In Stellaris, everyone is out to get you. And only your spaceships are standing between you and total subjugation. Other than high-tech weapon systems and good numbers, you’ll need capable hands – or tentacles – to lead your fleets to victory. Admirals come in all shapes and sizes, and their traits determine their military potential. So we’re ranking the traits that really shouldn’t be missing from a successful admiral.
10. Cautious
After some unfortunate encounters with Space Amoeba or hostile pirate fleets, one of your admirals may become Cautious. Being cautious does not mean becoming a coward, but taking the necessary steps to neutralize threats before they can damage your ships. For that reason, a Cautious admiral will give 20% extra range to your weapons systems. If you’ve invested time and resources into upgrading your ship’s offensive capabilities – especially Kinetic Weapons, which usually have a longer range – your fleet will turn your enemies into space debris way before they pose a real threat. This is especially beneficial in the game’s early stages, where Alloys are scarce, and each ship is precious.
9. Aggressive
Alternatively, a string of glorious victories will make your admiral thirst for battle and become Aggressive. These admirals are all about shooting first and asking questions later. They’ll charge into battle with gusto and turn your enemies into Swiss cheese with a 5% faster fire rate and 10% faster sub-light speed. The Aggressive trait is a pretty common starting characteristic for newly-recruited admirals, and it’s the one I usually choose when available. It’s especially desirable if you’re just trying to get as many ships out into battle as possible in very little time.
8. Trickster
As I mentioned before, empires with modest Alloy production need to get the most out of every ship before replacing them. Specially skilled admirals may reveal themselves to be Tricksters, using distractions and the element of surprise to get an edge on the enemy without putting themselves at risk. An admiral with this trait will help your fleets escape brutal battles with 25% higher chances of disengaging the enemy and 15% less risk of damaging your ships after an emergency FTL jump. This is ideal for keeping your ships in good shape or for risky operations where you imperil a spaceship flotilla to weaken a strong opponent only to FTL jump out before flying in your main fleet.
7. Unyielding
We all hate losing – and when the entire purpose of your existence is leading the space navy in service of your empire, you might take it personally. Occasionally, one of your admirals will get the Unyielding trait after losing a battle, making them allergic to retreat. This trait is unique because it has a built-in drawback. It’s handy because it gives your ships 10% more durable hulls and 5% extra weapon damage, but it also makes them 33% less likely to successfully disengage. It’s certainly more bad-ass than being “Cautious” or a “Trickster,” and if you play your cards right, you’ll never need to disengage anyway.
6. Resilient
The Resilient trait isn’t specific to admirals. In fact, just about any leader can get it. Being Resilient means you’re in excellent physical condition and likely to remain that way for much longer than other members of your species. It adds 25 years to your leader’s life expectancy. This is fantastic for admirals, as it’ll let them accumulate more experience and slowly acquire more beneficial traits. There are even better versions of this trait, such as Extended Lifespan, but those are hard to get. Resilient is a common find among recruits and will start benefiting your empire right away.
5. Dragonslayer
Some of the best traits are acquired by completing certain challenges. You’re in luck if you happen to find a star system protected by the mysterious Ether Drake. Not only will you get a massively productive planet if you defeat them and claim the system, but the admiral leading the fleet will get the Dragonslayer trait. This quality makes your admiral a proven badass with 10% faster sub-light movement and 10% faster fire rate. It’s better than Aggressive, and you can choose which admiral gets it.
4. Gale Speed
One of the hardest parts of managing your military is getting them to where they need to be in time. Sometimes, you’ll be in the middle of conquering a foreign state or carrying out a special operation against some pirates when a group of Marauders or – worse – one of the Crisis factions will start attacking your home turf. Admirals with the Gale Speed trait can be a godsend in these situations thanks to their 20% higher sub-light speed. In addition, your admiral’s speed and skill give them 5% higher evasion, allowing them to outmaneuver your enemies with ease.
3. Fleet Logistician
Stellaris is primarily a numbers game. You’ll come out on top of your foes if you create more resources to improve your society and spend less on maintaining what you already have. The Fleet Logistician trait helps your admiral manage supplies 10% better than the average leader, saving you an important amount of Alloys and Energy Credits to invest in something else. Most long-standing admirals commanding large fleets will eventually get this trait, and you’ll celebrate every time.
2. Chosen One
The Shroud is a realm of pure psionic energy your empire will discover after selecting the Transcendence ascension perk. Many things can happen when interacting with such a powerful and chaotic plane. One of the most fortunate is the chance to turn one of your leaders into the Chosen One. This gives them massive bonuses, including 20% extra damage and 30% more efficient evasion for their fleet. It also makes them immortal, guaranteeing a great admiral for the rest of the game. Chosen One doesn’t get the highest spot in the ranking because interactions with the Shroud often involve some kind of drawback. There are high chances of your admiral dying or becoming a Corrupted Avatar, which can be a significant setback.
1. Ascendant Clone Admiral
Introduced in the Humanoid Species Pack DLC, the Clone Army origin allows you to play as the remnants of a clone army that lost their creator species and relies on clone vats to reproduce. After excavating the ruins of your homeworld, you’ll start an event chain that ends with the chance to either give your species back the ability to reproduce normally or unlock your potential as Ascendant Clones. Do this, and you can get Ascendant Clone admirals, who’ll have an incredible 35% faster fire rate and – most importantly – 20% less ship upkeep. It’s crazy! You can also subjugate an Ascendant Clone empire and recruit admirals from them before they inevitably die off without their precious clone vats.
