Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

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 · 1496 distinct matches · 252 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1799 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 1:24

0:03Open 3 mex and wind, then drop Aircraft Plant early.
by 1:24Finish Aircraft Plant and start fighters for scouting and defense.
6:14Eat the Aircraft Plant once production needs outgrow it.
by 6:48Get Advanced Metal Extractor up to scale eco.
10:40+Bring Fusion Reactor online and keep feeding transports, scouts, fighters to allies.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 1496 GAMES

10:00
21:07
35:00

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
Up to the Aircraft Plant
0:00 – 1:07
Economy
- 3Mex
- 4Wind
Order
1. Aircraft Plant ~1:07after 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 · 4 steps
1. 0:03Mex ×3
2. 0:35Wind ×4
3. 1:01Energy storage
4. 1:16Aircraft Plantdone 1:34 · typical 1:26
2
Aircraft Plant to 5:00
1:07 – 5:00
Economy
- 1Mex
- 9Wind
- 3Wind
Builders
- 2 Con turret
- 1 Con aircraft
Army
- 5 Valiant
- 2 Light transport for allies
- 2 Finch for allies
- 1 Finch
- 1 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
The example game in this phase · 38 steps
1. 1:35Finchfor Beach sea
2. 1:41Valiantfor Beach sea
3. 1:43Wind ×2
4. 1:58Finchfor Geo sea
5. 2:05Light transportfor Geo sea
6. 2:08Wind ×2
7. 2:24Light transport
8. 2:35Con aircraft
9. 2:47Con turret
10. 2:47Valiant
11. 2:49Mex
12. 3:04Light transportfor Tech
13. 3:11Con turret
14. 3:32Light transportfor Beach sea
15. 3:33Converter
16. 3:37Wind
17. 3:40Valiant
18. 3:42Converter
19. 3:46Wind
20. 3:48Valiant
21. 3:52Converter
22. 3:52Wind ×2
23. 3:58Valiant
24. 4:02Converter
25. 4:03Wind ×2
26. 4:11Converter
27. 4:13Wind
28. 4:15Con turret
29. 4:21Valiant
30. 4:27Wind
31. 4:28Valiant ×2
32. 4:35Wind
33. 4:39Converter
34. 4:47Wind
35. 4:50Converter
36. 4:52Eat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
37. 4:55Wind
38. 4:58Converter
3
5:00 to 10:00
5:00 – 10:00
Economy
- 21Wind
- 5Wind
- 6Converter
Order
1. Eat Aircraft Plant ~6:13
2. Aircraft Plant ~8:23after 19 wind, 18 wind, 7 converterin 58% of games
Builders
- 3 Con turret
Army
- 9 Valiant
Some games also: shuriken (48%) · 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 · 374 steps
1. 5:01Wind ×2
2. 5:05Converter
3. 5:07Wind
4. 5:09Con turret
5. 5:11Wind
6. 5:14Converter
7. 5:23Wind
8. 5:24Converter
9. 5:27Wind ×2
10. 5:37Converter
11. 5:39Wind
12. 5:42Converter
13. 5:44Wind ×2
14. 5:49Converter
15. 5:54Wind
16. 5:55Converter
17. 6:00Wind ×2
18. 6:09T2 mexdone 6:22 · typical 6:54
19. 6:10Wind
20. 6:16T2 mex
21. 6:26Wind ×2
22. 6:41T2 mex
23. 6:43Wind
24. 7:04Energy storage
25. 7:08T2 mex
26. 7:17Bot Labdone 7:22
27. 7:23Con bot ×5
28. 7:48Wind
29. 7:49Con bot ×2
30. 7:56Wind ×2
31. 7:59Con bot ×3
32. 8:07Wind ×2
33. 8:10Con bot
34. 8:11Wind
35. 8:13Con bot
36. 8:15Wind
37. 8:17Con bot
38. 8:18Wind ×4
