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This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Spaceborne aliens

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Spaceborne aliens range from non-sentient, space-dwelling creatures to gargantuan leviathans to alien enclaves, including the warlike marauders. Spaceborne aliens are likely be the first encounter for newly spacefaring species. Mechanically, each type of spaceborne alien is considered a special type of empire, though exempt from many of the game's usual rules. Spaceborne aliens have increased stats based on the difficulty settings.

Space fauna[]

Space Amoeba

Humanoid science ships encountering a pacified Space Amoeba Mother

Space creatures are entities which may not even classify as ships or life in the common meaning of the words. They generally inhabit a certain area of space and are seldom seen away from it. Upon First Contact completion a special project will be added to the situation log, which when completed will allow an empire to deal with them in three ways:

  • Researching unlocks a special project for detailed research that will grant a choice between an empire modifier and possibly a creature technology.
  • Hunting will grant a +33% damage bonus empire modifier towards that type of Space Creature, and resources rewards upon killing them. If the creatures cannot be pacified the option is available to all empires, otherwise it is only available to Fanatic MilitaristMilitarist Militarist, Fanatic XenophobeXenophobe Xenophobe and Civic fanatic purifiersCivic devouring swarmCivic machine terminator Genocidal empires.
  • Pacify will unlock a special project that costs 5000 Physics Research Physics research and allows an empire to turn the space creatures non-hostile and unlock the ability to research all special components the creatures use. Only 2 of the 5 Space Creatures can be pacified. This option is available to Fanatic PacifistPacifist Pacifist, Fanatic XenophileXenophile Xenophile, Civic empath Empath or Civic machine servitor Rogue Servitor empires. If the Galactic Community is formed the Space Amoeba pacification modifier can be offered to all members by passing the Space Amoeba Protection Act Resolution.

If killed, space creatures will slowly respawn in their home system.

Space Creatures Research option bonuses Hunting Pacifying Type Home System Tactics
Ancient Mining Drones
Evt mining station
Cost: 2000 Engineering research Engineering research

Minerals +10% Mining Station Minerals
Yes No Can expand Contains 2 normal mining stations and the Home Base Ore Grinder. Each station is guarded by two fleets, one purely destroyers and one made of drones. Destroying Home Base Ore Grinder grants 4000 Minerals Minerals and 500 Alloys Alloys.

If the Ancient Relics Ancient Relics DLC is installed it also grants the R surveyor Surveyor Relic.

Ancient Mining Drones use regular components. The Cutting Lasers can be salvaged.
Mining Drone Combat Drone Destroyer Base
  • Small 2 Cutting Laser
  • Large 1 Armor T1
  • Medium 1 Armor T1
  • Core Reactor T2
  • Core Thrusters T2
  • Core Sensor T1
  • Medium 1 Cutting Laser
  • Small 2 Cutting Laser
  • Large 1 Armor T1
  • Medium 2 Armor T1
  • Core Reactor T2
  • Core Thrusters T2
  • Core Sensor T1
  • Medium 2 Cutting Laser
  • Small 2 Cutting Laser
  • Large 1 Armor T1
  • Medium 3 Armor T1
  • Core Reactor T2
  • Core Thrusters T2
  • Core Sensor T1
  • Large 2 Laser T5
  • Hangar 3 Strike Craft
  • Large 5 Armor T1
  • Core Reactor T2
  • Core Sensor T1
Crystalline Entities
Evt space crystals
Cost: 2000 Physics Research Physics research

Energy Credits +5% Energy from Jobs
OR
Tech crystal armor 1 Crystal-Infused Plating tech
MilitaristFanatic Militarist
XenophobeFanatic Xenophobe
Civic devouring swarmCivic machine terminator
Yes Can expand Contains Crystal Nidus, a large crystalline structure guarded by 4 elite fleets. The system can be safely explored and claimed if the crystalline entities have been pacified. As their home system has a pulsar, shields will be useless when attacking it.
  • Defensively: Armor or shields - their shard weapons deal +50% damage against hull but have no other bonus
  • Offensively: Plasma launchers, mining lasers, or lasers - Crystalline Entities have resilient and regenerating hulls, but no shields or armor
  • Unique salvage: Tech crystal armor 1 Crystal-Infused Plating from ships, Tech crystal armor 2 Crystal-Forged Plating from Crystal Nidus, both are the only hull increasing components in the game.
Space Amoeba
Evt friendly amoeba
Cost: 2000 Society research Society research

