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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 · 552 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 621 · 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 552 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×4
    2. Wind
    3. Energy storage
    4. 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 · 36 steps
    1. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    2. HerculesLight transport ×2for Geo sea
    3. Con turret
    4. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    5. Con turret
    6. Con turretfor Geo sea
    7. Wind
    8. Converter
    9. Wind
    10. Converter
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind ×3
    14. Converter
    15. ShurikenShuriken
    16. Wind ×2
    17. ShurikenShuriken
    18. Wind ×2
    19. ShurikenShuriken
    20. Wind
    21. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    22. Wind
    23. HerculesLight transportfor Geo
    24. Wind
    25. ShurikenShuriken
    26. Wind
    27. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    28. Wind
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind
    31. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    32. Con turret
    33. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. Converter ×4
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • 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 · 426 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Converter
    3. Wind
    4. Converter
    5. Wind
    6. Wind
    7. Converter ×2
    8. Wind
    9. Converter
    10. HerculesLight transport
    11. Wind
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Wind ×2
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Wind
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Con turret
    21. Wind ×2
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:14 · typical 6:50
    23. Wind ×2
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    25. Wind
    26. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    27. Wind ×2
    28. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:07
    29. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    30. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    31. Wind
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. Wind
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Wind
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Converter
    38. Wind
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Converter
    43. Wind
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Wind
    46. Converter ×3
    47. Wind
    48. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:08
    49. Wind ×10
    50. Mex
    51. Wind
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Wind
    56. Con turret
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Con turret
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind
    61. Con turret
    62. Wind
    63. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    64. Wind
    65. Con turret
    66. Wind
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Con turret
    69. Wind ×2
    70. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 10:09 · typical 10:56
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind
    73. Con turret
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind ×4
    76. Con turret ×2
    77. Wind ×4
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. ButlerButler
    80. Wind
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Con turret
    83. Wind
    84. ButlerButler
    85. Con turret
    86. Wind ×2
    87. SprinterSprinter
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind ×2
    92. Con turret
    93. Wind
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. SprinterSprinter
    96. Wind ×4
    97. Con turret
    98. Wind ×3
    99. Con turret
    100. Wind ×2
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind
    103. Con turret
    104. Wind
    105. ButlerButler
    106. Wind ×3
    107. ButlerButler
    108. Wind
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Con turret
    111. Wind ×2
    112. ButlerButler
    113. Wind ×4
    114. ButlerButler
    115. Wind ×4
    116. ButlerButler
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Wind
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Wind
    121. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Wind
    124. ButlerButler
    125. ValiantValiant ×2
    126. Wind
    127. Con turret
    128. Wind
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind
    131. ButlerButler
    132. Wind ×2
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. T2 converter
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. Wind ×2
    137. ButlerButler
    138. Wind ×2
    139. ValiantValiant
    140. Wind ×2
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. ButlerButler
    143. Wind ×3
    144. ButlerButler
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind
    147. T2 converter
    148. ButlerButler
    149. Wind ×3
    150. Con turret
    151. Wind
    152. ButlerButler
    153. Wind ×2
    154. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    155. Converter
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Converter
    158. ButlerButler
    159. Wind ×2
    160. ButlerButler
    161. Converter
    162. Wind ×2
    163. Converter
    164. ButlerButler
    165. Wind
    166. Con turret
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Converter
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind
    171. ButlerButler
    172. ValiantValiant
    173. Wind ×2
    174. Converter
    175. Wind ×2
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. ButlerButler
    178. Converter
    179. ValiantValiant
    180. Converter
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. ButlerButler
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. ButlerButler
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Converter
