Spaceborne aliens

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.7) of the game.

Spaceborne aliens

Spaceborne aliens

Guardians (Leviathans)

Marauders

Caravaneers

Spaceborne aliens range from non-sentient, space-dwelling creatures to gargantuan leviathans to alien enclaves, including the warlike marauders. Spaceborne aliens are likely be the first encounter for newly spacefaring species. Mechanically, each type of spaceborne alien is considered a special type of empire, though exempt from many of the game's usual rules. Spaceborne aliens have increased stats based on the difficulty settings.

Space fauna

Humanoid science ships encountering a pacified Space Amoeba Mother

Space creatures are entities which may not even classify as ships or life in the common meaning of the words. They generally inhabit a certain area of space and are seldom seen away from it. Upon First Contact completion a special project will be added to the situation log, which when completed will allow an empire to deal with them in three ways:

• Researching unlocks a special project for detailed research that will grant a choice between an empire modifier and possibly a creature technology.
• Hunting will grant a +33% damage bonus empire modifier towards that type of Space Creature, and resources rewards upon killing them. If the creatures cannot be pacified the option is available to all empires, otherwise it is only available to Militarist, Xenophobe and Genocidal empires.
• Pacify will unlock a special project that costs 5000  Physics research and allows an empire to turn the space creatures non-hostile and unlock the ability to research all special components the creatures use. Only 2 of the 5 Space Creatures can be pacified. This option is available to Pacifist or Xenophile Empires. If the Galactic Community is formed the Space Amoeba pacification modifier can be offered to all members by passing the Space Amoeba Protection Act Resolution.

If killed, space creatures will slowly respawn in their home system.

Space Creatures	Research option bonuses	Hunting	Pacifying	Type	Home System	Tactics
Ancient Mining Drones	Cost: 2000 Engineering research +10% Mining Station Minerals			Can expand	Contains 2 normal mining stations and the Home Base Ore Grinder. Each station is guarded by two fleets, one purely destroyers and one made of drones. Destroying Home Base Ore Grinder grants 4000  Minerals and 500  Alloys. If the  Ancient Relics DLC is installed it also grants the Surveyor Relic.	Ancient Mining Drones use regular components. The Cutting Lasers can be salvaged. Mining Drone Combat Drone Destroyer Base 2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 1 Armor T1 Reactor T2 Thrusters T2 Sensor T1 1 Cutting Laser 2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 2 Armor T1 Reactor T2 Thrusters T2 Sensor T1 2 Cutting Laser 2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 3 Armor T1 Reactor T2 Thrusters T2 Sensor T1 2 Laser T5 3 Strike Craft 5 Armor T1 Reactor T2 Sensor T1
Crystalline Entities	Cost: 2000 Physics research +5% Energy from Jobs OR  Crystal-Infused Plating tech			Can expand	Contains Crystal Nidus, a large crystalline structure guarded by 4 elite fleets. The system can be safely explored and claimed if the crystalline entities have been pacified. As their home system has a pulsar, shields will be useless when attacking it.	Defensively: Armor or shields - their shard weapons deal +50% damage against hull but have no other bonus Offensively: Plasma launchers, mining lasers, or lasers - Crystalline Entities have resilient and regenerating hulls, but no shields or armor Unique salvage: Crystal-Infused Plating from ships, Crystal-Forged Plating from Crystal Nidus, both are the only hull increasing components in the game.
Space Amoeba	Cost: 2000 Society research +5% Evasion OR  Regenerative Hull Tissue tech			Migratory	Always called Amor Alveo, its various celestial body deposits produce in total 8  Energy, 12  Minerals, 6  Society, 3  Exotic Gases, 3  Volatile Motes and 2  Rare Crystals.	Defensively: Shields and point defense - their weapons deal +25% damage against armor and large amoeba launch strike craft Offensively: Energy weapons - Space Amoeba have natural armor and regenerate Unique salvage: Amoeba Flagella, strike craft almost as strong as Tier 2 Improved Strike Craft
Void Clouds	Cost: 2000 Physics research +10% Physics from Jobs			Stationary	Always called Great Wound, it is a black hole cluster guarded by 3 Void Cloud fleets. Most black holes have deposits of 4  Physics and the central one contains the largest  Dark Matter deposit in the galaxy. The system should be attacked with a highly superior force due to the effects of black holes on space battles.	Defensively: Crystal plated hulls if available - their weapons ignore both shields and armor. Their erratic damage can sometimes destroy Corvettes in one hit. Offensively: Missiles and Autocannons - Void Clouds have equal amounts of natural shields and hull Unique salvage: Cloud Lightning, L weapons that ignore both shields and armor
Tiyanki Space Whales	Frequency Tuning tech		Already	Migratory	Always called Tiyana Vek, it contains 4 Gas Giants. Each one has a deposit of  6 society. The star itself always has a deposit of  6 physics. Have a secondary system always called Tiyun Ort, its various celestial body deposits produce 6  Physics and 3  Volatile Motes. The ice asteroid Zhaduva contains a level 3 anomaly that will add another deposit of 3  Society. The unique world Orek Vuul contains the archaeology site Tiyanki Grave Mound.	Tiyanki fleets can consist of Cows, Bulls, Calves and Hatchlings. They are not hostile unless attacked. Regenerative Hull Tissue can be salvaged. Orek Vuul contains four Tiyanki Ox guards. Bull and Cow Calf and Hatchling Loadout 5 Energy Siphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue 3 Energy Siphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Kill rewards 500 Energy 50 Exotic Gases 250 Energy 25 Exotic Gases

