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Air / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard air

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

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 · 555 distinct matches · 116 players · 79% of Cortex Air games · team won 47% of 624 · 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 555 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 · 6 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Solar
    3. Mex
    4. Wind ×2
    5. Energy storage
    6. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:54 · 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 · 16 steps
    1. ShurikenShuriken
    2. FinchFinch
    3. FinchFinch ×2for Geo sea
    4. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    5. Wind
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. Wind ×3
    8. ValiantValiant
    9. Wind ×2
    10. Con turret
    11. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    12. Con turret ×3
    13. Wind
    14. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    15. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    16. Wind ×5
  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 · 235 steps
    1. Wind
    2. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    3. Wind ×5
    4. Energy storage
    5. ValiantValiant ×2
    6. Wind
    7. ValiantValiant
    8. Wind ×2
    9. ValiantValiant
    10. Wind ×5
    11. ValiantValiant
    12. Wind ×3
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Wind ×2
    15. Con turret
    16. Wind
    17. Metal storage
    18. Wind
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 8:18 · typical 6:50
    20. Wind
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. HerculesLight transport
    24. Wind
    25. Converter
    26. HerculesLight transport
    27. Converter ×2
    28. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    29. Converter
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. Converter
    32. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    33. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:26
    34. Construction BotCon bot ×11
    35. Wind
    36. Construction BotCon bot
    37. Wind ×3
    38. Construction BotCon bot
    39. Wind ×2
    40. Construction BotCon bot
    41. Wind ×4
    42. Construction BotCon bot
    43. Wind ×19
    44. Con turret ×3
    45. Wind
    46. Converter
    47. Con turret
    48. Wind
    49. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 10:08
    50. Wind ×11
    51. ValiantValiant
    52. Wind ×2
    53. ValiantValiant
    54. Wind
    55. Converter
    56. Wind
    57. ValiantValiant
    58. Wind ×3
    59. ValiantValiant
    60. Wind ×3
    61. ValiantValiant
    62. Wind ×5
    63. ValiantValiant
    64. Wind ×4
    65. ValiantValiant
    66. Wind ×2
    67. Converter
    68. Wind ×3
    69. ValiantValiant
    70. Wind ×3
    71. NettleNettle
    72. Wind
    73. ValiantValiant
    74. Converter
    75. NettleNettle
    76. Wind
    77. NettleNettle
    78. Wind ×2
    79. NettleNettle
    80. Wind
    81. ValiantValiant
    82. Wind
    83. Converter
    84. Wind
    85. SAMSAM
    86. Wind ×4
    87. ValiantValiant
    88. Wind ×3
    89. Converter
    90. Wind ×2
    91. SAMSAM
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Wind
    94. ThistleThistle
    95. Wind ×2
    96. ValiantValiant
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Converter
    99. ValiantValiant ×2
    100. Wind ×3
    101. NettleNettle
    102. Wind ×8
    103. ValiantValiant ×2
    104. Wind ×2
    105. Converter
    106. Wind ×4
    107. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 12:12
    108. Wind ×2
    109. Converter
    110. Wind ×2
    111. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    112. Wind ×3
    113. Converter
    114. StorkLight transportfor Beach sea
    115. Wind ×2
    116. StorkLight transport
    117. Con turret
    118. Wind ×4
    119. Converter
    120. Con turret
    121. Wind ×2
    122. Con turret
    123. Wind ×3
    124. Converter
    125. Con turret
    126. Wind ×2
    127. Con turret
    128. Wind ×3
    129. Con turret
    130. Wind
    131. FalconFighter
    132. Wind
    133. Converter
    134. Wind ×5
    135. FalconFighter
    136. Converter
    137. Wind ×2
    138. FalconFighter
    139. Wind
    140. Converter
    141. FalconFighter
    142. Wind ×2
    143. FalconFighter
    144. Wind ×2
    145. FalconFighter
    146. Converter
    147. Wind
    148. FalconFighter
    149. Wind ×3
    150. FalconFighter
    151. Converter
    152. Wind ×2
    153. FalconFighter
    154. Converter
    155. Wind ×3
    156. FalconFighter
    157. Wind
    158. FalconFighter
    159. Wind ×2
    160. Converter
    161. FalconFighter
    162. Wind ×4
    163. FalconFighter
    164. Converter
    165. FalconFighter
    166. Converter
    167. FalconFighter
    168. Wind ×4
    169. FalconFighter
    170. Wind
    171. Converter
    172. FalconFighter ×2
    173. Wind ×4
    174. FalconFighter
    175. Converter
    176. FalconFighter
    177. Wind ×2
    178. FalconFighter
    179. Converter
    180. Wind ×3
    181. FalconFighter ×2
    182. Converter
    183. Wind ×2
    184. FalconFighter
    185. Wind ×2
    186. Converter
    187. Wind
    188. FalconFighter ×2
    189. Con turret
    190. Wind
    191. Converter
    192. Con turret
    193. Wind ×5
    194. FalconFighter
    195. Wind ×2
    196. FalconFighter
    197. Wind
    198. Converter
    199. FalconFighter
    200. Wind ×4
    201. FalconFighter
    202. Converter
    203. Wind
    204. BlinkScout plane
    205. Wind ×2
    206. Converter
    207. BlinkScout plane
    208. Wind ×2
    209. BlinkScout plane
    210. Wind
    211. BlinkScout plane
    212. Wind
    213. Converter
    214. Wind
    215. BlinkScout plane
    216. Wind
    217. FalconFighter
    218. Converter
    219. Wind ×2
    220. FalconFighter
    221. Wind ×3
    222. FalconFighter
    223. Converter
    224. Wind
    225. FalconFighter ×2
    226. Wind ×2
    227. Converter
    228. FalconFighter
    229. Wind
    230. FalconFighter
    231. Wind ×2
    232. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00 · typical 10:56
    233. Converter
    234. Wind ×3
    235. Converter

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Crazydogg's (38 OS, 20/09/2026); 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 2:26 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:40 · in 64% 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 85% 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

624 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039300
2:0092500
3:00145900
4:002053051
5:00276573109
6:003759125167
7:005136190219
8:007017225290
9:009298258342
10:0011788328471
11:0014383440641
12:0017097606958
13:00199439331269
14:002265314171801
15:002554320602701
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

37.5 OS · 20/09/2026

Open source match ↗

10 received units · includes a constructor
1371 metal received · 129329 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=624
Advanced Metal Extractor6:50Middle 50%: 6:21–7:26 · n=599
Fusion Reactor10:56Middle 50%: 10:03–12:16 · n=383

Played most by

DRM37games of this buildAdeus33games of this buildCentientWaffle32games of this buildNutzz28games of this buildImmort26games of this build