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T2 bomber rush

Cortex Air build order · Supreme Isthmus

The player rushes an Advanced Aircraft Plant by about 9 minutes, then leads with T2 bombers (Angler) backed by Nighthawk stealth fighters and Condor support, pushing into the enemy base well before the role normally reaches T2 air.

Usually transports first (70%)

#air #t2 #push · 10 distinct matches · 5 players · 1% of Cortex Air games · team won 70% of 10 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • NighthawkT2 air fighters from 9:53 · 3% of role by thenFrom the Advanced Aircraft Plant. Only 3% of Air games have it by then; others who build it get it around 12:31
  • Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plant in 90%2% of all Air games by then
  • AnglerTorpedo bomber in 80%6% of all Air games by then
  • CondorRadar plane in 80%4% of all Air games by then
  • NighthawkNighthawk in 60%2% of all Air games by then

Started with Nighthawk (90%), Highwind (10%).

Where those units first fight, in 10 games with kill data: in the enemy base 50%, on their own side 30%, in the middle 20%.

Those units destroy a typical 3,027 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Hailstorm (14% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Advanced Aircraft Plant by 9:46

  1. Open with mex and wind, then a T1 Aircraft Plant by 1:27.
  2. Reclaim the T1 Aircraft Plant for its metal once T2 is coming.
  3. Add an Advanced Metal Extractor to fund the T2 air switch.
  4. Finish the Advanced Aircraft Plant and start T2 bombers (Angler) with Nighthawk cover.
  5. Add Condor support and more Nighthawk, then push the bombers into the enemy base.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 10 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD AIR
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 10:53 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 ~1:27, middle half 1:15–1:33

    Some games also: energy storage (50%)

    By 1:08 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:12 · typical 1:27
  2. 2

    Aircraft Plant to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine7Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret
    • Construction Aircraft1 Con aircraft
    Army
    • Valiant5 Valiant
    • Shuriken3 Shuriken +2 vs standard
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Hercules2 Light transport for allies
    • Finch1 Finch

    Some games also: converter (40%) · energy storage (40%)

    By 5:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 11 wind · 4 wind · 1 energy storage · 3 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 36 steps
    1. FinchFinch
    2. Wind ×2
    3. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    4. Wind ×7
    5. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    6. Wind
    7. HerculesLight transportfor Geo sea
    8. Wind
    9. HerculesLight transport
    10. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    11. Con turret
    12. ValiantValiant
    13. Mex
    14. ValiantValiant ×3
    15. Con turret
    16. Wind
    17. Wind
    18. ShurikenShuriken
    19. Wind ×2
    20. ShurikenShuriken
    21. Wind
    22. Converter
    23. ShurikenShuriken
    24. Converter ×2
    25. Wind
    26. Converter
    27. Wind
    28. Converter
    29. Wind
    30. Con turret
    31. Wind
    32. Converter
    33. Wind
    34. ValiantValiant
    35. Wind
    36. HerculesLight transportfor Geo
  3. 3

    5:00 to Advanced Aircraft Plant

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine18Wind
    • Energy Converter9Converter+3 vs standard
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plant
    2. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plant after 30 wind, 11 wind, 10 converterdone ~9:46, middle half 9:09–9:53
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret

    Some games also: valiant (50%) · wind (30%) · energy storage (30%) · fusion (30%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 3 wind · 4 valiant

    By 8:54 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 23 wind · 14 wind · 10 converter (standard 7) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 53 steps
    1. HerculesLight transport
    2. Wind
    3. Converter
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. Wind ×5
    7. Con turret
    8. Wind
    9. Energy storage
    10. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    11. Wind
    12. Con turret
    13. Wind
    14. Wind
    15. Wind
    16. Wind ×7
    17. Wind
    18. Wind ×3
    19. Wind
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Wind
    22. Wind ×5
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:45 · typical 6:47
    24. Wind
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    26. Wind
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    28. Wind ×9
    29. Con turret
    30. Wind
    31. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 8:59 · typical 8:59
    32. Wind
    33. Converter
    34. Wind
    35. Converter
    36. Wind
    37. Converter
    38. Wind ×2
    39. Converter
    40. Wind ×3
    41. Converter ×5
    42. Wind
    43. Converter ×2
    44. Fusion ReactorFusion
    45. Converter
    46. Wind ×2
    47. Converter
    48. Wind
    49. Con turret ×2
    50. Wind
    51. Con turret ×4
    52. Wind ×5
    53. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 10:29 · typical 9:46
  4. 4

    Advanced Aircraft Plant to T2 air fighters

    Order
    1. NighthawkT2 air fighters after 24 wind, 14 wind, 10 converter

    Some games also: wind (30%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 3 wind · 2 valiant

    By 9:51 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 24 wind · 14 wind · 10 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 2 steps
    1. Wind ×4
    2. NighthawkNighthawkdone 10:33
  5. 5

    T2 air fighters to 15:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine31Wind+14 vs standard
    • Energy Converter2Converter−7 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Turret10 Con turret +4 vs standard
    Army
    • Nighthawk28 Nighthawk +28 vs standard
    • Condor2 Radar plane +2 vs standard
    • Hailstorm2 Hailstorm +2 vs standard