39. 8:23Aircraft Plantdone 8:31
40. 8:26Wind ×3
41. 8:33Eat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
42. 8:33Wind
43. 8:34Valiant
44. 8:35Wind ×3
45. 8:38Valiant
46. 8:41Wind
47. 8:41Valiant
48. 8:43Wind
49. 8:44Valiant
50. 8:46Con turret
51. 8:46Wind ×4
52. 8:49Valiant
53. 8:51Wind
54. 8:53Valiant ×2
55. 8:56Wind ×4
56. 8:58Valiant
57. 9:00Wind
58. 9:01Valiant
59. 9:01Wind ×2
60. 9:03Valiant ×2
61. 9:07Wind ×2
62. 9:09Valiant
63. 9:09Wind ×3
64. 9:12Valiant
65. 9:12Wind ×3
66. 9:15Valiant
67. 9:17Wind ×2
68. 9:18Valiant
69. 9:20Wind ×2
70. 9:21Valiant
71. 9:23Wind ×2
72. 9:24Valiant
73. 9:25Wind ×2
74. 9:27Valiant
75. 9:28Wind
76. 9:30Valiant
77. 9:30Wind ×3
78. 9:33Valiant
79. 9:34Wind ×2
80. 9:36Valiant
81. 9:37Wind ×2
82. 9:39Valiant
83. 9:39Wind
84. 9:42Valiant
85. 9:43Wind ×3
86. 9:45Valiant
87. 9:47Wind ×3
88. 9:48Valiant
89. 9:50Wind
90. 9:51Valiant
91. 9:52Wind
92. 9:54Valiant
93. 9:54Wind ×3
94. 9:57Valiant
95. 9:58Wind ×2
96. 10:00Shuriken
97. 10:00Wind ×2
98. 10:02Shuriken
99. 10:02Wind
100. 10:04Shuriken
101. 10:05Wind
102. 10:06Shuriken
103. 10:07Wind
104. 10:07Converter
105. 10:08Wind
106. 10:08Con aircraft
107. 10:09Wind ×3
108. 10:13Con aircraft
109. 10:13Wind ×4
110. 10:18Shuriken
111. 10:20Wind
112. 10:20Shuriken
113. 10:21Converter
114. 10:22Wind ×2
115. 10:22Shuriken
116. 10:23Wind ×3
117. 10:24Valiant ×2
118. 10:28Wind ×2
119. 10:30Valiant
120. 10:31Wind
121. 10:31Con turret
122. 10:35Wind ×2
123. 10:36Valiant
124. 10:37Wind ×2
125. 10:39Converter
126. 10:39Wind ×2
127. 10:42Valiant
128. 10:42Wind
129. 10:42Con turret
130. 10:44Wind ×2
131. 10:48Valiant
132. 10:51Wind ×2
133. 10:53Valiant
134. 10:54Converter
135. 10:54Wind ×3
136. 10:56Valiant
137. 10:56Wind
138. 10:56Converter
139. 10:57Wind
140. 10:59Valiant
141. 11:01Converter
142. 11:01Wind ×2
143. 11:02Valiant
144. 11:03Wind ×2
145. 11:05Valiant
146. 11:05Converter
147. 11:06Wind ×2
148. 11:08Finch
149. 11:08Wind ×2
150. 11:10Finch
151. 11:12Converter
152. 11:12Finch
153. 11:12Wind ×2
154. 11:14Finch
155. 11:14Wind
156. 11:16Finch
157. 11:16Wind ×3
158. 11:18Valiant
159. 11:20Wind
160. 11:20Valiant
161. 11:21Wind ×2
162. 11:23Converter
163. 11:23Valiant
164. 11:24Wind
165. 11:25Con turret
166. 11:25Converter
167. 11:27Wind ×2
168. 11:27Valiant
169. 11:28Wind ×2
170. 11:32Light transport
171. 11:32Wind ×2
172. 11:35Light transport
173. 11:35Wind ×2
174. 11:36SAM
175. 11:38Converter
176. 11:38Con aircraft
177. 11:39Wind ×2
178. 11:40Converter
179. 11:41Wind ×2
180. 11:45Finch
181. 11:45Converter
182. 11:46Wind ×2
183. 11:48Valiant ×2
184. 11:52Wind ×4
185. 11:54Valiant
186. 11:54Converter ×2
187. 11:55Wind
188. 11:55Converter
189. 11:57Wind
190. 11:57Valiant
191. 11:57Wind
192. 11:59Valiant
193. 12:00Wind
194. 12:00Converter
195. 12:02Valiant
196. 12:03Wind ×3
197. 12:05Valiant
198. 12:05Wind ×2
199. 12:08Valiant
200. 12:08Wind ×2
201. 12:09Converter
202. 12:11Wind
203. 12:11Valiant
204. 12:11Converter
205. 12:13Wind
206. 12:13Valiant
207. 12:14Wind ×4
