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Standard front

Cortex Front build order · Supreme Isthmus

Standard economy-first Front play: Bot Lab immediately, Advanced Metal Extractor around 9:23, then a mixed Thug/Grunt/Aggravator army sent up to defend the wider gap and move to middle as a line.

#eco #team support · 503 distinct matches · 153 players · 65% of Cortex Front games · team won 51% of 520 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Bot Lab by 0:40

  1. Open 2 mex into early Bot Lab.
  2. Finish Bot Lab and start Thug, Grunt, Aggravator mix.
  3. Send first units to coast to stop leaks, not straight to mid.
  4. Transition into Advanced Metal Extractor as eco scales.
  5. Move units up as a line toward middle to hold the wider gap.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 503 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 Bot Lab

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mexdone ~0:40, middle half 0:34–0:46

    Some games also: wind (39%)

    By 0:23 in all: 2 mex

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind ×2
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:46 · typical 0:40
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Bot3 Con bot
    • Graverobber2 Graverobber
    Army
    • Guard2 Guard
    • Thug9 Thug
    • Aggravator5 Aggravator
    • Grunt4 Grunt

    Some games also: con turret (46%) · Radar Tower (35%)

    By 5:00 in all: 6 mex · 5 wind

    The example game in this phase · 39 steps
    1. GruntGrunt ×3
    2. GraverobberGraverobber
    3. Mex
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. AggravatorAggravator
    6. Con turret
    7. AggravatorAggravator
    8. GruntGrunt ×7
    9. AggravatorAggravator
    10. Mex
    11. AggravatorAggravator
    12. Wind
    13. AggravatorAggravator
    14. Wind
    15. AggravatorAggravator
    16. Wind
    17. Mex
    18. AggravatorAggravator
    19. Wind
    20. AggravatorAggravator
    21. Con turret
    22. AggravatorAggravator
    23. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×6
    24. AggravatorAggravator
    25. Mex
    26. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    27. Converter
    28. AggravatorAggravator
    29. Converter
    30. AggravatorAggravator
    31. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    32. Energy storage
    33. AggravatorAggravator
    34. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    35. Wind
    36. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    37. AggravatorAggravator
    38. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    39. Wind
  3. 3

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine17Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret
    • Graverobber2 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot
    Army
    • Guard1 Guard
    • Grunt7 Grunt
    • Thug5 Thug
    • Aggravator1 Aggravator

    Some games also: Radar Tower (44%) · converter (36%) · energy storage (36%) · Twin Guard (33%) · eat Bot Lab (37%)

