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Geo / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Whirlwind rush

After the usual geothermal economy, pivots into an Aircraft Plant by 7:03 and pushes T1 bombers and fighters forward from 7:08, with units fighting in the enemy base in every example, well ahead of the role's normal T2 bot timing.

Usually blows up the commander for T2 (71%)

#air #rush #push · 21 distinct matches · 16 players · 5% of Cortex Geo games · team won 57% of 21 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • WhirlwindT1 air bombers from 7:08 · 8% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 8% of Geo games have it by then; others who build it get it around 7:32
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 100%18% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 71%12% of all Geo games by then
  • FinchFinch in 62%8% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 43%6% of all Geo games by then

Where those units first fight, in 21 games with kill data: in the middle 62%, in the enemy base 38%.

Those units destroy a typical 2,040 metal of enemy units by 15:00.

Then transitions into Sheldon (10% of army), valiant (9% of army).

HOW TO PLAY IT

Key timing: Aircraft Plant by 7:01

  1. Open standard Geo eco with Bot Lab and geothermal into T2 con.
  2. Get geothermal running to fund the air switch coming up.
  3. Build Aircraft Plant right after advanced geothermal finishes.
  4. Send Whirlwind bombers straight into the enemy base.
  5. Add Valiant fighters and Finch scouts to round out the air force.

Phase by phase

TYPICAL OF ITS 21 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD GEO
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 8:08 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 Turbine4Wind
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 4 winddone ~1:14, middle half 0:54–1:23

    By 0:57 in all: 2 mex · 4 wind

    The example game in this phase · 3 steps
    1. Mex ×3
    2. Wind ×4
    3. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:24 · typical 1:14
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    • Wind Turbine4Wind
    • Energy Converter7Converter
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Geothermal PowerplantGeo after 4 mex, 5 wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret5 Con turret
    • Graverobber4 Graverobber
    • Construction Bot2 Con bot
    • Construction Bot1 Con bot for allies
    • Graverobber1 Graverobber for allies

    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 · 19 steps
    1. Construction BotCon bot
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    3. Construction BotCon botfor Beach sea
    4. Mex
    5. GraverobberGraverobber
    6. GraverobberGraverobberfor Beach sea
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. GraverobberGraverobber
    9. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 4:07 · typical 3:25
    10. GraverobberGraverobber
    11. Energy storage
    12. Con turret ×3
    13. Converter
    14. Con turret
    15. Converter
    16. Con turret
    17. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    18. Converter
    19. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
  3. 3

    5:00 to T1 air bombers

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine6Wind+4 vs standard
    • Energy Converter1Converter−2 vs standard
    Order
    1. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplant after 14 wind, 9 converter, 6 con turretin 67% of games
    2. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 14 wind, 9 converter, 7 con turret
    3. WhirlwindT1 air bombers after 13 wind, 9 converter, 7 con turret
    Builders
    • Construction Turret2 Con turret +2 vs standard

    By 7:08 in all: 4 mex · 14 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 9 converter (standard 12) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 32 steps
    1. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    2. Converter
    3. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    4. Converter
    5. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×2
    6. Converter
    7. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    8. Converter
    9. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth
    10. Con turret
    11. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:35 · typical 5:29
    12. Converter
    13. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2
    14. Wind
    15. Converter
    16. Wind
    17. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplantdone 7:27 · typical 7:02
    18. Converter ×2
    19. Con turret
    20. Wind
    21. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    22. Converter
    23. Wind
    24. Converter
    25. Wind ×2
    26. Converter ×2
    27. Wind
    28. Converter ×2
    29. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:55 · typical 7:03
    30. Converter
    31. Wind
    32. WhirlwindWhirlwinddone 8:01
  4. 4

    T1 air bombers to Advanced Bot Lab

    Order
    1. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Lab after 15 wind, 10 converter, 9 con turretdone ~9:55, middle half 9:09–10:15
    Army
    • Whirlwind14 Whirlwind +14 vs standard
    • Valiant12 Valiant +12 vs standard

    Some games also: finch (48%) · con turret (43%) · wind (38%)

    The standard build makes here, this one skips: 3 converter

    By 9:30 in all: 4 mex · 17 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 10 converter (standard 17) · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 40 steps
    1. Wind
    2. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    3. Wind
    4. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    5. Con turret
    6. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×3
    7. Wind
    8. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    9. Wind
    10. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    11. Wind
    12. Bot LabBot Labdone 8:42
    13. Wind
    14. GruntGrunt ×2
    15. Wind
    16. GruntGrunt
    17. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    18. GruntGrunt
    19. Wind
    20. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    21. GruntGrunt
    22. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    23. GruntGrunt
    24. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    25. GruntGrunt
    26. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    27. GruntGrunt ×2
    28. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    29. GruntGrunt
    30. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    31. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    32. Wind
    33. GruntGrunt
    34. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    35. GruntGrunt
    36. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    37. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    38. GruntGrunt
    39. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    40. GruntGrunt
  5. 5

