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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 1:15 · 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 · 25 steps
    1. Wind
    2. ShurikenShuriken
    3. Wind
    4. ShurikenShuriken
    5. Wind ×3
    6. ShurikenShuriken
    7. FinchFinch
    8. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    9. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    10. ValiantValiant ×2for Geo
    11. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    12. HerculesLight transport
    13. FinchFinchfor Geo
    14. Mex
    15. Wind
    16. ValiantValiant
    17. Wind
    18. Con turret
    19. Wind
    20. Energy storage
    21. Wind
    22. Con turret ×2
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:43 · typical 6:47
    24. Wind
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
  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 · 26 steps
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    2. Wind ×3
    3. Con turret
    4. Wind
    5. Converter
    6. Wind ×5
    7. Converter
    8. Wind ×3
    9. Converter
    10. Wind
    11. Converter
    12. Wind
    13. Converter
    14. Wind
    15. Converter
    16. Wind ×2
    17. Converter
    18. Wind
    19. Converter
    20. Wind ×2
    21. Converter
    22. Wind ×7
    23. Converter
    24. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    25. Advanced solar ×3
    26. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 9:09 · 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 · 1 step
    1. NighthawkNighthawkdone 9:18
  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 · 71 steps
    1. NighthawkNighthawk
    2. Con turret
    3. Con turret
    4. NighthawkNighthawk
    5. Con turret ×2
    6. NighthawkNighthawk
    7. Con turret
    8. NighthawkNighthawk ×3
    9. Wind
    10. NighthawkNighthawk
    11. Wind
    12. NighthawkNighthawk
    13. Con turret ×2
    14. Wind
    15. NighthawkNighthawk
    16. Wind
    17. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    18. Wind
    19. NighthawkNighthawk
    20. Wind
    21. NighthawkNighthawk
    22. Wind
    23. NighthawkNighthawk
    24. Wind
    25. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    26. Wind
    27. NighthawkNighthawk
    28. Wind
    29. NighthawkNighthawk
    30. Wind
    31. NighthawkNighthawk
    32. Wind
    33. SkyhookHeavy transport
    34. CondorRadar plane
    35. Wind
    36. CondorRadar plane
    37. Wind
    38. NighthawkNighthawk
    39. Wind
    40. NighthawkNighthawk
    41. Advanced Construction AircraftT2 con aircraft
    42. Wind
    43. NighthawkNighthawk
    44. Converter
    45. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    46. NighthawkNighthawk
    47. Converter ×2
    48. Con turret
    49. Wind ×8
    50. Converter
    51. Wind ×8
    52. Metal storage
    53. Wind ×4
    54. Advanced Aircraft PlantEat Advanced Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    55. Wind
    56. Converter
    57. Wind ×2
    58. Con turret ×2
    59. Wind
    60. Con turret
    61. Wind
    62. Con turret ×2
    63. Wind
    64. Con turret ×2
    65. Wind
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. Converter ×3
    69. Wind
    70. Converter
    71. Wind ×4

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is krtf's (46 OS, 03/10/2026); 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

krtf

46.2 OS · 03/10/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
72 metal received · 148050 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