    By 10:00 in all: 7 mex · 24 wind · 3 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 218 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    4. AggravatorAggravator
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    6. Wind
    7. AggravatorAggravator
    8. Wind
    9. AggravatorAggravator
    10. Wind
    11. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    12. AggravatorAggravator
    13. Wind
    14. Construction BotCon bot
    15. Wind
    16. AggravatorAggravator
    17. Wind
    18. AggravatorAggravator
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    20. Wind
    21. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    22. AggravatorAggravator
    23. Wind
    24. AggravatorAggravator
    25. Wind
    26. AggravatorAggravator
    27. Wind
    28. ThistleThistle
    29. Construction BotCon bot
    30. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    31. Wind
    32. AggravatorAggravator ×4
    33. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    34. Con turret
    35. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    36. GuardGuard
    37. AggravatorAggravator
    38. Converter
    39. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    40. Construction BotCon bot
    41. Converter
    42. GuardGuard
    43. Wind
    44. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    45. AggravatorAggravator
    46. Wind
    47. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    48. Converter
    49. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    50. Wind
    51. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    52. Wind
    53. AggravatorAggravator
    54. Converter
    55. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    56. AggravatorAggravator
    57. Wind
    58. AggravatorAggravator
    59. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    60. Wind
    61. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    62. Wind
    63. AggravatorAggravator
    64. Wind
    65. Construction BotCon bot
    66. GuardGuard
    67. Converter
    68. Con turret
    69. GuardGuard
    70. Wind
    71. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×7
    72. Wind
    73. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    74. Wind ×5
    75. Converter
    76. Con turret
    77. Wind ×2
    78. Con turret
    79. Converter
    80. Wind ×4
    81. GuardGuard
    82. Wind
    83. CastroCastro
    84. Wind
    85. Converter
    86. GuardGuard
    87. Wind
    88. Dragon's MawDragon's Maw
    89. Converter
    90. Wind
    91. GuardGuard
    92. Wind ×4
    93. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 11:51 · typical 9:27
    94. Dragon's MawDragon's Maw
    95. Wind
    96. GuardGuard
    97. Wind ×2
    98. Converter
    99. Wind
    100. Converter
    101. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    102. Wind ×2
    103. ThistleThistle
    104. Wind
    105. CastroCastro
    106. Wind
    107. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    108. Wind ×2
    109. GruntGrunt
    110. Converter
    111. Wind
    112. GruntGrunt
    113. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    114. GruntGrunt
    115. Converter
    116. GruntGrunt
    117. Wind
    118. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    119. GruntGrunt
    120. Wind
    121. Con turret
    122. GruntGrunt
    123. Wind ×2
    124. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    125. GruntGrunt ×2
    126. Wind ×3
    127. GruntGrunt
    128. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    129. Converter
    130. GruntGrunt
    131. Wind
    132. Con turret
    133. Converter
    134. GruntGrunt ×2
    135. Wind
    136. NyxNyx
    137. GruntGrunt
    138. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    139. GruntGrunt
    140. Wind ×2
    141. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    142. GruntGrunt
    143. Fortification WallFortification Wall ×2
    144. GruntGrunt
    145. NyxNyx
    146. Wind
    147. Fortification WallFortification Wall ×2
    148. Wind
    149. GruntGrunt
    150. Fortification WallFortification Wall
    151. GruntGrunt
    152. Wind ×2
    153. NyxNyx
    154. GruntGrunt
    155. Bot LabBot Labdone 13:56
    156. Wind
    157. GruntGrunt
    158. Converter
    159. RhapsisRhapsis
    160. GruntGrunt
    161. Converter
    162. GruntGrunt ×2
    163. Wind
    164. HiveHive
    165. GruntGrunt ×2
    166. Wind
    167. Legion DroneLegion Drone
    168. GruntGrunt
    169. RhapsisRhapsis
    170. Legion DroneLegion Drone ×2
    171. Wind
    172. GruntGrunt ×2
    173. Wind
    174. GruntGrunt
    175. Legion DroneLegion Drone
    176. ThistleThistle
    177. Wind
    178. GruntGrunt
    179. PawnPawn
    180. Wind
    181. GruntGrunt
    182. PawnPawn
    183. GruntGrunt
    184. Wind
    185. Converter
    186. PawnPawn
    187. GruntGrunt
    188. Legion DroneLegion Drone
    189. Bot LabBot Labdone 14:35
    190. GruntGrunt
    191. PawnPawn
    192. Wind ×2
    193. Dragon's JawDragon's Jaw
    194. PawnPawn
    195. GruntGrunt
    196. Legion DroneLegion Drone
    197. Converter
    198. GruntGrunt
    199. PawnPawn
    200. Wind
    201. GruntGrunt
    202. PawnPawn
    203. GruntGrunt
    204. Dragon's JawDragon's Jaw
    205. PawnPawn ×2
    206. GruntGrunt
    207. Wind ×2
    208. PawnPawn
    209. GruntGrunt
    210. PawnPawn ×2
    211. Wind
    212. GruntGrunt
    213. Wind
    214. PawnPawn
    215. Dragon's JawDragon's Jaw
    216. Converter
    217. GruntGrunt
    218. PawnPawn ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Buckyo's (35 OS, 15/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

Nothing regular.

You get

  • Tidal Generator4 Tidal from Pondfirst at 0:16 · in 64% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Geo or Techfirst at 7:52 · in 62% 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

05k10k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

05k10k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

520 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0033100
2:0085700
3:00163710886
4:002721389337
5:003870942840
6:00512616061537
7:00643124362428
8:00779332003343
9:00926239104314
10:001093447155089
11:001274553326006
12:001467758696890
13:001695963867624
14:001917070268587
15:002086576749398
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Standard front play wins less than half its games, with losses slightly outpacing kills through the first 15 minutes.

  • + Kills reach 7200 by 15:00 despite the safer starting position.
  • + T2 constructor reached in 85% of games, solid tech follow-through.
  • − Team wins under half of games (45%), the weakest shown here.
  • − Own metal lost (9484) exceeds enemy metal destroyed (7200) by 15:00.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

Buckyo

35.0 OS · 15/10/2026

Open source match ↗

99 received units · includes a constructor
538 metal received · 53397 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:40Middle 50%: 0:34–0:46 · n=507
Advanced Metal Extractor9:27Middle 50%: 8:20–10:46 · n=378

Played most by

iLike2Eco33games of this buildSauceDispenser28games of this buildTheGeneraI27games of this buildwatermeloans19games of this buildUncle_Cane15games of this build
Standard front · Cortex Front build order · BAR Build Atlas