VLUUR

VLUUR is a powerful migrating Void Cloud that has around 32K fleet power and is armed with 8 Cloud Lighting weapons. For as long as VLUUR is in a system it will cause a storm that causes  −50% sublight speed and  −15% fire rate on ships. VLUUR moves to a new system every 4-7 years.

VLUUR is not hostile but can be attacked. It has powerful shields and high evasion, but low hull, and can be defeated deceptively easily with missile weapons. Defeating VLUUR grants  100 dark matter, and creates various deposits of  1-3 dark matter on up to 4 planets in the system it's defeated in.

Bemat Thalassocracy

The Bemat Thalassocracy is a hostile fleet that can appear after the end-game year is reached. It appears in a system owned by an empire that produces at least  180 trade value. The fleet is made up of the following ships:

40 corvettes	35 destroyers	34 cruisers
1 Kinetic T3 1 Plasma T1 1 Disruptor T1 2 Shield T2 1 Afterburners T2 1 Shield Capacitor Jump Drive Thrusters T4 Sensors T2 Reactor T5 Combat Computer T1	1 Plasma T3 1 Plasma T3 3 Laser T5 4 Shield T4 2 Armor T3 1 Shield Capacitor Jump Drive Thrusters T3 Sensors T2 Reactor T5 Combat Computer T2 (Line)	1 Missiles T5 2 Swarmer Missiles T1 2 Disruptor T2 2 Plasma T3 2 Kinetic T3 5 Shield T4 3 Armor T3 1 Auxiliary Fire Control 1 Nanite Repair System Jump Drive Thrusters T3 Sensors T2 Reactor T5 Combat Computer T2 (Artillery)

Nomads

The nomad fleet

Nomads are replaced by Caravaneers if the  MegaCorp DLC is enabled.

The Nomads, or Namarians as they call themselves, are a passive millennia old intergalactic race with no homeworld, forever traveling the void in their starships. Once they establish communications with an empire, the nomads help establish communications between any encountered empires that haven't discovered each other yet. They travel from system to system during their temporary stay in the galaxy, and eventually set sail for another galaxy. Events related to them can take place during their stay.

The date when and if the Nomads arrive is rolled at game start, with the following chances per human player:

• 20% chance to appear after 7,300 to 7,800 days (roughly 20.28 to 21.67 years)
• 25% chance to appear after 14,600 to 15,100 days (roughly 40.56 to 41.94 years)
• 25% chance to appear after 20,075 to 20,575 days (roughly 55.76 to 57.15 years)
• 30% chance to not trigger (they may still appear if another human player rolls them)

If more than one player triggers the Nomads, they spawn a single time on the earliest rolled date.

