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Geo / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Thug rush

Geo skips ahead to T1 bot assault with Thug from under 2 minutes, pushing into the middle very early while relying on an ally for T2 constructor supply, before transitioning to Arbiter and Mammoth.

Usually T2 con from an ally (85%)

#rush #push · 13 distinct matches · 4 players · 3% of Cortex Geo games · team won 69% of 13 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • ThugT1 bot assault from 1:53 · 3% of role by thenFrom the Bot Lab. Only 3% of Geo games have it by then; others who build it get it around 1:54
  • ArbiterArbiter in 54%16% of all Geo games by then
  • PersecutorPersecutor in 46%15% of all Geo games by then
  • MammothMammoth in 46%23% of all Geo games by then

Where those units first fight, in 13 games with kill data: in the middle 100%.

Those units destroy a typical 430 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Arbiter (13% of army), Sumo (12% of army), Sheldon (11% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Bot Lab Thug rush from 1:53

  1. Open mex and wind quickly to fund an immediate Bot Lab.
  2. Get Bot Lab up fast to start the T1 bot rush.
  3. Push Thug bots out early to assault instead of eco-first.
  4. Keep advanced mex and geothermal on schedule alongside the rush.
  5. Transition to Advanced Bot Lab and bring Arbiter and Mammoth to front.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 13 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD GEO
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
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
    • Wind Turbine3Wind+2 vs standard
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 3 winddone ~0:57, middle half 0:53–1:04

    Some games also: solar (31%)

    By 0:41 in all: 2 mex · 3 wind (standard 1)

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:22 · typical 0:57
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to T1 bot assault

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Order
    1. ThugT1 bot assault after 3 mex, 7 wind
    Builders
    • Graverobber2 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot for allies

    Some games also: Graverobber for allies (31%)

    By 1:53 in all: 3 mex · 7 wind (standard 5)

    The example game in this phase · 11 steps
    1. Construction BotCon bot
    2. Construction BotCon botfor Beach sea
    3. Wind ×2
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Wind
    6. GraverobberGraverobber
    7. Wind
    8. GraverobberGraverobberfor Beach sea
    9. Mex
    10. Construction BotCon bot ×2
    11. ThugThugdone 3:02
  3. 3

    T1 bot assault to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine2Wind
    • Energy Converter1Converter−8 vs standard
    Order
    1. Geothermal PowerplantGeo after 4 mex, 10 windin 62% of games
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret −3 vs standard
    • Graverobber1 Graverobber
    • Graverobber1 Graverobber for allies
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot
    Army
    • Thug5 Thug +5 vs standard

    By 5:00 in all: 4 mex · 11 wind (standard 7) · 1 geo · 1 converter (standard 9) · 2 con turret (standard 5)

    The example game in this phase · 10 steps
    1. ThugThug ×2
    2. Con turret
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 3:36
    4. ThugThug ×2
    5. Con turret
    6. ThugThug
    7. AggravatorAggravator ×5
    8. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 5:21 · typical 4:32
    9. AggravatorAggravator
    10. Radar TowerRadar Tower
  4. 4

    5:00 to Advanced Bot Lab

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine2Wind
    • Energy Converter3Converter−2 vs standard
    Order
    1. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplant after 15 wind, 5 converter, 5 con turretin 77% of games
    2. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Lab after 15 wind, 6 converter, 6 con turretdone ~9:04, middle half 8:33–9:09
    Builders
    • Construction Turret3 Con turret +2 vs standard

    Some games also: energy storage (46%) · con bot (46%)

    By 8:07 in all: 4 mex · 15 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 6 converter (standard 14) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 19 steps
    1. Converter
    2. AggravatorAggravator ×3
    3. Converter
    4. AggravatorAggravator
    5. Converter
    6. AggravatorAggravator
    7. GraverobberGraverobber
    8. Converter
    9. GraverobberGraverobber
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. Converter
    12. Construction BotCon bot
    13. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    14. Converter
    15. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    16. BeamerBeamer
    17. Construction BotCon bot
    18. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    19. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 7:52 · typical 9:04
  5. 5

    Advanced Bot Lab to 10:00

    Economy
    • Energy Converter3Converter+3 vs standard
    Builders
    • Spectre1 Spectre

    Some games also: Radar Tower (38%) · Arbiter (38%) · con turret (31%) · Aircraft Plant (31%) · light transport (31%)

