What is your galatic empire known for?

How will your empire build itself up to conquer, or control, the galatic stage?

With the Federations DLC released for Stellaris on March 17th a surge of new playthroughs and players alike are arriving on the scene. Most elements are still the same, but a few things have changed and a few new items have been introduced. If you're pondering how you should assembly your empire prior to building it, look no further. This Top 15 list will cover those most powerful civics so your empire can dominate the galaxy.

Technocracy

The United Federration of Planets from Star Trek.

Technocracy remains the most powerful Civic out there today. Due to the focus it has on ramping up on research speed you can very quickly gain an advantage. Getting ahead of your enemies in all aspects of your Empire will put you ahead of the game from the early game, that is the benefit of a Tech Rush.

Bonuses

• Capital Buildings replace some Administrator Jobs with Science Directors Jobs.
• Researchers also produce Unity.

Requirements

• Must be Fanatic Materialist ethics.
• Can not have Aristocratic Elite, Exalted Priesthood, Merchant guilds, or Shared Burdens civics.

Meritocracy

Money has and will always be power.

Meritocracy might seem like a leadership focused civic at first, but just think about that specialist bonus. That 10% production can very quickly ramp up the economic strength of your empire, allowing you to run a monopoly on the galactic Market. Need something, just buy it!.

Bonuses

• Leader Level Cap: +1
• Specialist Resource Output: +10%

Requirements

• Can not have an Autocratic Government.

Fanatic Purifiers

Purge the Xeno scum!

Tired of playing nice and friendly with the other species of the galaxy, say no more! The combat and military bonuses this civic provide will have you muscling your neighbors out in the early game. And shattering their home worlds in the mid game. But can you stand alone in the late game?

Bonuses

• Civic is locked in from game start.
• Loose Diplomacy options.
• Loose Galactic Market Access.
• Gain Purification casus belli.
• Gain unity for purging Xeno Pops, Xeno pops are always purged.
• Ship Fire Rate: +33%
• Army Damage: +33%
• Ship Build Cost: -15%
• Naval Capacity: +33%

Requirements

• Must be Fanatic Xenophobe and Militarist or Spiritualist.
• Can not have Syncretic Evolution Origin or Barbaric Despoilers Civic.

Distinguished Admiralty

Trust is earned.

 Ship captains must be responsible for thousands of people and billions worth of energy credits while out amongst the stars. You need trustworthy people; you need a Distinguished Admiralty. This civic provides you a flat static bonus that will give you an edge in the early game and might be the deciding factor in the late game.

Bonuses

• Ship Fire Rate: +10%
• Admiral Level Cap: +1
• Fleet Command Limit: +10

Requirements

• Must be Militarist ethic.

Slaver Guilds

Benefit while forces others to do the hard work.

Why conquer the galaxy to kill off the lesser species, put them to work doing all that nasty manual labor. With Slaver guilds you can be a more efficient galactic conquering, by putting the conquered to work.

Bonuses

• Slave Output: +10%
• 40% Enslaved Pop Ratio.

Requirements

• Must be an Authoritarian ethic.

Inwards Perfection

Seek guidance from within yourself.

Do the constant conflicts of the galaxy make you want to facepalm? Just close your borders to the galaxy and look to your own people. With Inwards Perfection your people will focus on their own development and growth and not worry about the childish actions of the galaxy.

Bonuses

• Civic is locked in from game start.
• Monthly Unity: +20%
• Pop growth speed: +20%
• Citizen Happiness: +5%
• Cannot form defensive pacts, commercial pacts, research agreements or migration treaties.
• Cannot guarantee independence, join federations, have forced subjects or infiltrate natives.

Requirements

• Must have at least 1 Pacifist and 1 Xenophobe Ethic.

Agrarian Idyll

We don't need any big fancy city types around these parts.

Almost everyone imagines retiring on a farm one day, don’t they? With Agrarian Idyll your people will focus on living within the natural environments of your production districts. With your people avoiding large urbanization your economy will have a lot less to worry about in the entire game.

Bonuses

• Generator, Mining and Agriculture districts Housing: +1
• City Districts Housing: -1
• Farmers also produce: +2 Amenities
• Cannot pick the Arcology Project ascension perk.

