The Crystal Confederation
The Crystal Confederation (bases on Tholians a race in the Star Trek fictional universe)
Overview
The Crystal People are a silicon based life forms about 3 foot tall, with no limbs and a metallic color. They have two large glowing eyes in the middle of their polyhedron form. Larger Crystalline ships are moderately powerful and tend to favor beam type weapons. They have several small ship types that are useful in exploring planets and capturing freighters. Their main weapon of choice is the dreaded web minefield. They use these fields to trap enemy vessels, drain them of fuel and then tow the victim home after it is out of fuel to force it to surrender using a tow capture.
Strategy Guides
(Link to well-known strategy guides. Give props to "famous" players of your race)
Race Advantages
- Can lay Web space mines that entrap enemy ships and drain fuel.
- Have a Terraforming ship that heat up planets to 100°C. The Onyx Class Frigate
- Likes desert worlds.
- Can Tow Capture fuelless ships.
- Can not clone ships.
- Population immune to Glory Device (structures will still be destroyed)
Special Missions
- Lay Web Mines
Will convert torps into Deep space Web mines that entrap enemy ships and drain fuel.
- Try to tow
Will board enemy fuelless ships (Tow Capture) with every Ship owned by the Crystals that have at least 1 beam weapon and 2 Engines.
Shiplist
| Name | Tc | Bm | T/F | En | MC | Dur | Tri | Mol | Mass | Car | Fuel | Crew |
| Small Deep Space Freighter | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 70 | 200 | 2 |
| Opal Class Torpedo Boat | 2 | 1 | 1/0 | 1 | 60 | 12 | 29 | 20 | 67 | 19 | 55 | 25 |
| Neutronic Fuel Carrier | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 900 | 2 |
| Medium Deep Space Freighter | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 1 | 65 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 60 | 200 | 250 | 6 |
| Ruby Class Light Cruiser | 3 | 4 | 2/0 | 2 | 95 | 32 | 47 | 43 | 120 | 370 | 390 | 136 |
| Topez Class Gunboat | 3 | 4 | 0/0 | 1 | 60 | 12 | 27 | 25 | 65 | 15 | 60 | 20 |
| Small Transport | 4 | 2 | 0/0 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 180 | 15 |
| Sky Garnet Class Destroyer | 5 | 7 | 1/0 | 2 | 110 | 32 | 43 | 25 | 90 | 30 | 120 | 80 |
| Large Deep Space Freighter | 6 | 0 | 0/0 | 2 | 160 | 85 | 7 | 8 | 130 | 1200 | 600 | 102 |
| Emerald Class Battlecruiser | 6 | 8 | 3/0 | 2 | 390 | 52 | 71 | 93 | 180 | 258 | 480 | 258 |
| Onyx Class Frigate | 8 | 8 | 1/0 | 2 | 280 | 25 | 35 | 95 | 153 | 10 | 150 | 320 |
| Diamond Flame Class Battleship | 9 | 10 | 6/0 | 2 | 410 | 70 | 93 | 390 | 451 | 90 | 400 | 510 |
| Neutronic Refinery Ship (Alchemy Neutronium) | 9 | 6 | 0/0 | 10 | 970 | 125 | 150 | 527 | 712 | 1050 | 800 | 190 |
| Super Transport Freighter | 10 | 0 | 0/0 | 4 | 220 | 125 | 13 | 18 | 160 | 2600 | 1200 | 202 |
| Merlin Class Alchemy Ship (Alchemy Minerals) | 10 | 8 | 0/0 | 10 | 840 | 625 | 250 | 134 | 920 | 2700 | 450 | 120 |
| Crystal Thunder Class Carrier | 10 | 6 | 0/8 | 4 | 480 | 42 | 61 | 233 | 320 | 80 | 290 | 422 |
most useful ships
Only the most useful ships will be mentioned here:
- Opal Class Torpedo Boat: This ship has two main purposes that are often combined - as a scout, and as a web tender. Generally built with Mark 4 or 7 torps (depending on cash/mineral supply), it is practically never used for combat, save for capturing freighters via an x-ray laser and the "ntp" friendly code. One of the most useful functions of this ship occurs late in the game when it is often handy to "adjust" a large webfield a small amount to prevent invading ships from minesweeping it from the edge. This is best done by an Opal (with perhaps a few items in its hold) sweeping said minefiend with the "msc" friendly code, thus shrinking the field by a tiny but well controlled amount. This technique can bring even the largest fleets to a virtual standstill.