    By 10:00 in all: 4 mex · 15 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 13 converter (standard 18) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 82 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    2. Converter
    3. Mex
    4. Converter
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×6
    6. Mex
    7. Wind ×3
    8. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    9. Wind
    10. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×5
    11. Wind
    12. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    13. Wind
    14. Mex
    15. Wind ×2
    16. Mex
    17. Wind
    18. DeceiverJammer bot
    19. SheldonSheldonnot finished by 15:00
    20. Wind
    21. BedbugCrawling bomb ×2
    22. SpectreSpectre ×3
    23. Mex
    24. SpectreSpectre
    25. SheldonSheldon ×7
    26. Converter
    27. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 10:34 · typical 6:04
    28. SheldonSheldon ×2
    29. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    30. Converter
    31. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    32. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    33. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    34. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×6
    35. Converter
    36. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    37. SheldonSheldon
    38. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    39. SheldonSheldon
    40. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×4
    41. SheldonSheldon
    42. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    43. DeceiverJammer bot
    44. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    45. Converter
    46. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    47. AugurRadar bot
    48. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    49. GuardGuard
    50. Advanced Construction BotT2 con botfor Front
    51. GuardGuard
    52. Wind
    53. GuardGuard
    54. Wind ×2
    55. GuardGuard
    56. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    57. Wind
    58. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    59. TwitcherTwitcher
    60. Wind ×2
    61. TwitcherTwitcher ×2
    62. Wind
    63. TwitcherTwitcher
    64. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    65. SpectreSpectre
    66. Wind ×2
    67. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    68. SpectreSpectre
    69. Wind ×5
    70. SumoSumodone 13:31 · typical 10:27
    71. Wind ×3
    72. Con turret
    73. Wind
    74. Twin GuardTwin Guard ×3
    75. Con turret ×2
    76. Twin GuardTwin Guard ×2
    77. Con turret ×5
    78. Advanced solar
    79. Con turret
    80. Wind ×2
    81. Energy storage
    82. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is UsurpeR's (45 OS, 20/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Construction Bot1 Con bot to Beach seafirst at 2:58 · in 85% of games
  • Graverobber1 Graverobber to Beach seafirst at 3:10 · in 85% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot to Front or Suicide frontfirst at 10:01 · in 54% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 5:25 · in 100% of games
  • Hercules1 Light transport from Airfirst at 6:05 · in 77% of games

How it plays out

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

  • This build
  • Standard geo

Metal produced

020k40k
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

13 games.

Show as table
ByMetal produced: This buildMetal produced: Standard geoEnemy metal destroyed: This buildEnemy metal destroyed: Standard geoOwn metal lost: This buildOwn metal lost: Standard geo
1:003313350000
2:007478590000
3:00158814970000
4:002379266260000
5:003444375635404100
6:005124567470106400
7:006617798678609700
8:00873811034956010760
9:00113041408095631121674
10:00139131692215883341335258
11:001744319769197012551820720
12:0020201226483914249921021538
13:0022311255123944431632702629
14:0024710284974406600335304360
15:0028817317476901826447326299
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

This early Thug rush won more often than Geo's standard build while destroying more enemy metal by 10:00 despite lower total production.

  • + Team won 69% of games vs 45% for the standard build.
  • + Enemy metal destroyed by 10:00 was 1588 vs 406, far ahead of normal Geo.
  • − Own metal lost by 10:00 was 1335 vs 260, a much riskier early trade.
  • − Metal produced by 15:00 lagged at 28817 vs 31312.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

UsurpeR

44.9 OS · 20/09/2026

Open source match ↗

3 received units · includes a constructor
2259 metal received · 9706 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab0:57Middle 50%: 0:53–1:04 · n=13
Geothermal Powerplant4:32Middle 50%: 3:49–5:12 · n=11
Advanced Metal Extractor6:04Middle 50%: 5:45–7:10 · n=13
Advanced Geothermal Powerplant7:48Middle 50%: 7:22–8:28 · n=11
Advanced Bot Lab9:04Middle 50%: 8:33–9:09 · n=11
Arbiter9:48Middle 50%: 9:25–10:05 · n=7
Sumo10:27Middle 50%: 10:09–13:04 · n=8

Played most by

Chronopolize9games of this buildUsurpeR2games of this build_X_1game of this buildzeus_on_god1game of this build