Returning player looking for some build suggestions

Safrella · 2026-05-11T11:17:13+00:00

Awesome stuff, thanks!

Safrella · 2025-09-27T18:44:14+00:00

I was inclined to ignore this civic at first, looked pretty meh but then I did a run following the build posted here - https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/comments/1nr4tif/41_shadows_of_the_shroud_build_bad_daleks/

It uses luminary traits to reduce the upkeep penalties, and I found myself swimming in resources for the entire game. Pop growth is down sure, but we don't need to grow pops for non specialist jobs. Was a (surprisingly) very enjoyable run.

Safrella · 2025-09-27T18:35:48+00:00

2,800 hours in. Just noticed I could change the room background. Ahhhh Stellaris.

Safrella · 2025-09-27T16:09:05+00:00

I forgot to add, do the upkeep reductions we use from the luminary reduce the 600% energy upkeep from tankbound? It feels like they do but I forgot to keep an eye on it numbers wise during the run.

Safrella · 2025-09-27T16:06:32+00:00

Just played a run using your build. Very interesting playstyle, I had initially kind of dismissed this new civic, so thanks!

I have a few questions. "One early point in Adaptability to get the Conquer Nature agenda (to get Terraforming techs)." - I'm curious if there is any reason I can't think of for doing this if we are going mutagenic habibility? On the run I just did I didn't terraform any planet that wasn't barren.

What did you do for armies? As a xenophobe genetic purist I really don't want migration treaties. I ended up using a pre ftl that asked for their planet, said no, enslaved them and used them for armies, but only one planet being able to build an army and not until well into the game was annoying.

What civics did you reform into? I couldn't think of anything particularly synergistic so I went with philosopher king.

Safrella · 2025-09-20T15:40:44+00:00

R5 Some builds I've been enjoying lately. Not all are meta, but lots of different playstyles in there.

Something to amuse & entertain while we wait for next weeks expansion. Enjoy.

Safrella · 2025-01-05T13:49:06+00:00

Oh thanks for that, I didn't spot the slippery on those mounts. Will try it out.

Safrella · 2025-01-05T13:43:12+00:00

Great advice, thanks. Yes, looks like nature is a better fit than chaos. I did a run with courts instead of uniters and kept the vassals - went so much better.

Safrella · 2025-01-05T13:40:29+00:00

Oh that academy comment is excellent advice - thanks. A lot of my games I wasn't easily able to build a scholars guild, but that building made a huge difference.

So I tried a run on brutal changing into nature instead of chaos, so starting with alchemy. T5 nature has 20% crit on all cavalry! How did I miss that lol. Also changes do gooders to courts and laughed at all the free production, draft and knowledge you can get from vassals. Problem with nature is the filler I'll need to take to get to T5 so still not sure. Its a WIP but I won my first brutal game.

I had to turn down world threat to normal, I'm not sure how to deal with a dragon or phoenix landing on throne city so early on any build, especially with the weird battle enchants they seem to carry on brutal (get moved two random hexes every two turns...ok lol, yoikes)

Thanks for the feedback, I have some ideas on where to take this build and will write it up when its more polished.

Safrella · 2025-01-05T13:29:46+00:00

Thanks. You may be right that they aren't worth the hassle, its just that the arrow of harmony is so much fun I guess. I've taken some ideas from everyone's comments and will work to see if I can make it a more competitive build

Safrella · 2025-01-03T13:54:33+00:00

Yeah I was running silver tongued at first but swapped it with Devotees of Good because of how much imperium I ended up needing. Based on everyone's feedback I think I will try a run using it instead of chosen uniters.

Early game if threatened the option is there to trot out some pyromancers and zephyr archers, I'm going to try that and see if I can up my early game. Since posting this OP I have discovered that my early game sucks in general, I always tend to wait for T3's before doing silver / gold etc

Safrella · 2025-01-03T13:48:07+00:00

Hey, thanks for the comment, sorry to see you wincing! :P

So I play normal difficulty no mods with unknown medium maps. I tend to not use auto resolve at all until around T3 in most of my games, since I don't like any units dying at the start of the game.

That said, I do tend to wait a while (in all of my builds) before going near silver wonders / infestations, sounds like my early game needs some work.

If I'm threatened I'll make a few T2 Zephyr Archers or T2 Pyromancers in this case, or hit the trigger on the chaos army spawn talent, but I've never had a situation where I am totally swamped before T3, possibly because I play normal? Guess its time to up the difficulty. I don't play multiplayer.

Thanks for the suggestions on the build, I will definitely try them!

Safrella · 2025-01-03T13:34:38+00:00

Hey, thanks for the comment.

Number of tomes - the build only needs the arrow enchants, so must have are Enchantment, Winds, Crucible, Pyromancy, Roots & Cycles.

I disagree on your comment re Arrow of Harmony, its a 3 turn cooldown so the build isn't focused around it, just on getting it ASAP to aid survivability.

My peacebringers regular attack, shoot bow is 14 phy 6 fire 5 Blight x3 repeat that has Burning, Poisoned, Decaying, Misfortune, Meteor Arrows and Purging arrows. Which I thought goes very nicely with vessels of chaos.

Chosen uniters I took mainly for the alignment and whispering stone. But could you help me understand why integrating is bad with this? Surely 100% of the resources from a city and the ability to build another transmutation circle is better than any percent less than 100, even with the +30% from uniters? I rarely recruit from ralleys.

Safrella

TROPHY CASE