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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 · 552 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 621 · 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 552 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 ×3
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:19 · 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 · 35 steps
    1. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. Wind ×3
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    5. Wind
    6. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    7. Mex
    8. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. Wind
    11. Windfor Geo
    12. Wind
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind
    15. Con turretfor Geo sea
    16. Wind
    17. Windfor Geo
    18. ValiantValiant
    19. Con turret
    20. Energy storage
    21. Wind
    22. Windfor Geo
    23. Wind
    24. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    25. Wind
    26. Windfor Geo
    27. Wind ×4
    28. HerculesLight transport
    29. Wind
    30. Windfor Geo
    31. Wind
    32. HerculesLight transport
    33. Con turret
    34. Windfor Geo
    35. Con turret ×2for Geo sea
  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 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. Con turret
    2. Windfor Geo
    3. Con turret ×2
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Windfor Geo
    6. Wind ×11
    7. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:56 · typical 6:50
    8. Windfor Geo
    9. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    10. Converter
    11. Windfor Geo
    12. Converter ×4
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    14. Converter
    15. Windfor Geo
    16. Converter
    17. Con turret
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    19. Wind ×4
    20. Windfor Geo
    21. Wind
    22. Converter
    23. Windfor Geo sea
    24. Con turret
    25. Wind ×2for Geo sea
    26. Converter
    27. Windfor Geo sea
    28. Converter
    29. Windfor Geo sea
    30. Con turret
    31. Windfor Geo sea
    32. Wind
    33. Wind
    34. Wind ×2
    35. Wind
    36. Wind ×2
    37. Windfor Geo sea
    38. Wind ×2
    39. Windfor Geo sea
    40. Wind
    41. Wind
    42. Wind
    43. Wind
    44. Wind
    45. Wind ×2
    46. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:24
    47. Wind ×2
    48. HerculesLight transport
    49. Wind
    50. HerculesLight transport
    51. Wind
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Wind
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind
    58. ValiantValiant ×2
    59. Wind
    60. ValiantValiant ×2
    61. Wind
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Wind
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind
    66. ValiantValiant
    67. Wind
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Wind
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Wind
    72. Wind
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Wind
    75. ValiantValiant
    76. Wind
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Wind
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Wind
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind
    85. Wind
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Wind
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind
    92. Wind
    93. ValiantValiant ×2
    94. Wind
    95. Wind
    96. ValiantValiant ×2
    97. Wind
    98. Wind
    99. ValiantValiant ×2
    100. Wind
    101. Wind
    102. ValiantValiant
    103. Wind
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Wind
    108. Wind
    109. ValiantValiant ×2
    110. Wind
    111. Wind
    112. ValiantValiant
    113. Wind
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind
    116. Wind
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    119. Wind
    120. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    121. Wind
    122. Wind
    123. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    124. Wind
    125. Wind
    126. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    127. Wind
    128. Wind
    129. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    130. Wind
    131. Wind
    132. ValiantValiant
    133. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    134. Wind
    135. Wind
    136. ValiantValiant
    137. Wind
    138. ValiantValiant
    139. Wind
    140. Wind
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Wind
    143. ValiantValiant
    144. Wind
    145. Wind
    146. Wind
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Wind
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Wind
    153. Converter
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Wind
    156. Converter
    157. ValiantValiant
    158. Wind
    159. Converter
    160. Wind ×2
    161. ValiantValiant
    162. Con turret
    163. Wind ×2
    164. Wind
    165. Wind
    166. Con turret
    167. Wind
    168. Con turret
    169. Wind
    170. ValiantValiant
    171. Con turret
    172. Wind
    173. Wind
    174. Wind ×2
    175. ValiantValiant
    176. Converter
    177. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:16 · typical 10:56
    178. Wind ×4
    179. Wind
    180. Wind
    181. Con turret
    182. Wind
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Converter
    186. Wind
    187. Con turret
    188. Wind ×3
    189. Wind
    190. Con turret
    191. Wind
    192. Wind ×2
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind
    195. Wind
    196. Converter
    197. Wind
    198. Wind
    199. Wind ×2
    200. Wind
    201. Converter
    202. Wind ×3
    203. Converter
    204. Wind
    205. Wind
    206. Wind ×2
    207. Wind
    208. Converter
    209. Wind
    210. Wind
    211. Converter
    212. Wind ×3
    213. Converter
    214. Wind
    215. Wind ×2
    216. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 14:27
    217. Wind
    218. Converter
    219. Wind
    220. Wind
    221. Converter
    222. Wind
    223. Wind
    224. Wind
    225. Converter ×2
    226. Wind
    227. Wind
    228. Wind ×2
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind
    231. Converter
    232. Wind
    233. ValiantValiant
    234. Wind
    235. Wind
    236. Wind
    237. Con turret
    238. Converter ×2
    239. Wind
    240. Wind
    241. Wind ×2
    242. ValiantValiant
    243. Converter
    244. Con turret
    245. Wind
    246. Converter
    247. Wind
    248. Wind
    249. Converter
    250. Wind
    251. Con turret
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Wind
    254. Wind ×2
    255. Con turret
    256. Converter
    257. Wind
    258. ValiantValiant
    259. Converter
    260. Wind
    261. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is WaterBoy's (36 OS, 30/09/2026); 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 2:25 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 65% 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

621 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145800
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003763125167
7:005136190219
8:007019223290
9:009335256341
10:0011795327471
11:0014399440641
12:0017100607960
13:00199489321269
14:002266414091805
15:002555520592701
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

35.7 OS · 30/09/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
59 metal received · 39344 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=621
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=596
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:17 · n=381

Played most by

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