208. 12:16Valiant
209. 12:17Converter
210. 12:19Wind
211. 12:19Valiant
212. 12:19Converter
213. 12:20Wind ×2
214. 12:22Valiant
215. 12:24Wind
216. 12:24Valiant
217. 12:25Wind
218. 12:25Converter
219. 12:25Wind ×2
220. 12:27Valiant
221. 12:28Wind ×2
222. 12:30Converter
223. 12:30Valiant
224. 12:31Wind
225. 12:34Valiant
226. 12:37Wind ×2
227. 12:37Valiant
228. 12:39Converter
229. 12:41Wind
230. 12:41Converter
231. 12:41Wind
232. 12:41Valiant
233. 12:42Wind ×3
234. 12:45Valiant
235. 12:46Converter
236. 12:46Wind ×2
237. 12:50Valiant ×2
238. 12:54Wind ×2
239. 12:56Converter
240. 12:56Wind ×2
241. 12:57Valiant
242. 12:57Converter
243. 12:58Wind ×2
244. 13:00Valiant
245. 13:01Wind
246. 13:02Converter
247. 13:02Wind
248. 13:03Shuriken
249. 13:05Wind
250. 13:05Converter
251. 13:05Shuriken
252. 13:06Wind ×2
253. 13:07Shuriken
254. 13:08Wind
255. 13:08Converter
256. 13:08Wind ×2
257. 13:09Shuriken
258. 13:10Converter
259. 13:11Shuriken
260. 13:12Wind
261. 13:13Con aircraft
262. 13:13Converter
263. 13:14Wind ×2
264. 13:17Shuriken
265. 13:17Wind ×2
266. 13:19Shuriken
267. 13:19Wind ×3
268. 13:21Shuriken
269. 13:21Converter
270. 13:22Shuriken
271. 13:22Converter
272. 13:23Valiant
273. 13:24Wind ×2
274. 13:25Valiant
275. 13:26Wind
276. 13:27Con turret
277. 13:28Wind
278. 13:28Converter
279. 13:28Valiant
280. 13:30Wind ×4
281. 13:32Valiant ×2
282. 13:36Wind ×3
283. 13:37Converter
284. 13:37Valiant
285. 13:38Con turret
286. 13:38Wind ×5
287. 13:42Valiant
288. 13:42Converter
289. 13:44Con turret
290. 13:44Wind
291. 13:45Valiant
292. 13:46Wind ×4
293. 13:49Valiant
294. 13:50Wind
295. 13:52Valiant
296. 13:52Wind
297. 13:52Converter
298. 13:52Wind
299. 13:53Mex
300. 13:53Wind
301. 13:54Valiant
302. 13:56Wind ×2
303. 13:57Valiant
304. 13:57Converter
305. 13:57Wind ×2
306. 13:59Valiant
307. 14:01Wind
308. 14:02Valiant
309. 14:02Wind ×4
310. 14:03Converter ×3
311. 14:04Valiant
312. 14:06Wind
313. 14:07Valiant
314. 14:07Wind ×3
315. 14:09Valiant
316. 14:10Wind
317. 14:12Valiant
318. 14:13Wind ×3
319. 14:14Converter
320. 14:14Valiant
321. 14:15Converter
322. 14:15Wind ×2
323. 14:17Valiant
324. 14:18Wind ×2
325. 14:19Valiant
326. 14:20Wind ×2
327. 14:20Converter
328. 14:22Wind
329. 14:22Valiant
330. 14:24Wind
331. 14:24Valiant
332. 14:24Wind
333. 14:24Mex
334. 14:26Valiant
335. 14:26Wind ×2
336. 14:27Converter
337. 14:28Wind
338. 14:28Valiant
339. 14:29Wind
340. 14:30Valiant
341. 14:31Wind
342. 14:31Converter
343. 14:31Wind
344. 14:32Valiant
345. 14:33Wind
346. 14:34Valiant
347. 14:34Wind ×2
348. 14:36Valiant
349. 14:36Wind
350. 14:36Converter
351. 14:37Wind ×2
352. 14:38Valiant
353. 14:39Wind
354. 14:41Valiant
355. 14:41Wind ×3
356. 14:43Valiant
357. 14:44Wind ×3
358. 14:46Valiant
359. 14:46Converter ×3
360. 14:48Valiant
361. 14:48Wind ×4
362. 14:51Valiant
363. 14:52Wind
364. 14:53Valiant
365. 14:55Wind ×2
366. 14:55Con turret
367. 14:56Wind
368. 14:56Valiant
369. 14:56Wind
370. 14:57Radar Tower
371. 14:57Wind
372. 14:58Converter
373. 14:59Wind
374. 14:59Con turret