    Some games also: con turret (50%) · T2 con aircraft (50%) · wind (40%) · heavy transport (40%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 40 valiant

    By 15:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 61 wind · 17 wind · 17 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 111 steps
    1. Wind
    2. NighthawkNighthawk
    3. Wind
    4. NighthawkNighthawk
    5. Wind
    6. NighthawkNighthawk
    7. Wind
    8. NighthawkNighthawk
    9. Wind
    10. NighthawkNighthawk
    11. Wind
    12. NighthawkNighthawk
    13. Wind
    14. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    15. Wind
    16. NighthawkNighthawk
    17. CondorRadar plane
    18. Wind
    19. HailstormHailstorm
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Con turret ×3
    22. Wind
    23. Con turret
    24. HailstormHailstorm
    25. Wind
    26. Con turret ×3
    27. Wind
    28. Con turret
    29. Wind
    30. HailstormHailstorm
    31. Wind
    32. Con turret ×2
    33. Wind
    34. HailstormHailstorm
    35. Wind
    36. Converter
    37. HailstormHailstorm
    38. Converter
    39. Wind
    40. HailstormHailstorm
    41. Wind
    42. Converter
    43. Wind
    44. HailstormHailstorm
    45. Wind
    46. Converter
    47. NighthawkNighthawk
    48. Wind
    49. NighthawkNighthawk
    50. Converter
    51. NighthawkNighthawk
    52. Wind
    53. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    54. Converter
    55. NighthawkNighthawk
    56. Wind
    57. NighthawkNighthawk
    58. Converter
    59. NighthawkNighthawk
    60. Wind
    61. NighthawkNighthawk
    62. Converter
    63. NighthawkNighthawk
    64. Wind
    65. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. HailstormHailstorm
    69. Converter
    70. Wind
    71. HailstormHailstorm
    72. Con turret
    73. Wind
    74. Con turret ×5
    75. Wind
    76. Con turret ×4
    77. Wind
    78. HailstormHailstorm
    79. Wind
    80. Converter
    81. HailstormHailstorm
    82. Wind
    83. Converter
    84. HailstormHailstorm
    85. Wind
    86. Converter
    87. CondorRadar plane
    88. Wind
    89. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    90. Converter
    91. Wind
    92. NighthawkNighthawk
    93. Advanced Construction AircraftT2 con aircraft
    94. NighthawkNighthawk
    95. Wind
    96. Converter
    97. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    98. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    99. NighthawkNighthawk
    100. Wind
    101. Converter
    102. NighthawkNighthawk ×3
    103. Converter
    104. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    105. Converter
    106. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    107. Converter
    108. Wind
    109. NighthawkNighthawk
    110. Converter
    111. NighthawkNighthawk

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Fakepilot's (35 OS, 02/10/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:54 · in 100% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Pondfirst at 2:20 · in 70% of games
  • Hercules2 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Geofirst at 2:28 · in 100% of games

You get

  • Tidal Generator1 Tidal from Pond or Beach seafirst at 1:25 · in 30% of games
  • Wind Turbine2–3 Wind from Geo seafirst at 1:28 · in 60% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Pond or Techfirst at 1:50 · in 60% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Tech or Geofirst at 2:21 · in 90% of games
  • Advanced Metal Extractor1 T2 mex from Tech or Geofirst at 5:44 · in 30% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Tech or Geofirst at 6:17 · in 80% of games

How it plays out

Typical game of this build against the role’s standard build, running totals by minute

  • This build
  • Standard air

Metal produced

010k20k30k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Enemy metal destroyed

02k4k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

Own metal lost

01k2k3k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

10 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildMetal produced: Standard airEnemy metal destroyed: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: Standard airOwn metal lost: This buildOwn metal lost: Standard air
1:003903930000
2:009239250000
3:00145914600000
4:0020672059006251
5:00282527718873136115
6:0041893799102125161167
7:0053815161154190190219
8:0076547053180240238290
9:00100049380180260318341
10:001315511939180338357467
11:001567014537219434357627
12:001824117264461579772893
13:00208612007263289112571257
14:0023595228873231143121781796
15:0026131257703930208327582670
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Teams won more often than with the standard build, destroying far more enemy metal by 15:00 despite a slower start.

  • + Destroys much more enemy metal by 15:00 than the standard build.
  • + Units fight in the enemy base in most games, showing a real forward push.
  • − Metal destroyed by 10:00 is lower than standard, so the early game is slower.
  • − Still rare and played by few regulars, so it's unproven across many players.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

Fakepilot

35.3 OS · 02/10/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
1186 metal received · 32821 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:27Middle 50%: 1:15–1:33 · n=10
Advanced Metal Extractor6:47Middle 50%: 6:27–6:58 · n=8
Fusion Reactor8:59Middle 50%: 8:55–13:02 · n=5
Advanced Aircraft Plant9:46Middle 50%: 9:09–9:53 · n=9

Played most by

krtf4games of this buildFakepilot2games of this buildTrollHardGoPro2games of this builddsys1game of this buildKbot_my_Ahole1game of this build