Introduction

Four races have descended upon a desolate planet named Nih'ki. First came the Khelons, in search of a new power-source in this crystal-rich planet. Their leader, Nhil Geit, intended to use these powerful crystals to restore his empire's golden age and give his people a tactical advantage over their foes. But wherever he went, the Saahrai followed. Urai Ohkoi, legendary hero of this feline race of warriors, has sworn to hunt down Geit and his crew in order to avenge atrocities against him and his people.

After two days of searching for the Khelons' outpost, Ohkoi and his warriors became trapped in the system of caves below the planet's surface. They were the first to meet the masters of Nih'ki, and its true nature. It was they who first realised that a war would soon erupt for the control of the planet and its power. But he did not realise that the Saahrai and the Khelons would not be the only players in this war.

Three days after the Saahrai's arrival, the Daiseep crash-landed on Nih'ki. Sifo Temba and his forces had hijacked a Human vessel named the Dark Star on its way to Terra, not realising its importance for the future of the Human empire. The Dark Star was damaged by a small fleet of Human vessels intent on regaining possession of their ship.

Securing the Dark Star was of particular importance to PsiForce Master Howard Truman, whose future had recently been jeopardized by the discovery that the rebels' war against the United Human Federation was not treasonous, but rather patriotic and honourable. Given this discovery, he had secretly pledged to fight on the rebels' behalf, and was sending to Terra a vital, though highly compromising, package with a trusted crewmember.

All these races had come to Nih'ki for unique reasons, but all would soon find the power and importance of the planet. And they would soon be engulfed in a war that would define the legacy of their leaders: the Crystal Core War.

Overview

Crystal Core : Battle for Nih'ki is a tactical wargame for two to four players.

The players battle for control of various objective zones, using one of four factions: the Daiseep, Humans, Khelons, and Saahrai. Each force is commanded by one or two Heroes, and features a number of Troopers and Vehicles. In the advanced game mode, players can select armoury cards to provide their units or their whole force with unique abilities.

Crystal Core is played at a squad-level, focusing on adaptive tactical maneuvers. The game features simulated parallel play through the use of command cards, which are selected simultaneously by each player, and define what actions are available for that round. Players must devise a plan for each round, and execute it with a focus on army-cohesion and maneuvering for prime position to achieve victory.

The game also provides a superior, streamlined wargame experience by eliminating several of the upkeep actions associated with the typical wargame, including model-per-model movement, excessive dice rolls, and army wide actions. Through these and other downtime-reducing features, Crystal Core provides maximum entertainment in a modest timeframe.