Stellaris – Starbase Guide

General Information

  • Levels:
    • Outpost (available at the start of the game)
    • Starport (available at the start of the game; first level with modules (2) and buildings (1))
    • Starhold
    • Star Fortress
  • Every upgrade to the next level of starbase allows for 2 more modules and 1 more building with the final level only unlocking the fourth building slot
  • It’s best to specialize starbases via modules and buildings
    • Modules: External extensions of starbases that determine the role of the starbase
    • Buildings: Internal additions to a starbase that either improve the function of modules or add buffs to the starbase
  • FTL Inhibition technology will give each starbase an FTL Inhibitor, preventing enemy ships from leaving a system unless it’s by the hyper lane they came from
  • Different types of starbases
    • Shipyards
    • Economic/trading hub
    • Anchorage
    • (Border) Defense
  • Starbase priority
    • Border defense starbases
    • Shipyard starbases (usually only need 1)
    • Anchorage starbases / economic/trade starbases

Border defense starbases

A bastion starhold in Stellaris
  • Purpose: Border defense; defense of wormholes and gateways
  • Build at choke points (only one hyper lane goes deeper into your space)
  • Each starbase comes with built-in weapons and defenses
  • Individual weapons and defenses cannot be changed; starbases are always auto-designed; tier 3 is the maximum level for all weapons
  • Module choice should depend on techs available to you; better lasers/kinetic weapons -> Gun Battery; better missiles -> Missile Battery
  • The main factors for combat strength are building choice and defense platforms (defense platforms can be customized)
  • Auras from starbases stack with auras from ships in the system
  • Modules
    • Gun Battery (adds lasers/kinetic weapons)
    • Missile Battery (add missiles)
    • Hangar Bay (adds strike craft)
      • Great for fighting corvettes; accuracy counters corvette’s evasion
      • Generally the best defensive module; even better in Black Hole systems (disengagement chance in these systems is reduced by 50%)
  • Buildings (early game priority)
    • Disruption Field Generator
    • Target Uplink Computer
    • Communications Jammer
  • Buildings (with Hangar Bay)
    • Communications Jammer
    • Target Uplink Computer
  • Buildings (late game, lone starbase)
    • Communications Jammer
    • Mercenary Garrison
    • Target Uplink Computer
    • Defense-Grid Supercomputer (adding Defense Platform Cap is the best option for lone starbases)
  • Buildings (late game, starbase + fleet in the system)
    • Disruption Field Generator
    • Command Center
    • Mercenary Garrison
    • Communication Jammer

Shipyard starbases

A shipyard starhold in Stellaris
  • Purpose: Building ships
  • Modules
    • Shipyard
  • Buildings
    • Crew Quarters/Crew Gestation Chambers (as Hive Mind)/Service Umbilicals (as Machine Intelligence) -> –25% Docked ship upkeep
    • Fleet Academy/Battle Simulators (as Gestalt Consciousness) -> +100 Ship Starting Experience (ships start at level 2 -> +10% Ship Weapons Damage)
    • Titan Assembly Yards
    • Colossal Assembly Yards
    • Hyperlane Registrar
  • Location
    • Never directly at the border but close to a location where you expect to need ships
    • Preferably near a gateway
    • Preferably in a nebula to hide them from enemy sensors

Anchorage starbases

An anchorage starhold in Stellaris
  • Purpose: Boosting naval capacity; lowest value purpose for a starbase
  • Modules
    • Anchorage (+4 Naval Capacity)
  • Buildings
    • Naval Logistics Office (+2 Naval Capacity from each Anchorage)
    • Hydroponics Bay
    • Resource Silo
  • Location:
    • Choose a location for potential additional buildings (e.g. enclave buildings or Black Hole Observatory)

Economic/trade starbases

  • Purpose: Boosting the economy, gathering and protecting trade value
  • Modules
    • Trade Hub
    • Solar Panel Network (only for Gestalt Consciousness)
  • Buildings
    • Offworld Trading Company
    • Hydroponics Bay (requires Hydroponics Farming tech)
    • Resource Silo (better than using them on planets; planet building slots are more valuable)
    • Nebula Refinery (requires starbase to be in a nebula and the Zero-G Refineries)
    • Deep Space Black Site (only in colonized systems)

Further reading: https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Starbase

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