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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 · 1506 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1811 · 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 1506 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 · 54 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantfor Geo seadone 1:30 · typical 1:26
    5. ShurikenShurikenfor Geo sea
    6. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    8. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    9. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    10. ShurikenShuriken
    11. Wind ×2
    12. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    13. Wind
    14. ShurikenShuriken
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    17. Wind
    18. Mex
    19. Con turret
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind ×2
    22. ValiantValiant
    23. Wind ×3
    24. HerculesLight transport
    25. Wind
    26. Con turret
    27. Wind
    28. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    29. Wind ×3
    30. Wind
    31. Wind
    32. Wind
    33. Wind ×3
    34. Wind
    35. Wind ×2
    36. Wind
    37. Wind ×3
    38. Converter
    39. Wind
    40. Wind
    41. Wind
    42. Converter
    43. Wind
    44. Wind ×2
    45. Converter
    46. Wind ×2
    47. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:59 · typical 6:54
    48. Wind
    49. Wind ×2
    50. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    51. Wind ×3
    52. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    53. Wind ×4
    54. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:17
  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

  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 · 231 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Con turret
    3. ValiantValiant
    4. Wind
    5. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    6. ValiantValiant ×2
    7. Wind
    8. ValiantValiant ×2
    9. Wind
    10. ValiantValiant ×2
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. ValiantValiant ×2
    14. Wind
    15. Con turret ×2
    16. Converter
    17. Con turret
    18. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 9:39 · typical 10:53
    19. Converter ×2
    20. Con turret
    21. Con turret
    22. Converter ×4
    23. Wind
    24. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    25. Converter
    26. Con turret
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. Wind
    30. T2 converter
    31. Converter
    32. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:09
    33. Con turret
    34. Converter
    35. Con turret
    36. ValiantValiant
    37. Converter
    38. ThistleThistle
    39. ValiantValiant
    40. NettleNettle ×2
    41. Wind
    42. ValiantValiant
    43. ThistleThistle
    44. Wind
    45. ValiantValiant ×2
    46. ThistleThistle
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. NettleNettle
    50. ValiantValiant
    51. NettleNettle
    52. Wind
    53. NettleNettle
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Wind
    56. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    57. Wind
    58. ValiantValiant ×2
    59. Con turret
    60. Converter
    61. Con turret
    62. ShurikenShuriken
    63. Con turret
    64. Con turret
    65. ShurikenShuriken
    66. Con turret
    67. Converter
    68. ShurikenShuriken ×5
    69. Wind
    70. ShurikenShuriken
    71. Wind
    72. ShurikenShuriken ×3
    73. Converter
    74. Wind
    75. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    76. Wind
    77. ValiantValiant ×2
    78. Wind
    79. Converter
    80. ValiantValiant ×2
    81. Wind
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Wind
    84. Converter
    85. ValiantValiant ×2
    86. Wind
    87. ValiantValiant
    88. Converter
    89. ValiantValiant
    90. Wind
    91. ValiantValiant
    92. Wind
    93. ValiantValiant
    94. Wind
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Converter
    97. Wind
    98. ValiantValiant ×2
    99. Wind
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Converter
    102. Wind
    103. ValiantValiant ×2
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Converter
    108. ValiantValiant ×2
    109. Wind
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Converter
    112. ValiantValiant ×2
    113. Wind
    114. Converter
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Converter
    117. ValiantValiant ×2
    118. Wind
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Converter
    121. ValiantValiant ×2
    122. Wind ×2
    123. ValiantValiant
    124. Converter
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    129. Wind ×2
    130. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    131. Converter
    132. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    133. Wind ×2
    134. Converter
    135. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    136. Wind
    137. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    138. Wind
    139. Converter
    140. Wind
    141. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    142. Wind
    143. Converter
    144. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    145. Wind
    146. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    147. Wind
    148. Converter
    149. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    150. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    151. Wind
    152. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    153. Converter
    154. Wind
    155. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    156. Wind
    157. Converter
    158. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    159. Converter
    160. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    161. Wind
    162. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    163. Converter
    164. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    165. Wind
    166. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    167. Converter
    168. Converter
    169. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    170. Wind ×2
    171. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    172. Converter
    173. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    174. Wind ×2
    175. ValiantValiant ×2
    176. Converter
    177. Wind
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind
    180. FinchFinch ×3
    181. Wind
    182. Converter
    183. FinchFinch
    184. Wind
    185. FinchFinch
    186. ValiantValiant ×2
    187. Wind ×2
    188. Converter
    189. ValiantValiant ×2
    190. Wind
    191. ValiantValiant
    192. Converter
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Wind
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Converter
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Wind ×2
    201. ValiantValiant ×3
    202. Wind
    203. Converter
    204. Converter
    205. ValiantValiant ×3
    206. Wind
    207. Converter
    208. ValiantValiant ×3
    209. Converter
    210. Converter
    211. Wind
    212. ValiantValiant ×3
    213. Converter
    214. Wind
    215. ValiantValiant ×2
    216. Wind
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Fusion ReactorFusion
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind
    221. Converter
    222. Wind
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Wind
    225. Converter
    226. Wind ×2
    227. Converter
    228. Wind
    229. Converter ×2
    230. Wind
    231. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Viltrum's (40 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 2:23 · in 72% 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 2:23 · 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

1811 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
6:003707102124
7:005089146167
8:006902190219
9:009284230270
10:0011758292380
11:0014356369536
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811102
14:002270412641689
15:002573618132420
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

Viltrum

40.3 OS · 14/10/2026

Open source match ↗

68 received units · includes a constructor
1241 metal received · 53589 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=1811
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1751
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:45–12:17 · n=1159

Played most by

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