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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 · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:17 · 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 · 28 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    3. Wind
    4. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    5. FinchFinch ×2
    6. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    7. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    8. HephaestusHeavy transport
    9. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    10. Wind ×3
    11. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    12. Wind
    13. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    14. Con turret
    15. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    16. Energy storage
    17. Mex
    18. HerculesLight transport ×3for Tech
    19. Wind
    20. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    21. Con turret
    22. ValiantValiant
    23. HerculesLight transportfor unknown
    24. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    25. Wind
    26. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    27. Wind
    28. ValiantValiantfor unknown
  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 · 257 steps
    1. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    2. Wind
    3. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. Wind
    7. ValiantValiant ×2for unknown
    8. FinchFinch
    9. ValiantValiantfor unknown
    10. Con turret
    11. Converter
    12. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×3done 6:48 · typical 6:50
    13. Converter
    14. Wind ×4
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    16. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:24
    17. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    18. Wind
    19. Construction BotCon bot
    20. Wind
    21. Construction BotCon bot
    22. Wind
    23. Construction BotCon bot
    24. Wind ×6
    25. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 10:08 · typical 10:56
    26. Wind ×5
    27. Converter
    28. Wind ×4
    29. Converter
    30. Wind ×4
    31. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:30
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Converter
    35. Wind ×2
    36. HerculesLight transport
    37. Converter
    38. Wind ×2
    39. ValiantValiant
    40. Wind
    41. Converter
    42. ValiantValiant
    43. Wind
    44. Con turret
    45. ValiantValiant
    46. Wind ×2
    47. ValiantValiant
    48. Con turret
    49. ValiantValiant
    50. Converter
    51. Wind ×2
    52. ValiantValiant
    53. Wind ×3
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Con turret
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Converter
    58. Wind ×2
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Converter
    61. Wind
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Wind
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Con turret
    66. Wind
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Converter
    69. Con turret
    70. Wind
    71. Converter
    72. ValiantValiant
    73. Wind ×3
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind
    76. Con turret
    77. ValiantValiant
    78. Wind
    79. Converter
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind
    82. Converter
    83. Con turret
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind ×2
    87. ValiantValiant
    88. Converter
    89. Con turret
    90. Wind
    91. Converter
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind ×2
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind
    96. Converter
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Wind ×4
    99. ValiantValiant ×2
    100. Wind ×2
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind
    103. Converter
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. ValiantValiant
    107. Wind ×2
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind ×2
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Wind ×2
    112. ValiantValiant
    113. Converter
    114. Wind
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Wind
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Wind ×3
    119. Converter
    120. ValiantValiant
    121. Wind
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Converter
    124. Wind ×2
    125. ValiantValiant
    126. Wind ×2
    127. ValiantValiant
    128. Wind ×2
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind ×2
    131. ValiantValiant
    132. Wind
    133. Converter
    134. ValiantValiant
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Con turret
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind ×2
    139. Converter
    140. Wind
    141. ValiantValiant
    142. Converter
    143. Con turret
    144. Wind ×3
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind
    147. Converter
    148. Wind
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. Converter
    151. Wind ×2
    152. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    153. Converter
    154. Wind ×4
    155. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    156. Wind
    157. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    158. Converter
    159. Wind ×2
    160. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    161. Wind ×2
    162. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    163. Wind ×2
    164. Converter
    165. Converter
    166. Wind
    167. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    168. Wind ×2
    169. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    170. Wind
    171. Converter
    172. Wind ×2
    173. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    174. Wind ×2
    175. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    176. Wind
    177. Converter
    178. Con turret
    179. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    180. Converter
    181. Wind ×3
    182. Converter
    183. ValiantValiant
    184. Wind ×5
    185. ValiantValiant ×2
    186. Wind
    187. Converter
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. Wind ×2
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind
    192. Converter
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Converter
    195. Wind
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. Converter
    198. Wind ×2
    199. ValiantValiant
    200. Wind
    201. ValiantValiant
    202. Wind
    203. ValiantValiant
    204. Converter
    205. Wind ×2
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Wind
    208. Converter
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Wind ×2
    211. ValiantValiant
    212. Converter
    213. Wind ×2
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind
    216. ValiantValiant ×2
    217. Wind ×3
    218. Converter
    219. Converter
    220. Wind
    221. ValiantValiant ×2
    222. Wind
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Wind ×2
    225. Converter
    226. ValiantValiant ×2
    227. Wind ×2
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Converter
    230. Wind ×2
    231. Converter
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Wind
    234. Converter
    235. Wind
    236. ValiantValiant
    237. Wind
    238. ValiantValiant
    239. Wind
    240. ValiantValiant
    241. Wind ×2
    242. Converter
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. Wind
    245. Converter
    246. ValiantValiant
    247. Fusion ReactorFusion
    248. Wind ×2
    249. Converter
    250. ValiantValiant
    251. Wind ×4
    252. Converter
    253. Wind
    254. Converter
    255. Wind
    256. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    257. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Pitacupateu's (37 OS, 25/08/2026); 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

Pitacupateu

36.7 OS · 25/08/2026

Open source match ↗

36 received units · includes a constructor
716 metal received · 99196 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