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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 · 1508 distinct matches · 252 players · 81% of Cortex Air games · team won 46% of 1813 · 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 1508 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 · 6 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Mex
    4. Wind ×4
    5. Energy storage
    6. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:34 · 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 (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 · 32 steps
    1. FinchFinch
    2. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    3. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    4. ValiantValiant
    5. Wind
    6. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    7. HerculesLight transport
    8. Con turret
    9. ValiantValiant ×2
    10. Mex
    11. Con turret
    12. Converter
    13. ValiantValiant
    14. Con turret
    15. Converter
    16. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    17. Converter
    18. HerculesLight transport
    19. Wind
    20. ValiantValiant
    21. Converter
    22. Wind
    23. HerculesLight transport
    24. FinchFinch
    25. Wind
    26. FinchFinch ×3
    27. Wind
    28. Con turret
    29. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    30. Wind
    31. Con turret
    32. Wind ×9
  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 (47%) · fusion (38%) · con aircraft (35%) · 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 · 343 steps
    1. Wind ×2
    2. Converter
    3. Wind ×4
    4. Converter
    5. Wind ×4
    6. Converter
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Wind ×3
    10. Con turret
    11. Converter
    12. Wind
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:22 · typical 6:54
    14. Wind
    15. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    16. Wind ×2
    17. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    18. Wind ×2
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    20. Bot LabBot Labdone 7:04
    21. Construction BotCon bot ×3
    22. Wind
    23. Construction BotCon bot
    24. Wind ×2
    25. Construction BotCon bot
    26. Wind ×11
    27. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    28. Wind
    29. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:59
    30. Wind ×9
    31. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    32. Wind ×3
    33. Con turret
    34. Converter
    35. Wind ×2
    36. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    37. Wind ×4
    38. ValiantValiant
    39. Wind ×3
    40. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    41. Wind ×4
    42. ValiantValiant
    43. Wind ×3
    44. ValiantValiant
    45. Wind ×4
    46. ValiantValiant
    47. Wind
    48. ValiantValiant
    49. Wind ×5
    50. ValiantValiant
    51. Converter
    52. Wind
    53. Converter
    54. Wind ×3
    55. ValiantValiant
    56. Con turret
    57. Wind ×3
    58. Con turret
    59. Wind ×2
    60. ValiantValiant
    61. Wind ×3
    62. Con turret
    63. Wind
    64. ValiantValiant
    65. Wind
    66. HerculesLight transportfor Front
    67. Wind ×3
    68. Converter
    69. Wind
    70. ValiantValiant
    71. Wind
    72. Con turret
    73. Wind ×2
    74. HerculesLight transport
    75. Converter ×2
    76. Wind ×3
    77. HerculesLight transportfor Front
    78. Wind ×2
    79. ValiantValiant
    80. Wind
    81. Converter
    82. Wind
    83. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Tech
    84. Wind ×4
    85. Converter
    86. Wind ×2
    87. ValiantValiant
    88. Converter
    89. Wind ×2
    90. ValiantValiant
    91. Wind ×4
    92. ValiantValiant
    93. Converter
    94. Wind ×3
    95. ValiantValiant
    96. Converter
    97. Wind ×2
    98. ValiantValiant
    99. Advanced solar
    100. Wind
    101. Converter
    102. Wind ×3
    103. ValiantValiant
    104. Wind
    105. Converter
    106. Wind
    107. ValiantValiant
    108. Wind ×6
    109. ValiantValiant
    110. Converter
    111. Wind ×2
    112. Converter
    113. Wind ×2
    114. ValiantValiant
    115. Wind ×2
    116. ValiantValiant
    117. Wind ×3
    118. Converter
    119. ValiantValiant
    120. Converter
    121. Wind ×2
    122. ValiantValiant
    123. Wind
    124. ValiantValiant
    125. Wind ×4
    126. ValiantValiant
    127. Con turret
    128. Converter ×2
    129. ValiantValiant
    130. Wind
    131. Converter
    132. ValiantValiant
    133. Wind ×2
    134. ValiantValiant
    135. Wind ×2
    136. Con turret
    137. Wind
    138. Converter
    139. ValiantValiant
    140. Wind ×2
    141. Converter
    142. ValiantValiant
    143. Wind ×3
    144. Con turret
    145. Converter
    146. ValiantValiant
    147. Wind ×4
    148. ValiantValiant
    149. Wind ×2
    150. Converter
    151. ValiantValiant
    152. Wind ×2
    153. Con turret
    154. ValiantValiant
    155. Wind ×2
    156. ValiantValiant
    157. Converter
    158. Wind ×3
    159. ValiantValiant
    160. Wind ×2
    161. Converter
    162. Wind
    163. Con turret
    164. ValiantValiant
    165. Wind ×2
    166. Converter
    167. Wind
    168. ValiantValiant
    169. Wind ×2
    170. ValiantValiant
    171. Wind
