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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

The usual Cortex air game: Aircraft Plant just after the start, Advanced Metal Extractor around 7 minutes and Fusion Reactor around 11 minutes, making transports and fighters for the team while scaling economy normally.

Usually transports first (72%)

#eco #team support #air · 555 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 624 · 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 555 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 ~1:22, middle half 1:13–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (38%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 7 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Solar
    3. Mex
    4. Wind
    5. Energy storage
    6. Wind
    7. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:55 · typical 1:22
  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 · 27 steps
    1. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    5. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    6. FinchFinch
    7. ValiantValiant ×2
    8. HerculesLight transport
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    11. Wind
    12. HerculesLight transportfor Pond
    13. Wind
    14. Con turret
    15. HerculesLight transport
    16. Con turret ×3
    17. HerculesLight transport
    18. Wind
    19. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexnot finished by 15:00 · typical 6:50
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. Wind
    25. ValiantValiant
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    27. Wind
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine5Wind
    • Energy Converter6Converter
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 18 wind, 17 wind, 6 converterin 58% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret4 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken

    Some games also: con aircraft (36%) · fusion (33%) · 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 · 368 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. Wind
    3. ValiantValiant
    4. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    5. Wind ×3
    6. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    7. Bot LabBot Labdone 6:49
    8. Construction BotCon bot ×6
    9. Wind
    10. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    11. Wind
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. Wind ×4
    14. Construction BotCon bot
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Construction BotCon bot
    17. Wind ×3
    18. Construction BotCon bot
    19. Wind ×5
    20. Construction BotCon bot
    21. Wind ×4
    22. Construction BotCon bot
    23. Wind ×3
    24. Construction BotCon bot
    25. Wind ×27
    26. Con turret
    27. Wind ×4
    28. Converter
    29. Wind ×3
    30. Con turret
    31. Wind ×5
    32. Con turret ×2
    33. Wind
    34. Con turret
    35. Wind
    36. Converter
    37. Wind ×5
    38. Converter
    39. Wind ×2
    40. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:01
    41. Wind ×5
    42. ValiantValiant
    43. Converter
    44. Wind ×2
    45. ValiantValiant
    46. Wind ×2
    47. Converter
    48. Wind ×2
    49. ValiantValiant
    50. Wind ×2
    51. Converter
    52. Wind
    53. ValiantValiant
    54. Wind ×2
    55. Converter
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind ×3
    58. Converter
    59. Wind
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Wind
    62. Converter ×2
    63. Wind
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind ×4
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Converter
    70. Wind ×2
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×4
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Converter
    76. Wind ×2
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Converter
    79. Wind ×3
    80. Converter
    81. Wind
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Wind ×2
    84. Con turret
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind ×2
    87. Converter
    88. Wind
    89. Converter
    90. Con turret
    91. Wind ×2
    92. Converter
    93. Wind ×3
    94. Converter
    95. Wind
    96. ValiantValiant
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Converter
    99. ValiantValiant
    100. Wind ×2
    101. Converter
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Wind
    104. Converter
    105. Wind
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Wind ×4
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Converter
    110. Wind ×2
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Wind ×2
    113. Converter
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind
    116. ValiantValiant
    117. Wind
    118. Converter
    119. Wind ×2
    120. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    121. Wind
    122. Converter
    123. Wind ×2
    124. Converter
    125. Wind
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Wind ×2
    128. ValiantValiant
    129. Wind
    130. Converter
    131. ValiantValiant
    132. Wind ×2
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Converter
    135. Wind ×2
    136. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    137. Wind ×3
    138. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    139. Wind ×2
    140. Converter
    141. Wind
    142. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×3
    143. Wind
    144. Converter
    145. Wind ×2
    146. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    147. Wind ×2
    148. Converter
    149. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    150. Wind
    151. Converter
    152. Wind ×2
    153. ValiantValiant
