Information on Astros and Their Technology

Astronaut Technology is simpler and more primitive but apparently meets matches with Alien technology.

1. Info on Astros

Astros (short for Astronauts) are human astronauts/cosmonauts who came to the red planet Mars to mine for Energy Crystals, and are the protagonists of the LEGO Mars Mission story. As a group they are generally classified as determined and resourceful, but can sometimes be frightened by aliens. They are led by the Mission Commander, a very intelligent leader and a formidable fighter.

Astros have many jobs to do on Mars, including: mining for crystals, exploring the planet, attacking aliens to deter them, defending their own crystals from alien attacks, piloting vehicles, spying on aliens, and repairing buildings and vehicles.Many Astro trainees spend the day exploring and completing tasks. After they pass their exams and physical assessment, they are assigned roles based on their assessment.

2. Astro Lasers

Astro Lasers are one of the Astros' most useful weapon. They are used for protection as well as attacking. The Astros in CrystAlien Conflict appear to have a different type of Laser, but they have the same function, blasting and neutralizing Aliens. It is assumed that the lasers are powered by energy crystals in some way.

3. Defense Station

The Defense Station is a stationary defense unit with a powerful cannon mounted on the front end. Some are placed on cliffs and have a small mining platforms attached. The turret that most resembles the Defense Station seen in CrystAlien Conflict is included in the Alien Mothership set, with a little mining station attached to it's back end. There is a turret on the Eagle Command Base set, but it appears to be a stripped down version of the CC and Mothership one, lacking the entire base.

Side: Astros
Pieces: ETX- Alien Mothership, MB-01 Eagle Command Base (Astros) ("Light Version")
Purpose: Protect, Defend

4. Mission Commander

The Mission Commander is a human Astro who commands the Astro forces. He has been on many expeditions, including ones to the arctic, but has never encountered a place like this (Mars). Little is know about the hierarchy of the Astro forces, but it is assumed that the system is democratic in nature. There are many speculations as to the name of the commander. It could be Galaxy, Phil... nobody seems quite to know.

5. Jet-pack Explorer

As the name suggests, a Jet-pack Explorer is an Astro equipped with a Jet-pack, a sort of back pack with twin rockets on either side that allow the wearer to fly. These Jet-pack Astros are included with the Eagle Command Base set. They blast aliens from the skies, and also engage in aerial combat.

In CrystAlien Conflict, Jet-pack Astros are built at the training camp, as long as you also have a Technology Center. They are the Astro equivalent of the Alien Viper Attack. One will also spawn upon destruction of the tech center, so long as the unit cap has not been reached.

6. Miner

Miners are a group of rugged Astros who work hard harvesting energy crystals. Although they are brave, they do occasionally run from Aliens, but certainly not when they have allies with them. Miners usually go out in groups of 8 or 9 with two or three vehicles aiding them. Their tools include shovels, pickaxes, saws, jack-hammers, and crystal detectors. The miners also have small robots who accompany them on their missions.

7. Astro Pilots

The pilot of the Astro Fighter is an experienced flyer. He needs to be if he wants to pass his training. The following are classes (and patches) of pilots:

Mars Flight Patches

Fighters are your average pilots permitted to fly any craft excluding the Hypersonic Spacecraft, Recon Drop-Ships, and Space Shuttles.

Squad leaders lead teams of Fighters during battle. They are permitted to fly any craft excluding the Hypersonic Spacecraft.

Admirals command Squad Leaders and their teams during battle. They (there are usually only 3 or 4) are permitted to fly any type of craft.

8. EM Pulse Weapon

The EM Pulse Weapon (sometimes referred to as EM Pulse Cannon) is the most powerful weapon used by the Astros in the game CrystAlien Conflict. The source of the EM Pulse is not entirely known, but it is thought that it's generated in a high-altitude aircraft or spacecraft and then fired at a specific target. Each shot cost 3,000 in-game credits to deploy, that is, provided you have both an operational Technology Centre and a Satellite Uplink. A single shot is roughly the same size as the Alien Mother-ship, however it can not destroy the Mother-ship, but it can still wipe out all other vehicles and bases (unless the triple Armour cheat is being used). The EM Pulse Cannon is exclusively found in Conflict Mode of the game, and a few alien levels if you cheat to be the Astros and build everything. For more info on how, see the Cheats page.

