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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Nutzz's (42 OS, 28/09/2026); 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

Nutzz

42.1 OS · 28/09/2026

Open source match ↗

9 received units · includes a constructor
839 metal received · 33270 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