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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 (77%)

#eco #air #team support · 1538 distinct matches · 255 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1845 · 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 1538 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 ×5
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:38 · 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%) · converter (44%) · energy storage (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 · 19 steps
    1. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    2. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    3. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    5. ValiantValiant ×2
    6. Mex
    7. ValiantValiant ×3
    8. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    9. ShurikenShuriken
    10. Wind
    11. ShurikenShuriken
    12. Con turret
    13. ShurikenShuriken ×3
    14. Wind
    15. ValiantValiant ×2
    16. Wind
    17. ValiantValiant ×2
    18. Wind
    19. ValiantValiant
  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 18 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 (34%) · 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 · 250 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:10 · typical 6:54
    3. Con turret
    4. Wind
    5. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    6. Con turret
    7. Wind ×6
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    9. Wind ×3
    10. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    11. Wind ×2
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    13. Wind
    14. Solar
    15. Wind ×5
    16. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:50
    17. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    18. Wind
    19. Con turret
    20. Wind
    21. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    22. Wind
    23. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    24. Wind
    25. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    26. Wind ×3
    27. StorkLight transport
    28. Wind
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind ×6
    31. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:51
    32. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    33. Wind
    34. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    35. Wind ×3
    36. ValiantValiant
    37. Wind ×2
    38. ValiantValiant
    39. Wind ×3
    40. ValiantValiant
    41. Con turret
    42. Wind ×4
    43. ValiantValiant
    44. Wind ×2
    45. ValiantValiant
    46. Wind
    47. ValiantValiant
    48. Wind ×2
    49. ValiantValiant
    50. Wind
    51. ValiantValiant
    52. Wind
    53. Hardened Energy Storage
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Con turret
    56. Wind ×3
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Wind ×2
    59. Con turret
    60. ShurikenShuriken
    61. Wind
    62. Con turret
    63. Wind ×2
    64. ShurikenShuriken
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Converter
    67. Wind ×2
    68. ShurikenShuriken
    69. Wind
    70. ShurikenShuriken
    71. Wind
    72. ShurikenShuriken
    73. Wind
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind ×3
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind
    80. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    81. Wind ×2
    82. ShurikenShuriken
    83. Wind
    84. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    85. Wind ×2
    86. ShurikenShuriken
    87. Wind
    88. ShurikenShuriken
    89. Wind ×4
    90. ShurikenShuriken
    91. Wind
    92. ShurikenShuriken
    93. Wind
    94. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    95. Converter
    96. ShurikenShuriken
    97. Wind ×2
    98. ShurikenShuriken
    99. Wind ×2
    100. ShurikenShuriken
    101. Wind ×2
    102. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    103. Wind
    104. Converter
    105. ShurikenShuriken
    106. Wind ×2
    107. ShurikenShuriken
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind
    110. Converter
    111. Wind
    112. ValiantValiant
    113. Wind ×2
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Converter
    116. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    117. Wind ×3
    118. Converter
    119. Con turret
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind ×4
    122. Converter
    123. Con turret
    124. Wind
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind ×2
    127. Converter
    128. Con turret
    129. Wind
    130. ValiantValiant
    131. Wind
    132. Converter
    133. Wind
    134. Con turret
    135. Wind
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. Wind
    138. Converter
    139. ValiantValiant
    140. Wind ×3
    141. ValiantValiant ×2
    142. Wind
    143. Converter
    144. ValiantValiant
    145. Wind
    146. ValiantValiant ×2
    147. Con turret
    148. Wind ×2
    149. Converter
    150. Wind
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Con turret
    153. Wind ×3
    154. Con turret
    155. ValiantValiant
    156. Converter
    157. Wind ×3
    158. Con turret
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Converter
    161. ValiantValiant
    162. Wind
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind
    165. ValiantValiant
    166. Converter
    167. Wind ×2
    168. Converter
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind
    171. ValiantValiant
    172. Wind
    173. FinchFinch
    174. Wind
    175. FinchFinch ×2
    176. Converter
    177. Wind
    178. FinchFinch
    179. Wind
    180. ValiantValiant ×2
    181. Converter
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Wind ×2
    184. ValiantValiant ×2
    185. Converter
    186. Wind
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Wind
    189. ValiantValiant
    190. Converter
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. Wind
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Converter
    195. Wind
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. Wind
    198. ValiantValiant ×2
    199. Converter
    200. ValiantValiant ×2
    201. Converter
    202. Wind
    203. ValiantValiant
    204. Wind ×2
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Converter
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind ×2
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. FinchFinch
    212. Wind
    213. Converter
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind
    216. ValiantValiant
    217. Wind
    218. ValiantValiant
    219. Converter
    220. ValiantValiant ×2
    221. Wind
    222. Converter
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Wind
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. Wind
    227. ValiantValiant
    228. Converter
    229. Wind
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Converter
    234. ValiantValiant
    235. Wind ×2
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Converter
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind ×2
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Converter
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Wind ×2
    244. ValiantValiant ×2
    245. Converter
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Wind ×2
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Converter
    250. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is rainefullstop's (34 OS, 14/10/2026); 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 2:22 · 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 1:41 · 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

1845 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
6:003711102124
7:005090146167
8:006903190219
9:009285229270
10:0011761292378
11:0014384366531
12:0017078511777
13:00198827691085
14:002272512551684
15:002576818132440
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

rainefullstop

33.9 OS · 14/10/2026

Open source match ↗

10 received units · includes a constructor
1132 metal received · 56478 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=1845
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:26–7:26 · n=1784
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:45–12:16 · n=1186

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildHALF_DALLAH_HABIT52games of this build