- Ruby Class Light Cruiser: This is your workhorse! With 370kt cargo it more useful then a MDSF. You can use it for tow capture and web mine support.
- Emerald Class Battlecruiser: This is your linebacker! You can use it for nearly everything, Cargo Transfer( 510kt Cargo), Web Mine laying and fighthing. With its 8 beam / 3 Torps you can take out all non Borg, non Starbase planets.
- Onyx Class Frigate: This ship is generally built in groups for the purpose of heating important planets, but also can be used in the same manner as the Opals, except with greater firepower and minesweeping capabilities. Even if sacrificed to destroy a small or medium carrier's fighter supply, it often will pay for itself (though if that is its only function, a Garnet might serve better).
- Diamond Flame Class Battleship: Expensive in Moly, but worth. Can kill all midsize torpers. Best used in Combo with a Crystal Thunder. Build some with Distruptors and Gamma bombs to capture enemy Cobolts and Fireclouds.
- Crystal Thunder Class Carrier: The Crystal Starbase and Carrier Killer, use it in a Diamon-Thunder Combo.
Web Mines
Web mines are the most feared weapon a Crystal player has. They are best for strategic defence as they are hard to sweep. There are various strategies for how to best deploy web mines. Strategic Webminefields or Tactical webminefields. Generally speaking, several small overlapping fields are most awkward for an enemy to navigate, but there are also times when a large one with a ship to "tend" it (see Opals above) proves even more effective. Also note that it is possible to lay concentric web fields by laying them in different race IDs via the "mi*" friendly code (though the web drain in such cases is not cumulative, only the chance of striking a mine), and that web drain affects ships orbiting planets and/or ships that have yet to actually strike a webmine (but are of course within a web field).
Alliances
Most races are excellent allies for the Tholians - their web mining ability compliments every other race (except perhaps the Cylons), and every other race has either an economic (cash, fighters) or strategic (cloaking) ability that the Crystals are also in need of.
- with the The Solar Federation:
An excellent ally - the Tholians need cash for webfields, the Feds often need protection.
- with the Lizards:
Also an excellent ally for similar reasons as the Fed.
- with the The Empire of Birds:
A great ally, as the Birds are often vulnerable alone, and a cloaking web layer is a Crystalline wet (er, dry?) dream.
- with the Fascist:
A great ally as well - can plunder for cash, can provide cloakers.
- with the Privateers:
The best possible ally, assuming the Tholians do not wish to simply destroy them instead (being arguably the race most capable of doing so).
- with the Cyborg:
On paper, not a particularly compelling ally, but in practice they often prove one of the best - the Borg need protection to grow, and the Tholians need Cube Ship muscle and cash from the many fast growing Cyborg colonies.
- with the Evil Empire:
A moderately useful alliance. The Empire lacks minelayers, but can provide a certain amount of fighters and of course Dark Sense.
- with the Robots:
A great alliance for the Tholians, but the Robots are generally not in great need of web mines unless facing the Colonies. In that case, however, it is a match made in the Heavens.
- with the Rebels:
A decent alliance: fighters/Falconing/GTA(both for enemies and friends) for web mines. The Emerald is also a major upgrade for the Rebel's minesweepers.
- with the Lost Colonies of Man:
Perhaps the best "free fighter" alliance: the Crystals gain all the obvious things (figs, Cobols, even Lady Royales) and if the Colonies are being ganged up on (as often happens), web mines can make a huge difference.
Enemies
- with the The Solar Federation:
- with the Lizards:
- with the The Empire of Birds:
- with the Fascist:
- with the Privateers:
- with the Cyborg:
- with the Evil Empire:
- with the Robots:
- with the Rebels:
- with the Lost Colonies of Man
Strategies
Strategy 1
Description of Strategy
Notes
- Anything that
- doesn't fit
- in other categories