    154. Wind
    155. Converter
    156. Wind
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Converter
    159. Wind ×2
    160. ValiantValiant
    161. Wind ×3
    162. ValiantValiant
    163. Converter
    164. Wind ×2
    165. ValiantValiant
    166. Wind
    167. Converter
    168. Wind ×2
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind
    171. Converter
    172. Wind
    173. ValiantValiant
    174. Wind ×3
    175. Converter
    176. Wind
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Converter
    179. Wind ×3
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind
    182. Converter
    183. Wind ×2
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Converter
    186. Wind ×2
    187. Converter
    188. Wind
    189. ValiantValiant
    190. Wind ×4
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. Wind ×3
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind ×2
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Converter
    197. Wind ×2
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Wind ×3
    200. Converter
    201. ValiantValiant
    202. Wind ×2
    203. ValiantValiant
    204. Wind
    205. Converter
    206. FinchFinch
    207. Wind ×2
    208. FinchFinch
    209. Wind ×2
    210. FinchFinch
    211. Wind
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Converter
    214. Wind ×2
    215. ValiantValiant
    216. Wind ×2
    217. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    218. Wind
    219. ShurikenShuriken
    220. Wind
    221. Converter
    222. Wind
    223. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    224. Wind
    225. ShurikenShuriken
    226. Wind ×2
    227. ShurikenShuriken
    228. Converter
    229. Wind
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind
    232. FinchFinch
    233. Wind ×2
    234. FinchFinch
    235. Wind
    236. Converter
    237. Wind
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind ×2
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Wind ×2
    244. ValiantValiant
    245. Wind
    246. Converter
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind ×2
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind ×2
    251. Converter
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Wind
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind
    256. Converter
    257. Wind
    258. ValiantValiant
    259. Wind ×2
    260. Con turret
    261. Wind ×2
    262. Converter
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. Wind
    265. Con turret
    266. Wind ×2
    267. Converter
    268. Con turret
    269. Wind ×2
    270. ValiantValiant
    271. Wind ×3
    272. Converter
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. Con turret
    275. Wind
    276. Converter
    277. Wind ×2
    278. ValiantValiant
    279. Wind
    280. ValiantValiant
    281. Wind
    282. ValiantValiant
    283. Wind
    284. Converter
    285. Wind
    286. ValiantValiant
    287. Wind
    288. ValiantValiant
    289. Con turret
    290. Wind
    291. Converter
    292. Wind
    293. Converter
    294. ValiantValiant
    295. Wind ×3
    296. ValiantValiant
    297. Wind
    298. ValiantValiant
    299. Wind
    300. Converter
    301. ValiantValiant
    302. Wind ×3
    303. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:05 · typical 10:56
    304. Converter
    305. Wind ×2
    306. Converter
    307. Wind ×4
    308. Converter
    309. Wind ×4
    310. Converter
    311. Wind
    312. Converter
    313. Wind ×2
    314. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 14:12
    315. Wind ×2
    316. Converter
    317. Wind ×2
    318. Converter
    319. Wind ×3
    320. ValiantValiant
    321. Wind
    322. ValiantValiant ×2
    323. Converter
    324. Wind ×2
    325. ValiantValiant
    326. Wind ×2
    327. ValiantValiant
    328. Converter
    329. Wind
    330. ValiantValiant ×2
    331. Wind ×2
    332. Converter
    333. ValiantValiant
    334. Wind ×3
    335. ValiantValiant
    336. Converter
    337. ValiantValiant
    338. Wind ×2
    339. ValiantValiant
    340. Converter
    341. Wind ×2
    342. ValiantValiant
    343. Wind
    344. ValiantValiant ×2
    345. Converter
    346. Wind ×3
    347. ValiantValiant
    348. Converter
    349. ValiantValiant
    350. Wind ×2
    351. Converter
    352. ValiantValiant
    353. Con turret
    354. Wind ×2
    355. Converter
    356. Con turret
    357. Wind ×3
    358. Con turret
    359. Converter
    360. Con turret
    361. Wind
    362. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    363. Wind
    364. Con turret ×2
    365. Converter
    366. Wind
    367. Con turret ×2
    368. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Crazydogg's (36 OS, 22/08/2026); 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 Geofirst at 2:06 · in 99% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:26 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 64% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 48% 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

624 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003759125167
7:005136190219
8:007017225290
9:009298258342
10:0011788328471
11:0014383440641
12:0017097606958
13:00199439331269
14:002265314171801
15:002554320602701
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

Crazydogg

35.5 OS · 22/08/2026

Open source match ↗

11 received units · includes a constructor
75 metal received · 127653 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:35 · n=624
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=599
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:16 · n=383

Played most by

DRM37games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build