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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 · 1486 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1790 · 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 1486 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Solar
    3. Wind
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:10 · 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 (41%)

    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. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    2. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    3. Wind ×3
    4. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    5. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    6. Wind ×4
    7. ValiantValiant
    8. Con turret
    9. HerculesLight transportfor Beach sea
    10. ValiantValiant
    11. Con turret
    12. Energy storage
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Mex
    16. Converter
    17. Wind ×2
    18. Converter
    19. Wind ×2
    20. Converter
    21. Wind ×3
    22. Converter
    23. Wind ×4
    24. Converter
    25. Wind
    26. Wind
    27. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    28. Wind ×3
    29. Wind
    30. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
  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 (48%) · fusion (38%) · con aircraft (35%) · 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 · 343 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Con turret
    3. Wind
    4. Wind
    5. Wind
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×2
    8. Wind
    9. Wind ×2
    10. Wind
    11. Wind ×2
    12. Wind
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. Wind
    19. Wind
    20. Converter
    21. Wind
    22. Wind
    23. Wind
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. Wind
    27. Converter
    28. Wind
    29. Wind
    30. Wind
    31. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantnot finished by 15:00
    32. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 7:06 · typical 6:54
    33. Wind ×2
    34. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    35. Wind ×2
    36. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    37. Wind ×4
    38. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    39. Wind
    40. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    41. Con turret
    42. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:27
    43. ValiantValiant
    44. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    45. ValiantValiant ×4
    46. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:53
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. Construction BotCon bot
    50. Con turret
    51. ValiantValiant ×2
    52. Wind
    53. Wind
    54. ValiantValiant
    55. Construction BotCon bot
    56. ValiantValiant
    57. Wind
    58. Construction BotCon bot
    59. ValiantValiant ×2
    60. Construction BotCon bot
    61. Wind
    62. ValiantValiant
    63. Wind
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind
    66. Construction BotCon bot
    67. ValiantValiant
    68. Wind
    69. Wind
    70. Construction BotCon bot
    71. ValiantValiant ×2
    72. Wind
    73. Wind
    74. Wind
    75. Construction BotCon bot
    76. ValiantValiant
    77. Wind
    78. ValiantValiant
    79. T2 converter
    80. Construction BotCon bot
    81. Wind ×4
    82. Wind
    83. Wind ×3
    84. ValiantValiant
    85. Wind
    86. Wind
    87. Wind ×2
    88. Wind
    89. Wind
    90. Construction BotCon bot
    91. Wind
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind
    94. Wind
    95. Wind
    96. Con turret
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Con turret
    99. T2 converter
    100. Wind
    101. ValiantValiant
    102. Wind ×3
    103. Wind
    104. ValiantValiant
    105. Wind
    106. Construction BotCon bot
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind ×4
    109. Wind
    110. Wind
    111. Con turret
    112. Wind
    113. Wind
    114. Wind ×4
    115. Wind
    116. ValiantValiant
    117. Wind ×2
    118. Con turret
    119. Wind ×3
    120. Con turret
    121. Wind
    122. ValiantValiant ×2
    123. Wind
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Wind ×2
    126. Wind
    127. Wind
    128. ValiantValiant
    129. Construction BotCon bot
    130. ValiantValiant ×2
    131. Wind ×4
    132. Wind
    133. ValiantValiant
    134. Wind ×2
    135. TickTick
    136. Wind ×2
    137. ValiantValiant
    138. Wind
    139. TickTick
    140. ValiantValiant
    141. TickTick
    142. Wind
    143. ValiantValiant
    144. TickTick
    145. ValiantValiant
    146. Wind ×2
    147. TickTick
    148. Wind
    149. ValiantValiant
    150. TickTick
    151. Wind
    152. ValiantValiant
    153. FinchFinch
