This list ranks the game’s available Ascension Perks from most potent to weaklings that should be avoided like a black hole. Each Perk’s strategic value, usability, and overall gameplay impact are meticulously evaluated to offer players a comprehensive understanding of which to pursue and which to leave to the cosmic dust.
Before You Start: This Tier is based on “Stellaris: Ultimate Bundle.”
Key Highlights
- There’s a total of 30 Ascension Perks in Stellaris Ultimate Bundle.
- S-Tier marks the ultimate choice of Perks in Stellaris.
- A-Tier contains one of the most powerful perks in the game.
- B-Tier consists of average but distinguished perks.
- C-Tier consists of perks that are below average and not very much useful.
- D-Tier in this Tier List has the worst perks in the game.
Stellaris Ascension Perks Tier List
| Perks | Tier | Prerequisites | DLC |
| Colossus Project | S | Titans technology | Apocalypse |
| Defender of The Galaxy | S | ||
| Become The Crisis | S | Xenophile, Pacifist, Rogue Servitor, Subject, Galatic Sovereign, Minamar Specialized Industries | Nemesis |
| Mind Over Matter | S | Psionic Theory technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Gestalt Consciousness
Psionics |
Utopia |
| Technological Ascendancy | S | Machine Intelligence | |
| One Vision | S | ||
| Executive Vigor | S | ||
| Universal Transactions | S | Corporate, Criminal Heritage | |
| Arcology Project | A | Anti-Gravity Engineering technology, Agrarian Idyll, Gestalt Consciousness, Rogue Servitor | MegaCorp |
| Galactic Contender | A | Communications with a fallen or awakened empire | |
| Master Builders | A | Mega-Engineering Technology | Utopia |
| The Flesh is Weak | A | Quantum Neuro-Links | Utopia |
| Shared Destiny | A | Inward Perfection, Genocidal | |
| Terraforming | B | ||
| Interstellar Dominion | B | ||
| Nihilistic Acquisition | B | Gestalt Consciousness, Authoritarian, Xenophobe, Barbaric Despoilers, Minamar Specialized Industries | |
| Engineered Evolution | B | Gene Tailoring technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Machine Intelligence | Utopia |
| Voidborn | B | Orbital Habitats technology | Utopia |
| Xeno-Compatability | C | ||
| Synthetic Evolution | C | Synthetics technology, Teachers of the Shroud origin, Gestalt Consciousness | Utopia |
| Mastery of Nature | C | ||
| Galactic Force | C | ||
| Grasp the Void | C | ||
| Lord of War | C | Overlord | |
| Imperial Prerogative | D | Corporate | |
| Transcendent Learning | D | ||
| Eternal Vigilance | D | Star Fortress technology | |
| Enigmatic Engineering | D | Apocalypse | |
| Detox | D | Climate Restoration technology |
Enter the vast universe of Stellaris, where empires rise and fall with each passing moment. Ascension perks, one of the most critical aspects of the game, allow players to customize their civilization by unlocking powerful bonuses that can make or break their success.
S Tier
Starting from the best perks in the game, S Tier perks in Tier List are the ultimate best choices for the players. These perks have the capability of single-handedly influencing all aspects of the gameplay.
| Perk | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Colossus Project | Unlocks powerful World Cracker ship and Titans, helps with endgame lag mitigation | Requires significant investment of resources and time, may not suit peaceful playstyles, negative consequences on diplomacy and ethics due to planet destruction |
| Defender Of The Galaxy | Provides significant damage boost against endgame crises and opinion boost from all empires | Not useful if endgame crisis is not close, doesn’t directly benefit empire’s power or expansion |
| Become The Crisis | Unlocks a different game path where you become the ultimate villain, build a galaxy-wiping machine | Difficulty forming alliances, becomes target for other empires, may not suit diplomatic playstyles |
| Mind Over Matter | Unlocks Psionic Ascension Path with powerful abilities and bonuses, grants access to Shroud, immortal “chosen one” leader | Locked into path choice, benefits not immediately impactful, |
| Technological Ascendancy | 10% boost to research speed, increased chance of finding rare technologies, great for early-game tech progression | May not suit specific strategies, not as beneficial for certain builds |
| One Vision | Early-game boost with monthly unity, reduced pop amenities usage, and increased governing ethics attraction, helps stabilize factions and prevent faction problems | May not be as powerful late-game, requires early investment in unity buildings and traditions |
| Executive Vigor | Instant boost to Edict fund with +100 Edict capacity, allows for multiple active Edicts in early game | Falls off and can be underwhelming in later stages of game |
| Universal Transactions | Reduced branch office costs and free commercial pacts for MegaCorp players | Only useful for MegaCorp players, limited usefulness for other empire types, benefits limited beyond reduced branch office costs and free commercial pacts |
A Tier
These perks may be better, but they can change the game altogether. A Tier in Stellaris Ascension Perks contains bonuses that can give tough competition to others.