When they arrive, the Nomads spawn in a random non-hostile rim system that no regular empire has more than low intel on. Upon appearing, they decide the midpoint and endpoint systems of their journey.

• Midpoint: A random non-hostile system with a distance of 250 to 500 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 150 to 500, whether or not it's hostile.
• Endpoint: A random rim system with a distance of 400 to 1450 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 250 to 1450.

On their journey, Nomads perform an action on entering a system. Those actions depends on if the system has an owner and what their relationship with the owner is. If the system is owned by an empire they haven't contacted and isn't hostile to them, they start orbiting a random planet in the system until contact is established. The system owner is unable to decipher their communications, but contact is always established after 100 days. After contact is established, they send the owner a request. If they enter another system owned by the same empire, they roll for a request again. Each interaction has the following chances:

• 30% - Ask to leave some pops on an owned planet within the empire's borders. If the empire agrees, three  Egalitarian Namarian pops spawn on a random  Arid,  Desert, or  Savannah colony. A colony is 6 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 0 free housing and 11 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 1 free housing. Namarians are immortal and have the  Desert Preference,  Nomadic,  Venerable, and  Natural Engineers traits.
  • ×0 If the system owner does not have a colony on a Dry planet
  • ×0 If the system owner is a  Hive Mind
  • ×0.75 If they've already left pops with the system owner
  • ×1.5 If they haven't left pops with the system owner yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
  • ×0.3 If the system owner's slavery  policy is set to Allowed
• 30% - Ask for an uncolonized planet to colonize, forming a new empire. If the empire agrees, they gain  150 to 300 influence and a random uncolonized  Arid,  Desert,  Tropical,  Ocean, or  Gaia world within their borders becomes the capital of a new single-system Namarian empire. The new empire has  Democratic authority, the  Egalitarian,  Spiritualist, and  Xenophile ethics, random civics, and a decaying  +100 opinion modifier towards the empire. The new empire starts with 14  Egalitarian Namarian pops that have their climate preference trait changed to match their new planet, 1000  energy and  minerals, and  500 influence. Because they start with no other resources, no buildings, and no districts, this new empire immediately starts suffering from food and consumer goods deficits, housing shortages, and unemployment.
  • ×0 If the system owner doesn't control an uncolonized  Tundra,  Arid,  Desert,  Tropical,  Continental, or  Gaia world in an uninhabited system.
  • ×0 If the system owner is a  Hive Mind
  • ×0.5 If they've already colonized a planet from any empire
  • ×1.75 If they haven't colonized a planet yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
• 30% - Sell 5 or 15 Cruisers.
  • ×0 If the system owner already was offered ships
  • ×0.25 If the system owner is  Fanatic Militarist or  Fanatic Xenophobe
  • ×0.5 If they already sold ships to an empire
  • ×1.75 If they haven't sold ships to anyone yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
• 10% - Move on with no request.

If the system has no owner, isn't hostile, and isn't the mid- or endpoint of their journey, they perform a peaceful action with the following chances:

• 10% - Repair fleet and build new ships.
  • ×10 If under 3k Fleet Power
  • ×5 If under 5k Fleet Power
  • ×0 If over 10k Fleet Power or have built new ships within the last 120 days
• 80% - Pick a random planet and wait in orbit for 40–50 days. Afterwards, they have a 25% chance to move on and 75% chance to pick another planet in the system to orbit. They orbit a maximum of three planets this way before moving on.
  • ×0 If less than 1.5k Fleet Power
• 10% - Move on without doing anything.

