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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 · 514 distinct matches · 114 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 575 · 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 514 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 1:13–1:34

    Some games also: energy storage (37%)

    By 1:03 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 19 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:29
    5. Wind
    6. GraverobberGraverobber
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. Wind ×3
    9. GraverobberGraverobber
    10. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    11. Mex
    12. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    13. Wind
    14. Construction BotCon bot
    15. Wind ×2
    16. TrasherTrasher
    17. Con turret
    18. Wind ×6
    19. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 3:51 · 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
    • Hercules3 Light transport for allies
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Shuriken1 Shuriken
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    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 · 13 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Wind ×2
    3. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    4. Converter
    5. ShurikenShuriken
    6. Con turret
    7. Wind
    8. ValiantValiant
    9. Wind
    10. ValiantValiant ×2
    11. Converter
    12. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    13. Wind
  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 (32%) · 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 · 184 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. Converter
    3. ValiantValiant
    4. Wind
    5. ValiantValiant
    6. Wind
    7. ValiantValiant
    8. Wind
    9. Con turret
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Converter
    12. Wind
    13. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    14. Wind
    15. ValiantValiant
    16. Wind
    17. ValiantValiant
    18. Wind
    19. Converter
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Wind ×2
    22. ValiantValiant ×2
    23. Wind ×2
    24. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    25. Wind
    26. ShurikenShuriken
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. ShurikenShuriken
    30. Wind
    31. ShurikenShuriken
    32. ValiantValiant
    33. Wind ×2
    34. ValiantValiant ×2
    35. Converter
    36. Wind ×2
    37. ValiantValiant
    38. Wind
    39. ShurikenShuriken
    40. Wind
    41. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    42. Wind
    43. ShurikenShuriken
    44. Wind
    45. Converter
    46. ShurikenShuriken
    47. Wind
    48. ShurikenShuriken
    49. Wind
    50. ShurikenShuriken
    51. Wind
    52. ShurikenShuriken
    53. Wind
    54. ShurikenShuriken
    55. Wind
    56. ShurikenShuriken
    57. Wind
    58. ShurikenShuriken
    59. Wind
    60. ShurikenShuriken
    61. Converter
    62. ShurikenShuriken
    63. Wind
    64. ShurikenShuriken
    65. Wind
    66. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    67. Wind
    68. ShurikenShuriken
    69. Wind
    70. ShurikenShuriken
    71. Wind
    72. ShurikenShuriken
    73. Wind
    74. Converter
    75. ShurikenShuriken
    76. Wind ×2
    77. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    78. Wind ×2
    79. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    80. Wind ×2
    81. Converter
    82. ShurikenShuriken
    83. ValiantValiant
    84. Mex
    85. Wind ×2
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Bot LabBot Labdone 10:21
    88. Mex ×2
    89. Converter
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. GruntGrunt
    92. Wind ×2
    93. GruntGrunt
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. GruntGrunt
    96. Mex
    97. GruntGrunt
    98. Wind
    99. GruntGrunt
    100. Wind
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. GruntGrunt
    103. ValiantValiant
    104. Wind
    105. GraverobberGraverobber
    106. Wind
    107. Converter
    108. ValiantValiant
    109. GruntGrunt
    110. Wind ×2
    111. ValiantValiant
    112. GruntGrunt
    113. Construction BotCon bot
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind ×2
    116. Construction BotCon bot
    117. ValiantValiant
    118. Wind ×2
    119. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 12:06
    120. Converter
    121. Wind ×6
    122. Converter
    123. Wind ×2
    124. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    125. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    126. Wind
    127. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    128. Con turret
    129. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    130. Wind
    131. Con turret
    132. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    133. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    134. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    135. Wind
    136. Metal storage
    137. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    138. Wind
    139. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    140. Converter
    141. Wind
    142. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    143. CastroCastro
    144. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    145. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 13:14
    146. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    147. Wind
    148. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    149. Wind
    150. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    151. Wind
    152. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    153. Wind
    154. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    155. Converter
    156. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    157. Wind ×2
    158. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    159. Wind ×2
    160. Con turret
    161. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    162. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    163. Construction BotCon bot
    164. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    165. Con turret
    166. Wind ×2
    167. Construction BotCon bot
    168. Converter
    169. Construction BotCon bot
    170. Wind ×2
    171. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    172. Mex
    173. Wind ×4
    174. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 14:50
    175. Wind ×2
    176. Converter
    177. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    178. Wind ×4
    179. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 14:52
    180. Wind ×2
    181. Converter
    182. ValiantValiant ×2
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Graceful's (37 OS, 28/08/2026); 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 Geofirst at 2:05 · 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 1:39 · in 66% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:44 · in 49% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:19 · in 85% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:04 · in 95% 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

575 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092400
3:00145800
4:002052051
5:00276573102
6:003776125147
7:005132176219
8:007036219281
9:009346249341
10:0011841314464
11:0014395439635
12:0017116607950
13:00199988991230
14:002266413641807
15:002550120102691
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

Graceful

36.7 OS · 28/08/2026

Open source match ↗

0 received units
73 metal received · 5723 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:22Middle 50%: 1:13–1:34 · n=575
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:22–7:27 · n=553
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:17 · n=345

Played most by

DRM35games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildAdeus29games of this buildhaaven25games of this buildNutzz25games of this build