The Crystal Confederation is a mysterious species based on inorganic matter. Long unrecognized as a life-form, Crystalline creatures prefer to trap and take over enemy ships after consuming their fuel for their own apparently incomprehensible purposes. They do this by creating something often referred to as a webmine field — though of course the true technology remains beyond any mere humanoid’s understanding.
RACE ADVANTAGES:
- Webminefields that entrap enemy ships and drain fuel
- Tow-capture of enemy ships
- A desert Terraforming ship
- Likes desert worlds and lives well on arctic planets
- Tow Capture beam
- Cannot clone enemy ships
THE CRYSTALLINE FLEET:
The Crystalline fleet relies on light ships with great cargo holds and long ranges, that allow carrying great amount of colonists and torpedoes deep into enemy territory where they are converted into the dreaded web mines. Since their preferred way of fighting is to trap and capture enemy ships instead of fighting them directly they are often seen in deep space where they throw out their unique webmine fields which are 5 times more dense and have the ability to drain fuel from their victims. Core ships in the Crystalline fleet are the Ruby and Emerald Class Cruisers which are the most feared minelayers in the planets universe while the Onyx Class Frigate allows the Crystal Confederation to terraform any planet to a temperature of 100°C. Although the Crystals are extremely powerful in Deep Space, they lack large carriers or cloakers, what makes conquering enemy planets somewhat more tricky than for other species in Planets.
| Hull Design | Engines | Beams | Launchers | Note |
| Small Deep Space Freighter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60kt cargo |
| Opal Class Torpedo Boat | 1 | 1 | 1 | Tiny Minelayer |
| Neutronic Fuel Carrier | 2 | 0 | 0 | Fuel Transporter |
| Medium Deep Space Freighter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 200kt cargo |
| Ruby Class Light Cruiser | 2 | 4 | 2 | 370kt cargo |
| Topez Class Gunboat | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| Small Transport | 1 | 2 | 0 | Long Range |
| Sky Garnet Class Destroyer | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| Large Deep Space Freighter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1200kt cargo |
| Emerald Class Battlecruiser | 2 | 8 | 3 | 510kt cargo |
| Onyx Class Frigate | 2 | 8 | 1 | Heats Planets to 100° |
| Diamond Flame Class Battleship | 2 | 10 | 6 | Battleship |
| Neutronic Refinery Ship | 10 | 6 | 0 | Makes fuel |
| Super Transport Freighter | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2400kt cargo |
| Crystal Thunder Class Carrier | 4 | 6 | 8 Bays | Carrier |
| Merlin Class Alchemy Ship | 10 | 8 | 0 | Makes minerals |
| Campaign Specials | Engines | Beams | Launchers | Note |
| Topaz Class Gunboats | 1 | 4 | 0 | Elusive Squadron |
| Imperial Topaz Class Gunboats | 1 | 5 | 0 | Elusive Squadron |
| Medium Transport | 1 | 2 | 0 | 180kt cargo |
| Sky Garnet Class Frigate | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| Sapphire Class Spaceship | 1 | 1 | 1 | Hyperjump (2) |
In campaign games the Crystalline have access to several gunboat types that are very hard to hit with deep space torpedoes. With the Medium Transport they get an upgrade to an actually useable scout, while the Sapphire Class Spaceship combines hyperjumping technology and torpedo tubes to a deadly weapon.
There are some excellent guides to playing the Crystals, and we hope to link some of them here in the near future.
Planets Magazine 