Mod ship evasion mult +5% Evasion
OR
Regenerative Hull Tissue Regenerative Hull Tissue tech
MilitaristFanatic Militarist
XenophobeFanatic Xenophobe
Civic devouring swarmCivic machine terminator
Yes Migratory Always called Amor Alveo, its various celestial body deposits produce in total 8 Energy Credits Energy, 12 Minerals Minerals, 6 Society research Society, 3 Exotic gases Exotic Gases, 3 Volatile motes Volatile Motes and 2 Rare crystals Rare Crystals.
  • Defensively: Shields and point defense - their weapons deal +25% damage against armor and large amoeba launch strike craft
  • Offensively: Energy weapons - Space Amoeba have natural armor and regenerate
  • Unique salvage: Tech amoeba strike craft 1 Amoeba Flagella, strike craft almost as strong as Tier 2 Improved Strike Craft
Void Clouds
Evt wormhole
Cost: 2000 Physics Research Physics research

Physics Research +10% Physics from Jobs
Yes No Stationary Always called Great Wound, it is a black hole cluster guarded by 3 Void Cloud fleets. Most black holes have deposits of 4 Physics Research Physics and the central one contains the largest Dark Matter Dark Matter deposit in the galaxy. The system should be attacked with a highly superior force due to the effects of black holes on space battles.
  • Defensively: Crystal plated hulls if available - their weapons ignore both shields and armor. Their erratic damage can sometimes destroy Corvettes in one hit.
  • Offensively: Missiles and Autocannons - Void Clouds have equal amounts of natural shields and hull
  • Unique salvage: Tech space cloud weapon 1 Cloud Lightning, L weapons that ignore both shields and armor
Tiyanki Space Whales
Evt tiyanki family
Tech space whale weapon 1 Frequency Tuning tech No Already Migratory Always called Tiyana Vek, it contains 4 Gas Giants. Each one has a deposit of Society research 6 society. The star itself always has a deposit of Physics Research 6 physics.

Have a secondary system always called Tiyun Ort, its various celestial body deposits produce 6 Physics Research Physics and 3 Volatile motes Volatile Motes. The ice asteroid Zhaduva contains a level 3 anomaly that will add another deposit of 3 Society research Society. The unique world Orek Vuul contains the archaeology site Tiyanki Grave Mound.

Tiyanki fleets can consist of Cows, Bulls, Calves and Hatchlings. They are not hostile unless attacked. Regenerative Hull Tissue can be salvaged. Orek Vuul contains four Tiyanki Ox guards.
Bull and Cow Calf and Hatchling
Loadout
  • Ship part space whale weapon 5 Energy Siphon
  • Ship part auto repair 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue
  • Ship part space whale weapon 3 Energy Siphon
  • Ship part auto repair 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue
Kill rewards
  • Energy Credits 500 Energy
  • Exotic gases 50 Exotic Gases
  • Energy Credits 250 Energy
  • Exotic gases 25 Exotic Gases

Seed pods[]

Non-hostile space fauna fleets that feed at starbases or orbital rings with a Sb feeder Garden building will be loaded with Text icon seed Seed Pods. Hovering oven a space fauna fleet that carries Text icon seed Seed Pods on the galaxy map or selecting it will show a Text icon seed Seed Pods icon. Space fauna can carry the seeds from multiple Origins gardeners Fruitful Partnership empires, in which case whose seeds make planetfall is determined at random. When a fleet with Text icon seed Seed Pods orbits a habitable world the following will happen:

  • If the world in uncolonized it will gain the Pm natural beautyPm frame 2 Dormant Seed Pods modifier and the owner of the starbase or orbital ring where the space fauna fleet fed will gain an Open Seed Pods special project. The project costs 3000 Energy Credits Energy and takes only a month to finish and completing it will colonize the world. The opportunity is lost if another empire colonized the world.
  • if the world is colonized by another empire before or after the seeds are dropped the colony will gain a Pop from the main species of the Origins gardeners Fruitful Partnership empire and a modifier that grants colony bonuses but gives all empires with the Origins gardeners Fruitful Partnership origin at war with the world's owner a special project that costs 500 Energy Credits Energy to summon armies on the planet. The empire owning the colony will gain +50 Diplomacy opinion Opinion with the Origins gardeners Fruitful Partnership empire. If the two empires did not complete a First Contact they will instantly establish communications.
  • If the world is colonized by the Origins gardeners Fruitful Partnership empire with a colony ship it will gain an additional Pop.