While the Nomads are inherently peaceful, a fight can be picked in order to get access to their technology. Nomads are easy prey but their technology is just average by midgame, making this rarely useful. The nomad fleet consists of the following:

20 Protectors	3 Ark Ships
1 Laser T4 2 Point-Defense T2 2 Armor T3 1 Shields T3 Hyperdrive T3 Thrusters T3 Sensors T3 Reactor T4 Combat Computer T3 (Picket)	Hyperdrive T3 Thrusters T3 Sensors T3 Reactor T4

Enclaves

Shroud-Touched Coven station

Enclaves are special AI empires. They do not own any planets or systems, but consist of large stations. Once an empire has made contact with an enclave, they can purchase various services from the enclave. Enclaves are listed in the Diplomacy Menu under the "Others" category. Each enclave has two or three basic interactions, and a number of restricted interactions that can only be used after sufficient  opinion is reached.

The maximum opinion with an enclave is 100, and an empire builds opinion with them by using their services or owning the system with the enclave. Enclaves in owned systems gain  +1 opinion with the system owner each year. This is not cumulative when owning multiple systems with the same enclave.

The primary resource for interacting with enclaves is  energy. Most actions are repeatable, but some of the actions also have an increasing cost. The price increases as an empire's population goes past certain thresholds:

Pops	Energy cost
0-60	1000
61-120	2000
121-180	3000
181-240	4000
241+	5000

During the renewal request after a modifier runs out, the player will be able to renew the deal for a sum of  energy credits which scales with the number of the empire's population. With Trader enclaves you will be asked how many monthly units (of the respective rare resource sold by the enclave) you want to buy.

