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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

The role's baseline: Aircraft Plant immediately, transports and scouts for the team first, Advanced Metal Extractor and Fusion Reactor on a normal timeline, transitioning into Valiant fighter coverage over the game.

Usually transports first (72%)

#eco #team support #air · 583 distinct matches · 119 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 655 · 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 583 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 ~1:24, middle half 1:13–1:35

    Some games also: energy storage (39%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 5 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×5
    3. Energy storage
    4. Wind
    5. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:43 · typical 1:24
  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 · 20 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    3. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    4. Wind
    5. ValiantValiant
    6. HerculesLight transport
    7. HephaestusHeavy transport
    8. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    9. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    10. Mex
    11. Wind
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind ×2
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Wind ×2
    16. ValiantValiant ×3
    17. Con turret
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Wind
    20. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
  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 57% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret4 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken

    Some games also: con aircraft (35%) · fusion (34%) · 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 · 190 steps
    1. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    2. HerculesLight transport
    3. Con turret
    4. FinchFinch
    5. HerculesLight transport
    6. FinchFinch
    7. ValiantValiant ×2
    8. Wind
    9. Con turret
    10. Energy storage
    11. Wind
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind
    14. FinchFinch
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:33
    17. Wind
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×3
    19. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:37
    20. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    21. Wind
    22. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    23. Wind
    24. Construction BotCon bot
    25. Con turret
    26. Construction BotCon bot
    27. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:26
    28. Con turret
    29. Wind
    30. FalconFighter
    31. Wind
    32. FalconFighter
    33. Wind
    34. FerretFerret
    35. FalconFighter
    36. Wind ×2
    37. FalconFighter
    38. Wind
    39. FalconFighter
    40. Converter
    41. Wind
    42. FalconFighter
    43. Wind
    44. Con turret
    45. Wind ×4
    46. FalconFighter
    47. Converter
    48. Wind ×2
    49. FalconFighter
    50. Wind ×3
    51. FalconFighter
    52. Wind ×2
    53. Converter
    54. FalconFighter
    55. Construction BotCon bot
    56. Wind
    57. Con turret
    58. Wind
    59. FalconFighter
    60. Wind ×2
    61. FalconFighter
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Con turret
    64. Converter
    65. Wind
    66. StorkLight transport
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Con turret
    69. Wind ×2
    70. FalconFighter
    71. Converter
    72. Wind ×4
    73. FalconFighter
    74. Wind ×3
    75. FalconFighter
    76. Wind ×4
    77. FalconFighter
    78. Converter
    79. Wind ×2
    80. FalconFighter
    81. Wind ×5
    82. FalconFighter
    83. Wind ×5
    84. FalconFighter
    85. Wind ×2
    86. Converter
    87. FalconFighter
    88. Wind ×3
    89. FalconFighter
    90. Wind ×4
    91. FalconFighter
    92. Wind ×3
    93. Converter
    94. FalconFighter
    95. Wind ×3
    96. Converter
    97. Wind
    98. FalconFighter
    99. Wind ×4
    100. FalconFighter
    101. Wind
    102. Converter
    103. Wind
    104. FalconFighter
    105. Wind ×2
    106. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 13:00
    107. FalconFighter
    108. Wind ×4
    109. Converter
    110. Wind ×4
    111. Converter
    112. Wind
    113. FalconFighter
    114. Wind ×6
    115. Converter
    116. Wind ×2
    117. FalconFighter
    118. Wind ×2
    119. Converter
    120. Wind ×6
    121. Con turret
    122. Wind ×3
    123. Converter ×2
    124. Wind ×2
    125. FalconFighter
    126. Wind ×6
    127. FalconFighter
    128. Converter
    129. Wind
    130. Con turret
    131. FalconFighter
    132. Wind ×4
    133. FalconFighter
    134. Wind ×4
    135. FalconFighter
    136. Wind ×3
    137. FalconFighter
    138. Wind ×2
    139. Con turret
    140. Wind
    141. FalconFighter
    142. Converter
    143. Wind
    144. FalconFighter
    145. Wind ×3
    146. FalconFighter
    147. Wind ×3
    148. FalconFighter
    149. Wind ×2
    150. FalconFighter
    151. Converter ×2
    152. FalconFighter
    153. Wind ×2
    154. FalconFighter
    155. Wind ×3
    156. FalconFighter
    157. Wind
    158. Converter ×2
    159. FalconFighter
    160. Wind ×2
    161. FalconFighter
    162. Wind ×2
    163. FalconFighter
    164. Wind ×2
    165. FalconFighter
    166. Converter
    167. Wind ×3
    168. FalconFighter
    169. Wind ×2
    170. FalconFighter
    171. Wind ×2
    172. FalconFighter
    173. Wind ×2
    174. FalconFighter
    175. Converter
    176. Wind
    177. FalconFighter
    178. Wind ×3
    179. Converter
    180. Wind ×3
    181. Converter
    182. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    183. Con turret ×3
    184. Converter
    185. Con turret
    186. Wind ×3
    187. Converter
    188. Wind ×4
    189. Converter
    190. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Xad's (42 OS, 01/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:51 · 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 2:25 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:39 · in 65% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 49% 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

655 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002055051
5:00276673116
6:003769125167
7:005146190219
8:007021226290
9:009346260342
10:0011817328467
11:0014409438638
12:0017109605950
13:00199519421277
14:002267214281816
15:002558320892709
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

Xad

41.7 OS · 01/10/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
117 metal received · 66594 energy received

Allied construction assistance is unknown. Timings are observations, not a promise of solo reproducibility.

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:24Middle 50%: 1:13–1:35 · n=655
Advanced Metal Extractor6:48Middle 50%: 6:21–7:25 · n=629
Fusion Reactor10:55Middle 50%: 9:56–12:17 · n=401

Played most by

DRM38games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildTheGeneraI32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort27games of this build