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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 · 1508 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1813 · 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 1508 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×6
    3. Energy storagefor Tech
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:44 · typical 1:26
  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

    The example game in this phase · 18 steps
    1. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    2. HephaestusHeavy transport ×2for Geo sea
    3. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    4. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    5. Con turretfor Tech
    6. Wind
    7. ValiantValiant
    8. Wind ×3
    9. Con turretfor Tech
    10. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    11. Mex
    12. Con turretfor Tech
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Tech
    15. Converterfor Tech
    16. Wind
    17. Converterfor Tech
    18. Wind
  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 · 175 steps
    1. Mex
    2. Wind
    3. Converterfor Tech
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Converterfor Tech
    6. Wind ×4
    7. Converterfor Tech
    8. Wind ×3
    9. Converterfor Tech
    10. Wind ×3
    11. Converterfor Tech
    12. Wind
    13. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    14. Wind
    15. HerculesLight transport
    16. Wind
    17. Converterfor Tech
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Converterfor Tech
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Techdone 6:55
    23. Wind
    24. Converterfor Tech
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2for Tech
    26. Converterfor Tech
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Tech
    28. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:47
    29. Construction BotCon bot ×5for Tech
    30. Converterfor Tech
    31. Construction BotCon botfor Tech
    32. Windfor Tech
    33. Construction BotCon bot ×2for Tech
    34. Wind ×6for Tech
    35. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    36. Con turretfor Tech
    37. Wind ×4for Tech
    38. Fusion ReactorFusionfor Techdone 10:14
    39. Wind ×4for Tech
    40. Wind
    41. Wind ×3for Tech
    42. Converterfor Tech
    43. Wind ×4for Tech
    44. Converterfor Tech
    45. Wind ×4for Tech
    46. Converter
    47. ThistleThistlefor Tech
    48. Wind ×3for Tech
    49. ThistleThistlefor Tech
    50. Wind ×2for Tech
    51. Converterfor Tech
    52. ThistleThistlefor Tech
    53. Wind ×5for Tech
    54. Converterfor Tech
    55. Wind ×2for Tech
    56. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantfor Techdone 10:30
    57. Wind ×3for Tech
    58. Converterfor Tech
    59. Wind ×4for Tech
    60. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    61. Windfor Tech
    62. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    63. Wind ×2for Tech
    64. Converterfor Tech
    65. Windfor Tech
    66. Con turretfor Tech
    67. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    68. Wind ×2for Tech
    69. Con turretfor Tech
    70. Wind ×2for Tech
    71. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    72. Windfor Tech
    73. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    74. Converterfor Tech
    75. Wind ×3for Tech
    76. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    77. Windfor Tech
    78. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    79. Windfor Tech
    80. Con turretfor Tech
    81. Wind ×2for Tech
    82. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    83. Con turretfor Tech
    84. Windfor Tech
    85. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    86. Converterfor Tech
    87. Wind ×2for Tech
    88. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    89. Windfor Tech
    90. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Techdone 12:38 · typical 6:54
    91. Con turretfor Tech
    92. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    93. Windfor Tech
    94. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    95. Con turretfor Tech
    96. Wind ×2for Tech
    97. Converterfor Tech
    98. Windfor Tech
    99. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    100. Con turretfor Tech
    101. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    102. Windfor Tech
    103. Con turretfor Tech
    104. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    105. Wind ×3for Tech
    106. Converterfor Tech
    107. ValiantValiant ×3for Tech
    108. Windfor Tech
    109. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    110. Windfor Tech
    111. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    112. Wind ×2for Tech
    113. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    114. Converterfor Tech
    115. ValiantValiant ×3for Tech
    116. Windfor Tech
    117. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    118. Windfor Tech
    119. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    120. Wind ×2for Tech
    121. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    122. Converterfor Tech
    123. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    124. Windfor Tech
    125. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    126. Windfor Tech
    127. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    128. Wind ×2for Tech
    129. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    130. Converterfor Tech
    131. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    132. Windfor Tech
    133. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    134. Wind ×2for Tech
    135. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    136. Windfor Tech
    137. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    138. Converterfor Tech
    139. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    140. Windfor Tech
    141. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    142. Windfor Tech
    143. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    144. Wind ×2for Tech
    145. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    146. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexfor Tech
    147. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    148. Converterfor Tech
    149. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    150. Windfor Tech
    151. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    152. Windfor Tech
    153. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    154. Wind ×2for Tech
    155. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    156. Converterfor Tech
    157. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    158. Windfor Tech
    159. ValiantValiant ×2for Tech
    160. Wind ×2for Tech
    161. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    162. Windfor Tech
    163. ValiantValiant ×4for Tech
    164. Windfor Tech
    165. Radar TowerRadar Towerfor Tech
    166. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    167. Wind ×2for Tech
    168. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    169. Windfor Tech
    170. ValiantValiant ×3for Tech
    171. Windfor Tech
    172. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    173. Windfor Tech
    174. ValiantValiantfor Tech
    175. Wind ×2for Tech

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is DonGarillo's (31 OS, 12/10/2026); 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 71% 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 2:22 · 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

1813 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
6:003711102124
7:005089146167
8:006903190219
9:009285230270
10:0011761292379
11:0014370369533
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811101
14:002270412631689
15:002573618082409
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

DonGarillo

31.2 OS · 12/10/2026

Open source match ↗

23 received units · includes a constructor
1124 metal received · 42472 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=1813
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1753
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:46–12:17 · n=1160

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this build
Standard air · Cortex Air build order · BAR Build Atlas