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Geo / Cortex / Economy first / OBSERVED BUILD

Whirlwind rush

Geo pivots into an Aircraft Plant for Whirlwind bombers around 7 minutes, striking into the enemy base instead of the usual bot/vehicle push to front.

Usually blows up the commander for T2 (72%)

#air #rush #raid · 18 distinct matches · 15 players · 5% of Cortex Geo games · team won 56% of 18 · Recently observed

THE CATCH, AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
  • WhirlwindT1 air bombers from 7:06 · 8% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 8% of Geo games have it by then; others who build it get it around 7:20
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 100%17% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 72%11% of all Geo games by then
  • FinchFinch in 67%8% of all Geo games by then
  • ValiantValiant in 50%6% of all Geo games by then

Where those units first fight, in 18 games with kill data: in the middle 56%, in the enemy base 44%.

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

Then transitions into Sheldon (12% of army), valiant (8% 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 18 GAMES · AGAINST STANDARD GEO
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
PLAY THE OPENING

Follow the example game's first 8:06 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+2 vs standard
    Order
    1. Bot LabBot Lab after 2 mex, 4 winddone ~1:06, middle half 0:53–1:18

    By 0:50 in all: 2 mex · 4 wind (standard 2)

    The example game in this phase · 5 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Wind ×2for Geo sea
    4. Wind
    5. Bot LabBot Labdone 1:00 · typical 1:06
  2. 2

    Bot Lab to 5:00

    Economy
    • Metal Extractor2Mex
    • Wind Turbine5Wind
    • Energy Converter7Converter
    • Energy Storage1Energy storage
    Order
    1. Geothermal PowerplantGeo after 4 mex, 5 wind
    Builders
    • Construction Turret6 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 · 8 wind · 1 geo · 7 converter · 1 energy storage · 6 con turret

    The example game in this phase · 24 steps
    1. Windfor Geo sea
    2. GraverobberGraverobber
    3. Construction BotCon botfor Beach sea
    4. Wind ×3for Geo sea
    5. GraverobberGraverobberfor Beach sea
    6. Construction BotCon bot
    7. GraverobberGraverobber
    8. Mex
    9. GraverobberGraverobber
    10. Construction BotCon bot
    11. Mex
    12. GraverobberGraverobber
    13. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 3:30 · typical 3:08
    14. Windfor Geo sea
    15. Wind ×3
    16. Energy storage
    17. Con turret ×3
    18. Converter
    19. Con turret
    20. Converter ×4
    21. Con turret
    22. Converter
    23. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mexdone 5:23 · typical 5:30
    24. Converter ×2
  3. 3

    5:00 to T1 air bombers

    Economy
    • Wind Turbine6Wind+5 vs standard
    Order
    1. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplant after 14 wind, 9 converter, 6 con turretin 61% of games
    2. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant after 16 wind, 9 converter, 7 con turretin 78% of games
    3. WhirlwindT1 air bombers after 14 wind, 9 converter, 7 con turret
    Builders
    • Construction Turret1 Con turret

    Some games also: converter (44%)

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

    By 7:03 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 · 9 steps
    1. Con turret
    2. Converter
    3. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    4. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    5. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplantdone 6:57 · typical 6:57
    6. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    7. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    8. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 7:03 · typical 6:59
    9. WhirlwindWhirlwinddone 7:10
  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
    • Valiant11 Valiant +11 vs standard

    Some games also: finch (50%) · con turret (39%) · wind (39%)

    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 · 7 steps
    1. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    2. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    3. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×9
    4. ValiantValiant ×2
    5. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    6. ValiantValiant ×27
    7. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labdone 9:55 · typical 9:55
  5. 5

    Advanced Bot Lab to 15:00

    Some games also: con turret (50%) · Radar Tower (50%) · wind (44%) · converter (39%) · Sheldon (33%)

    By 15:00 in all: 4 mex · 28 wind · 1 geo · 1 Advanced Geothermal Powerplant · 15 converter (standard 20) · 2 energy storage

    The example game in this phase · 75 steps
    1. ValiantValiant
    2. Con turret
    3. ValiantValiant
    4. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    5. DeceiverJammer bot
    6. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    7. Construction AircraftCon aircraft
    8. AugurRadar bot
    9. GuardGuard
    10. ArbiterArbiterdone 10:18
    11. GuardGuard
    12. ArbiterArbiter
    13. Con turret
    14. ArbiterArbiter
    15. GuardGuard ×2
    16. SheldonSheldon ×4done 10:52
    17. GuardGuard
    18. Con turret
    19. SheldonSheldon ×2
    20. GuardGuard
    21. SheldonSheldon
    22. GuardGuard
    23. SumoSumodone 11:42
    24. Wind ×3
    25. SheldonSheldon
    26. Wind
    27. SheldonSheldon
    28. Wind
    29. SheldonSheldon
    30. Wind
    31. Converter
    32. SheldonSheldon
    33. Converter
    34. ArbiterArbiter
    35. Wind ×3
    36. ArbiterArbiter
    37. Wind ×2
    38. SheldonSheldon
    39. GuardGuard
    40. Converter ×2
    41. SheldonSheldon
    42. Wind
    43. GuardGuard
    44. Wind
    45. SheldonSheldon
    46. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    47. Wind ×2
    48. SumoSumo
    49. Wind
    50. GuardGuard
    51. Wind
    52. SheldonSheldon
    53. Converter
    54. GuardGuard
    55. Converter
    56. SheldonSheldon
    57. Wind
    58. SumoSumo
    59. GuardGuard
    60. Wind ×2
    61. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plantdone 14:15
    62. SumoSumo
    63. Wind ×2
    64. GuardGuard
    65. FinchFinch
    66. Wind
    67. FinchFinch
    68. Wind
    69. SumoSumo
    70. Wind
    71. Converter ×2
    72. SumoSumo
    73. Wind
    74. SumoSumo
    75. Wind ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is Tregan's (37 OS, 04/08/2026); 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 78% of games
  • Construction Bot1 Con bot to Beach sea or Suicide frontfirst at 2:39 · in 89% of games

You get

  • Advanced Construction Bot1 T2 con bot from Techfirst at 4:52 · in 94% of games
  • Valiant12–13 Valiant from Air or Suicide frontfirst at 8:31 · 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

18 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
2:008038590000
3:00153014970000
4:00273426620000
5:00366637560000
6:00569956740000
7:00799779860000
8:0010583110340000
9:0013209140806603113874
10:00165771692218963341963258
11:001937719769266212552711720
12:0022010226483472249936181538
13:0025097255125132431638102629
14:0027817284976116600351724360
15:0030091317478637826460996299
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

Tregan

36.9 OS · 04/08/2026

Open source match ↗

18 received units · includes a constructor
1618 metal received · 31946 energy received

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

Typical milestones

Bot Lab1:06Middle 50%: 0:53–1:18 · n=18
Geothermal Powerplant3:08Middle 50%: 3:01–3:29 · n=18
Advanced Metal Extractor5:30Middle 50%: 5:23–6:02 · n=17
Advanced Geothermal Powerplant6:57Middle 50%: 6:51–7:45 · n=13
Aircraft Plant6:59Middle 50%: 6:42–7:15 · n=18
Advanced Bot Lab9:55Middle 50%: 9:09–10:15 · n=11

Played most by

zeus_on_god3games of this buildImmort2games of this build[GerBoyz]Stinkfisch1game of this buildDukeofStars1game of this buildGieds1game of this build