Option	Effect	Requirements
Curator Order (requires or )
Research aid	+10% Research speed for 10 years, and  +20 opinion	scales with population
Mysteries of the Universe Tell us about	Adds a Leviathan point of interest to the situation log, and  +10 opinion	300 An unencountered Guardian exists
Mysteries of the Universe How to defeat	Adds a permanent  +25% damage modifier against the chosen Guardian, and  +20 opinion	Has encountered a Guardian 2000 for Hives 600 for Infinity Machine 1000 for other Guardians
Mysteries of the Universe How would we fare	Compares the total fleet power against the Guardian, and  +20 opinion Below 5k: Poorly. Very poorly. Wait a second, you're not actually thinking of...? My goodness, with the ships you have? It... it would be a slaughter! Between 5k and 15k: I would strongly advise against it. Your attacks would likely be more of an annoyance than a threat. Between 15k and 30k: Hmmm... yes... yes, I suppose you might actually stand a chance. If you combined your entire fleet... it would not be an easy victory, mind you, but one that is at least within the realm of possibility. Over 30k: Yours is a mighty fleet, comparable to some of the greatest armadas recorded in the annals of the Curator Order. Victory is certainly within your reach.	Has encountered a Guardian 2000 for Hives 600 for Infinity Machine 1000 for other Guardians
Establish Think Tank	Allow the construction of Curator Think Tank starbase buildings in enclave system  starbases	50
Recruit scientist	Gain a level 5  Scientist with the  Curator trait	50 1000 No  Curator scientist owned
Buy Intelligence	Gain  +20 intel on target empire, and  +10 opinion	50 1000
Infinity mystery	Gain  1000-10000 Engineering research	Mirror of Knowledge modifier Can only be done once
L-Gates	Gain an L-Gate Insight, and  +20 opinion	5000 Once per 10 years Encountered an L-Gate
Artisan Troupe (requires )
Become patron	Gain the Patron of the Arts modifier for 10 years ( +10% monthly Unity), and  +20 opinion. Becoming a patron also allows Patron Events to trigger: Newsletter events give the option to convert  500 energy into  50 influence. It can only happen up to 4 times. Equipment malfunction events give the option to gain  500 minerals or  50 influence. The more important one grants access to the empire-unique Ministry of Culture building for  500 energy.	scales with population
Commission art piece	Gain the Exhibit Art Monument decision, and  +10 opinion	600 Does not own 5
Found Art College	Allow the construction of Art College starbase buildings in enclave system  starbases	50
Organize festival	Gain the Festival of Worlds modifier for 10 years ( +15% happiness and  +10% pop growth speed), and  +15 opinion. There is also a chance for one of the following to happen within the next year: 10% chance: A stampede kills a pop; either divert the media's attention for  100 Influence or suffer a negative modifier for two years ( −20% happiness,  −10% energy from jobs). Increased chance for  Materialist empires. 10% chance: Some artisans wish to settle. Accepting will add 2 artisan pops to an owned colony. The climate preference will always match. Increased chance for  Xenophile or  Pacifist empires. 5% chance: The artisans steal  1000 energy, end the festival modifier, and refuse to communicate for 10 years. Increased chance for  Xenophobe or  Materialist empires.	50 1000
Traders (requires )
Strategic Resource deal	Provides a 1 to 5 of a rare resource for 10 years, and  +5 opinion times amount purchased. Resources vary based on which specific trader enclave is encountered: XuraCorp sells  Exotic Gases Muutagan Merchant Guild sells  Rare Crystals Riggan Commerce Exchange sells  Volatile Motes	500 per unit 10 monthly per unit
Seek expertise	Gain an immortal level 5  Governor with the  Enclave Trader trait	50 500 Once per enclave
Salvagers (requires )
Scrap a fleet	Disbands a fleet and gain  alloys equal to a quarter of the total construction cost, and  +10 opinion Fleets created by the Prethoryn Brood-Queen relic or the Lost Amoeba event can be scrapped for 600  Food but incur an extra cost of  200 energy and grant only  +5 opinion If scrapping the fleet from the Lost Amoeba event, there's a 25% chance that the space amoeba instead permanently protects the enclave	Fleet in the enclave system 300 Once per 5 years
Reclaimed vessels	Purchases 1 or 10 ships based on other empire' designs, and  +1-5 opinion	150 per corvette 300 per destroyer 600 per cruiser 1200 per battleship Once per 2 years
Salvage some debris	Automatically investigate up to 3 debris fields in 90 days, and  +5 opinion	Debris within borders 20 400
Engineering research	+15% Engineering research speed for 5 years, and  +5 opinion	20 150 scales with population
Salvage Works buildings	Allow the construction of Salvage Works starbase buildings in enclave system  starbases, and  +10 opinion	40 1000
Aid with construction efforts	+10% Ship build speed and +40% Starbase module and building build speed for 2 years, and  +5 opinion	Salvage Works 50 800 20
Shroudwalkers (requires )
What is to be our fate	Starts a Sign of the Visitor or Sign of the Locus situation, which can trigger various events or create anomalies, and  +10 opinion	50 scales with population
Send us a teacher	Enables the Shroudwalker Teacher decision, and  +10 opinion	50 10 per Empire Size One use per purchase
Insight on another empire	Starts a Shroudwalker Insight situation which gives the following reward when completed, and  +10 opinion 40% chance random asset 25% chance +15  Infiltration 25% chance +20  Intel 10% chance nothing	20 50 scales with population Spy network Once per year
Travel via the Shroud	Allow the construction of a Shroud Beacon starbase building, and  +10 opinion	40 800 Can only be done once

Mercenary enclaves

Unlike other enclaves, mercenary enclaves do not exist at the start of the game and instead are founded by non-Gestalt empires during gameplay. Although  Gestalt Consciousness empires cannot found mercenary enclaves, they can become their patrons by taking ownership of an enclave's system.

Founding a mercenary enclave requires sufficient mercenary enclave capacity, a fleet of size 50 or larger led by an admiral in an owned system with a moon or asteroid, and no enclave – mercenary or other – already present in that system; this costs  1500 energy,  2000 alloys, and  100 influence. Once the order is given, the enclave constructs its station in the fleet's current system, the fleet's admiral leaves the empire to become the leader of the new enclave, and the fleet is transferred to the enclave.