VLUUR[]

VLUUR is a powerful migrating Void Cloud that has around 32K fleet power and is armed with 8 Ship part space cloud weapon Cloud Lighting weapons. For as long as VLUUR is in a system it will cause a storm that causes Mod ship speed mult −50% sublight speed and Mod ship fire rate mult −15% fire rate on ships. VLUUR moves to a new system every 4-7 years.

VLUUR is not hostile but can be attacked. It has powerful shields and high evasion, but low hull, and can be defeated deceptively easily with missile weapons. Defeating VLUUR grants Dark Matter 100 dark matter, and creates various deposits of Dark Matter 1-3 dark matter on up to 4 planets in the system it's defeated in.

Bemat Thalassocracy[]

The Bemat Thalassocracy is a hostile fleet that can appear after the end-game year is reached. It appears in a system owned by an empire that produces at least Trade value 180 trade value. The fleet is made up of the following ships:

40 corvettes 35 destroyers 34 cruisers
  • Small 1 Kinetic T3
  • Small 1 Plasma T1
  • Small 1 Disruptor T1
  • Small 2 Shield T2
  • Auxiliary 1 Afterburners T2
  • Auxiliary 1 Shield Capacitor
  • Core Jump Drive
  • Core Thrusters T4
  • Core Sensors T2
  • Core Reactor T5
  • Core Combat Computer T1
  • Medium 1 Plasma T3
  • Small 1 Plasma T3
  • Small 3 Laser T5
  • Small 4 Shield T4
  • Small 2 Armor T3
  • Auxiliary 1 Shield Capacitor
  • Core Jump Drive
  • Core Thrusters T3
  • Core Sensors T2
  • Core Reactor T5
  • Core Combat Computer T2 (Line)
  • Guided 1 Missiles T5
  • Guided 2 Swarmer Missiles T1
  • Small 2 Disruptor T2
  • Small 2 Plasma T3
  • Small 2 Kinetic T3
  • Medium 5 Shield T4
  • Medium 3 Armor T3
  • Auxiliary 1 Auxiliary Fire Control
  • Auxiliary 1 Nanite Repair System
  • Core Jump Drive
  • Core Thrusters T3
  • Core Sensors T2
  • Core Reactor T5
  • Core Combat Computer T2 (Artillery)

Nomads[]

Nomads

The nomad fleet

Nomads are replaced by Caravaneers if the MegaCorp MegaCorp DLC is enabled.

The Nomads, or Namarians as they call themselves, are a passive millennia old intergalactic race with no homeworld, forever traveling the void in their starships. Once they establish communications with an empire, the nomads help establish communications between any encountered empires that haven't discovered each other yet. They travel from system to system during their temporary stay in the galaxy, and eventually set sail for another galaxy. Events related to them can take place during their stay.

The date when and if the Nomads arrive is rolled at game start, with the following chances per human player:

  • 20% chance to appear after 7,300 to 7,800 days (roughly 20.28 to 21.67 years)
  • 25% chance to appear after 14,600 to 15,100 days (roughly 40.56 to 41.94 years)
  • 25% chance to appear after 20,075 to 20,575 days (roughly 55.76 to 57.15 years)
  • 30% chance to not trigger (they may still appear if another human player rolls them)

If more than one player triggers the Nomads, they spawn a single time on the earliest rolled date.

When they arrive, the Nomads spawn in a random non-hostile rim system that no regular empire has more than Intel level low low intel on. Upon appearing, they decide the midpoint and endpoint systems of their journey.

  • Midpoint: A random non-hostile system with a distance of 250 to 500 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 150 to 500, whether or not it's hostile.
  • Endpoint: A random rim system with a distance of 400 to 1450 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 250 to 1450.

On their journey, Nomads perform an action on entering a system. Those actions depends on if the system has an owner and what their relationship with the owner is. If the system is owned by an empire they haven't contacted and isn't hostile to them, they start orbiting a random planet in the system until contact is established. The system owner is unable to decipher their communications, but contact is always established after 100 days. After contact is established, they send the owner a request. If they enter another system owned by the same empire, they roll for a request again. Each interaction has the following chances:

