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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 · 1506 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1811 · 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 1506 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 · 5 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Energy storage
    4. Wind ×3
    5. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:40 · 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 · 27 steps
    1. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    2. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    3. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    4. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    5. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    6. Con turret
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    8. ValiantValiant
    9. Wind ×2
    10. Mex
    11. Wind
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind ×4
    14. ValiantValiant
    15. Wind ×3
    16. Con turret
    17. Wind
    18. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    19. Converter
    20. Wind ×2
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind
    23. Con turret
    24. Wind
    25. Converter ×2
    26. ValiantValiant
    27. Converter
  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 · 328 steps
    1. ValiantValiant ×2
    2. HerculesLight transport
    3. Wind ×3
    4. HerculesLight transport
    5. Wind ×8
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Wind
    10. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:42 · typical 6:54
    11. Wind
    12. Converter
    13. Wind ×3
    14. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    15. Wind
    16. Converter
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    19. Converter
    20. Wind
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. Converter ×2
    24. Wind ×2
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Converter
    27. Wind
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Wind
    30. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:11
    31. Wind
    32. Con turret
    33. Wind
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Wind
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Wind
    38. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    39. Wind
    40. Construction BotCon bot
    41. Wind
    42. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    43. Wind
    44. Construction BotCon bot
    45. Con turret
    46. Construction BotCon bot
    47. Wind
    48. Wind
    49. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    50. Wind
    51. Wind
    52. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    53. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:24
    54. Wind
    55. Construction BotCon bot
    56. Wind
    57. Construction BotCon bot
    58. Wind
    59. Construction BotCon bot
    60. Wind
    61. Construction BotCon bot
    62. Wind ×2
    63. Construction BotCon bot
    64. Wind ×2
    65. Construction BotCon bot
    66. Converter ×2
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Construction BotCon bot
    69. Wind
    70. Construction BotCon bot
    71. Wind ×3
    72. Converter ×2
    73. Wind ×7
    74. Converter ×2
    75. Wind ×4
    76. Converter ×2
    77. Wind ×4
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind ×3
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Converter ×2
    82. Wind ×3
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind ×3
    87. ValiantValiant
    88. Converter
    89. Wind
    90. Converter
    91. Wind ×2
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind ×2
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind ×2
    96. ValiantValiant
    97. Converter
    98. Wind ×2
    99. Converter
    100. ValiantValiant
    101. Wind ×3
    102. ValiantValiant ×2
    103. Wind ×3
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Converter
    106. Wind ×2
    107. Converter
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. Wind ×3
    110. ValiantValiant
    111. Wind
    112. Con turret
    113. Wind
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind
    116. Converter ×2
    117. Wind ×5
    118. Con turret
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Wind
    121. Converter
    122. Wind
    123. Converter
    124. Wind ×3
    125. Con turret
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Wind ×5
    128. Con turret
    129. Wind
    130. ValiantValiant
    131. Converter
    132. Wind
    133. Converter
    134. Wind
    135. Con turret
    136. Wind ×5
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Con turret
    139. Wind ×2
    140. Converter ×2
    141. Wind ×3
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind ×2
    144. Con turret
    145. Wind
    146. Con turret
    147. ValiantValiant
    148. Wind ×5
    149. Con turret
    150. Wind
    151. Converter ×2
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. Wind ×2
    154. Con turret
    155. Wind ×3
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Wind ×4
    158. Converter
    159. Wind
    160. Converter
    161. Wind
    162. Con turret
    163. Wind ×2
    164. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    165. Wind ×7
    166. Converter ×2
    167. Wind ×2
    168. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    169. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    170. Wind ×2
    171. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    172. Wind
    173. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    174. Wind
    175. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    176. Wind ×4
    177. Converter
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Converter
    180. ValiantValiant
    181. Wind ×2
    182. ValiantValiant
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Wind
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. Wind ×2
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Wind ×3
    192. ValiantValiant
    193. Converter ×2
    194. ValiantValiant
    195. Wind ×2
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. Wind
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Wind
    200. ValiantValiant
    201. Wind ×2
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind ×2
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Wind ×2
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Converter ×2
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind ×3
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind ×2
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind ×2
    216. ValiantValiant
    217. Wind ×2
    218. Converter
    219. Wind
    220. ValiantValiant
    221. Wind
    222. Converter
    223. Wind
    224. ValiantValiant
    225. Wind
    226. ValiantValiant
    227. Wind ×2
    228. ValiantValiant ×2
    229. Wind ×2
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Wind
    232. Converter
    233. Wind
    234. ValiantValiant
    235. Converter
    236. Wind
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Wind ×2
    239. ValiantValiant
    240. Wind
    241. ValiantValiant
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. Wind ×2
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Converter
    247. Wind ×2
    248. Converter
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind ×2
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Wind ×3
    253. ValiantValiant
    254. Wind ×4
    255. ValiantValiant
    256. Wind
    257. Converter
    258. Wind
    259. Converter
    260. Wind
    261. ValiantValiant
    262. Wind ×2
    263. ValiantValiant
    264. Wind
    265. ValiantValiant
    266. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    267. Wind ×3
    268. ValiantValiant
    269. Wind
    270. ValiantValiant
    271. Wind ×2
    272. Converter
    273. ValiantValiant
    274. Wind
    275. Converter
    276. Wind
    277. ValiantValiant
    278. Wind ×2
    279. ValiantValiant
    280. Wind ×3
    281. ValiantValiant
    282. Wind ×2
    283. ValiantValiant
    284. Wind
    285. Converter
    286. Wind
    287. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 14:21
    288. Converter
    289. ValiantValiant
    290. Wind ×3
    291. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    292. Wind ×6
    293. Converter
    294. Wind
    295. Converter
    296. Wind ×7
    297. Converter ×2
    298. Wind
    299. Converter
    300. Wind
    301. Converter
    302. Wind ×2
    303. HailstormHailstorm
    304. Wind ×6
    305. Converter
    306. Wind ×3
    307. Converter
    308. Wind ×3
    309. HailstormHailstorm
    310. Wind ×6
    311. Converter
    312. Wind
    313. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    314. Converter
    315. Wind ×5
    316. HailstormHailstorm
    317. Wind
    318. Con turret
    319. Wind
    320. Con turret
    321. Converter
    322. Wind ×3
    323. Con turret
    324. Converter
    325. Wind ×2
    326. Con turret ×2
    327. Wind ×3
    328. Con turret

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is heihallo's (31 OS, 16/08/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · 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 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

1811 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
6:003707102124
7:005089146167
8:006902190219
9:009284230270
10:0011758292380
11:0014356369536
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811102
14:002270412641689
15:002573618132420
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

heihallo

30.7 OS · 16/08/2026

Open source match ↗

58 received units · includes a constructor
174 metal received · 50341 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=1811
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1751
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:45–12:17 · n=1159

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this build