    Advanced Bot Lab to 15:00

    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: Radar Tower (48%) · wind (38%) · converter (38%)

    By 15:00 in all: 4 mex · 21 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 16 converter · 1 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 68 steps
    1. GruntGrunt ×12
    2. Converter
    3. GruntGrunt ×3
    4. Converter
    5. GruntGrunt
    6. Converter
    7. GruntGrunt ×3
    8. Converter
    9. GruntGrunt
    10. Converter
    11. GruntGrunt ×2
    12. Converter
    13. GruntGrunt
    14. Converter
    15. GruntGrunt ×2
    16. Converter
    17. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    18. GruntGrunt
    19. Converter
    20. GruntGrunt ×4
    21. Converter
    22. GruntGrunt ×2
    23. Converter
    24. GruntGrunt ×2
    25. Converter
    26. Advanced Aircraft PlantAdvanced Aircraft Plantdone 11:04
    27. Converter
    28. WaspWasp
    29. Converter
    30. WaspWasp
    31. Converter
    32. WaspWasp
    33. Converter ×2
    34. WaspWasp
    35. Converter
    36. WaspWasp ×2
    37. Con turret
    38. Advanced Construction AircraftT2 con aircraft
    39. WaspWasp
    40. PrevailerPrevailerdone 13:09
    41. Con turret
    42. WaspWasp
    43. Con turret ×4
    44. WaspWasp
    45. Con turret
    46. WaspWasp
    47. Advanced Construction AircraftT2 con aircraft
    48. NighthawkNighthawk ×5
    49. Mex
    50. BlitzBlitz
    51. NighthawkNighthawk ×3
    52. BlitzBlitz
    53. NighthawkNighthawk ×3
    54. BlitzBlitz
    55. NighthawkNighthawk ×2
    56. Mex
    57. BlitzBlitz
    58. WaspWasp ×2
    59. BlitzBlitz
    60. Fusion ReactorFusionnot finished by 15:00
    61. Converter
    62. WaspWasp
    63. Converter
    64. BlitzBlitz
    65. WaspWasp
    66. BlitzBlitz
    67. Converter
    68. WaspWasp

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is PongoPygmaeus's (36 OS, 26/09/2026); pick another.

Team trades

IN AT LEAST 30% OF ITS GAMES

You hand over

  • Graverobber1 Graverobber to Beach sea or Suicide frontfirst at 2:11 · in 81% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot to Beach seafirst at 2:37 · in 90% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 4:57 · in 95% of games
  • Valiant13 Valiant from Air or Suicide frontfirst at 8:50 · in 33% 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

21 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
2:008288620000
3:00152415020000
4:00272326640000
5:00367737550000
6:00567956900000
7:00789279780000
8:0010669110470000
9:0013227140811504312093
10:00167071694419044061773259
11:001941919811283212992599715
12:0022093226763413253634551639
13:0025168255595086434137802635
14:0028345284966223587248464362
15:0030092316558034796957266326
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY

Won more often than the standard build while dealing much more damage from 10:00 onward for similar losses.

  • + Enemy metal destroyed far above standard by 10:00 (1896 vs 406) and 15:00 (9707 vs 7969).
  • + Team win rate above the standard build's 45%.
  • − Own metal lost climbs above standard by 10:00 (1963 vs 260).
  • − Aircraft Plant this early is a big deviation Geo rarely attempts (17% by then).
THE EXAMPLE YOU ARE READING

PongoPygmaeus

35.7 OS · 26/09/2026

Open source match ↗

63 received units · includes a constructor
327 metal received · 157943 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:14Middle 50%: 0:54–1:23 · n=21
Geothermal Powerplant3:25Middle 50%: 3:03–3:34 · n=21
Advanced Metal Extractor5:29Middle 50%: 5:22–5:59 · n=20
Advanced Geothermal Powerplant7:02Middle 50%: 6:51–7:32 · n=16
Aircraft Plant7:03Middle 50%: 6:48–7:23 · n=21
Advanced Bot Lab9:55Middle 50%: 9:09–10:15 · n=11

Played most by

zeus_on_god3games of this buildImmort2games of this buildPongoPygmaeus2games of this buildPRO_HYDRA2games of this build[GerBoyz]Stinkfisch1game of this build