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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 · 1508 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1813 · 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 1508 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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:17 · 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. Solar
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo
    3. HerculesLight transportfor Geo
    4. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    5. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    6. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    7. Wind
    8. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    9. Wind ×3
    10. ShurikenShuriken
    11. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    12. Con turret
    13. Mex
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Con turret
    16. ValiantValiant
    17. Wind
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Wind ×3
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind
    22. Wind ×2
    23. Wind
    24. Wind
    25. ValiantValiant
    26. Wind ×2
    27. Converter
    28. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    29. Wind
    30. Wind ×4
    31. Wind
    32. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Pond
    33. Wind ×2
    34. Wind
    35. 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 (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 · 332 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Wind
    4. Wind ×2
    5. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    6. Con turret
    7. Wind
    8. Wind
    9. Wind ×3
    10. Wind
    11. Converter
    12. Wind
    13. Wind
    14. Converter
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. Converter
    19. Wind
    20. Converter
    21. Wind
    22. Wind
    23. Converter
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Wind
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. Wind
    30. Wind
    31. Wind
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Wind
    35. Wind
    36. Converter
    37. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:20 · typical 6:54
    38. Wind
    39. Wind ×3
    40. Wind
    41. Energy storage
    42. Converter
    43. Wind
    44. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    45. Wind
    46. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    47. Wind ×2
    48. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    49. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:22
    50. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    51. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:52
    54. Construction BotCon bot
    55. Wind
    56. Wind
    57. Construction BotCon bot
    58. Wind
    59. Construction BotCon bot
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Wind ×3
    62. Construction BotCon bot
    63. Wind
    64. Wind
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Wind
    67. Construction BotCon bot
    68. Wind ×2
    69. ValiantValiant
    70. Wind
    71. Wind
    72. Construction BotCon bot
    73. Wind ×2
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind
    76. Wind
    77. Wind ×2
    78. Construction BotCon bot
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind
    81. Wind
    82. Wind
    83. Construction BotCon bot
    84. Wind
    85. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    86. Wind
    87. Wind ×5
    88. Wind
    89. Wind
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Con turret
    92. Wind ×2
    93. Wind
    94. Wind
    95. Con turret
    96. Wind ×2
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Wind
    99. Wind ×4
    100. Con turret
    101. Wind ×2
    102. Wind
    103. Wind
    104. Con turret
    105. Wind ×3
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Wind
    108. Wind
    109. T2 converter
    110. Wind
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Wind ×2
    113. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    114. Wind
    115. Wind ×6
    116. Wind
    117. Wind ×2
    118. Wind
    119. Wind ×4
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind ×2
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Con turret
    124. Wind
    125. Wind ×2
    126. T2 converter
    127. Con turret
    128. Wind ×4
    129. Wind
    130. Con turret ×2
    131. Wind ×2
    132. Wind
    133. Wind ×5
    134. ValiantValiant
    135. Wind
    136. Wind ×5
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind
    139. Wind
    140. ValiantValiant ×2
    141. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind
    144. Wind
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind ×3
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind ×2
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Wind
    151. Wind
    152. ValiantValiant ×3
    153. Wind
    154. Wind ×2
    155. ValiantValiant
    156. Wind ×3
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Wind
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind
    161. ValiantValiant ×2
    162. Wind
    163. ValiantValiant
    164. Wind ×3
    165. FinchFinch
    166. Wind
    167. FinchFinch
    168. Wind
    169. Wind
    170. FinchFinch
    171. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    172. FinchFinch ×2
    173. Wind
    174. ValiantValiant
    175. Wind
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. Wind ×4
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Wind
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. Wind ×2
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind
    192. Wind
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Wind
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Wind
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Wind
    201. Wind ×2
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind ×2
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Wind
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind ×2
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind
    214. T2 converter
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind ×2
    217. Wind
    218. ValiantValiant
    219. Wind
    220. ValiantValiant
    221. Wind ×2
    222. Wind
    223. Wind ×5
    224. T2 converter
    225. Wind
    226. Wind ×2
    227. ValiantValiant
    228. Wind ×3
    229. Wind
    230. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    231. Wind
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Wind ×3
    234. Con turret
    235. Wind
    236. Wind ×3
    237. Hardened Energy Storage
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. Con turret
    241. Wind
    242. Wind
    243. Wind
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Wind
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Wind
    250. Wind
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Wind ×2
    253. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    254. Wind
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind
    257. Wind
    258. Wind ×2
    259. ValiantValiant ×2
    260. Wind ×2
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Wind
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. Wind
    265. Wind
    266. ValiantValiant
    267. Con turret ×2
    268. Wind ×2
    269. ValiantValiant
    270. Wind
    271. ValiantValiant
    272. Wind ×2
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. Wind ×2
    275. ValiantValiant ×2
    276. Wind
    277. FinchFinch
    278. Wind
    279. FinchFinch
    280. Wind
    281. FinchFinch ×2
    282. Wind
    283. FinchFinch
    284. ValiantValiant
    285. Wind ×2
    286. Wind
    287. Wind ×2
    288. ValiantValiant ×4
    289. Wind
    290. Wind
    291. ValiantValiant ×2
    292. Wind
    293. ValiantValiant
    294. Wind ×2
    295. ValiantValiant
    296. Wind ×2
    297. ValiantValiant
    298. Wind
    299. ValiantValiant ×2
    300. Wind
    301. ValiantValiant
    302. Con turret ×2
    303. ValiantValiant
    304. Wind ×5
    305. ValiantValiant ×2
    306. FinchFinch
    307. Wind
    308. FinchFinch ×3
    309. ValiantValiant
    310. Wind
    311. ValiantValiant
    312. Wind ×2
    313. ValiantValiant ×2
    314. Wind ×2
    315. ValiantValiant ×2
    316. Wind
    317. ValiantValiant ×3
    318. Wind ×2
    319. ValiantValiant
    320. Wind
    321. ValiantValiant
    322. Wind ×2
    323. ValiantValiant
    324. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    325. Wind
    326. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    327. Wind
    328. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    329. Wind
    330. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    331. Wind ×2
    332. WhirlwindWhirlwind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Herbiderpi's (32 OS, 13/10/2026); 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 2:23 · 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 2:22 · 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

1813 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
6:003711102124
7:005089146167
8:006903190219
9:009285230270
10:0011761292379
11:0014370369533
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811101
14:002270412631689
15:002573618082409
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

Herbiderpi

32.0 OS · 13/10/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
151 metal received · 58519 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=1813
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1753
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:46–12:17 · n=1160

Played most by

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