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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

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 · 547 distinct matches · 115 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 615 · 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 547 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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:15 · 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 · 31 steps
    1. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    2. FinchFinch
    3. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    4. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    5. ValiantValiant
    6. ShurikenShuriken
    7. Wind ×2
    8. ShurikenShuriken
    9. Wind ×2
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Wind ×2
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind ×2
    14. Mex
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Wind
    17. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Con turret
    20. Con turret
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind ×2
    23. ValiantValiant
    24. Wind
    25. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    26. ValiantValiant
    27. Wind
    28. Con turret
    29. Wind ×2
    30. Wind
    31. 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 · 248 steps
    1. Converter
    2. ValiantValiant
    3. Wind
    4. Converter
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. Converter
    7. Wind
    8. ShurikenShuriken
    9. Wind
    10. Converter
    11. ValiantValiant
    12. Wind
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:41 · typical 6:50
    17. Wind
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    21. Wind
    22. ValiantValiant
    23. Wind
    24. ValiantValiant
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Wind ×6
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    28. ValiantValiant
    29. Wind
    30. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:47
    31. Wind
    32. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    33. Construction BotCon bot
    34. Converter
    35. Construction BotCon bot
    36. Wind
    37. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    38. Wind
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind ×3
    43. Converter
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Wind
    46. Construction BotCon bot
    47. Wind ×2
    48. Construction BotCon bot
    49. Wind ×2
    50. Construction BotCon bot
    51. Wind
    52. Construction BotCon bot
    53. Wind ×3
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Wind
    56. Converter
    57. Construction BotCon bot
    58. Wind
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind ×3
    61. Construction BotCon bot
    62. Wind ×2
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Construction BotCon bot
    65. Wind
    66. ValiantValiant
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Construction BotCon bot
    69. Wind
    70. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    71. Wind
    72. Converter
    73. Wind ×4
    74. Construction BotCon bot
    75. Wind
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind ×3
    78. Construction BotCon bot
    79. Wind
    80. Con turret
    81. Wind ×3
    82. Converter
    83. Wind
    84. ValiantValiant
    85. Wind ×2
    86. Con turret
    87. Converter
    88. Wind ×5
    89. ValiantValiant
    90. Wind ×2
    91. Converter
    92. Con turret
    93. Wind ×4
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind
    96. Con turret
    97. Wind
    98. Converter
    99. Wind ×4
    100. Converter
    101. Con turret
    102. Wind ×4
    103. Con turret
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind
    106. Converter
    107. Wind ×2
    108. Con turret
    109. Wind ×3
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Con turret
    112. Wind ×3
    113. Con turret
    114. Converter
    115. Wind
    116. ValiantValiant
    117. Wind
    118. Con turret
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Converter
    121. Wind ×2
    122. Con turret
    123. Wind ×3
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Con turret
    126. Wind
    127. Converter
    128. Wind ×2
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind
    131. ValiantValiant
    132. Wind ×3
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Wind ×2
    135. Converter
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. Wind ×3
    138. ValiantValiant
    139. Wind
    140. Converter
    141. Wind
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind ×3
    144. Converter
    145. Wind
    146. Converter
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind ×3
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Wind
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Wind ×2
    153. ValiantValiant
    154. Wind ×2
    155. ValiantValiant
    156. Converter
    157. Wind
    158. ValiantValiant
    159. Wind
    160. ValiantValiant
    161. Wind
    162. ValiantValiant
    163. Wind ×2
    164. ValiantValiant ×2
    165. Wind ×2
    166. Converter
    167. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    168. Converter
    169. Wind ×3
    170. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    171. Wind ×3
    172. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    173. Wind ×2
    174. Converter
    175. Wind
    176. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    177. Wind ×3
    178. Converter
    179. Wind
    180. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    181. Wind ×2
    182. Converter
    183. Wind ×2
    184. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    185. Wind ×4
    186. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    187. Wind ×2
    188. Converter
    189. Wind
    190. Converter
    191. Wind
    192. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    193. Wind ×3
    194. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    195. Wind ×3
    196. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    197. Wind ×2
    198. Converter
    199. Wind ×2
    200. Converter
    201. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    202. Wind
    203. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    204. Wind ×5
    205. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    206. Converter
    207. Wind ×3
    208. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    209. Converter
    210. Wind ×2
    211. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    212. Wind ×5
    213. Converter
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind
    216. ValiantValiant ×2
    217. Wind ×2
    218. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00 · typical 10:56
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind ×4
    221. Converter
    222. Converter
    223. Wind ×8
    224. ValiantValiant
    225. Wind
    226. Converter
    227. Converter
    228. Wind ×7
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind ×2
    231. Converter
    232. Wind ×3
    233. Converter
    234. Wind ×3
    235. ValiantValiant
    236. Wind ×4
    237. Converter
    238. Wind ×4
    239. Converter
    240. Wind ×6
    241. Converter
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Wind ×6
    244. Converter
    245. Wind ×3
    246. Converter
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind ×4

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Pentry's (36 OS, 25/09/2026); 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 2:25 · 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 84% 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

615 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145800
4:002052051
5:00276573109
6:003755125167
7:005136190219
8:007019220290
9:009335250341
10:0011795327471
11:0014399439641
12:0017100619962
13:00199489301269
14:002264113951807
15:002553020492701
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

Pentry

35.7 OS · 25/09/2026

Open source match ↗

5 received units · includes a constructor
85 metal received · 15987 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=615
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=590
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:14 · n=375

Played most by

DRM36games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build