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Whirlwind bomber rush

Skips the usual transport-first routine to build Whirlwind bombers from an Aircraft Plant as early as 5 minutes, sending them to hit the enemy base and middle well before the front stabilizes, before easing back into the normal…

#rush #raid #air · 19 distinct matches · 12 players · 3% of Cortex Air games · team won 63% of 19 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • WhirlwindT1 air bombers from 5:04 · 7% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 7% of Air games have it by then; others who build it get it around 10:48
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 47%10% of all Air games by then
  • WhirlwindWhirlwind in 47%3% of all Air games by then
  • HerculesLight transport in 42%18% of all Air games by then

Where those units first fight, in 19 games with kill data: in the middle 58%, in the enemy base 42%.

Those units destroy a typical 480 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into valiant (35% of army), fighter (10% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Whirlwind bombers from 5:13

  1. Open aircraft plant immediately instead of the usual delay.
  2. Stack wind turbines heavily to fund the air push.
  3. Commit to T1 bombers led by Whirlwind far earlier than norm.
  4. Send bombers into the enemy base or contest the middle.
  5. Transition into fusion reactor and standard air composition.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 19 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD AIR
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 6:05 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 1:14–1:32

    Some games also: energy storage (47%)

    By 1:09 in all: 3 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Energy storage
    4. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 1:29 · typical 1:27
  2. 2

    Aircraft Plant to T1 air bombers

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor1Mex
    • Wind Turbine7Wind
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    Order
    1. WhirlwindT1 air bombers after 3 mex, 11 wind, 4 wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret
    • Construction Aircraft1 Con aircraft
    Army
    • Valiant4 Valiant
    • Finch2 Finch for allies
    • Hercules2 Light transport for allies
    • Finch1 Finch
    • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport for allies

    Some games also: converter (42%) · shuriken (37%) · energy storage (32%)

    By 4:55 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 11 wind · 4 wind · 1 energy storage · 2 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 11 steps
    1. Wind
    2. FinchFinch
    3. FinchFinchfor Beach sea
    4. HephaestusHeavy transportfor Beach sea
    5. FinchFinch
    6. HerculesLight transport
    7. FinchFinchfor Geo sea
    8. Con turret ×2
    9. Mex
    10. Wind ×2
    11. WhirlwindWhirlwinddone 3:18
  3. 3

    T1 air bombers to 10:00

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine20Wind
    • Wind Turbine1Wind−4 vs standard
    • Energy Converter1Converter−6 vs standard
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret −3 vs standard
    Army
    • Valiant5 Valiant −4 vs standard
    • Whirlwind5 Whirlwind +5 vs standard

    Some games also: con turret (47%) · light transport for allies (42%)

    By 10:00 in all: 3 mex · 1 mex · 24 wind · 14 wind (standard 20) · 6 converter (standard 8) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 116 steps
    1. Wind
    2. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    3. FinchFinch
    4. ValiantValiant
    5. Wind
    6. ValiantValiant
    7. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    8. Wind ×11
    9. Energy storage
    10. HerculesLight transportfor Tech
    11. HerculesLight transport ×2
    12. Converter
    13. Converter
    14. Converter
    15. Converter ×2
    16. Converter
    17. Converter
    18. Con turret
    19. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 6:01 · typical 7:23
    20. Converter
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×3
    22. Con turret ×2
    23. Fusion ReactorFusiondone 8:14 · typical 11:01
    24. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 8:33
    25. Converter ×2
    26. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    27. Converter
    28. Wind
    29. Converter
    30. PawnPawn
    31. FalconFighter
    32. Wind
    33. PawnPawn
    34. Converter
    35. SentrySentry
    36. FalconFighter
    37. BeamerBeamer
    38. PawnPawn
    39. Converter
    40. OspreyHeavy transport
    41. FalconFighter
    42. PawnPawn
    43. Converter
    44. SentrySentry ×2
    45. FalconFighter
    46. Wind
    47. PawnPawn
    48. Converter
    49. FalconFighter
    50. Converter
    51. FalconFighter
    52. PawnPawn
    53. FalconFighter
    54. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 9:53
    55. PawnPawn
    56. Converter
    57. PawnPawn ×3
    58. Mex
    59. PawnPawn ×2
    60. Converter
    61. LicheLichedone 10:35
    62. PawnPawn ×3
    63. Converter
    64. PawnPawn ×2
    65. Mex
    66. PawnPawn
    67. SentrySentry
    68. PawnPawn
    69. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    70. OracleOracle
    71. Converter
    72. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    73. HighwindHighwind ×9
    74. Con turret
    75. Metal storage
    76. Con turret
    77. HighwindHighwind
    78. NettleNettle
    79. HighwindHighwind
    80. NettleNettle ×2
    81. HighwindHighwind ×2
    82. SentrySentry
    83. HighwindHighwind
    84. Wind
    85. HighwindHighwind
    86. SentrySentry
    87. HighwindHighwind
    88. Wind
    89. Advanced Fusion ReactorAdvanced Fusion Reactornot finished by 15:00
    90. Con turret
    91. HighwindHighwind
    92. SentrySentry
    93. Wind
    94. HighwindHighwind
    95. Mex
    96. Con turret
    97. Wind
    98. Con turret ×2
    99. Wind
    100. AbductorAbductor
    101. Con turret ×3
    102. Wind
    103. Con turret ×2
    104. Wind ×2
    105. Con turret ×2
    106. OracleOracle
    107. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    108. Wind
    109. Con turret
    110. OracleOracle
    111. BeamerBeamer
    112. OracleOracle
    113. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    114. SentrySentry
    115. HighwindHighwind
    116. SentrySentry

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is PRO_Rerory's (49 OS, 24/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Finch2 Finch to Geo sea or Beach seafirst at 1:58 · in 95% of games
  • Hercules3 Light transport to Tech or Geo sea or Pondfirst at 2:18 · in 100% of games
  • Hephaestus1 Heavy transport to Beach sea or Techfirst at 2:33 · in 74% of games

You get

  • Wind Turbine16 Wind from Beach sea or Tech or Frontfirst at 1:28 · in 32% of games
  • Wind Turbine3 Wind from Beach sea or Geo seafirst at 1:42 · in 79% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot from Tech or Frontfirst at 2:11 · in 100% of games
  • Advanced Metal Extractor1 T2 mex from Tech or Beach seafirst at 6:00 · in 42% of games
  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 6:20 · in 100% 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

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

19 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
1:003933930000
2:009219240000
3:00145514570000
4:0020582052005151
5:002793276507374102
6:0036803779125124182147
7:0050065128221176240219
8:0064507036279220413281
9:0083239352298250541341
10:0010965118414653141162464
11:00131741439510734391963635
12:00157621710910976052207955
13:001831619932162890724011256
14:0021897226191933139132201819
15:0025456254893836205940462748
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won more often than the standard build and destroyed noticeably more enemy metal by 15:00.

  • + Enemy metal destroyed more than doubles standard by 15:00.
  • + Team win rate well above the role's standard build.
  • − Own metal lost roughly doubles the standard build by 10:00.
  • − Very rare timing, only 7% of role games this fast.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

PRO_Rerory

49.3 OS · 24/09/2026

Open source match ↗

66 received units · includes a constructor
579 metal received · 168404 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Aircraft Plant1:27Middle 50%: 1:14–1:32 · n=19
Advanced Metal Extractor7:23Middle 50%: 6:12–7:57 · n=19
Fusion Reactor11:01Middle 50%: 10:08–12:19 · n=11

Played most by

haaven4games of this buildkrtf4games of this buildMischievousDragonGF2games of this buildGeeGee1game of this buildImmort1game of this build