9. Claw-Tank

The (MT-51) Claw Tank is an Astro vehicle with strong offensive capabilities. The MT-51 has a cockpit for one pilot, a set of rigid pincers on the right arm (from the cockpit), 2 energy lasers mounted on the left arm, a strip of 3 heat-seeking missiles, 2 capsule containers for either energy crystals or captured Aliens, and an energy disk launcher. It's heavy, orange wheels and treads provide it with superb traction and allow it to move rather quickly for its size. The treads are on shocks, so the Claw-Tank can maneuver over uneven terrain.

10. Trike

The MT-31 Trike is set #7694 and comes with 94 pieces and one Astronaut figure and one Alien figure. The trike is equipped with an orange cylinder to hold either energy crystals or captured aliens, three-wheel suspension, and a cockpit to hold the minifigure. In Crystalien Conflict, it can be purchased for 600 credits when a Vehicle Factory (2000) is built. It is the equivalent of the Speeder on the Aliens' side. It is introduced in Level 4, when it encounters a Alien Speeder. Trikes are mainly used for picking up "power sleds" with aliens for credits, reconnaissance, and aiding Claw-Tanks in battle.

11. Astro Fighter

The MX-11 Astro Fighter (set 7695) is 57 pieces and comes with an Astro and Alien figure. It is equipped with one laser cannon powered by an Energy Crystal to attack air units or ground positions. It has two engines and is capable of high speed travel. In Crystalien Conflict, the Astro Fighter can be built after the Radar Station is built, and all Fighter units are stationed there. When sent out to attack, the Astro Fighter flies toward its target at very high speed, fires off several shots, and returns to base as fast as possible, where it reloads its weapon. A fleet of these craft can diminish the health of larger buildings or units quite significantly.

12. Training Camp Building

Training Camps are buildings from Crystalien Conflict that train basic troops. A training camp cannot be built unless at least 1 power plant has been constructed. They can train Infantry for 200 credits, engineers for 500 credits, and after a technology center is built, jet-pack explorers for 600 credits. A training camp set can be made by connecting 4 drop ship cockpit sections.

13. MT-101 Armored Drilling Unit

The MT-101 Drilling Unit is a huge mining truck that the Astros use to drill for crystals. It has a transport craft stored in the back. This craft also carries a small scout motorcycle. The main vehicle has a Zamor sphere launcher (seen in Bionicle sets) that shoots blue energy spheres. The extra ammunition is stored inside of the truck, right in front of the transport ship. The massive drill is mounted on the right of the vehicle. It consists of a submarine engine housing, two grey circle saw blades, a worm gear, one of the smaller drills, an axle, and some other parts. the MT-101 Armored Drilling Unit does appear in CrystAlien Conflict. In the game, it is known as the "Crystal Miner". The difference is that in the game, it has no weapons, and the transport ship and scout motorcycle are missing.
MT-101 Armored Drilling Unit - Lego Mars Mission Wiki

MT-101 Armored Drilling Unit - Lego Mars Mission Wiki

14. Technology Center

In the game Crystalien Conflict, the Technology Centre is used for research in developing new weapons to combat the Aliens on Mars. While a Technology Centre is operational, the player has access to building Jet-pack Explorers, Recon Dropships, and Satellite Uplinks. Many people beat the game without ever realizing that an operational Technology Centre is necessary in order to build an EM Pulse Cannon. A Technology Centre is the second most expensive build-able in the game (Tied with Vehicle Factory) costing 2,000 in-game credits using up only two-rectangle-blocks of space. The building is decently armored, but unlike a Satellite Uplink, this building can not withstand the power of a 4T2 Ion Disruptor. It seems to be made of the "hub" controller thing on the Eagle Command Base (where you can switch the pipes around), and some of the glass from the top of the base. It does have some custom structures that you don't get by just combining those (for example the fact that the Eagle Command Base comes with just 5 glass panes, not 6).

15. MB-01 Eagle Command Base

The MB-01 Eagle Command Base is one of the largest sets in the Mars Mission theme (in CrystAlien Conflict, it is missing the attached Power Plant). It is the base the Astros built following their arrival to Mars. It is complete with a Defense Station, transport tube network, launch pad, and a small laboratory.This base only appears in Story Mode levels 1-8, and of course Conflict Mode. At no point in the game is a player able to build a Command Base. Once a single base is destroyed, the game ends, even if you manage to control both, a loss of even just one will result in failure.

