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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 (77%)

#eco #air #team support · 1603 distinct matches · 262 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1913 · 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 1603 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 1:14–1:36

    Some games also: energy storage (39%)

    By 1:07 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:16 · 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%) · converter (45%) · energy storage (44%) · light transport (40%)

    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 · 40 steps
    1. Energy storage
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. Wind ×2
    4. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    5. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    6. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    7. Wind
    8. HerculesLight transport
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. Con turret
    11. Wind
    12. Con turret
    13. Wind
    14. Converter
    15. Wind
    16. Converter
    17. Wind
    18. FinchFinch
    19. Wind
    20. Mex
    21. ValiantValiant
    22. Wind
    23. Wind ×2
    24. ValiantValiant
    25. Wind ×2
    26. Wind
    27. Wind ×3
    28. Wind
    29. Wind
    30. Wind
    31. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    32. Wind ×3
    33. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    34. Wind
    35. Con turret
    36. Wind ×2
    37. Converter
    38. Wind
    39. Wind
    40. Wind
  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 18 wind, 18 wind, 7 converterin 57% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret
    Army
    • Valiant9 Valiant

    Some games also: shuriken (47%) · fusion (39%) · con aircraft (34%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 25 wind · 20 wind · 8 converter · 1 energy storage

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

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Herbiderpi's (31 OS, 15/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · in 96% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 2:07 · in 99% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pond or Techfirst at 2:22 · in 71% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:37 · in 63% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 1:41 · in 46% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Techfirst at 2:22 · in 88% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:04 · 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

1913 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002053051
5:0027665173
6:003725102124
7:005096146160
8:006915190204
9:009291221270
10:0011770274365
11:0014395365522
12:0017093490750
13:00199357441054
14:002278512201651
15:002584617552385
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

31.1 OS · 15/10/2026

Open source match ↗

8 received units · includes a constructor
249 metal received · 18792 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:26Middle 50%: 1:14–1:36 · n=1913
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:26–7:26 · n=1852
Fusion Reactor10:51Middle 50%: 9:45–12:15 · n=1234

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner73games of this buildHunfore63games of this buildDRM52games of this buildHALF_DALLAH_HABIT52games of this build