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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 · 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 · 6 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Mex
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Energy storage
    6. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:36 · 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 · 34 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch ×2for Beach sea
    3. Wind
    4. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    5. Wind
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Wind
    8. FinchFinch
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Wind
    11. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    12. HerculesLight transport
    13. Con turret
    14. ValiantValiant ×2
    15. Mex
    16. Con turret
    17. Wind
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Con turret
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind
    22. Converter
    23. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Wind
    27. Converter
    28. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    29. Wind
    30. Converter
    31. Wind ×8
    32. Con turret
    33. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 5:22
    34. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:22 · typical 6:54
  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 · 333 steps
    1. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    2. Wind
    3. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Pond
    4. Wind
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. Wind ×2
    7. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    8. Wind
    9. Con turret ×2
    10. Wind ×5
    11. Converter
    12. Wind ×2
    13. Converter
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Con turret
    16. Converter
    17. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Converter
    20. Wind ×3
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    22. Wind
    23. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:49
    24. Wind
    25. ShurikenShuriken
    26. Wind
    27. ShurikenShuriken
    28. Wind
    29. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    30. Wind
    31. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    32. Wind
    33. ShurikenShuriken
    34. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    35. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:19
    36. Wind ×6
    37. Construction BotCon bot
    38. Wind
    39. Construction BotCon bot
    40. Wind
    41. Construction BotCon bot
    42. Wind
    43. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:03
    44. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    45. ValiantValiant ×2
    46. Wind ×3
    47. ValiantValiant
    48. Wind ×3
    49. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    50. Con turret
    51. Wind ×2
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind ×2
    54. Construction AircraftCon aircraft ×4
    55. ValiantValiant
    56. Wind
    57. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    58. Wind ×4
    59. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    60. Converter
    61. Wind
    62. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    63. Wind ×2
    64. Con turret
    65. Wind
    66. ValiantValiant
    67. Converter
    68. Wind ×3
    69. Con turret
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Con turret
    72. ValiantValiant
    73. Converter
    74. Wind
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Con turret
    77. Wind ×2
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Converter
    82. Wind
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind
    87. Converter
    88. Con turret
    89. Converter
    90. Wind ×3
    91. Converter
    92. FinchFinch
    93. Wind ×3
    94. FinchFinch
    95. Converter
    96. FinchFinch
    97. Wind ×2
    98. FinchFinch
    99. Wind
    100. NettleNettle
    101. Wind
    102. FinchFinch
    103. Con turret
    104. Wind ×5
    105. ValiantValiant
    106. Converter
    107. Wind ×3
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind ×2
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Converter
    112. Wind
    113. Converter
    114. Wind ×2
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Wind
    117. NettleNettle
    118. ValiantValiant
    119. Wind ×2
    120. Converter
    121. Wind
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Wind ×3
    124. Converter
    125. Wind
    126. NettleNettle
    127. Wind
    128. ValiantValiant
    129. Wind ×3
    130. NettleNettle
    131. ValiantValiant
    132. Wind ×3
    133. Converter
    134. Wind
    135. Converter
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. Wind
    138. Con turret
    139. Converter
    140. Wind
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind ×3
    143. Converter
    144. Wind
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind
    147. Con turret
    148. Wind ×2
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Converter
    151. Wind ×2
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. Wind ×3
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Converter
    156. Con turret
    157. Wind ×2
    158. ValiantValiant
    159. Wind ×3
    160. Con turret
    161. Wind
    162. Converter
    163. Converter
    164. Wind
    165. ValiantValiant
    166. Wind ×3
    167. Con turret
    168. Wind ×4
    169. ValiantValiant
    170. Wind ×2
    171. Converter
    172. Wind
    173. NettleNettle
    174. ValiantValiant
    175. Wind
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. Wind
    178. Converter
    179. Wind ×4
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind ×2
    182. Advanced solar
    183. NettleNettle
    184. Converter
    185. ValiantValiant
    186. Wind ×3
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Converter
    189. Wind ×2
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind
    192. Converter
    193. ShurikenShuriken
    194. Wind
    195. ShurikenShuriken
    196. Wind ×2
    197. ShurikenShuriken
    198. Converter
    199. Wind ×2
    200. ShurikenShuriken
    201. Converter
    202. Wind ×3
    203. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    204. Wind
    205. ShurikenShuriken
    206. Wind ×3
    207. Converter
    208. Converter
    209. ShurikenShuriken
    210. Wind
    211. NettleNettle
    212. ShurikenShuriken
    213. Wind
    214. Converter
    215. NettleNettle
    216. Wind ×2
    217. ShurikenShuriken
    218. Wind ×2
    219. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    220. Wind
    221. Converter
    222. ShurikenShuriken
    223. Wind ×3
    224. ShurikenShuriken
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind ×2
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Wind
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind ×3
    232. Converter
    233. ValiantValiant ×3
    234. Wind ×2
    235. ValiantValiant
    236. Wind ×3
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Converter
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Converter
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. NettleNettle
    245. Wind ×2
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Wind ×2
    248. ValiantValiant
    249. Wind ×2
    250. ValiantValiant
    251. Wind ×3
    252. Converter
    253. ValiantValiant ×3
    254. Wind ×2
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind ×3
    257. ValiantValiant
    258. Converter
    259. ValiantValiant
    260. Wind ×2
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Wind
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. Wind
    265. ValiantValiant ×2
    266. Wind
    267. NettleNettle
    268. Converter
    269. ValiantValiant
    270. Wind ×2
    271. ValiantValiant
    272. Wind ×2
    273. ValiantValiant ×2
    274. Wind
    275. Converter
    276. ValiantValiant
    277. Wind
    278. ValiantValiant
    279. Wind ×2
    280. ValiantValiant
    281. Wind
    282. ValiantValiant
    283. Wind
    284. ValiantValiant
    285. Wind ×2
    286. Converter
    287. ValiantValiant
    288. Wind
    289. ValiantValiant ×2
    290. Wind
    291. ValiantValiant
    292. Wind
    293. ValiantValiant
    294. Wind ×2
    295. ValiantValiant
    296. Wind
    297. ValiantValiant
    298. Converter
    299. Wind
    300. ValiantValiant
    301. Wind ×2
    302. ValiantValiant ×2
    303. Wind
    304. ValiantValiant
    305. Wind
    306. ValiantValiant
    307. Wind ×2
    308. ValiantValiant
    309. Wind
    310. ValiantValiant
    311. Converter
    312. Wind
    313. ValiantValiant
    314. Wind
    315. ValiantValiant
    316. Wind ×2
    317. ValiantValiant
    318. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    319. Wind ×4
    320. Converter
    321. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    322. Converter
    323. Wind
    324. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    325. Wind ×2
    326. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    327. Wind
    328. Converter
    329. Wind
    330. NettleNettle
    331. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    332. Wind
    333. WhirlwindWhirlwind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is bob7's (31 OS, 06/10/2026); 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

bob7

31.2 OS · 06/10/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
348 metal received · 31738 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