    154. TickTick
    155. Wind ×3
    156. FinchFinch
    157. Wind
    158. TickTick
    159. Wind
    160. FinchFinch
    161. Wind
    162. FinchFinch
    163. Wind ×2
    164. TickTick
    165. Wind
    166. FinchFinch
    167. Wind
    168. TickTick
    169. FinchFinch
    170. TickTick
    171. Wind
    172. FinchFinch
    173. TickTick
    174. Wind
    175. FinchFinch
    176. TickTick
    177. ValiantValiant
    178. Wind ×2
    179. TickTick
    180. Wind
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. TickTick
    183. Wind
    184. ValiantValiant
    185. Wind
    186. TickTick
    187. Wind ×3
    188. ValiantValiant
    189. TickTick
    190. Wind
    191. Wind
    192. Wind
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind ×2
    195. TickTick
    196. ValiantValiant
    197. Wind
    198. Wind
    199. TickTick
    200. Wind
    201. ValiantValiant
    202. Wind
    203. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    204. Wind
    205. Wind
    206. ValiantValiant ×2
    207. Wind
    208. ValiantValiant
    209. Wind ×3
    210. Wind
    211. Wind
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind ×2
    214. ShurikenShuriken
    215. Wind
    216. ShurikenShuriken
    217. Wind
    218. ShurikenShuriken
    219. Wind
    220. ShurikenShuriken
    221. Wind
    222. ShurikenShuriken
    223. Wind
    224. ShurikenShuriken
    225. Wind
    226. ShurikenShuriken
    227. Wind
    228. ShurikenShuriken
    229. Wind
    230. ShurikenShuriken
    231. Wind
    232. ShurikenShuriken
    233. Wind
    234. ShurikenShuriken
    235. Wind
    236. ShurikenShuriken
    237. Wind
    238. ShurikenShuriken
    239. Wind ×4
    240. ShurikenShuriken
    241. Wind
    242. T2 converter
    243. ShurikenShuriken
    244. Wind
    245. ShurikenShuriken
    246. Wind
    247. Wind
    248. Wind
    249. Wind
    250. Wind
    251. ShurikenShuriken
    252. Wind ×2
    253. Con turret
    254. Wind ×2
    255. Wind
    256. Wind ×4
    257. Con turret
    258. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    259. Wind ×2
    260. ShurikenShuriken
    261. T2 converter
    262. Wind
    263. Con turret
    264. ShurikenShuriken
    265. Wind
    266. Con turret
    267. ShurikenShuriken
    268. Wind
    269. Wind
    270. ShurikenShuriken
    271. Con turret
    272. Wind ×6
    273. ShurikenShuriken
    274. Wind
    275. Wind
    276. Wind ×4
    277. T2 converter
    278. Wind
    279. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    280. Wind ×2
    281. ShurikenShuriken ×2
    282. Wind
    283. ValiantValiant
    284. Wind ×6
    285. ValiantValiant
    286. Wind
    287. Wind
    288. ValiantValiant
    289. Wind ×2
    290. ValiantValiant
    291. FinchFinch ×2
    292. Wind
    293. FinchFinch
    294. Wind
    295. FinchFinch
    296. Hardened Energy Storage
    297. Wind ×3
    298. FinchFinch
    299. Wind ×2
    300. Con turret
    301. FinchFinch
    302. Wind ×2
    303. Wind
    304. Wind ×3
    305. Con turret
    306. Wind ×2
    307. FinchFinch
    308. Wind
    309. Wind
    310. Con turret
    311. ValiantValiant
    312. Wind ×2
    313. Wind
    314. T2 converter
    315. Con turret
    316. Wind ×6
    317. ValiantValiant
    318. Wind
    319. Wind
    320. ValiantValiant
    321. Wind ×2
    322. ValiantValiant
    323. Wind ×2
    324. Wind
    325. ValiantValiant ×2
    326. Wind
    327. ValiantValiant
    328. Wind ×2
    329. ValiantValiant
    330. Wind
    331. Wind
    332. ValiantValiant
    333. Wind
    334. ValiantValiant
    335. Wind
    336. ValiantValiant
    337. Wind ×3
    338. ValiantValiant
    339. Wind
    340. ValiantValiant
    341. Wind
    342. Wind
    343. ValiantValiant

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Herbiderpi's (33 OS, 12/10/2026); 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 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 47% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:22 · 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

1790 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002053051
5:0027635173
6:003712102124
7:005087146167
8:006902190219
9:009285231273
10:0011760292386
11:0014377374540
12:0017071517781
13:00198517811112
14:002267412691690
15:002569318242435
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

Herbiderpi

32.9 OS · 12/10/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
494 metal received · 69404 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=1790
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1731
Fusion Reactor10:53Middle 50%: 9:45–12:17 · n=1146

Played most by

TheGeneraI113games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this buildAdeus50games of this build
Standard air · Cortex Air build order · BAR Build Atlas