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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

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 · 555 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 624 · 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 555 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:31 · 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 · 26 steps
    1. FinchFinch
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. FinchFinch
    4. ValiantValiant
    5. Wind
    6. HerculesLight transport ×2for Tech
    7. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    8. Con turret
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Con turret
    11. Mex
    12. ValiantValiant ×2
    13. Converter ×2
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Converter
    16. ValiantValiant
    17. Con turret
    18. Wind
    19. Converter
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. Converter
    24. Wind ×2
    25. Converter
    26. Wind ×2
  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 · 276 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. Converter
    3. Wind ×2
    4. HerculesLight transport
    5. Converter
    6. Wind ×3
    7. Converter
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Converter
    10. Wind ×3
    11. Converter
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Converter
    14. Wind ×3
    15. Converter
    16. Wind ×3
    17. Converter
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Con turret
    20. Converter
    21. Wind
    22. Converter
    23. Wind ×4
    24. Converter
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:02 · typical 6:50
    26. Wind
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    28. Wind
    29. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    30. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:51
    31. Construction BotCon bot ×5
    32. Wind ×2
    33. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    34. Wind
    35. Construction BotCon bot
    36. Con turret
    37. Construction BotCon bot
    38. Wind
    39. Con turret
    40. Wind ×2
    41. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    42. Wind ×3
    43. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 10:04 · typical 10:56
    44. Wind ×3
    45. Converter
    46. Wind ×7
    47. T2 converter
    48. Wind ×13
    49. Con turret
    50. Wind ×8
    51. Con turret
    52. Wind ×12
    53. Con turret
    54. Wind ×3
    55. Con turret
    56. Wind
    57. Con turret
    58. Wind ×2
    59. Con turret
    60. Wind ×2
    61. Con turret
    62. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:53
    63. Wind ×3
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 11:06
    67. Wind ×3
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Wind
    70. ValiantValiant ×2
    71. Wind ×3
    72. ValiantValiant ×3
    73. Converter
    74. Wind ×3
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Wind
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Converter
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind ×2
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Wind ×2
    83. ValiantValiant ×2
    84. Converter
    85. Wind ×2
    86. FinchFinch
    87. Wind
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind
    90. FinchFinch
    91. Wind
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. FinchFinch
    94. Converter
    95. Wind ×2
    96. ValiantValiant ×2
    97. FinchFinch
    98. Wind ×2
    99. ValiantValiant
    100. FinchFinch
    101. Wind ×2
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Converter
    104. FinchFinch
    105. ValiantValiant
    106. Wind
    107. FinchFinch
    108. Wind ×2
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. FinchFinch
    111. Wind
    112. Converter
    113. FinchFinch
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. FinchFinch
    116. Wind ×2
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Converter
    119. Wind
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind
    122. ValiantValiant ×2
    123. Converter
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Wind ×2
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Wind
    128. ValiantValiant
    129. Wind
    130. ValiantValiant ×3
    131. Wind
    132. ValiantValiant
    133. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    134. Converter
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    137. Wind ×3
    138. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    139. Wind
    140. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    141. Wind ×3
    142. Converter
    143. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    144. Wind ×4
    145. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    146. Converter
    147. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    148. Wind
    149. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    150. Wind ×3
    151. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    152. Wind
    153. Converter
    154. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    155. Wind ×3
    156. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    157. Wind
    158. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    159. Wind ×3
    160. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    161. Converter
    162. Wind
    163. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    164. Wind
    165. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    166. Wind ×2
    167. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    171. ValiantValiant ×2
    172. Wind ×3
    173. ValiantValiant ×2
    174. Converter
    175. Wind
    176. ValiantValiant ×3
    177. Wind
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind ×2
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind
    182. ValiantValiant ×3
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Wind ×2
    186. ValiantValiant ×2
    187. Wind
    188. ValiantValiant ×2
    189. Wind
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind
    192. FinchFinch
    193. Wind
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind
    196. FinchFinch
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. FinchFinch
    199. Wind
    200. ValiantValiant
    201. Wind
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Wind
    206. FinchFinch
    207. ValiantValiant
    208. FinchFinch
    209. Wind
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. FinchFinch
    212. Wind ×2
    213. ValiantValiant
    214. Wind
    215. ValiantValiant ×2
    216. FinchFinch
    217. Wind
    218. ValiantValiant
    219. FinchFinch
    220. Wind ×2
    221. ValiantValiant
    222. Wind
    223. FinchFinch
    224. ValiantValiant ×2
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. FinchFinch
    228. Wind
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind ×2
    231. FinchFinch
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. FinchFinch
    234. Wind
    235. ValiantValiant ×2
    236. Wind
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Wind ×2
    239. FinchFinch
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. FinchFinch
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. FinchFinch
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind ×2
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. FinchFinch
    251. Wind
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. FinchFinch
    254. ValiantValiant
    255. Wind ×2
    256. FinchFinch
    257. Wind
    258. ValiantValiant ×2
    259. Wind
    260. ValiantValiant
    261. FinchFinch
    262. Wind
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. FinchFinch
    265. Wind ×2
    266. ValiantValiant
    267. FinchFinch
    268. Wind
    269. ValiantValiant ×3
    270. Wind ×2
    271. FinchFinch
    272. Wind
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. FinchFinch
    275. ValiantValiant
    276. FinchFinch

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is MRX1's (38 OS, 04/09/2026); 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 2:26 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 64% 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 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

624 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003759125167
7:005136190219
8:007017225290
9:009298258342
10:0011788328471
11:0014383440641
12:0017097606958
13:00199439331269
14:002265314171801
15:002554320602701
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

MRX1

37.8 OS · 04/09/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
259 metal received · 174484 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=624
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=599
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:16 · n=383

Played most by

DRM37games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build