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is mobius1's (31 OS, 27/08/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:51 · in 96% of games
3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 2:06 · in 99% of games
1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:23 · in 72% of games

You get

3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:37 · in 64% of games
3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:42 · in 46% of games
1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:23 · in 88% of games
1 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

1799 games.

Show as table

By	Metal produced: This build	Enemy metal destroyed: This build	Own metal lost: This build
1:00	392	0	0
2:00	923	0	0
3:00	1456	0	0
4:00	2052	0	51
5:00	2763	51	73
6:00	3705	102	124
7:00	5088	146	167
8:00	6898	190	219
9:00	9278	232	270
10:00	11753	292	384
11:00	14351	373	538
12:00	17061	513	781
13:00	19850	781	1102
14:00	22700	1264	1689
15:00	25708	1804	2405

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

mobius1

31.3 OS · 27/08/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
98 metal received · 46845 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=1799

Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1740

Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:47–12:18 · n=1151

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this build Dad_The_Speedrunner72games of this build Hunfore62games of this build Milkdragon51games of this build Adeus50games of this build

Supporting games

Pick a game to read and play it above.

TheGeneraI14/10/2026 · 33 OS↗haaven14/10/2026 · 44 OS↗TheGeneraI14/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Boozha14/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Hunfore14/10/2026 · 32 OS↗Hunfore14/10/2026 · 32 OS↗Viltrum14/10/2026 · 40 OS↗Hunfore14/10/2026 · 32 OS↗mobius127/08/2026 · 31 OS↗

32 more of 1791, the most recent

Hunfore14/10/2026 · 32 OS↗gmansawesome14/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Hunfore14/10/2026 · 32 OS↗Tregan14/10/2026 · 40 OS↗krtf13/10/2026 · 47 OS↗[CC]CupOfCoffee13/10/2026 · 30 OS↗Adeus13/10/2026 · 35 OS↗[NWP]Kadafi92313/10/2026 · 31 OS↗Adeus13/10/2026 · 35 OS↗[Crd]HahnII13/10/2026 · 31 OS↗[NWP]Kadafi92313/10/2026 · 31 OS↗Lexosis13/10/2026 · 37 OS↗Zippo913/10/2026 · 37 OS↗Vaticineur13/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Zippo913/10/2026 · 37 OS↗El_Turco13/10/2026 · 38 OS↗[APM]ZenMonk[Vdb]13/10/2026 · 37 OS↗Herbiderpi13/10/2026 · 32 OS↗Herbiderpi13/10/2026 · 32 OS↗Herbiderpi13/10/2026 · 32 OS↗[Cookie]CottonBuds13/10/2026 · 30 OS↗Vaticineur13/10/2026 · 32 OS↗TrollHardGoPro13/10/2026 · 37 OS↗gamercore13/10/2026 · 31 OS↗DRM13/10/2026 · 43 OS↗El_Turco13/10/2026 · 38 OS↗Hunfore12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Hunfore12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗gy0h6y12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗Hunfore12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗TheGeneraI12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗gy0h6y12/10/2026 · 33 OS↗

Supreme Isthmus v2.1
Beyond All Reason test-31090-ed5bbbe
Naval balance tweaks off

Standard air

Phase by phase

Up to the Aircraft Plant

Aircraft Plant to 5:00

5:00 to 10:00

Team trades

You hand over

You get

How it plays out

Metal produced

Enemy metal destroyed

Own metal lost

mobius1

Typical milestones

Played most by

Supporting games