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Geo / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Whirlwind rush

Cortex Geo build order · Supreme Isthmus

Geo adds an Aircraft Plant around 6:50 and pushes T1 bombers led by Whirlwind, with Valiant fighters and Finch scouts following, landing hits deep in the enemy base from as early as 8:52 well before the usual T2 push.

Usually blows up the commander for T2 (70%)

#air #rush #push · 45 distinct matches · 24 players · 6% of Cortex Geo games · team won 59% of 46 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • WhirlwindT1 air bombers from 7:00 · 8% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 8% of Geo games have it by then; others who build it get it around 7:29
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 98%17% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 74%11% of all Geo games by then
  • FinchFinch in 52%7% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 48%6% of all Geo games by then

Started with Whirlwind (98%), Stormbringer (2%).

Where those units first fight, in 46 games with kill data: in the middle 52%, in the enemy base 46%.

Those units destroy a typical 1,980 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Sheldon (14% of army), valiant (9% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 6:57

  1. Open bot lab as usual but plan to eat it by 3:27.
  2. Get geo up on schedule to fund the air switch.
  3. Build Aircraft Plant instead of the usual T2 bot path.
  4. Push Whirlwind bombers straight into the enemy base.
  5. Reclaim the Aircraft Plant and transition back to Sheldon and T2 units.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 45 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD GEO
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 8:00 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
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 3 mex, 3 winddone ~1:11, middle half 0:52–1:20

    By 0:54 in all: 3 mex · 3 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:22 · typical 1:11
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    • Wind Turbine3Wind−2 vs standard
    • Energy Converter7Converter
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Geothermal PowerplantGeo after 4 mex, 5 wind
    2. Bot LabEat Bot Lab
    Builders
    • Construction Turret5 Con turret
    • Graverobber5 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot for allies
    • Graverobber1 Graverobber for allies

    Some games also: Aircraft Plant (30%)

    By 5:00 in all: 4 mex · 7 wind · 1 geo · 7 converter · 1 energy storage · 5 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 25 steps
    1. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    2. GraverobberGraverobberfor Beach sea
    3. Construction BotCon botfor Beach sea
    4. GraverobberGraverobber
    5. Wind
    6. Construction BotCon bot
    7. Wind
    8. Construction BotCon bot
    9. GraverobberGraverobber
    10. Energy storage
    11. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 3:32 · typical 3:26
    12. Mex
    13. GraverobberGraverobber
    14. Converter
    15. GraverobberGraverobber
    16. Con turret
    17. GraverobberGraverobber
    18. Converter
    19. Con turret ×3
    20. Converter
    21. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    22. Energy storage
    23. Con turret ×2
    24. Converter
    25. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:14 · typical 5:48
  3. 3

    5:00 to T1 air bombers

    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 13 wind, 10 converter, 8 con turretin 67% of games
    2. WhirlwindT1 air bombers after 8 wind, 8 converter, 7 con turret
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: Advanced Geothermal Powerplant (48%) · converter (48%) · wind (39%)

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

    By 6:59 in all: 4 mex · 8 wind (standard 11) · 1 geo · 9 converter (standard 12) · 1 energy storage · 7 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 12 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Con turret
    3. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    4. Converter ×2
    5. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    6. Converter ×3
    7. PrudePrudedone 6:47
    8. Con turret ×2
    9. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 6:52 · typical 6:56
    10. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Airdone 7:02
    11. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    12. WhirlwindWhirlwinddone 7:07
  4. 4

    T1 air bombers to Advanced Bot Lab

    Order
    1. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Lab after 11 wind, 10 converter, 6 con turretdone ~9:38, middle half 8:56–10:13
    Army
    • Whirlwind13 Whirlwind +13 vs standard
    • Valiant6 Valiant +6 vs standard

    Some games also: con turret (43%) · finch (43%) · wind (33%) · converter (33%)

    By 8:55 in all: 4 mex · 14 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 11 converter (standard 15) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 44 steps
    1. Wind
    2. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    3. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Air
    4. Wind
    5. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Air
    6. Con turret
    7. Wind
    8. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    9. Wind
    10. Con turret
    11. Wind
    12. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Air
    13. Con turret
    14. Wind
    15. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    16. Wind ×2
    17. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    18. Wind
    19. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2for Air
    20. Wind
    21. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    22. Wind
    23. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Air
    24. Wind
    25. WhirlwindWhirlwindfor Air
    26. Wind
    27. ValiantValiant
    28. Wind
    29. ValiantValiant
    30. Wind
    31. ValiantValiant ×2
    32. Converter
    33. ValiantValiant ×2
    34. Converter
    35. ValiantValiant ×2
    36. Converter
    37. ValiantValiant ×2
    38. HerculesLight transport
    39. FinchFinch
    40. Converter
    41. FinchFinch ×2
    42. ValiantValiant
    43. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    44. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 9:40 · typical 9:38
  5. 5

