Stellaris: 12 Best Trait Combinations For Machine Empires (2024)

When customizing a species in Stellaris, a player will always look to have the best trait combinations to maximize resource output to have a better chance of surviving the harsh galaxy. This applies to mechanical species as well, which will have different play styles compared to other species as they require different resources to survive and colonize the galaxy.

Therefore, it is always important for players to figure out the best combination of traits for their Mechanical species to thrive as a Machine empire. Ranging from picking optimal traits to having faster growth and research options, an optimal combination can be made to enable players to lead the galaxy with their Machine empire.

Updated April 28, 2024, by Evan Arnoldi: Stellaris offers players huge flexibility with its customizable options available for the civics and species. It is possible to create a combination of a highly strengthened species by choosing the right traits. This is especially true for the mechanical species, which requires fewer resources than its organic counterpart. Having the right combination for a mechanical species will increase a player's chance of surviving the harsh galaxy in Stellaris, where neighbors can be hostile at first contact and some alien species can have the potential to destroy a fleet in a matter of days. These optimal combinations of traits will be useful for all players of the game, for veterans and newcomers alike.

12 Smart Learning AIs

Highly Trained Machines Capable Of Technological Advances

• Logic Engines: +10% Research from Jobs
• Emotion Emulators: +20% Amenities from Jobs
• Learning Algorithms: +10% Experience gain for Leaders
• High Bandwidth: +10% Empire Size from Pops
• High Maintenance: +10% Robot Upkeep

Due to their effectiveness, machine species have the potential to rush technology with the right combination of traits. This enables them to progress faster than other empires in the game, including the deadly Fanatic Purifier. Having technological advances will also allow a Machine Empire to impose their will upon other empires in the galaxy, be it peacefully or by force. It gives them the ability to build the best available ship designs to gain an edge during war.

With the inclusion of Logic Engines, pops will be able to achieve higher research output from Research Labs. The Emotion Emulators will also enable pops to allocate fewer jobs dedicated to keeping amenities up. Moreover, the addition of Learning Algorithms enables the empire to rapidly advance Scientist leaders, which can boost research output further by a margin. This helps offset the negative traits of both High Bandwidth and High Maintenance.

11 Resourceful Machines

Dedicated To Economic Superiority

• Superconductive: +15% Energy Credits from Jobs
• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• High Bandwidth: +10% Empire Size from Pops
• Uncanny: -20% Amenities from Jobs
• Repurposed Hardware: -10% Experience gain for Leaders

Having a species dedicated to gaining an economic advantage over the neighboring empires in the galaxy is one of the sure ways to gain a victory in Stellaris, especially if the player manages to gain several planets with huge resource potential. This specific combination enables a pop to increase their resource output to help the empire gain the upper hand in terms of economic advantage.

Superconductive and Efficient Processors enable a pop to farm Energy Credits 20% faster than the normal rates. These can, in turn, can be converted into other resources both in the Internal Market, and the Galactic Market when it is unlocked, should the empire decide to join the Galactic Community. Although the negative modifiers can be intimidating at a first glance, the positive traits can overshadow them easily. Players just have to be diligent enough to expand and occupy other planets near the empire's vicinity. This can be done by peaceful means, or a more brute-force method of war should the planet be already colonized by other empires.

10 Repurposed Emotion Emulators

Drive Up Amenities At Cost Of Housing And Leaders

• Emotion Emulators: +20% Amenities from Jobs
• Double-Jointed: −10% Pop Housing Usage
• Repurposed Hardware: –25% Leader Experience Gain

When playing as a Machine empire, players will need to focus on optimizing their resource generation, such as assigning jobs and prioritizing certain resources. By picking Emotion Emulators, players will be able to reduce the number of maintenance drones and assign them to other jobs.

On the other hand, the negative trait picked, Repurposed Hardware, should not be too impactful in terms of resource generation. Reducing the experience gained by leaders is worth the negatives when compared to both extra amenities and reduced usage of pop housing.

9 Bulky And Expensive Processors

Harness The Power Of Resource Production

• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• High Maintenance: +10% Robot Upkeep
• Bulky: +10% Pop Housing Usage

Resources are crucial in every 4X game, including Stellaris. Players will need to efficiently generate them to both survive and lead the galaxy against all other threats and rival empires. The trait Efficient Processors will enable players to gain more resources from jobs, therefore maximizing the potential resource generation of every working population.

On the other hand, both Bulky and High Maintenance might be a hindrance in the early stages of the game. Bulky will be a handful, but it can be rectified by colonizing more planets for the robotic populations to settle in when a planet is running out of housing.

8 Effective But Pricey

Dominate With Research And Energy Credits

• Logic Engines: +10% Research from Jobs
• Superconductive: +15% Energy Credits from Jobs
• High Maintenance: +10% Robot Upkeep
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

It is crucial for players to maintain their lead in the galaxy by having a massive amount of resources and research in Stellaris, as their rival empires might catch up at any time if they let their guard down. With Logic Engines, players can ensure their Machine empire is leading in terms of research, provided they picked the right Tradition Tree for it as well.

On the other hand, Superconductive increases the crucial generation of energy credits for jobs by the population. With these boosts, players can quickly dominate the galaxy while maintaining their lead across the galaxy.

