Welcome to the Stellaris precursor tier list page. Total number of precursors in Stellaris is 7. It’s not much. So, ranking them from best to worst will be very quick.
Precursors are random but you can always re-load for a new game until you get your favorite one. Precursor event chains trigger very early in the game anyway.
There is also a mod called precursor selection on Steam workshop which is allowing you to choose your precursor at the beginning. It’s one of the best Stellaris mods. That’s really handy if you don’t like RNG.
STELLARIS ASCENSION PERK TIER LIST
Imagine galaxy as a pizza, divided to 7 slices. Each slice belongs to a different precursor. That’s how precursors distributed in Stellaris. Your slice, ahem, your precursor shall be revealed once start surveying with 2-3 science ships. You’ll know your precursor in the first 5 minutes of a new start.
1. Cybrex
Cybrex by far the best precursor in Stellaris. Other precursors don’t even get close to it. So, what makes Cybrex so special?
Completing Cybrex event chain will reward you with a system with ruined ringworld in it. Ring segments are the best worlds in Stellaris. Much better than regular worlds, gaia worlds, or even ecumenopolis worlds. That’s why ring world is the best Stellaris megastructure.
Completing Secrets of the Cybrex will also grand Mega-Engineering research option and +10% bonus to megastructure build speed. Thanks to that you can restore and start building new megastructures much earlier than expected.
Cybrex War Forge relic is also another OP reward from this precursor. Cybrex War Forge triumph effect: -2.000 mineral +1.000 alloys. Will be upgraded after each use way up to -40.000 minerals +20.000 alloys.
Not done yet. It also allows the construction of Cybrex Mining Hub, which is the most op starbase building ever. It gives +100% mining station output. Imagine building one in a system with an arc furnace… You’ll be swimming in resources.
But there is even more! Allows you to recruit Cybrex Warform armies which is the best army unit in Stellaris.
All in all, Cybrex is the best precursor in Stellaris without any competition. It’s actually very overpowered too. I wonder if Paradox thinks about nerfing it. I hope not because it’s fun.
2. Vultaum Star Assembly
Vultaum is one of the good precursors because of its giga relic and unique building reward. It’s very good for materialist and machine empires.
Vultaum Reality Computer: +1 Science Director, Researchers: +1 physics research. (It’s crazy on research ring worlds.)
Secrets of the Vultaum: +15% Computing research speed, +5% Mechanical pop assembly speed.
Vultaum Reality Perforator relic:
- Passive: −10% Pop Amenities Usage.
- Active: Random combat modifier: +40% Armor Hit, +40% Shield Hit, +40% Ship Hull, +40% Ship Weapons Damage, or all at the same time from 1 year to 5 years.
Vultaum reality perforator is the strongest warfare relic because its active bonuses are insanely strong. Can easily change the tides of a battle.
3. The First League
Third best precursor because it gives size 25 relic world with amazing bonuses.
Secrets of the First League: +15% Industry research speed, +10% Planetary build speed.
First League Filing Offices building: +2 Administrators, +1 Unity and +1 Amenities per Administrators and Priest. (Insane on unity focused ecumonopolis worlds.)
No relic but a size 25 relic world which is amazing. You can turn relic worlds into ecumenopolis without unlocking arcology project perk via planetary decision.
4. Zroni
Best for psionic playthrough. Psionic ascension is the best for non-hive/non-machine intelligence empires by the way.
Zroni Storm Caster starbase building: Creates a Space Storm in the system, −10% daily hull to enemy ships.
Psionic Archive relic: −50% Breach into the shroud cooldown, zro additives edict (+25% Leader experience, +30 Years leader lifespan), better shroud odds.
Also unlocks a star system with 5 zro deposit.
5. The Grunur
Very good for organic, plant-based species in terms of both gameplay and role-playing. Best thing about it is almost limitless gaia world terraforming option.
The Last Baol relic: Passive +10% pop growth speed. Active Nu-Baol Life-Seeding. (Gaia world terraforming, +4 pacifist plantoid pops.)
Secrets of the Baol: −15% terraforming cost.
Baol Organic Plant building: +2 farmers, +0.5 consumer goods or +1 energy per farmer. (Insane for agriculture focused ring segments.)
Will also give a size 20 tomb world. It will be the first candidate of gaia terraforming.
6. Yuht Empire
Just re-load the game for a better precursor. Or go with it, you know, when the life gives you lemons…
Yuht Astronomical Interferometer starbase building: +7 Sensor Range, +14 Ship Hyperlane Detection Range. (Basically, poor man’s sentry array.)
Secrets of the Yuht: Initiate Yuht cleansing process planetary decision giving +10% habitability but in return sets devastation to 50, temporarily of course.
Yuht Cryo Core relic: Passive: +1 Extra pops when establishing colony, +20% Energy Weapon Attack Speed. Active: −20% Ship Upkeep for 10 years. (No need to use active.)
The passive +1 extra pops when establishing colony bonus can be exploited by building new colonies and dismantling right away by resettling free new pops to existing planets. It’ll cost a lot of influence, but you’ll have a lot to spend in the late game anyway.
7. The Irassian Concordat
Another precursor I like to avoid and re-load my game whenever it appears.
Irassian Naval Yards starbase building: +1 Shipyard Capacity, +20% Ship Build Speed. (Poor man’s mega shipyard.)
Secrets of the Irassians: +20% Biology research speed, +5% Pop growth speed.
Javorian Pox Sample relic:
- Passive: +20 years leader lifespan, Javorian pox orbital bombardment stance (Pop kill chance +150%, does not kill machine pops.), double chance to discover biology techs.
- Activation: +50% biology research speed for 10 years.