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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

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 · 501 distinct matches · 111 players · 80% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 559 · 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 501 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 1:13–1:33

    Some games also: energy storage (37%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:06 · 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
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: energy storage (46%) · light transport (44%) · converter (40%) · con turret (31%)

    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 · 31 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. Wind ×3
    4. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    5. Wind
    6. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    7. Wind ×2
    8. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    9. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    10. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    11. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    12. Con turret
    13. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    14. Con turret ×2
    15. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    16. Wind
    17. Mex
    18. Wind
    19. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind ×3
    22. ValiantValiant
    23. Wind ×7
    24. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    25. Wind ×3
    26. Converter
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind ×2
    31. Converter
  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 · 256 steps
    1. Wind ×3
    2. Converter
    3. HerculesLight transport
    4. Wind ×2
    5. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    6. Wind
    7. ShurikenShuriken ×3
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Converter
    10. Wind ×3
    11. Converter
    12. Wind ×5
    13. Converter
    14. Wind
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:18 · typical 6:50
    16. Wind ×4
    17. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    18. Wind ×3
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    20. Converter
    21. Wind ×2
    22. Con turret
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    24. Wind ×3
    25. Converter
    26. Wind ×9
    27. Con turret
    28. Wind
    29. Converter
    30. Wind ×2
    31. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:04
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Wind ×3
    35. ShurikenShuriken
    36. Wind
    37. Converter
    38. ShurikenShuriken
    39. Wind ×2
    40. Converter
    41. Wind ×2
    42. ShurikenShuriken
    43. Wind
    44. ShurikenShuriken
    45. Wind
    46. Converter
    47. Wind
    48. ShurikenShuriken
    49. Wind
    50. Con turret
    51. Wind
    52. Con turret
    53. Wind
    54. ShurikenShuriken
    55. Wind ×3
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Converter
    59. Wind ×2
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Wind ×2
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Wind ×2
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Wind
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Wind ×3
    72. ValiantValiant
    73. Wind ×2
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind ×2
    76. Con turret
    77. Wind
    78. Con turret ×2
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind ×2
    81. Con turret ×2
    82. Wind
    83. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    84. Wind ×2
    85. ValiantValiant
    86. Wind
    87. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    88. Con turret
    89. Wind ×2
    90. Con turret
    91. Wind ×3
    92. Con turret
    93. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    94. Wind
    95. Converter
    96. Wind ×3
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Converter
    99. Wind
    100. ValiantValiant ×2
    101. Converter
    102. Wind ×2
    103. Converter
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind
    106. Converter
    107. Wind
    108. ValiantValiant ×2
    109. Converter
    110. Wind
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. Wind ×2
    113. ValiantValiant
    114. Wind
    115. ValiantValiant
    116. Wind
    117. Converter
    118. Wind ×2
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Wind
    121. Converter
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Wind ×3
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Converter
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Wind
    128. Converter
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind ×2
    131. Converter
    132. ValiantValiant
    133. Wind
    134. Converter
    135. ValiantValiant
    136. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    137. Converter
    138. Wind ×3
    139. Converter
    140. Wind
    141. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    142. Converter
    143. Wind
    144. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    145. Wind ×3
    146. Converter
    147. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    148. Converter ×2
    149. Wind
    150. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    151. Wind ×3
    152. Converter
    153. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    154. Converter
    155. Wind ×2
    156. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    157. Converter
    158. Wind ×3
    159. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    160. Wind
    161. Converter
    162. Wind
    163. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    164. Converter
    165. Wind
    166. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    167. Wind ×2
    168. Converter
    169. Wind
    170. Converter
    171. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    172. Wind ×2
    173. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    174. Wind
    175. Converter
    176. Wind
    177. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    178. Wind
    179. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    180. Converter
    181. Wind ×2
    182. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    183. Wind
    184. Converter
    185. Wind ×2
    186. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    187. Wind
    188. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    189. Converter
    190. Wind
    191. Converter
    192. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    193. Wind
    194. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    195. Wind
    196. Converter
    197. Wind
    198. ValiantValiant
    199. Converter
    200. Wind
    201. Converter
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind ×2
    204. ValiantValiant
    205. Wind
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Converter
    208. Wind
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Converter
    211. Wind
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant ×2
    218. Wind
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Converter
    221. ValiantValiant
    222. Converter
    223. Wind
    224. ValiantValiant ×2
    225. Converter
    226. Wind
    227. ValiantValiant ×2
    228. Converter
    229. ValiantValiant
    230. Wind
    231. ValiantValiant ×3
    232. Wind
    233. ValiantValiant
    234. Wind
    235. Converter
    236. Wind
    237. ValiantValiant
    238. Wind
    239. Converter
    240. Wind
    241. ValiantValiant
    242. Wind
    243. ValiantValiant
    244. Converter
    245. ValiantValiant
    246. Wind
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. ValiantValiant
    250. Wind ×2
    251. Converter
    252. ValiantValiant
    253. Wind ×3
    254. ValiantValiant ×2
    255. Wind
    256. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Nutzz's (41 OS, 13/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · in 96% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Geofirst at 2:05 · in 98% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:26 · in 75% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:38 · in 66% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:45 · in 48% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:19 · in 84% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:04 · 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

559 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092400
3:00145700
4:002052051
5:00276573102
6:003779124147
7:005128176219
8:007036220281
9:009352250341
10:0011841314464
11:0014395439635
12:0017109605955
13:00199329071256
14:002261913911819
15:002548920592748
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

Nutzz

41.0 OS · 13/09/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
541 metal received · 2505 energy received

Allied construction assistance is unknown. Timings are observations, not a promise of solo reproducibility.

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:33 · n=559
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:23–7:27 · n=536
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:02–12:19 · n=338

Played most by

DRM35games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildAdeus28games of this buildNutzz25games of this buildhaaven24games of this build