    172. Converter
    173. Wind
    174. Advanced solar
    175. Wind ×2
    176. ValiantValiant
    177. Wind ×3
    178. ValiantValiant
    179. Wind ×5
    180. Converter
    181. ValiantValiant
    182. Converter
    183. Advanced solar
    184. Wind
    185. ValiantValiant
    186. Wind ×4
    187. ValiantValiant
    188. Wind
    189. Converter
    190. Wind ×3
    191. Advanced solar
    192. Converter
    193. ValiantValiant
    194. Wind ×2
    195. Converter
    196. Wind
    197. ValiantValiant
    198. Converter
    199. Wind
    200. Converter
    201. Wind ×2
    202. ValiantValiant
    203. Wind
    204. Converter
    205. Wind ×2
    206. ValiantValiant
    207. Wind
    208. Converter
    209. Wind ×3
    210. ValiantValiant
    211. Wind ×2
    212. ValiantValiant
    213. Wind ×2
    214. ValiantValiant
    215. Wind ×2
    216. Converter
    217. ValiantValiant
    218. Wind ×2
    219. ValiantValiant
    220. Wind
    221. Converter
    222. Wind ×4
    223. ValiantValiant
    224. Wind ×2
    225. ValiantValiant
    226. Converter
    227. Wind
    228. ValiantValiant
    229. Wind ×5
    230. ValiantValiant
    231. Converter
    232. Wind
    233. ValiantValiant
    234. Wind
    235. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    236. Wind
    237. Converter
    238. Wind ×4
    239. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    240. Wind
    241. Converter
    242. Wind ×2
    243. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    244. Wind ×3
    245. Converter
    246. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    247. Wind
    248. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    249. Wind
    250. Converter
    251. Wind
    252. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    253. Wind ×2
    254. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    255. Wind
    256. Converter
    257. Wind
    258. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    259. Wind
    260. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    261. Converter
    262. Wind ×5
    263. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    264. Converter
    265. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    266. Wind ×2
    267. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    268. Wind ×2
    269. Converter
    270. Wind
    271. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    272. Wind
    273. Converter
    274. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    275. Wind ×3
    276. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    277. Wind
    278. Converter
    279. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    280. Wind
    281. Converter
    282. Wind ×3
    283. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    284. Wind
    285. Converter
    286. Wind ×2
    287. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    288. Wind ×2
    289. Converter
    290. Wind ×2
    291. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    292. Converter
    293. Wind ×4
    294. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    295. Converter
    296. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    297. Converter
    298. ValiantValiant
    299. Wind ×4
    300. ValiantValiant
    301. Converter
    302. ValiantValiant ×2
    303. Wind ×2
    304. ValiantValiant
    305. Converter
    306. Wind
    307. ValiantValiant
    308. Converter
    309. Wind ×2
    310. ValiantValiant
    311. Converter
    312. ValiantValiant
    313. Wind ×2
    314. ValiantValiant
    315. Wind
    316. Converter
    317. ValiantValiant
    318. Con turret
    319. Wind
    320. ValiantValiant
    321. Wind
    322. Converter
    323. ValiantValiant ×2
    324. Converter
    325. Wind ×2
    326. ValiantValiant ×2
    327. Converter
    328. ValiantValiant
    329. Wind ×2
    330. ValiantValiant
    331. Con turret
    332. ValiantValiant
    333. Converter
    334. Wind
    335. ValiantValiant
    336. Wind ×2
    337. ValiantValiant
    338. Converter
    339. ValiantValiant ×2
    340. Wind ×2
    341. Converter
    342. ValiantValiant ×2
    343. Converter

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is bob7's (31 OS, 10/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:50 · 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 71% 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 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 6:05 · 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

1813 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039200
2:0092300
3:00145600
4:002052051
5:0027635173
6:003711102124
7:005089146167
8:006903190219
9:009285230270
10:0011761292379
11:0014370369533
12:0017069512781
13:00198597811101
14:002270412631689
15:002573618082409
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

bob7

31.1 OS · 10/09/2026

Open source match ↗

4 received units · includes a constructor
1759 metal received · 67418 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=1813
Advanced Metal Extractor6:54Middle 50%: 6:27–7:26 · n=1753
Fusion Reactor10:52Middle 50%: 9:46–12:17 · n=1160

Played most by

TheGeneraI114games of this buildDad_The_Speedrunner72games of this buildHunfore62games of this buildDRM52games of this buildMilkdragon52games of this build