Mercenary enclaves provide the following services:

1. Empires can rent a mercenary fleet for 10 years and gain  +15 opinion for an  energy cost that scales with the enclave's opinion and tier. The contract can be renewed at any point for an additional  energy cost and  +5 opinion. Mercenary fleets are led by admirals with the  Mercenary Warrior trait. If the mercenary enclave station is attacked, all mercenary fleets are recalled, and their clients are refunded between  3000-44000 energy, depending on enclave tier.
2. Empires that have at least  20 opinion with the enclave can pay  600, 1100, or 2000 energy to hire 5, 10 or 15 mercenary armies. If the enclave is at least tier 4, empires can also pay  1200 or 2300 energy to hire 5 or 10 mercenary mechanized armies. All options will grant  opinion equal to the number of armies hired, plus 5 additional opinion if hiring a mechanized army.
3. Empires that have at least  30 opinion with the enclave can buy  +15% naval capacity for 10 years. This costs between  1000 and 5000 energy based on current capacity and gives  +15 opinion.
4. Empires that have at least  40 opinion with the enclave can pay  1000 energy to unlock the Mercenary Garrison starbase building and gain  +15 opinion.
5. Empires that have at least  50 opinion with the enclave can pay  1500 or 5000 energy to gain  +15% damage versus a mid-game or end-game crisis.

The empire that owns a mercenary enclave's system, initially its founder, is the enclave's patron. Patrons have slightly reduced prices and receive a dividend at regular intervals. The dividend interval is mechanically a situation, and the base progress rate is +0.417 per month, resulting in a total time of 20 years. With all positive modifiers maxed out, the interval is a mere 1.83 years, though that relies on a non-patron hiring the fleet. More consistently, with the patron hiring the fleet, the minimum interval is 2.25 years. The rate is increased (and thus total interval decreased) by the following:

Source	Base multiple	Raw increase	Interval with only this modifier
Lord of War ascension perk	+2.5	+1.043	5.75 years
Enclave fleet hired by anyone	+1	+0.417	10 years
Enclave fleet hired by non-patron (stacks with above)	+2	+0.833	5 years
Per mercenary enclave tier	+0.4 (max +2)	+0.167 (max +0.835)	See table below
Per Defensive Privatization resolution level	+0.5 (max +2.5)	+0.208 (max +1.04)	13.3 years at level 1 5.75 years at level 5
Enclave has Financial Troubles modifier	−5	−2.085	Never Cannot reduce progress below 3

The dividend can be in the form of basic resources, research, or a fleet if the patron is using less than 95% of their  Naval Capacity; there is also a small chance of a special dividend or no dividend.

Dividend type	Chance	Tier 0/1	Tier 2/3	Tier 4/5
Basic Resources	24%	6x energy output (100 ~ 1000) 6x food output (100 ~ 1000) 12x minerals output (150 ~ 2000)	12x energy output (150 ~ 2000) 12x food output (150 ~ 2000) 18x minerals output (250 ~ 5000)	18x energy output (250 ~ 5000) 18x food output (250 ~ 5000) 24x minerals output (350 ~ 10000)
Energy only	24%	12x energy output (150 ~ 2000)	18x energy output (250 ~ 5000)	24x energy output (350 ~ 10000)
Research	24%	6x energy output (100 ~ 1000) 6x research output (each 100 ~ 1000)	12x energy output (150 ~ 2000) 12x research output (each 150 ~ 2000)	18x energy output (250 ~ 5000) 18x research output (each 250 ~ 5000)
Fleet Ships received based on largest class enclave has	24% 0% if patron uses >95% of  naval capacity	6x energy output (100 ~ 1000) 1 Battleship and 2 Corvettes, or 6 Corvettes	12x energy output (150 ~ 2000) 2 Battleships and 4 Corvettes, 4 Cruisers, 3 Destroyers and 6 Corvettes, or 12 Corvettes	18x energy output (250 ~ 5000) 4 Battleships and 4 Corvettes, 4 Cruisers and 6 Destroyers, 7 Destroyers and 6 Corvettes, or 20 Corvettes
Special Ships received based on largest class enclave has	2%	6x energy output (100 ~ 1000) 6x minerals output (100 ~ 1000) 1 Cruiser or 3 Corvettes	12x energy output (150 ~ 2000) 12x minerals output (150 ~ 2000) 12x research output (each 250 ~ 100000) 1 Battleship and 2 Corvettes, 2 Cruisers, 2 Destroyers and 2 Corvettes, or 6 Corvettes	18x energy output (250 ~ 5000) 18x minerals output (250 ~ 5000) 18x research output (each 350 ~ 100000) 2 Battleships and 4 Corvettes, 4 Cruisers, 3 Destroyers and 6 Corvettes, or 12 Corvettes
Financial Troubles Choose one of three options:	2%	• 6x energy output (100 ~ 1000), and enclave gains Financial Troubles modifier for 10 years • Kills current enclave ruler, and enclave gains Financial Troubles modifier for 2.78 years • Subsize enclave, based on tier (below), and gain  +20 opinion
		−1000 Energy  +50 Influence	−2500 Energy  +75 Influence	−10000 Energy  +100 Influence

