How To Beat: Conflict Mode

Synopsis
 Conflict mode is arguably the hardest level in Crystalien Conflict. This is the only level that first allows you to use all units and buildings, including the new "Nuke" unit unique to this level, for a full scale war against your opponent. It's also the only level capable of being played by both Astros and Aliens (without the theotherside cheat code). Whichever side you start with, however, you get a huge disadvantage: while you have little more than a Command Base, your opponent has more than half the map under their control already. Armed with only 10K crystals and a some units, you are tasked with taking over the entire sector through either sabotage, or elimination.
While this does seem like an uphill battle (which it is), with the right strategy, you can work your way to victory in the final and most daunting level of the game's main campaign. Lets get started.


Overview
 To begin this guide, lets look over what you do and don't have. As I said before, you get little more than the Eagle Command Base and some defenses, but that doesn't mean you don't have anything. Lets see what you start with (note that this guide will be done from the perspective of Astros, though the strategy and start is the same for Aliens):
Okay so now that we have an inventory, what are the steps to beating the Aliens?
  1. Destroy their Orbital Uplink and Sonar Station
  2. Destroy their Breeding Pit and Battle Foundry
  3. Finish them off from there
Yes those steps look daunting, but don't worry, you'll get through them easily enough as long as you follow this guide closely. Lets look over each one carefully:


Step 1
 The Aliens will be constantly throwing jetpack, speeder, and cruiser units at you, but their most destructive force is their Strike Fighters. Able to quickly move over rocks and pools, they'll constantly be coming to destroy any building you try to erect, so you need to build fast and place your units strategically. In addition to this, after a while the Aliens will nuke you with their 4T2 Ion Disrupter, capable of destroying nearly any building it's set on. Your first priority should be to destroy both their Sonar Station (where the Strike Fighters come from) and Orbital Uplink, where the Disrupters are called down from. Luckily, they're both right next to each other in the top right corner of the map.
Start by sending your trike to collect the Alien capsule by your remote base. Your starting 10K won't be enough to finish building everything you need, so you'll need any bonuses you can get while your Crystal Miner works. Once it unlocks this, send it around to the other side of your remote base to collect the crate that contains a Crystal Miner. Be sure to point it to some crystals in a safe area, or else it'll start mining right where it is, and walk right into an enemy Assault Turret.
Next, start building as fast as you can. Start with a Power Plant, as the one at your remote base won't be enough to power everything and is vulnerable. Be sure to space the plant (as well as any other buildings) apart from your other buildings. If the Aliens do successfully build a nuke before you destroy their Uplink, it's not the end of the world. So make sure they can only nuke one or two buildings at most for quick rebuilding. Next build a training camp, and (this is important) a Radar Station before a Vehicle Factory. Then build a Technology Center (again, spaced away from other buildings) and simultaneously create two Astro Fighters (note: only two should be made). Finally, set up your satellite Uplink (this will reveal the entire map) and start production on your EM Pulse Cannon nuke (be sure to have both Astro Fighters built first). During all this construction, be sure to build more Power Plants as needed. Also, Alien behavior is random; they will either send their Strike Fighters to your main base or your remote one. For this reason, don't rely too heavily on your remote base's Power Plant. If you're fast enough though, this shouldn't be an issue.
Once you've got all this built, it's time to attack. Select your Astro Fighters and send them directly up to the top left corner of the map (so as to avoid most of the alien Assault Turrets and patrolling Dragon Cruisers.). Then, quickly set the Orbital Uplink as their target, and deselect them.
Your EM Pulse Cannon should be ready to fire (the icon flashing white) at this time. While your Astro Fighters are on the way to the Orbital Uplink, select it. This should turn your mouse cursor to a target on the ground. Here's the tricky part: aim the Cannon exactly between the Experiment Lab and Orbital Uplink. Then, slightly come down so about two thirds of it are on the Sonar Station. The second your Astro Fighters finish firing, click to fire the Cannon. It's okay if your Astros are destroyed in the process, but make sure this destroys both the Orbital Uplink and Sonar Station (it's a bonus if you also destroy the Experiment Lab, though not necessary). If they're both gone, continue to step two. Otherwise the strategy will not work as they'll nuke you before you build more Astro Fighters and another nuke.

Step 2
 Congratulations, you've made it past the hardest part, but your work still isn't done. The Breeding Pit and Battle Foundry are constantly pumping out more enemy units on their way to take out all you've built. These won't be as hard to take out, but will cost a lot of crystals, so it may take a while.
The enemy has a steady supply of crystals, so they can use the "fix" tool on all their buildings. This is why you need to use the EM Pulse Cannon and can't simply send waves of Astro Fighters. By the time the second wave is on it's way, the target will have been completely repaired. This is also why you can't waste any time on firing the cannon in Step 1. As a result, your two Astro Fighter's were probably destroyed. If so, that's okay. You'll need four for step 2, so just defend your base and Crystal Miners till they can be constructed (it will be a lot easier without having to worry about enemy Strike Fighters or nukes). If you were lucky enough to save them, then this will be a lot easier: just construct two more. Once all 4 are ready, go ahead and use the same procedure (send to top left corner first) and send them to destroy the enemy's Breeding Pit (no nuke required). If any are destroyed in the process, rebuild them so you have four again. Then, save up for and build another EM Pulse Cannon. Once it's ready (icon is flashing white), repeat Astro Fighter procedure with the Battle Foundry as the target, and repeat what you did in step one with the nuke, though positioning doesn't matter. Just make sure it's centered around the Foundry building itself.
Now both the Breeding Pit and Foundry are destroyed, and you have no more fear of enemy Drones, Saboteurs, Vipers, Speeders, or Dragon Cruisers.

Step 3
 There are still going to be some enemy units on the map, like the patrolling Dragon Cruisers and scattered drones, but now you've essentially won. Now that you're safe from the constant onslaught, feel free to do whatever, eventually defeating the Aliens and winning the level. But most importantly, have fun!