  • 30% - Ask to leave some pops on an owned planet within the empire's borders. If the empire agrees, three Egalitarian Egalitarian Namarian pops spawn on a random Planet arid Arid, Planet desert Desert, or Planet savannah Savannah colony. A colony is 6 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 0 free housing and 11 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 1 free housing. Namarians are immortal and have the Trait pc desert preference Desert Preference, Nomadic Nomadic, Venerable Venerable, and Natural Engineers Natural Engineers traits.
    • ×0 If the system owner does not have a colony on a Dry planet
    • ×0 If the system owner is a Auth hive mind Hive Mind
    • ×0.75 If they've already left pops with the system owner
    • ×1.5 If they haven't left pops with the system owner yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
    • ×0.3 If the system owner's slavery Policies policy is set to Allowed
  • 30% - Ask for an uncolonized planet to colonize, forming a new empire. If the empire agrees, they gain Influence 150 to 300 influence and a random uncolonized Planet arid Arid, Planet desert Desert, Planet tropical Tropical, Planet ocean Ocean, or Planet gaia Gaia world within their borders becomes the capital of a new single-system Namarian empire. The new empire has Auth democratic Democratic authority, the Egalitarian Egalitarian, Spiritualist Spiritualist, and Xenophile Xenophile ethics, random civics, and a decaying Diplomacy opinion +100 opinion modifier towards the empire. The new empire starts with 14 Egalitarian Egalitarian Namarian pops that have their climate preference trait changed to match their new planet, 1000 Energy Credits energy and Minerals minerals, and Influence 500 influence. Because they start with no other resources, no buildings, and no districts, this new empire immediately starts suffering from food and consumer goods deficits, housing shortages, and unemployment.
    • ×0 If the system owner doesn't control an uncolonized Planet tundra Tundra, Planet arid Arid, Planet desert Desert, Planet tropical Tropical, Planet continental Continental, or Planet gaia Gaia world in an uninhabited system.[1][2]
    • ×0 If the system owner is a Auth hive mind Hive Mind
    • ×0.5 If they've already colonized a planet from any empire
    • ×1.75 If they haven't colonized a planet yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
  • 30% - Sell 5 or 15 Cruisers.
    • ×0 If the system owner already was offered ships
    • ×0.25 If the system owner is Fanatic Militarist Fanatic Militarist or Fanatic Xenophobe Fanatic Xenophobe
    • ×0.5 If they already sold ships to an empire
    • ×1.75 If they haven't sold ships to anyone yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
  • 10% - Move on with no request.

If the system has no owner, isn't hostile, and isn't the mid- or endpoint of their journey, they perform a peaceful action with the following chances:

  • 10% - Repair fleet and build new ships.
    • ×10 If under 3k Fleet Power
    • ×5 If under 5k Fleet Power
    • ×0 If over 10k Fleet Power or have built new ships within the last 120 days
  • 80% - Pick a random planet and wait in orbit for 40–50 days. Afterwards, they have a 25% chance to move on and 75% chance to pick another planet in the system to orbit. They orbit a maximum of three planets this way before moving on.
    • ×0 If less than 1.5k Fleet Power
  • 10% - Move on without doing anything.

While the Nomads are inherently peaceful, a fight can be picked in order to get access to their technology. Nomads are easy prey but their technology is just average by midgame, making this rarely useful. The nomad fleet consists of the following:

20 Protectors 3 Ark Ships
  • Large 1 Laser T4
  • Point defense 2 Point-Defense T2
  • Medium 2 Armor T3
  • Medium 1 Shields T3
  • Core Hyperdrive T3
  • Core Thrusters T3
  • Core Sensors T3
  • Core Reactor T4
  • Core Combat Computer T3 (Picket)
  • Core Hyperdrive T3
  • Core Thrusters T3
  • Core Sensors T3
  • Core Reactor T4

Enigmatic Cache[]

Evt enigmatic cache

Enigmatic Cache

The Enigmatic Cache, or BALDOR as it calls itself, is a tubular entity that emerges from any Gateway or L-Gate once the mid-game year is reached, if any player empire is at peace, and sets course for the nearest empire that is not at war. Upon taking damage to its hull, it instantly teleports away to the closest system with a Gateway or L-Gate.

Once the Enigmatic Cache enters an empire's borders, it starts orbiting each one of the empire's colonies for a decade. As long as it orbits a colony, it gives it a Research +30% research output modifier to the colony, but also Happiness −10% happiness to any pops with the Xenophobe Xenophobe ethic. The first time the Enigmatic Cache orbits an empire's colony, the empire receives the option of issuing a special project to study it or leave it alone and gain Influence 50 influence. The special project costs Engineering research 2500 engineering research and finishing it refunds Engineering research 90-250 engineering research and grants an L-Gate insight, if the empire has discovered an L-Gate. Once all colonies have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache sets course for the nearest empire and repeats the process.

