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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 · 1496 distinct matches · 252 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1799 · 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 1496 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 ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:33 · 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 · 26 steps
    1. FinchFinch
    2. FinchFinch ×2for Beach sea
    3. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    4. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    5. ValiantValiant ×2
    6. FinchFinch
    7. ValiantValiant
    8. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    9. Mex
    10. Con turret
    11. HerculesLight transport ×2for Tech
    12. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    13. Wind
    14. Con turret
    15. ShurikenShuriken ×3
    16. Wind
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. FinchFinch
    19. Wind
    20. FinchFinch
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind
    23. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Pond
    24. Wind ×5
    25. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    26. Con turret
  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 (48%) · 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 · 297 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind
    3. Con turret
    4. Converter
    5. Wind
    6. Converter
    7. Wind
    8. Converter
    9. Wind
    10. Converter
    11. Wind
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:22 · typical 6:54
    13. Wind
    14. Converter
    15. Wind ×6
    16. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    17. Wind
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    19. Wind
    20. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:30
    21. Construction AircraftCon aircraft ×3
    22. Con turret ×2
    23. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    24. StorkLight transport
    25. Con turret
    26. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    27. Con turret
    28. Wind ×3
    29. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    30. Wind ×3
    31. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    32. Wind ×3
    33. Con turret
    34. Wind ×2
    35. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    36. Wind ×5
    37. Converter
    38. Wind
    39. Con turret
    40. Wind
    41. Con turret
    42. Wind
    43. FalconFighter
    44. Wind ×7
    45. Con turret ×2
    46. Wind
    47. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:28
    48. Wind ×3
    49. FalconFighter
    50. BlinkScout plane
    51. Wind ×6
    52. Converter
    53. Con turret
    54. Wind ×4
    55. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    56. Wind ×5
    57. Con turret
    58. Wind ×4
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Converter
    61. Wind ×8
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Converter
    64. Wind ×7
    65. Advanced solar
    66. Wind ×2
    67. Converter
    68. Wind ×12
    69. Con turret
    70. Wind ×2
    71. Converter
    72. Wind ×5
    73. Advanced solar
    74. Wind ×4
    75. Converter
    76. Wind ×3
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Wind ×8
    79. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 12:16 · typical 10:53
    80. Wind ×3
    81. Converter
    82. Wind ×5
    83. Converter
    84. Wind
    85. Con turret
    86. Wind ×3
    87. Converter
    88. Wind ×4
    89. Converter
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind ×3
    92. Converter
    93. Wind ×2
    94. Converter
    95. Wind
    96. Converter
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Converter ×3
    99. Wind
    100. Converter
    101. Wind ×3
    102. Converter
    103. Wind
    104. Converter ×2
    105. Wind ×2
    106. Converter ×2
    107. Wind ×3
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind
    110. Converter
    111. Wind
    112. Converter ×2
    113. Wind
    114. Converter
    115. Wind ×2
    116. Converter
    117. Wind ×3
    118. Converter
    119. Wind
    120. Converter
    121. Wind ×5
    122. Converter ×2
    123. Wind
    124. Con turret
    125. Wind ×3
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Converter
    128. Wind ×3
    129. Converter
    130. Wind
    131. Converter
    132. Wind
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Wind ×2
    135. Converter
    136. Wind
    137. Converter
    138. Wind
    139. Converter
    140. ValiantValiant
    141. Wind
    142. Converter
    143. Wind
    144. ValiantValiant
    145. Wind ×3
    146. Converter
    147. Wind
    148. Converter
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Wind ×3
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Converter
    153. Wind
    154. Converter
    155. Wind
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Wind ×5
    158. Converter
    159. FinchFinch
    160. Converter
    161. Wind
    162. ValiantValiant
    163. Wind ×3
    164. Converter ×2
    165. ValiantValiant
    166. Wind ×3
    167. ValiantValiant
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. FinchFinch
    171. Wind ×2
    172. Converter ×2
    173. ValiantValiant
    174. Wind ×4
    175. Converter
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. Wind
    178. Converter
    179. Wind ×3
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Converter
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Wind
    184. Converter
    185. Wind ×4
    186. Converter
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Converter
    189. Wind
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Con turret
    192. Converter ×2
    193. Con turret
    194. Wind ×4
    195. Converter
    196. Wind ×3
    197. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    198. Converter ×2
    199. Wind
    200. ValiantValiant
    201. Wind
    202. Converter
    203. Wind ×3
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Con turret
    206. Converter ×2
    207. Wind ×3
    208. Converter ×2
    209. Wind ×2
    210. FinchFinch
    211. Wind
    212. Construction AircraftCon aircraftfor Geo sea
    213. Wind ×2
    214. Converter
    215. Wind
    216. Converter ×2
    217. Wind ×3
    218. Converter
    219. Wind
    220. Converter
    221. Wind
    222. Con turret
    223. Wind
    224. Converter ×2
    225. Wind ×2
    226. Con turret
    227. Wind ×3
    228. Converter ×2
    229. Con turret
    230. Wind ×4
    231. Con turret
    232. Converter ×2
    233. Con turret
    234. Wind ×2
    235. Converter
    236. Wind ×2
    237. Converter
    238. Con turret
    239. Converter
    240. Wind ×2
    241. Converter
    242. Wind ×3
    243. Converter
    244. Wind
    245. Converter
    246. Wind ×2
    247. Con turret
    248. Converter ×2
    249. Wind
    250. Con turret
    251. Wind
    252. Converter
    253. Wind
    254. Con turret
    255. Wind ×2
    256. Con turret
    257. Converter
    258. Wind
    259. Converter
    260. Wind ×2
    261. Con turret
    262. Converter
    263. Wind
    264. Con turret
    265. Wind
    266. Con turret
    267. Wind
    268. Converter
    269. Con turret
    270. Wind ×2
    271. Con turret
    272. Converter
    273. Wind
    274. Con turret
    275. Wind
    276. Converter
    277. Wind
    278. Converter
    279. Wind
    280. Converter
    281. Wind ×3
    282. Converter
    283. Wind
    284. Converter
    285. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    286. Wind
    287. Converter ×2
    288. Wind
    289. Converter
    290. Wind ×2
    291. Converter
    292. Wind
    293. Converter ×2
    294. Wind ×2
    295. Converter
    296. Wind
    297. Converter

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is krtf's (47 OS, 13/10/2026); 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 2:23 · in 72% 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 2:23 · 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

1799 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
6:003705102124
7:005088146167
8:006898190219
9:009278232270
10:0011753292384
11:0014351373538
12:0017061513781
13:00198507811102
14:002270012641689
15:002570818042405
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

krtf

47.3 OS · 13/10/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
5120 metal received · 111669 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=1799
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1740
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:47–12:18 · n=1151

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildMilkdragon51games of this buildAdeus50games of this build