    188. Wind
    189. Converter
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind
    192. ButlerButler
    193. Wind
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. ButlerButler
    198. Converter ×2
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. ButlerButler
    201. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 12:21
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Converter
    204. Wind ×2
    205. ValiantValiant
    206. Wind
    207. ButlerButler
    208. Wind
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Wind
    211. Converter
    212. Wind
    213. ButlerButler
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    216. ValiantValiant
    217. Wind
    218. Converter ×2
    219. ButlerButler
    220. ValiantValiant
    221. ButlerButler
    222. ValiantValiant
    223. Converter
    224. Wind ×2
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. ButlerButler
    227. Wind
    228. Converter
    229. GauntletGauntletdone 12:08
    230. Wind
    231. ValiantValiant
    232. ButlerButler
    233. ValiantValiant
    234. Converter
    235. ButlerButler
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. ButlerButler
    238. Wind
    239. ValiantValiant
    240. Converter
    241. Wind ×3
    242. Converter
    243. Wind
    244. ButlerButler
    245. EelSubmarinedone 12:09
    246. ButlerButler
    247. Wind
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. ButlerButler
    250. Converter
    251. Wind
    252. Converter
    253. Wind
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind ×3
    256. EelSubmarine
    257. Converter
    258. Wind ×3
    259. Converter
    260. Wind ×2
    261. SentrySentry
    262. Wind
    263. Converter
    264. SentrySentry
    265. Converter
    266. Wind ×5
    267. EelSubmarine
    268. DragonDragondone 13:16
    269. Mex
    270. SentrySentry
    271. Wind ×2
    272. Converter ×2
    273. Wind
    274. Mex
    275. SentrySentry
    276. Wind ×2
    277. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    278. Wind
    279. EelSubmarine
    280. Wind
    281. EelSubmarine
    282. SentrySentry
    283. Mex
    284. Wind
    285. Converter ×2
    286. Wind ×5
    287. SentrySentry
    288. Wind ×3
    289. Con turret
    290. Wind ×5
    291. Con turret
    292. Converter ×2
    293. Wind ×3
    294. Con turret
    295. Wind ×4
    296. Con turret
    297. Wind
    298. Converter
    299. Wind ×2
    300. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 13:21
    301. Con turret
    302. Converter ×2
    303. Wind ×3
    304. Con turret
    305. Wind ×3
    306. Converter
    307. Wind ×4
    308. Converter
    309. Wind ×10
    310. Converter ×2
    311. Wind ×3
    312. DragonDragon
    313. Wind ×5
    314. Converter
    315. Wind ×6
    316. Converter
    317. Wind ×4
    318. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    319. Wind ×3
    320. Converter
    321. Wind ×8
    322. Converter
    323. Wind ×2
    324. Con turret
    325. Wind ×2
    326. Con turret
    327. Wind ×6
    328. Converter
    329. Wind ×10
    330. Converter
    331. Wind ×6
    332. Con turret
    333. Wind ×3
    334. Converter
    335. DragonDragon
    336. Wind ×8
    337. Converter
    338. Wind ×7
    339. Converter
    340. Wind
    341. Con turret
    342. BlitzBlitz
    343. Wind ×10
    344. Converter
    345. Wind ×2
    346. BlitzBlitz
    347. Wind ×3
    348. Con turret
    349. Wind ×2
    350. BlitzBlitz
    351. Converter
    352. Wind ×8
    353. BlitzBlitz
    354. Wind
    355. Con turret
    356. Wind ×5
    357. Converter
    358. Wind ×5
    359. BlitzBlitz
    360. Converter
    361. Wind ×2
    362. Con turret
    363. Wind ×3
    364. BlitzBlitz
    365. Wind
    366. DragonDragon
    367. Wind ×2
    368. NighthawkNighthawk
    369. Wind ×7
    370. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 14:27
    371. BlitzBlitz
    372. Converter
    373. NighthawkNighthawk
    374. Wind ×7
    375. Converter
    376. Wind ×3
    377. NighthawkNighthawk
    378. Wind ×2
    379. BlitzBlitz
    380. Wind ×2
    381. NighthawkNighthawk
    382. Wind ×2
    383. BruteBrute
    384. Wind
    385. BlitzBlitz
    386. Wind ×2
    387. Converter
    388. Wind ×3
    389. NighthawkNighthawk
    390. Wind
    391. BruteBrute
    392. Wind
    393. Converter
    394. Wind ×3
    395. NighthawkNighthawk
    396. Wind ×2
    397. BruteBrute
    398. Wind ×4
    399. BlitzBlitz
    400. NighthawkNighthawk
    401. Wind
    402. Con turret
    403. Wind ×3
    404. Converter
    405. Wind
    406. NighthawkNighthawk
    407. Wind
    408. BruteBrute
    409. Wind
    410. Converter
    411. Wind ×3
    412. NighthawkNighthawk
    413. Wind ×4
    414. BruteBrute
    415. Wind
    416. NighthawkNighthawk
    417. Wind ×2
    418. Converter
    419. Wind ×2
    420. Con turret
    421. Wind ×2
    422. Converter
    423. NighthawkNighthawk
    424. BruteBrute
    425. Con turret
    426. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is El_Turco's (37 OS, 06/08/2026); 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 2:25 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 65% 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

621 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145800
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003763125167
7:005136190219
8:007019223290
9:009335256341
10:0011795327471
11:0014399440641
12:0017100607960
13:00199489321269
14:002266414091805
15:002555520592701
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

El_Turco

37.0 OS · 06/08/2026

Open source match ↗

281 received units · includes a constructor
5436 metal received · 127572 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=621
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=596
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:17 · n=381

Played most by

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