Strategic Resources

Strategic Resources are used to provide exceptional bonuses to units, thanks to the use of rare, high-performance substances. They are applied to existing upgrades and increase that upgrade's effect significantly. Each Strategic Resource upgrade requires points of the appropriate substance equal to the cost of the base upgrade.

Only one strategic resource may be applied to a given upgrade.

If a unit has more than two different Strategic Resources (Delta Dust excluded), it must take a +1 System Integration for every additional Strategic Resource fitted.

Example

A battleship is receiving +1 Sakuradite Mega Particle Cannons. As its base cost is 200, the standard +1 Weapons upgrade would cost 100 IP and then to upgrade to Sakuradite weapons would cost 100 points of Sakuradite. This would take up one upgrade slot.

If a resource has special rules (like ship-based FTL drives not requiring an upgrade slot or IP cost) it will be described under each resource.

Level 1 Strategic Resources

Rhenium

An important component in superconductor manufacture; significantly improves the performance of railguns and related technologies.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X Rhenium Weapons: Generally fires physical projectiles of some sort; the archetypical Rhenium weapons are railguns and coilguns.
+X Rhenium Mobility (Ground): Rhenium can also be used to build magnetic lifters, making it useful for ground units seeking low-level 'float' ability.

Sakuradite

This rare crystal was first discovered on Asakura and then a number of other Expanse worlds. It gained infamy during the war as the key component of ZOCU's deadly mega particle beams.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X Sakuradite Weapons: All Sakuradite weapons are directed-energy weapons and are particularly effective against physical armor.
+X Sakuradite Melee: Beam sabers!

Hepatizon

This glassy metalloid revolutionized the field of dispersive defenses.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X Hepatizon Shields: Standard active defenses can include 'true' shields, but the use of Hepatizon makes these significantly more powerful.

ß-Titanium

A rare istope of Titanium that is a materiel used in super-strong armor.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X ß-Titanium Armor: ß-Titanium can be worked into armor alloys, making them both stronger and harder at no increase in weight.
+X ß-Titanium Mele: Giant hunks of sharpened titanium. Chop-chop!

Metamaterials

These complex materials can be used to make highly effective stealth systems.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X Meta-Stealth: Meta-Materiels increase the effectiveness of stealth technologies. Every upgrade after the first +1 increases He3 upkeep by 50% of base, due to the energy requirements of active stealth (ie, cloaks). Requires Stealth Obsessed to go past +1 - note that without metamateriels, stealth is limited to specific unit types.

Condensates

Naturally-occurring pure Bose-Einstein condensates allow for the construction of sophisticated inertial-control fields and reactionless motors.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+X Condensate Drives: Condensate drives combine the best features of gravity-resist and reaction drives into one package.

Computronium

Specially formulated alloys can be used in high-performance computing systems, allowing for much more effective electronics.
Physical Size: 10 CP
+X Computronium Sensors/ECM/Command
+1 Computronium AI: This grants full AI abilities to a slot-free upgrade. Required Compuphile.

Delta-Dust

Hyper-advanced nanocomputers, ‘dust’ is a necessity for all FTL drives and related technologies. Delta Dust drives count the first FTL drive core as a Free Upgrade on Ships only. Additional levels of FTL drive may be fitted on Sublight Drives or as IP-Free Upgrades.
Physical Size: 10 CP
See FTL rules

Iotimiline

This rare substance's energy-dispersive properties make it vital in constructing a number of unusual high-energy devices.
Physical Size: 100 CP
+1 I-Field: I-Fields generate powerful spherical force fields that are extremely difficult to breach without heavy firepower. However, while active they completely interfere with weapons fire and reduce speed/agility.
+1 Positron Cannon: Iotimiline can also be used to contain antiparticles in a much easier, safer fashion than conventional methods. This can be used to construct Positron Cannons, powerful one-shot (per battle) weapons. They can only be fitted to Impractical units or warships of cruiser size or larger.

Monopoles

Remnant particles from the Big Bang, monopoles can be used to build advanced powerplants that do not required He3 fuel. Monopoles have special rules, see the section on Power Technologies for more details.
Physical Size: 100 CP

Protoplasma

A strange xenobacterial mixture, Protoplasma has astonishing bioactive properties such as rapid regenerative ability.
Physical Size: 10 CP
+X Armor (Infantry): Infantry with protoplasmic tissue can take immense punishment and continue fighting.
+1 Regeneration: Infantry regeneration!

Hyper-Glions

This substance skirts the boundary of accepted biotechnology with its ability to induce significant cognitive increases.
Physical Size: 10 CP
+1 ACE System: mm, stuff
+X Sensors/Command (infantry):

Xenomorphs

Not the ones from Alien, but same general concept; an aggressive and dangerous extraterrestrial animal than can be ‘weaponized’ and used for military purposes – or for terror.
Physical Size: 1000 CP
+X Xenomorphs (ground): Giant bugs! The first cap is cost- and slot-free.

Neo-Telomerase

This substance can be harvested from a number of exotic alien lifeforms and is the key substance to non-nanotechnological anti-aging treatments.
Physical Size: 10 CP

Lotus

This euphoric drug can be found on some worlds and is highly valued for its lack of side-effects. It is used to provide public order.
Physical Size: 10 CP

Industrial Metals

Boosts Industrial Infrastructure
Physical Size: 5000 CP

Gold Bouillion

Boosts Wealth Infrastructure.
Physical Size: 1000 CP