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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is WaterBoy's (38 OS, 15/09/2026); 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

WaterBoy

38.4 OS · 15/09/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
134 metal received · 18744 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