Species traits are the most important aspect of your population. Traits alone will determine how effective your population is. That’s why it’s utmost important to choose right and the best species traits in Stellaris. I hope you’ll enjoy the ranking of top 10 Stellaris traits.
Every species starts with 5 trait picks and 2 trait points during create new empire screen. A good starting build would require more than 2 trait points. That’s why you should add some negative traits to gain extra trait points.
Extra trait picks and trait points can be acquired via technology research, tradition path, and some rare events. You can modify your species traits once you unlock more points in the mid to late game phase.
To truly experience Stellaris species trait modification, I would recommend taking engineered evolution path for organics and modularity for machine empires. Those tradition paths will give extra trait points, add new unique traits, and reduce species modification costs.
I didn’t include any unique traits on this list because they’re very situational. You may or may not unlock them in your playthrough. All the traits listed below are available during empire creation screen.
Stellaris best genetic traits:
1. Traditional / Propaganda Machines
Unity is often overlooked but it’s one of the most important abstract resources in Stellaris.
One must rush traditions ASAP before tradition costs went up astronomically because of the empire size. That’s why I always add unity bonus to my starting species.
To me, traditional (Organic species), and propaganda machines (Gestalt consciousness) are the most important species traits in Stellaris. One gives flat +10% unity from jobs, whereas other one gives +15% unity from jobs and -10% unity upkeep from jobs.
Machine trait does give more unity probably because machine empires can’t pick the one vision ascension perk. Which is giving another +10% unity bonus. You can learn more about perks in my Stellaris best ascension perks tier list.
All in all, unity boosting trait is the best starting species trait Stellaris. It also cost only 1 trait point which is another great thing about picking it.
2. Docile / Streamlined Protocols
Tall, wide, no matter what playstyle you adopt, it’s very important to reduce empire size as much as possible. Because empire size increase both research and tradition costs.
Both docile and streamlined protocols traits are giving –10% empire size from pops. Since the biggest part of empire size is coming from pops, this trait is huge. Especially in the late game when you have a very big population.
Don’t pick this one at the beginning because your pops will be very few at the start. I usually modify my species to add this trait during mid-game.
3. Intelligent / Logic Engines
Research is everything in Stellaris. Thus, intelligent and logic engines traits are S+ God tier.
+10% research bonus is amazing in early, mid, and late game, basically all the time.
Unfortunately, this one cost 2 trait points. It’s kinda expensive, especially at the beginning. Can still balance it with psychological infertility though.
4. Mass Produced
There is no organic population growth in machine empires. Because they don’t have sex, rather produce via sex. Anyways, +15% mechanical pop assembly speed is ridiculously good on machine empires. Especially in the early game. Therefore, you should pick mass-produced as a starting trait whenever you play a machine empire.
It only cost 1 point which is very good too. All in all, mass-produced is a God tier trait for machine empire species.
5. Adaptive Frames
Automatically modifies the pop according to the job assigned. Very good but also expensive. It cost 3 trait points but definitely worth investing.
Auto-mod trait list:
- Propaganda machines: Unity from jobs +15% and unity upkeep from jobs -10%.
- Trading algorithms: Trade value from jobs +25%.
- Logic engines: Physics, society, and engineering research from jobs +10%.
- Power drills: Minerals from jobs +15%.
- Harvesters: Food from jobs +15%.
- Superconductive: Energy credits from jobs +15%.
- Emotion emulators: Amenities from jobs +20%.
6. Incubators
Incubators is an amazing starting trait if you’re going to follow engineered evolution path. Because incubators will lose its meaning when the population increases, and you’ll need to remove it to avoid penalty. To remove a positive trait like incubators, you’ll need engineered evolution ascension.
Stellaris incubators trait is much better than rapid breeders and budding in the early game. But it fails mid-to late game as your population grows. Since you can’t remove incubators without engineered evolution ascension, I don’t recommend you take incubators unless you’ll go with the engineered evolution path. Because you’ll want to replace it in the mid-late game.
+30% population growth at the start is amazing. Especially when you rush colonizing multiple worlds.
Stellaris incubators pop growth effect:
- +30% at -7 pops.
- +10% growth at 27 pops.
- No effect at 37 pops.
- -10% at +47 pops.
7. Thrifty / Trading Algorithms
Amazing for trade on both regular and corporation empires.
It’s so good at corporation empires that I think its mandatory. As for the regular empires, it’s not that good until you populate a commercial ring segment. Then it’s bananas.
So, pick it as starting trait when you play corporation empire. For normal empires, you can decide to pick it later by modifying your species. Very situational if you ask me.
8. Natural Engineers / Engineering Core
Physics is great, society is great, however, engineering is amazing. It’s the most important research path in Stellaris. Because it’s unlocking the best ship parts, buildings, and megastructures.
+15% engineering research for only 1 trait point is very overpowered. Especially when combined with intelligent, netting a total +25% engineering research bonus.
It’s very good for machine empires too because modifying machine pops cost a lot of engineering research points. You may fall behind in engineering tech without the engineering core.
9. Psychological Infertility
It’s one and only negative trait on this list. I included psychological infertility here because it’s really OP for giving out literally 2 free trait points to your species.
What does it do? Just reduces pop growth during war and crisis. Wars can easily be avoided or ended quickly, and really unnecessary until you become a mini-fallen empire.
As for the crisis, crisis factions appear mid to late game. You can always remove psychological infertility from your species during a crisis.
You’ll need trait points to pick the good traits. Getting 2 free trait points from psychological infertility is really OP, almost cheesy.
10. Efficient Processors
Efficient processors is an expensive machine pop trait. It cost 3 trait points, but the return of investment is very strong.
+5% resources from jobs. This modifier includes normal resources, strategic resources, unity, and even research production. You get flat +5% on every production instantly. That can also stack with other bonuses.
I know 3 trait points is a bit too much. However, you’ll get lot of free modification points if you go modularity ascension path. That’s when I usually unlock efficient processors.