Patrons that have at least  80 opinion with the enclave can ask it to recall a fleet hired by another empire for a scaling cost and  −15 opinion; the fleet is recalled after 6 months and then 3 months later hired to the patron for 10 years. The patron can also offer to upgrade the enclave – with a one year cooldown, up to 5 times; upgrading improves the tier of its weapons and grants  +20 opinion each time, but also increases the fleet recall costs.

Enclave tier	Upgrade cost		Fleet recall cost		Base patron dividend time	Enclave loadout
	Energy	Alloys	Energy	Influence
0	-	-	1500	50	20 years	0	3	3	1	2	1	2
1	1000	500	3000	75	14.3 years	0	3	3	1	2	1	2
2	2500	1250	6000	100	11.1 years	0	6	6	2	4	2	4
3	5500	2750	10000	125	9.08 years	0	6	6	2	4	2	4
4	10000	5000	15000	150	7.75 years	1	6	6	2	4	2	4
5	13000	6500	22000	200	6.66 years	1	6	6	2	4	2	4

Mercenary enclaves build and upgrade ships the same way playable empires do, using all technologies researched by the empire that founded the enclave at the time of the founding. The enclave's patron can grant the enclave all its researched technologies, gaining  +1000 energy and  +15 opinion.

Attacking enclaves

While enclaves never become hostile to any empire except in retaliation, they can be attacked like any neutral entity. With around 10k fleet power and highest level weapons, they are no easy prey. Various rewards can be salvaged from their remnants, depending on the type of enclave destroyed.

	Curator station	Artisan station	Trader enclave	Salvager enclave	Shroudwalker station	Mercenary enclave
Loadout	1 Lance T2 4 Torpedo T3 6 Energy Torpedo T2 6 Disruptor T3 6 Disruptor T3 4 Point-Defense T3 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Tachyon Sensors	1 Arc Emitter T2 4 Missile T5 6 Laser T5 6 Plasma Cannon T3 6 Autocannon T3 4 Point-Defense T3 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Tachyon Sensors	1 Cannon T2 4 Multi-Missiles T2 6 Artillery T2 6 Kinetic T5 6 Autocannon T3 4 Flak T2 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Tachyon Sensors	1 Cannon T2 6 Laser T5 6 Plasma Cannon T3 4 Flak T3 5 Small Cutting Laser 7 Armor T5 8 Shield T5 3 Hull T2 2 Shield Capacitor 1 Nanite Repair System 1 Orbital Trash Disperser	3 Arc Emitter T2 6 Laser T3 3 Null Void Beam 6 Point-Defense T3 18 Shield T6 3 Shield Capacitor	Depends on patron upgrades
Reward	1000 Engineering Research 1000 Physics Research 1000 Society Research	2000 Energy Credits 2000 Minerals	2000 Energy Credits 2000 Minerals	1500 Energy Credits 7000 Alloys	10000 Unity 500 Zro	2000 Energy Credits 2000 Alloys
AI Opinion change	−15	0	−15	0	0	0

Enclave stations do not drop debris for salvage. Attacking a Curator, Artisan, or Shroudwalker enclave makes every enclave station of the same type unavailable for trade.