7 Efficient, Durable, Yet Bulky

Keep Upkeep Low And Generate More Resources

• Durable: –10% Robot Upkeep
• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• Bulky: +10% Pop Housing Usage
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

With a great number of population comes with both benefits and disadvantages, such as the necessity to have the necessary resources for the population's upkeep. This particular issue can be mitigated by having Durable to reduce the population upkeep by a good amount, which is 10%.

Moreover, Efficient Processors will generate more resources for the Machine empire to convert into either research, colonization, or even military power. With the latter, players can subjugate both hostile neighbors and deadly Leviathans that roam the galaxy, which will require investments of both resources and technologies.

6 Enhanced, Durable, Yet Luxurious

Maintain Leaders And Be Rewarded Handsomely

• Enhanced Memory: −25% Leader Upkeep, −1 Leader Maximum Negative Traits
• Durable: –10% Robot Upkeep
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

With the addition of the downloadable content, Galactic Paragon, players can find many advantageous perks from leaders that can enhance their Machine empires to the next level. Research on increasing leader traits is one of the possible positive traits that will be useful in the long run to be gained by leaders.

In this case, players can try to optimize the leaders by having the Enhanced Memory trait, which reduces leaders' upkeep and their maximum negative traits. These modifiers can make or break certain empires. As such, players who pay extra attention to them will be rewarded handsomely.

5 Expensive, Yet Superconductive And Durable

Generate Riches To Dominate The Galaxy

• Superconductive: +15% Energy Credits from Jobs
• Durable: –10% Robot Upkeep
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

Sometimes, all the answers to a Machine empire's galactic problems can be as simple as generating a lot of money, or in this case, energy credits. By reducing population upkeep and having them generate more energy credits with both Superconductive and Durable, players can gain massive amounts of energy credits within the earliest time.

The picked negative trait, Luxurious, is also quite negligible as long as the player focuses on naturally growing their population instead of forcing it via population assembly. Paired with the best possible Origin, a Machine empire with this build can quickly spiral out of control.

4 Bandwidth-Consuming Processors

Simple Combination With A Lot Of Flexibility

• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• High Bandwidth: +10% Empire Size from Pops

Being flexible almost always pays off as players can wait and see whether their surrounding AI empires are peaceful enough for them to play while maximizing resources, or to play aggressively to try holding off a horde of hostile empires that might be instantly hostile after an encounter, and becoming their Overlord to pacify them.

Therefore, a lot of trait slots are conserved for the players to add with this build as it only picks two trait slots in the form of Efficient Processors and High Bandwidth. Efficient Processors are quite powerful and flexible as the trait simply generates more resources, while High Bandwidth's negative modifier is negligible in the early game.

3 Intelligent Luxurious Engines

Rush Technological Tree To Gain Superiority

• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• Logic Engines: +10% Research from Jobs
• High Bandwidth: +10% Empire Size from Pops
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

Sometimes, players must rush through technologies to create powerful buildings and fleets with optimal design to either dominate hostile empires or simply the whole galaxy itself due to their aggressive playstyle. Both Efficient Processors and Logic Engines will make technological advances more rapid than before as the population will be able to churn out massive amounts of research points.

However, players will still need to pay close attention to the population they have. High Bandwidth will sometimes make it necessary for the player to colonize more worlds prematurely.

2 Emotive Custom Processors

Overwhelm The Galaxy With Massive Resource Production

• Emotion Emulators: +20% Amenities from Jobs
• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• Bulky: +10% Pop Housing Usage
• Custom-Made: –15% Pop Assembly Speed
• High Maintenance: +10% Robot Upkeep

Sometimes, the population is stuck with less than optimal jobs such as maintenance drones to maintain amenities throughout colonies in a Machine empire. The addition of Emotion Emulators will release the need for those drones, and players will be able to assign them to resource-producing jobs.

Combine the previous trait with Efficient Processors, and players will have a Machine empire capable of becoming a Crisis with its abundance of resources. These positives will also outweigh any negative modifiers of the negative traits, such as increased population housing usage and upkeep.

1 Superpowered Robots

The Most Efficient Traits Combined To Create Superpowered Robots

• Emotion Emulators: +20% Amenities from Jobs
• Mass-Produced: +15% Pop Assembly Speed
• Efficient Processors: +5% Resources from Jobs
• High Bandwidth: +10% Empire Size from Pops
• Luxurious: +20% Pop Assembly Cost

A combination of the most efficient traits can be found in this particular build, which suits both veterans and beginners of the game. By increasing amenities generation from Emotion Emulators, players will be able to assign the population to more resourceful jobs, and when combined with Mass-Produced, the empire can rapidly ascend the galaxy without too much trouble.

Although rapidly creating a population can be detrimental when paired with High Bandwidth as it increases empire size modifiers, the problem can be alleviated by the positive modifiers generated by other traits in the build. Players can expect to have a cakewalk in the galaxy with this build, provided that they can manage the abundance of resources efficiently.

Stellaris

4X

Grand Strategy

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , Xbox One

Released

May 9, 2016

Developer(s)

Paradox Development Studio