Nickel is a refined metal used mainly for construction and specialized crafting. It has a melting point and specific heat similar to iron, with thermal conductivity slightly below cobalt, which makes it a solid choice for general-purpose buildings and especially useful in heat-transfer setups. Among common metals, it also has relatively high radiation resistance, so it is well suited for radiation-shielding structures.
Because of those properties, Nickel is often chosen when a structure needs to survive temperature changes without becoming too conductive, or when a player wants a metal that behaves reasonably well in both ordinary builds and thermal systems. It is not just a niche material: it can stand in for more basic metals in many construction projects, while offering better protection against radiation than most alternatives.
Nickel can also be used in crafting. Duplicants can use it to produce an atmo suit, and it is part of the recipes for two different explosive projectiles. Those recipes consume Nickel alongside other materials, so it can become a practical mid-game input once more advanced manufacturing is available.
It is also a food source for Plug Slugs and their variants. When fed, they consume Nickel at 60 kg/cycle and excrete 3 kg/cycle, while the variant that uses it at a lower rate consumes 30 kg/cycle and excretes 1.5 kg/cycle. This makes Nickel valuable not only as a construction resource, but also as livestock feed in bases that rely on electrical production from Plug Slugs.
In practice, Nickel is most useful when its combination of moderate heat behavior and radiation resistance matters more than raw accessibility. Good uses include:
ordinary buildings where a more durable metal is desired
heat exchange or thermal management builds
radiation shielding structures
crafting advanced equipment and explosive ordnance
feeding Plug Slugs and their variants
Since Nickel is a refined metal, its value tends to increase once a colony begins dealing with higher temperatures, radiation, or specialized production chains. It is less about being the strongest possible material and more about being the right material for situations where thermal stability and radiation handling are both important.