Crystalline empire

If playing with the  Void Dwellers origin (AI empires can't trigger it) then there is a 1% chance that during the mid-game a unique enclave known as the Crystalline Empire spawns near the galactic core. Its system does not have hyperlane connections but instead has a wormhole to a random system in the galaxy. Empires that are not Genocidal and have not attacked them can offer to help them every 20 years to receive one of the following:

• 1 use of the Settle Crystalline Refugees decision on a  Habitat for 10 years ( 10 Influence for 5  pops)
• 1 use of the Crystalline Construction decision on a  Habitat for 10 years ( 10 influence for  +8 housing and  −10% building cost)
• A level 7  scientist

Destroying the Crystalline Empire enclave grants no rewards.

Enigmatic Cache

Enigmatic Cache

The Enigmatic Cache, or BALDOR as it calls itself, is a tubular entity that emerges from any Gateway or L-Gate once the mid-game year is reached, if any player empire is at peace, and sets course for the nearest empire that is not at war. Upon taking damage to its hull, it instantly teleports away to the closest system with a Gateway or L-Gate.

Once the Enigmatic Cache enters an empire's borders, it starts orbiting each one of the empire's colonies for a decade. As long as it orbits a colony, it gives it a  +30% research output modifier to the colony, but also  −10% happiness to any pops with the  Xenophobe ethic. The first time the Enigmatic Cache orbits an empire's colony, the empire receives the option of issuing a special project to study it or leave it alone and gain  50 influence. The special project costs  2500 engineering research and finishing it refunds  90-250 engineering research and grants an L-Gate insight, if the empire has discovered an L-Gate. Once all colonies have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache sets course for the nearest empire and repeats the process.

Enigmatic Uplifting

After all colonies in the galaxy have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache goes to the capital of a biological empire that did not attack it and requests to uplift the main species via a special project that takes 2 years. In multiplayer, the human player with the lowest  relative power is chosen, random if tied. In singleplayer, the player empire is always chosen.

Enigmatic Dreams

If main species doesn't have  Intelligent or  Quick Learners, 60 to 80 days into the project there is a 50% chance to be given the choice between aborting the uplift or adding the Fatigued modifier ( −30% resources from jobs) on 60 random non-robotic main species pops that have one of the following jobs:

Job	Gestalt Consciousness Job0
Unemployed
Researcher	Brain Drone /  Calculator
Metallurgist	Foundry Drone /  Fabricator
Artisan	Artisan Drone
Culture Worker
Chemist	Chemist Drone
Translucer	Translucer Drone
Gas Refiner	Gas Refiner Drone
Technician	Technician Drone
Miner	Mining Drone
	Agri-Drone
Crystal Miner	Crystal Mining Drone
Gas Extractor	Gas Extraction Drone
Mote Harvester	Mote Harvesting Drone

The modifier lasts until the uplift process is completed or aborted.

Alert

130 to 170 days into the project, the empire is notified that the Enigmatic Cache is deteriorating. 4 random non-robotic main species pops (with the same job restrictions as Enigmatic Dreams) gain the Vegetable modifier ( −80% resources from jobs) until the uplift is completed or aborted, and the player is offered the following options:

• Abort the uplift, causing the Enigmatic Cache to teleport away and never return.
• Ignore it. Once the project is complete, the 4 pops with the Vegetable modifier gain the  Unlifted trait ( −60% research), all other non-robotic main species pops gain the  Somewhat Uplifted trait ( +10% research), and all of them gain the PTSD modifier ( −20% happiness) for 10 years. The Enigmatic Cache remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its  research output modifier.
• Issue a special project to repair the Enigmatic Cache with a construction ship. Once the uplift is complete, if the repair project was finished, the main species gains the  Uplifted trait ( +10% researcher output and  +25% leader experience gain) and lose the  Slow Learners trait. The Enigmatic Cache also remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its  research output modifier. If any pops from the main species didn't have the  Intelligent or  Quick Learners trait, there's a 75% chance they gain the Ignorance is Bliss modifier ( −10% happiness) for 10 years.

Note: The traits do not give unique bonuses to leaders despite the tooltips saying they do.

References

Game concepts