16. Power Plant

The Power Plant is a small building that generates electrical energy for use by the Astros to power lights, buildings, etcetera. Power and energy levels in CrystAlien Conflict appear on the right side of the task bar. Yellow is energy-in-use, green is unused-energy, and red is the energy deficit. They can be found in sets being used as a pump, like the ETX Alien Mothership and the Eagle Command Base. In Crystal Alien Conflict, they allow for the construction of Training Camps. Extremely close inspection reveals that the Power Plant in CrystAlien Conflict is from the Eagle Command Base, and the pump in the Mothership set is a tiny bit different (or could it be the other way around? But one is ever so slightly different).

17. Vehicle Factory

Only when a Training Camp is operational is a player allowed to build the Vehicle Factory. After its construction, the player has access to building Trikes. If a Radar Station is present, he can also build Claw-Tanks. Furthermore, if the player also has a Technology Centre, he can build Recon Dropships here as well. It appears to be made of 4 power plant bases with turret bases clipped on each side. What seem to be some mining arms from the mini-driller in the ETX Alien Strike set are attached to the top. Mysterious domes that aren't in any real set (possibly enlarged domes from the Trike set) cover the tops of the Power Plant bases.

18. Radar Station

It is necessary to build a Training Camp before constructing a Radar Station. Constructing a Radar Station enables the player to deploy Astro Fighters. If the station is destroyed or exchanged, all aircraft are disassembled without reimbursement. Once a Radar Station is built, a radar imaging map will appear at the top of the task bar, showing all explored territory (where shroud has been removed) and the units present on that territory. It is made from part of the Eagle Command Base base with a few modifications, such as the 3 antennas from the base and one satellite dish.

19. Satellite Uplink

An operational Vehicle Factory, Radar Station, and Technology Centre are required to build a Satellite Uplink. Once operative, all shroud is removed and the map is cleared. The player also gains access to deploying EM Pulse Cannons. If the base is destroyed, satellite mapping becomes disabled and the shroud reappears. Made from a power plant base with an antennae/radar thing from the Eagle Command Base. Either the base is scaled down or the satellite is scaled up, because sizes aren't quite proportionate in reality (hard to build in reality too, because power plants are quite difficult to rip apart).

20. Infantry

Infantrymen, often referred to as Troopers, are the smallest attack units in CrystAlien Conflict. They sometimes appear in the place of a destroyed base if the maximum number of troops has not yet been reached. An operational Training Camp is required to train Infantry. This unit can not shoot at airborne targets. They are standard Astros with blasters from the Recon Dropship set.

mars mission infantry

21. Engineer

Astro Engineer (click to see large image)

The only units capable of entering enemy bases are these. They can be used to repair bases or vehicles, and can also capture enemy bases, thus causing the base to be turned over to the Astros' side. An operational Training Camp is required to train this unit.

22. Recon Dropship

Astro Recon Dropship (click to see large image)

An operational Vehicle Factory, Radar Station, and Technology Centre are required to build these units. Each unit can carry six Infantry / Engineers / Jet-pack Explorers, a double click will empty the ship, once it has landed. If the ship is destroyed, so are the units inside. These ships do not take up any space, this is because if any ground units passes near, the ship will automatically hover upwards.

23. MX-41 Ops Ship

This is the main Astro base used in Special Ops Mode. Much like the Eagle Command Base in Story Mode, these play the role of home base, but unlike the Eagle Command Base, this base is capable of defending itself by firing slow long-range lasers at any enemy who wonders too close to the base. The Ops Ship allows you to construct additional Special Ops units.

24. Switch Fighter

Astro Switch Fighter (click to see large image)

This unit is only seen in Special ops levels, it can be built from the start of Astro Special Ops. Each unit flies when moving and lands when inactive. If attacked, the Switch Fighter can still fight, even if it is on the ground.

25. Crystal Reaper

Astro Crystal Reaper (click to see large image)

This is used exclusively by the Astros in Special ops levels. Although it is called a Crystal Reaper, it can not actually mine crystals. It is more of a cheaper version of a Claw-Tank although it has slightly less health. It's capable of carrying a single Trooper / Engineer / Jet-pack Explorer.

26. MT-201 Driller

This unit is used by the Astros in every Special ops level. It must be placed on a 2 by 3 area of crystals in order to be deployed. Once built, it will automatically award three-hundred crystals every twelve seconds. It has the most armor of any object in the game, twice that of a home base. Unlike any other structure, it can be placed anywhere as long as it is on a 2 by 3 area for Crystals.