| Perk | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Arcology Project | Enables construction of ecumenopolis, helps expand empire without acquiring additional planets, significant resource production and reduced housing needs | Requires significant investment of resources and time, may not suit broad build strategies |
| Galactic Wonders | Access to massive sci-fi megastructures like Ring Worlds and Dyson Spheres, impressive additions to empire, significant energy and mineral output | Requires significant investment of time and resources, benefits may not be immediately useful |
| Galactic Contender | Provides bonuses in diplomatic weight and damage against specific enemies, situational usefulness | Limited impact on gameplay outside specific scenarios |
| Master Builders | Significant boost to Megastructure build speed and capacity, faster construction, ability to build multiple megastructures simultaneously | Benefits players focusing on building megastructures, no immediate benefits, requires investment to take advantage of the boost |
| The Flesh is Weak | Cybernetic Ascension Path, unlocks bonuses for turning population into cyborgs, habitability and leader lifespan bonuses, bonus output from cyborgs | Locked into the Cybernetic Ascension Path once chosen, starting cybernetic bonuses may not be impressive |
| Shared Destiny | Provides envoys and loyalty bonuses for Overlords, improves relationships with other empires, ideal for empires with many subjects | Only useful for empires with subjects, not beneficial for all playstyles |
B Tier
Falling under the A Tier Perks in Stellaris Ascension, these perks are the average perks. A lot can be achieved if these perks are put into use properly.
| Perk | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Terraforming | Provides flexibility in customizing worlds, powerful tool for expanding resources, allows creation of specialized worlds | Requires significant resources and time investment, some options may not be useful, not a top priority for military-focused economies |
| Interstellar Dominion | Reduces influence cost of building starbases and making claims, helpful for expansion-focused playstyles | Not useful for empires not relying on building starbases, other perks may provide more significant benefits |
| Nihilistic Acquisition | Unlocks raiding bombardment stance, allows abduction of enemy pops, can weaken enemy empires | Situational and may not be helpful in every game, can damage relationships with other empires, requires specific playstyle |
| Engineered Evolution | Allows creation of specialized clones and tailored species traits, high population growth potential, unique gameplay | Restricted to Biological Ascension Path, time-consuming and micromanage-heavy, may not be as impactful in combat as other perks |
| Voidborn | Boosts habitat habitability and building slots, useful for empires relying on habitats for expansion | Not useful for empires focusing on colonizing planets, other perks may offer more immediate benefits in terms of military or economic power |
C Tier
Here are the below-average perks of this Stellaris Ascension Tier List. These are not very special, but they can still do some good things when used correctly.
| Perk | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Xeno-Compatibility | Allows customizing species, leads to diverse populations | Can cause significant mid-late game lag, benefits not immediately impactful, not recommended for low-end systems |
| Synthetic Evolution | Strong resource output potential, significant bonuses for synthetic pops | Requires unlocking Synthetics technology, benefits may not be as impactful compared to other paths, irreversible choice |
| Mastery of Nature | Quicker development of planets with blockers, saves resources | Only useful for empires with many blockers, limited applicability |
| Galactic Force | Provides temporary boost to naval capacity and fleet command limit | Temporary bonus, occupies an ascension perk slot |
| Grasp Of The Void | Increases starbase capacity, improves defense and repair capabilities | No direct combat bonuses, not ideal for military expansion |
| Lord Of War | Provides diplomatic weight bonuses based on fleet power, useful in federations and voting scenarios | Very situational, not suitable for all playstyles, occupies an ascension perk slot |
D Tier
Now is the turn for the worst perks in our Stellaris Ascension in my tier list. They may need to be more helpful, but the pros of these perks will state all the possible benefits you’ll get from them.
| Perk | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial Prerogative | Can be helpful for small empires struggling for resources | Short-lived perk, not beneficial for larger empires |
| Transcendent Learning | Increases leader level cap and experience gain | Not as impactful for overall game strategy, better suited for role-playing |
| Eternal Vigilance | Helps with starbase defense capabilities | Generally not optimal, upgrading defenses can be expensive and time-consuming |
| Enigmatic Engineering | Allows research of enigmatic tech | Bonuses provided may not be very helpful or impactful |
| Detox | Transforms toxic worlds into habitable ones | Situational and only affects a small number of planets, occupies an ascension perk slot |
Tier List Criteria
With each completed tradition tree, players will unlock a coveted slot for an ascension perk. These slots are limited, and choosing the right bonus for your empire can mean the difference between dominance and obscurity. Players can choose paths from an endless collection, so thinking carefully before going on a particular route is essential.
This tier list has been divided into five standard tiers (S to D) for ranking the perks. Selection of each bonus at any level will be justified by comparing their advantages and disadvantages.
| Tier List Perks | |
| S Tier | Colossus Project, Defender of The Galaxy, Become The Crisis, Mind Over Matter, Technological Ascendancy, One Vision, Executive Vigor, Universal Transactions |
| A Tier | Arcology Project, Galactic Wonders, Galactic Contender, Master Builders, The Flesh is Weak, Shared Destiny |
| B Tier | Terraforming, Interstellar Dominion, Nihilistic Acquisition, Engineered Evolution, Voidborn |
| C Tier | Xeno-Compatability, Synthetic Evolution, Mastery of Nature, Galactic Force, Grasp of the Void, Lord of War |
| D Tier | Imperial Prerogative, Transcendent Learning, Eternal Vigilance, Enigmatic Engineering, Detox |
This concludes my tier list on Stellaris Ascension perks.
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