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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 · 9% of role by thenFrom the Aircraft Plant. Only 9% of Geo games have it by then; others who build it get it around 7:29
  • Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant in 98%18% 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 · 4 steps
    1. Mex ×2
    2. Wind
    3. Solar
    4. Bot LabBot Labdone 0:50 · 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 · 32 steps
    1. Wind
    2. GraverobberGraverobber ×2
    3. Wind ×2
    4. Construction BotCon bot
    5. GraverobberGraverobber
    6. Wind
    7. Construction BotCon bot
    8. Wind
    9. Mex
    10. GraverobberGraverobber
    11. Converter
    12. Mex
    13. Converter
    14. GraverobberGraverobber
    15. Con turret
    16. Converter ×3
    17. Geothermal PowerplantGeodone 3:20 · typical 3:26
    18. Converter
    19. Solar
    20. Converter
    21. Con turret ×2
    22. Converter
    23. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    24. Con turret ×3
    25. Energy storage
    26. Converter ×5
    27. Con turret
    28. Converter
    29. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex ×2done 5:12 · typical 5:48
    30. Converter
    31. Con turret
    32. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
  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 · 22 steps
    1. Converter
    2. Bot LabBot Labdone 5:30
    3. Converter ×2
    4. PawnPawn
    5. Converter
    6. PawnPawn
    7. GuardGuard
    8. Advanced Metal ExtractorT2 mex
    9. PawnPawn
    10. GuardGuard
    11. PawnPawn ×2
    12. Bot LabEat Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    13. Converter
    14. Advanced Geothermal PowerplantAdvanced Geothermal Powerplantdone 7:06 · typical 7:19
    15. ThistleThistle ×4
    16. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labnot finished by 15:00 · typical 9:38
    17. Con turret
    18. Advanced Bot LabEat Advanced Bot Labreclaimed for its metal
    19. Con turret ×2
    20. Aircraft PlantAircraft Plant ×2done 7:28 · typical 6:56
    21. Wind ×2
    22. WhirlwindWhirlwinddone 7:34
  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 · 1 step
    1. Advanced Bot LabAdvanced Bot Labnot finished by 15:00
  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 · 59 steps
    1. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    2. Wind ×2
    3. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    4. Wind
    5. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    6. Wind
    7. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    8. Wind
    9. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×3
    10. Wind ×2
    11. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    12. Wind
    13. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×2
    14. Wind
    15. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    16. Wind
    17. WhirlwindWhirlwind ×3
    18. Wind
    19. Energy storage
    20. FinchFinch
    21. Wind
    22. FinchFinch
    23. WhirlwindWhirlwind
    24. ValiantValiant
    25. FinchFinch
    26. ValiantValiant
    27. FinchFinch
    28. ValiantValiant ×13
    29. Wind
    30. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    31. Aircraft PlantEat Aircraft Plantreclaimed for its metal
    32. Vehicle PlantVehicle Plantdone 9:06
    33. Wind
    34. Construction VehicleCon vehicle
    35. Wind ×11
    36. Advanced Vehicle PlantAdvanced Vehicle Plantdone 9:49
    37. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehiclefor Suicide front
    38. ObscurerJammer
    39. Vehicle PlantEat Vehicle Plantreclaimed for its metal
    40. OmenRadar vehicle
    41. BanisherBanisherdone 10:34
    42. CastroCastro
    43. BanisherBanisher
    44. Radar TowerRadar Tower
    45. Twin GuardTwin Guard
    46. BanisherBanisher ×2
    47. ThistleThistle
    48. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×6
    49. Advanced Construction VehicleT2 con vehicle
    50. Dragon's TeethDragon's Teeth ×3
    51. NemesisNemesis
    52. BanisherBanisher
    53. FuryFurydone 12:09
    54. TigerTiger ×2done 12:23
    55. ObscurerJammer
    56. OmenRadar vehicle
    57. BanisherBanisher ×5
    58. FuryFury
    59. TigerTiger ×2

Counts are medians over the build's games: half of them build more, half fewer. The example game is zeus_on_god's (39 OS, 06/10/2026); 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
2:008458700000
3:00151515000000
4:00267926620000
5:00372536860000
6:00533255850000
7:00769178890000
8:00101941095700850
9:0012980138721952124244
10:00159321677820272961755180
11:001917519605303611042326725
12:0021773226833367223630231400
13:0024942255124396404434762397
14:0027379284025578581546604304
15:0030091313077035788153765756
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

zeus_on_god

39.0 OS · 06/10/2026

Open source match ↗

1 received units · includes a constructor
858 metal received · 194440 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