Enigmatic Uplifting

After all colonies in the galaxy have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache goes to the capital of a biological empire that did not attack it and requests to uplift the main species via a special project that takes 2 years. In multiplayer, the human player with the lowest Relative power icon relative power is chosen, random if tied. In singleplayer, the player empire is always chosen.

Enigmatic Dreams

If main species doesn't have Intelligent Intelligent or Quick Learners Quick Learners, 60 to 80 days into the project there is a 50% chance to be given the choice between aborting the uplift or adding the Fatigued modifier (Mod pop resource output −30% resources from jobs) on 60 random non-robotic main species pops that have one of the following jobs:

Pop job Job Gestalt consciousness Gestalt Consciousness Job0
Job default Unemployed
Researcher Researcher Brain Drone Brain Drone / Job researcher Calculator
Metallurgist Metallurgist Foundry Drone Foundry Drone / Fabricator Fabricator
Job artisan Artisan Job artisan Artisan Drone
Job culture worker Culture Worker
Job chemist Chemist Job chemist Chemist Drone
Job translucer Translucer Job translucer Translucer Drone
Job gas refiner Gas Refiner Job gas refiner Gas Refiner Drone
Job technician Technician Job technician Technician Drone
Miner Miner Mining Drone Mining Drone
No Job farmer Agri-Drone
Job crystal miner Crystal Miner Job crystal miner Crystal Mining Drone
Job gas extractor Gas Extractor Job gas extractor Gas Extraction Drone
Mote Harvester Mote Harvester Mote Harvesting Drone Mote Harvesting Drone

The modifier lasts until the uplift process is completed or aborted.

Alert

130 to 170 days into the project, the empire is notified that the Enigmatic Cache is deteriorating. 4 random non-robotic main species pops (with the same job restrictions as Enigmatic Dreams) gain the Vegetable modifier (Mod pop resource output −80% resources from jobs) until the uplift is completed or aborted, and the player is offered the following options:

  • Abort the uplift, causing the Enigmatic Cache to teleport away and never return.
  • Ignore it. Once the project is complete, the 4 pops with the Vegetable modifier gain the Trait uplifted Unlifted trait (Research −60% research), all other non-robotic main species pops gain the Trait uplifted Somewhat Uplifted trait (Research +10% research), and all of them gain the PTSD modifier (Happiness −20% happiness) for 10 years. The Enigmatic Cache remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its Research research output modifier.
  • Issue a special project to repair the Enigmatic Cache with a construction ship. Once the uplift is complete, if the repair project was finished, the main species gains the Trait uplifted Uplifted trait (Researcher +10% researcher output and Mod leader species exp gain +25% leader experience gain) and lose the Slow Learners Slow Learners trait. The Enigmatic Cache also remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its Research research output modifier. If any pops from the main species didn't have the Intelligent Intelligent or Quick Learners Quick Learners trait, there's a 75% chance they gain the Ignorance is Bliss modifier (Happiness −10% happiness) for 10 years.
  • If the main species is a Hive Mind with the Erudite Erudite trait, Trait uplifted Uplifted will not be applied as it is apparently incompatible.

Note: The traits do not give unique bonuses to leaders despite the tooltips saying they do.

References[]

  1. Because of differences between the planet classes the Nomads look for when triggering the event and the planet classes they actually can actually choose to colonize, this event may fail if you have an available Planet tundra Tundra or Planet continental Continental world but not one of the classes the Nomads can use.
  2. It's possible for the Nomads to colonize a Spiritualist fallen empire's holy world this way, resulting in a very short-lived empire.
Game concepts
Exploration ExplorationFTLAnomalyArchaeological siteRelicsPre-FTL speciesFallen empireEventsSpaceborne aliensEnclavesGuardiansMaraudersCaravaneers
Celestial bodies Celestial bodyColonizationTerraformingPlanetary featuresPlanet modifiers
Species SpeciesTraitsPopulationPop modificationSpecies rightsEthicsLeader
Governance EmpireOriginGovernmentCivicsPoliciesEdictsFactionsTechnologyTraditionsSituations
Economy ResourcesPlanetary managementDistrictsBuildingsHoldingsJobsDesignationTradeMegastructures
Diplomacy DiplomacyRelationsGalactic communityFederationsSubject empiresIntelligenceAI personalities
Warfare WarfareSpace warfareLand warfareStarbaseShipShip designerCrisis
Others The ShroudL-ClusterUnique systemsPreset empiresAI playersEaster eggs
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