant
    384. Wind ×2
    385. Converter ×2
    386. ValiantValiant
    387. Wind ×2
    388. ValiantValiant
    389. Wind ×2
    390. ValiantValiant
    391. Converter
    392. Wind ×2
    393. Wind
    394. ValiantValiant
    395. Wind ×2
    396. Converter
    397. ValiantValiant
    398. Converter
    399. Wind ×2
    400. ValiantValiant
    401. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is heihallo's (32 OS, 14/08/2026); 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 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 47% 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

1790 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002053051
5:0027635173
6:003712102124
7:005087146167
8:006902190219
9:009285231273
10:0011760292386
11:0014377374540
12:0017071517781
13:00198517811112
14:002267412691690
15:002569318242435
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

heihallo

31.7 OS · 14/08/2026

Open source match ↗

2 received units · includes a constructor
970 metal received · 43188 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=1790
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1731
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:45–12:17 · n=1146

Played most by

TheGeneraI113games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this buildAdeus50games of this build