Requirements

• Must have a Pacifist Ethic.
• Cannot have Syncretic evolution or Post-Apocalyptic Origins.
• Cannot have Slaver Guilds Civic.

Shared Burdens

The state will decide how your hardwork is rewarded.

So, you believe you know better than Stalin did when it comes to Governing? With the Shared Burdens Civic you can mandate the same living standard for all your citizens across the galaxy, regardless of their social status. This will lighten the load on your economy but, what will you do when winter comes?

Bonuses

• Allows for the Shared Burdens living standard.
• Stability: +5
• Pop Demotion Time: -45%

Requirements

• Must be Fanatic Egalitarian.
• Cannot have a Xenophobe Ethic or the Technocracy Civic.

Mining Guilds

Lets crack ourselves a planet!

The Mining guild civic is a simple and very effective tool to have. Provides a flat bonus to each individual miner in your empire, which scales very quickly just like your empire. Did we just become space dwarves?

Bonuses

• Minerals from Miners: +1

Requirements

• None.

Merchant Guilds

Rule of Acquistion #9: Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.

Who doesn’t love more money? With the Merchant Guilds civic Merchants become embedded into your empire's political structure, ensuring a constant focus on trade and capitalism. The larger your empire grows the more money you can make.

Bonuses

• Capital Buildings provide Merchant jobs.
• Merchants produce additional Unity: +2

Requirements

• Cannot have the Exalted Priesthood, Aristocratic Elite, Technocracy or Byzantine Bureaucracy Civics.

Diplomatic Corps

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Attempting to prove the old phrase, “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword.”? With the Diplomatic Corps Civic you might very well be able to pull it off. With an increased capacity to speak diplomatically with your fellow galactic empires, your weight on the galactic community will hold more sway.

Bonuses

• Available Envoys: +2
• Diplomatic Weight: +10%

Requirements

• Cannot have the Inwards Perfection or Fanatic Purifiers Civic.

Functional Architecture

Build things right and they will pay for themselves

Next to your actual citizens, your empire is built up of buildings. With the Functional Architecture civic you are able to efficiently build and maintain all those structures across your empire. Thus, more money for other things your empire needs

Bonuses

• Buildings and Districts build cost: -10%
• Buildings and Districts upkeep: -10%

Requirements

• None.

Exalted Priesthood

Trust in your faith, Trust in the church!

Faith and religion have helped to carry many an empire across the records of history. With the Exalted Priesthood civic your religious leaders will be given a place of reverence amongst the population. To care for or to control will be your decision.

Bonuses

• Capital Buildings replace some Administrator Jobs with High Priest jobs.
• Priests provide: +1 Unity

Requirements

• Must have an Oligarchic or Dictatorial government.
• Must have a Spiritualist Ethic.
• Cannot have the Merchant Guilds, Aristocratic Elite or Technocracy Civics.

Warrior Culture

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

Fighting is a part of who you and your people are. With the Warrior Culture your people will know the harsh realities of a warrior’s life from birth and be better for it. With the focus on fighting your empire will always be ready to go to war if needed.

Bonuses

• Army Damage: +20%
• Replaces Entertainer Jobs with Duelist Jobs.
• Duelists provide: +1 Unity, +2 Amenities and +2 Naval Capacity.

Requirements

• Must have a Militarist Ethic.

Citizen Service

Do you want to know more?

 Are your citizens doing their part for your Empire. With the Citizen Service civic military service is required by all citizens across your empire. Make each volunteer serve their mandated term of service with a smile.

Bonuses

• Soldiers Produce an additional: +2 Unity
• Naval Capacity: +15%

Requirements

• Must have a Militartist Ethic
• Cannot have an Autocratic government or Fanatic Xenophile ethic.

You may also be interested in:

• Stellaris Best Authority - Which To Pick? 
• [Top 15] Stellaris Best Civics
• [Top 10] Stellaris Best Ascension Perks
• [Top 10] Stellaris Best Ship Designs
• Stellaris Best Megastructures: What to Build First

• Top 10 Games Like Stellaris (Games Better Than Stellaris In Their Own Way)
• The Ultimate Best Sci-fi Games You Can Play Today
• Top 15 New RTS Games That Look Amazing