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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 · 547 distinct matches · 115 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 615 · 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 547 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 ×4
    2. Energy storage
    3. Wind
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:40 · 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 · 30 steps
    1. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    2. Wind
    3. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    4. Wind ×2
    5. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Geo sea
    6. Wind ×2
    7. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    8. Wind ×2
    9. Con turret
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Wind ×2
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Wind
    14. Con turret
    15. Wind
    16. ValiantValiant
    17. Con turret
    18. Wind
    19. Con turret
    20. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    21. Wind
    22. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    23. Wind
    24. HerculesLight transportfor Suicide front
    25. Wind
    26. HerculesLight transportfor Pond
    27. Wind
    28. ValiantValiant
    29. Wind
    30. ValiantValiant
  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 · 299 steps
    1. Converter
    2. ValiantValiant
    3. Converter
    4. ValiantValiant
    5. Con turret
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Converter ×2
    8. Wind ×3
    9. Converter
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Wind
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Converter ×2
    14. Wind
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:11 · typical 6:50
    16. Converter
    17. Wind
    18. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×3
    19. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:13
    20. Construction BotCon bot ×8
    21. Wind
    22. Construction BotCon bot
    23. Wind
    24. Construction BotCon bot
    25. Wind ×3
    26. Construction BotCon bot
    27. Wind ×3
    28. Construction BotCon bot
    29. Wind ×4
    30. Construction BotCon bot
    31. Wind ×5
    32. Construction BotCon bot
    33. Wind ×5
    34. Construction BotCon bot
    35. Wind ×17
    36. Con turret
    37. Wind ×7
    38. Con turret
    39. Wind ×4
    40. Con turret
    41. Wind
    42. Converter
    43. Wind ×3
    44. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 9:23
    45. Wind ×10
    46. Converter
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. Wind ×3
    50. ValiantValiant
    51. Converter
    52. Wind ×5
    53. ValiantValiant
    54. Converter
    55. Wind ×4
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind ×5
    58. ValiantValiant
    59. Wind ×5
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Wind ×5
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Wind ×4
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind ×2
    66. Converter
    67. Wind ×3
    68. ValiantValiant
    69. Converter
    70. Wind ×4
    71. ValiantValiant
    72. Wind ×3
    73. Converter
    74. ValiantValiant
    75. Wind ×4
    76. Converter
    77. Wind
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. Wind ×6
    80. ValiantValiant
    81. Wind ×5
    82. ValiantValiant
    83. Wind ×7
    84. ValiantValiant
    85. Wind ×6
    86. ValiantValiant
    87. Wind ×3
    88. ValiantValiant
    89. Wind ×5
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind ×3
    94. ValiantValiant
    95. Wind ×2
    96. Converter
    97. ValiantValiant
    98. Wind ×4
    99. ValiantValiant
    100. Wind ×2
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind ×3
    103. Converter
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind ×2
    106. Converter
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind ×4
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Converter
    111. Wind
    112. ValiantValiant
    113. Wind ×3
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Converter
    116. ShurikenShuriken
    117. Wind ×3
    118. ShurikenShuriken
    119. Wind
    120. Converter
    121. Wind
    122. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    123. Wind ×3
    124. ShurikenShuriken
    125. Converter
    126. Wind
    127. ShurikenShuriken
    128. Wind ×2
    129. ShurikenShuriken
    130. Converter
    131. Con turret
    132. Wind ×2
    133. ShurikenShuriken
    134. Wind ×3
    135. Converter
    136. ShurikenShuriken
    137. Wind ×2
    138. ShurikenShuriken
    139. Wind
    140. Converter
    141. Wind
    142. ShurikenShuriken
    143. Wind
    144. ShurikenShuriken
    145. Converter
    146. Wind
    147. ShurikenShuriken
    148. Wind ×3
    149. Converter
    150. ShurikenShuriken
    151. Wind
    152. ShurikenShuriken
    153. Wind
    154. ShurikenShuriken
    155. Wind
    156. Converter
    157. ShurikenShuriken
    158. Wind ×2
    159. Converter
    160. ShurikenShuriken
    161. Wind
    162. ShurikenShuriken
    163. Wind ×2
    164. Converter
    165. ShurikenShuriken
    166. Wind ×2
    167. ShurikenShuriken
    168. Wind
    169. ShurikenShuriken
    170. Converter
    171. ShurikenShuriken
    172. Wind ×4
    173. ShurikenShuriken
    174. Converter
    175. ShurikenShuriken
    176. Wind
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Wind
    179. Converter
    180. Wind ×3
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. Wind
    183. ValiantValiant
    184. Converter
    185. Wind ×3
    186. ValiantValiant
    187. Wind
    188. Converter
    189. Wind
    190. ValiantValiant
    191. Converter
    192. ValiantValiant
    193. Wind ×4
    194. Con turret
    195. ValiantValiant
    196. Converter
    197. Wind ×3
    198. Con turret
    199. Wind ×2
    200. Converter
    201. Wind
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Converter
    204. Wind
    205. Con turret
    206. Wind ×3
    207. Converter
    208. Wind
    209. ValiantValiant
    210. Con turret ×2
    211. Wind ×3
    212. Converter
    213. Wind
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind ×4
    219. Converter
    220. ValiantValiant
    221. Converter
    222. Wind
    223. ValiantValiant ×2
    224. Wind ×4
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. Converter
    227. ValiantValiant
    228. Wind
    229. Con turret
    230. Converter
    231. Wind ×3
    232. ValiantValiant
    233. Con turret
    234. Wind
    235. Con turret
    236. Converter
    237. Wind
    238. Con turret ×4
    239. Converter
    240. Wind ×3
    241. ValiantValiant
    242. Wind
    243. Converter
    244. Wind
    245. Converter
    246. Wind
    247. ValiantValiant
    248. Wind
    249. Converter
    250. Wind ×2
    251. ValiantValiant
    252. Con turret
    253. Wind
    254. Con turret ×2
    255. Converter
    256. ValiantValiant
    257. Wind ×2
    258. Converter
    259. Wind ×2
    260. ValiantValiant
    261. Wind
    262. ValiantValiant
    263. Converter
    264. ValiantValiant
    265. Wind ×2
    266. ValiantValiant
    267. Wind ×2
    268. FinchFinch ×2
    269. Converter
    270. FinchFinch ×2
    271. Wind
    272. FinchFinch ×2
    273. Converter
    274. Wind ×2
    275. FinchFinch
    276. Wind ×2
    277. FinchFinch ×2
    278. Wind
    279. FinchFinch
    280. Converter
    281. FinchFinch ×3
    282. Wind ×2
    283. Converter
    284. Wind ×2
    285. FinchFinch ×2
    286. Wind
    287. ValiantValiant
    288. Converter
    289. ValiantValiant
    290. Wind
    291. ValiantValiant
    292. Wind
    293. Converter
    294. Wind
    295. ValiantValiant
    296. Wind
    297. ValiantValiant
    298. Wind
    299. ValiantValiant ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Crazydogg's (37 OS, 26/09/2026); 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 84% 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

615 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145800
4:002052051
5:00276573109
6:003755125167
7:005136190219
8:007019220290
9:009335250341
10:0011795327471
11:0014399439641
12:0017100619962
13:00199489301269
14:002264113951807
15:002553020492701
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

Crazydogg

37.4 OS · 26/09/2026

Open source match ↗

9 received units · includes a constructor
761 metal received · 83438 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=615
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=590
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:14 · n=375

Played most by

DRM36games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build