    Advanced Bot Lab to 15:00

    Economy
    • Energy Converter7Converter+7 vs standard
    Order
    1. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plant
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: wind (46%) · valiant (41%) · Sheldon (35%) · jammer bot (35%) · radar bot (35%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 5 Sheldon

    By 15:00 in all: 4 mex · 21 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 19 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 91 steps
    1. Wind ×6
    2. Advanced Construction BotT2 con bot
    3. Wind ×2
    4. SheldonSheldondone 10:03
    5. Wind
    6. SheldonSheldon
    7. Wind
    8. SheldonSheldon
    9. Wind ×2
    10. SheldonSheldon
    11. Wind
    12. SheldonSheldon
    13. Wind ×2
    14. SheldonSheldon
    15. Wind
    16. SheldonSheldon
    17. Converter ×2
    18. SheldonSheldon
    19. Converter
    20. SheldonSheldon
    21. Converter
    22. SheldonSheldon
    23. Converter
    24. Wind
    25. SheldonSheldon
    26. DeceiverJammer bot
    27. AugurRadar bot
    28. Wind
    29. DeceiverJammer bot
    30. Wind
    31. ArbiterArbiterdone 11:36
    32. Wind
    33. ArbiterArbiter
    34. Wind
    35. ArbiterArbiter
    36. Wind
    37. Converter
    38. Wind
    39. ArbiterArbiter
    40. Converter
    41. Wind
    42. Converter ×2
    43. ArbiterArbiter
    44. Converter
    45. Wind
    46. Converter ×3
    47. ArbiterArbiter
    48. Converter ×2
    49. Wind
    50. Converter
    51. Wind
    52. Converter ×2
    53. ArbiterArbiter
    54. Converter ×2
    55. Wind
    56. ArbiterArbiter
    57. Wind
    58. Converter ×2
    59. ArbiterArbiter
    60. Converter ×2
    61. Wind
    62. Converter
    63. ArbiterArbiter
    64. Converter ×4
    65. DeceiverJammer bot
    66. Converter
    67. Wind
    68. AugurRadar bot
    69. Converter
    70. Wind
    71. SheldonSheldon
    72. Converter ×2
    73. SheldonSheldon
    74. Converter ×2
    75. SheldonSheldon
    76. Wind
    77. SheldonSheldon
    78. Wind
    79. Converter
    80. SheldonSheldon
    81. Wind
    82. SheldonSheldon
    83. Wind ×2
    84. SheldonSheldon
    85. Wind ×2
    86. SheldonSheldon
    87. Wind ×2
    88. SheldonSheldon
    89. Wind ×2
    90. SheldonSheldon
    91. Wind

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is XuunnY's (32 OS, 20/08/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Graverobber1 Graverobber to Beach seafirst at 2:15 · in 83% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot to Beach sea or Pondfirst at 2:22 · in 78% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 4:59 · in 96% of games
  • Advanced Metal Extractor1 T2 mex from Tech or Beach sea or Pondfirst at 5:21 · in 33% of games
  • Valiant12 Valiant from Airfirst at 8:31 · in 35% 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

02k4k6k
0:005:0010:0015:00

metal

46 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
1:003333420000
2:008458710000
3:00151515000000
4:00267926630000
5:00372536900000
6:00533255860000
7:00769178910000
8:00101941096100850
9:0012980138761952124247
10:00159321678420272961755185
11:001917519610303611022326738
12:0021773226853367223330231443
13:0024942255514396403934762394
14:0027379284135578580946604294
15:0030091313517035786253765693
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won more often than the standard build and destroyed far more enemy metal by 10:00 and 15:00.

  • + Destroys 2005 enemy metal by 10:00 vs 424 for standard.
  • + Won more often than the Geo norm in these games.
  • − Own losses jump to 2022 by 10:00 vs 260 for standard.
  • − Metal production trails standard build slightly throughout.
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

XuunnY

32.5 OS · 20/08/2026

Open source match ↗

6 received units · includes a constructor
209 metal received · 101931 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:11Middle 50%: 0:52–1:20 · n=46
Geothermal Powerplant3:26Middle 50%: 3:05–3:36 · n=46
Advanced Metal Extractor5:48Middle 50%: 5:26–6:17 · n=44
Aircraft Plant6:56Middle 50%: 4:34–7:17 · n=45
Advanced Geothermal Powerplant7:19Middle 50%: 6:56–8:10 · n=36
Advanced Bot Lab9:38Middle 50%: 8:56–10:13 · n=24

Played most by

El_Turco6games of this buildPongoPygmaeus6games of this buildOsamaBinClappin4games of this buildPRO_HYDRA4games of this buildzeus_on_god4games of this build