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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Crazydogg's (37 OS, 20/09/2026); 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

37.5 OS · 20/09/2026

Open source match ↗

31 received units · includes a constructor
153 metal received · 78547 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