Summary
Due to the enormity of customization and choices during the creation of a custom empire inStellaris, a player may opt to play as one of thepreset empiresinstead of handcrafting their own to save time and stress. There is also the possibility that playing as one of these preset empires can spawn a rare special event that only a preset empire can witness.
It comes as no surprise when people want to play some of these preset empires inStellaris, although some of them might not be powerful enough to single-handedly win the game. However, there are a number of handpicked empires that have a combination of ethics, civics, and species traits powerful enough to win the game.
7Ix’Idar Star Collective
A Great Introduction To Hive Mind Empires
Hive Mind empirescan be tricky to play for newer players, as they require a strong understanding of the game’s basic mechanics. Moreover, Hive Mind empires use resources differently than normal empires, a prominent example being thatIx’Idar Star Collective’snative populace does not require Consumer Goods as one of their species' upkeep.
Therefore, playing a Hive Mind empire with their basic ethics andsimple yet strong civicsis preferable for players who are not well-versed inStellarisyet, and want to try a preset Hive Mind empire at first. Ix’Idar Star Collective offers quite a flexible approach while teaching new players the mechanic of being a Hive Mind, with all of its intricacies, in a more peaceful playthrough.
6Certeran Covenant
A Huge Potential For Psionic Ascension
Psionic Ascensionrequires a specific set of civics and ethics in order to be viable for players ofStellaris, as the galaxy can be unforgiving enough to crush any sub-optimal empires swiftly with the amount of hostile empires and entities out there. A good starting point for any new players that want to try out the Psionic path inStellariscan try pursuing it with theCerteran Covenantpreset, as the empire is optimally built for bothAstral Rift explorationand pursuing The Shroud.
The Dimensional Worship and Ascensionists civics will allow the empire to rapidly gain traditions from a huge amount of unity gained monthly. Moreover, they can also thrive technologically thanks to their Natural Physicists trait, making them quite powerful as far as preset empires go.
5Lokken Mechanists
Capable Of Rapid Technological Advancement
Technological advances are always powerful in 4X strategy games, andStellarisis no exception. Having rapid technological advancement can translate to being dominant in the galaxy, and it is achievable while playing as theLokken Mechanists. With their Mechanist origin and Fanatic Materialist ethic, the Lokken Mechanists are capable of gaining quick technological advancement with their numerous bonuses for tech resources.
Although the Lok species is hindered with the Slow Breeders trait, it can be circumvented quickly if they manage to focus on Biology technology andgaining trait pointsto gene-edit their species. Although it is a preset empire, Lokken Mechanists can be said to be nearly as powerful as a custom empire.
4Blooms Of Gaea
Maximize The Power Of Catalytic Processing
Catalytic Processinghas been the best civic in the game since release due to its advantages in generating alloys from food instead of minerals, enabling an empire to build thestrongest ship design possible. This can prove to be useful, as the minerals can be used for essential buildings that can help a planet to be as productive as possible. Playing as theBlooms of Gaeawill enable such a playstyle, as this preset empire has Catalytic Processing as one of their civics.
Its ethics in being a pacifist and egalitarian will also help in managing their empire efficiently while also being sufficiently prepared for any attack from nearby hostile empires. Playing as the Blooms of Gaea can help prepare a new player to have a passive playstyle that focuses inward, instead of focusing their attention toward invading weak neighboring empires.
3XT-489 Eliminator
A Strong Template Of A Genocidal Empire
For players who are particularly interested in the military aspects ofStellarisand care less about its diplomatic side, playing as theXT-489 Eliminatorwill serve as an interesting starting point, as the empire is a Determined Exterminator bent on the annihilation of all other species in the galaxy. Being a Determined Exterminator, ora Fanatic Purifier, has its own merits, as it allows the empire to have huge bonus modifiers in return for not being able to have a friendly relationship with any other empires in the galaxy.
Moreover, the XT-489 have optimal choices of species traits, well-tailored for wars against others. A player that wants to have a bit of fun deleting the entire galaxy should be interested enough to give XT-489 Eliminator a try in their new games.
2Commonwealth Of Man
A Warmongering Path For Humanity
Usually, the human is portrayed as benevolent, while also being particularly open to interaction with other species in the galaxy. However, playing as theCommonwealth of ManinStellariswill subvert that trope, as the empire is more focused on being militaristic without any love to any xenos in the galaxy, characterized by their Xenophobe ethic.
The combination ofits government civicsand its ethics enable the Commonwealth Of Man to be one of the strongest preset empires inStellaris. Their well-balanced empire suits a player that wants to play as a preset while also having fun without caring about any efficiency, as the empire’s combination of traits and civics will take care of it in most situations.
1United Nations Of Earth
A Great Starter Empire For Anyone
The trope of humanity banding together as a united front on Earth to journey beyond the solar system has been quite widespread, andStellarisdoes it best by having theUnited Nations of Earthas one of the playable preset empires. The United Nations Of Earth is very popular among veterans and newcomers ofStellarisalike due to its simplicity and potential to interact with all mechanics in the game, be it diplomacy, military, and even exploration ofthe unique systemsin the galaxy, as it is encouraged by the empire’s Xenophile ethic.
Moreover, the civic combination of both Beacon of Liberty and Idealistic Foundation enables the empire to be flexible in its gameplay, as they can interact with other empires to build a Federation. United Nations Of Earth is the perfect textbook preset empire for any newcomer that wants to try outStellaris.
