← All builds
Geo sea / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Standard geo sea

Cortex Geo sea build order · Supreme Isthmus

Builds a bot lab then shipyard (usually in the cove), eats the bot lab for metal, and pumps out submarines, frigates and destroyers to contest the sea while supporting allies with energy.

Usually shipyard in the cove (98%)

#naval #eco · 1967 distinct matches · 199 players · 80% of Cortex Geo sea games · team won 53% of 2279 · Recently observed

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Bot Lab by 1:12, Shipyard by 3:17

  1. Open 3 mex into wind, then drop Bot Lab in cove.
  2. Finish Bot Lab, keep teching mex and wind.
  3. Get Shipyard up and start pumping subs and frigates.
  4. Eat the Bot Lab for metal once you have T1 units defending.
  5. Push out submarine, frigate, destroyer to contest sea.
  6. Bring geothermal online and transition toward T2 constructor.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 1967 GAMES
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
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 Extractor3Mex
    • Wind Turbine3Wind
    • Wind Turbine1Windfor allies
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 3 mex, 3 winddone ~1:12, middle half 1:07–1:25

    By 0:55 in all: 3 mex · 3 wind

    The example game in this phase · 7 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Windfor Air
    3. Mex
    4. Solar
    5. Windfor Air
    6. Wind
    7. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:14 · typical 1:12
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to Shipyard

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine2Wind
    Order
    1. ShipyardShipyard after 4 mex, 4 wind, 1 energy storagedone ~3:19, middle half 3:02–3:37
    Builders
    • Graverobber3 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot3 Con bot
    Army
    • Grunt1 Grunt

    Some games also: con turret (47%) · trasher (39%) · energy storage (36%)

    By 2:52 in all: 4 mex · 4 wind · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 5 steps
    1. Wind
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×3
    3. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    4. Con turret
    5. ShipyardShipyarddone 2:59 · typical 3:19
  3. 3

    Shipyard to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor4Mex
    Order
    1. Bot LabEat Bot Lab
    Builders
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship
    Army
    • Riptide2 Frigate
    • Orca1 Submarine
    Other
    • Radar Tower1 Radar Tower

    Some games also: missile corvette (48%) · Guard (48%) · wind (48%) · destroyer (43%) · gunboat (39%)

    By 5:00 in all: 8 mex · 6 wind · 1 energy storage · 1 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 28 steps
    1. Energy storage
    2. TrasherTrasher
    3. GruntGrunt
    4. Mex
    5. GruntGrunt
    6. Construction ShipCon ship
    7. GruntGrunt
    8. SupporterGunboat
    9. Converter
    10. GruntGrunt
    11. Mex ×2
    12. SupporterGunboat
    13. GuardGuard
    14. Converter
    15. Mex
    16. GuardGuard
    17. Converter
    18. Mex
    19. GuardGuard
    20. SupporterGunboat ×3
    21. GuardGuard
    22. OrcaSubmarinedone 5:16 · typical 4:18
    23. GuardGuard
    24. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    25. GuardGuard
    26. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    27. Mex
    28. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
  4. 4

    5:00 to 10:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    • Wind Turbine8Wind
    • Energy Converter2Converter
    Order
    1. Geothermal PowerplantGeo after 9 mex, 9 wind, 2 converterin 54% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret
    • Death Cavalry2 Death Cavalry
    • Construction Ship1 Con ship
    Army
    • Guard1 Guard
    • Riptide5 Frigate
    Other
    • Naval Radar / Sonar Tower2 Naval Radar / Sonar Tower

    Some games also: Thistle (40%) · submarine (30%)

    By 10:00 in all: 10 mex · 15 wind · 1 geo · 4 converter · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 75 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    2. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    4. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    5. HerringMissile corvette
    6. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×9
    7. OppressorDestroyerdone 6:17 · typical 5:55
    8. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    9. GuardGuard
    10. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    11. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    12. GuardGuard
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    14. RiptideFrigatedone 6:29 · typical 4:40
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    16. RiptideFrigate
    17. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    18. RiptideFrigate
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×8
    20. Construction ShipCon ship
    21. Mex
    22. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexnot finished by 15:00 · typical 9:24
    23. Construction ShipCon ship
    24. Mex
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Mex
    27. Tidal
    28. Construction ShipCon ship
    29. Tidal
    30. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    31. Construction ShipCon ship
    32. Mex
    33. Tidal
    34. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    35. Tidal
    36. Mex
    37. Tidal
    38. Energy storage
    39. Tidal
    40. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    41. Mex
    42. Tidal
    43. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    44. Tidal
    45. Naval Construction Turret
    46. Naval Radar / Sonar TowerNaval Radar / Sonar Tower
    47. Tidal
    48. SlingshotSlingshot
    49. Tidal
    50. Naval Construction Turret
    51. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    52. ThistleThistle
    53. HerringMissile corvette
    54. Naval Construction Turret ×2
    55. Tidal
    56. HerringMissile corvette
    57. ThistleThistle
    58. Naval Construction Turret ×3
    59. Tidal
    60. HerringMissile corvette
    61. ThistleThistle
    62. Naval Construction Turret ×3
    63. ThistleThistle
    64. Naval Construction Turret ×2
    65. ThistleThistle
    66. Naval Construction Turret
    67. Tidal
    68. HerringMissile corvette
    69. Naval Construction Turret
    70. GuardGuard
    71. Amphibious ComplexAmphibious Complexdone 14:45
    72. Tidal
    73. HerringMissile corvette
    74. Tidal
    75. GuardGuard

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is FrugalResources's (31 OS, 20/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Wind Turbine2 Wind to Airfirst at 1:42 · in 73% of games

You get

  • Finch1 Finch from Airfirst at 1:52 · in 81% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 1:59 · in 76% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 7:44 · in 90% 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

02.5k5k7.5k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

2279 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: This buildOwn metal lost: This build
1:0039800
2:0092900
3:00156000
4:002865051
5:00406714652
6:005416440231
7:006893905526
8:0085771530891
9:001043024351321
10:001255434711984
11:001508846402761
12:001807160153621
13:002131572124345
14:002484384805186
15:002875597316200
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

This is the role's own baseline, winning a bit over half its games with steady eco scaling and sea trades roughly matching losses.

  • + Team wins slightly over half of games played.
  • + Metal production scales from ~4k to ~29.5k by 15:00.
  • − Own metal lost climbs to 6875 by 15:00, matching kills closely.
  • − T2 factory only reached in 40% of games, limiting late power.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

FrugalResources

30.5 OS · 20/09/2026

Open source match ↗

13 received units · includes a constructor
58 metal received · 129833 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:12Middle 50%: 1:07–1:25 · n=2252
Shipyard3:19Middle 50%: 3:02–3:37 · n=2270
Orca4:18Middle 50%: 3:52–4:59 · n=1540
Riptide4:40Middle 50%: 4:09–5:21 · n=2219
Oppressor5:55Middle 50%: 5:13–6:43 · n=2098
Geothermal Powerplant8:07Middle 50%: 7:10–9:24 · n=1537
Advanced Metal Extractor9:24Middle 50%: 8:46–10:21 · n=1995

Played most by

SHOGVN227games of this buildElpoloow178games of this buildsirniho124games of this buildOptimusprimenutt92games of this buildhihimik79games of this build
Standard geo sea · Cortex Geo sea build order · BAR Build Atlas