There are many dangers that face a fledgling empire inStellarisas they take their first steps off their home planet and spread out among the stars. However, nothing is quite as terrifying to a species still coming to terms with the concept of alien life than the Guardians, vast, unique, and powerful entities that haunt lonely Systems inStellaris, just waiting for unsuspecting fleets to destroy.
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The Automated Dreadnoughtlooks almost mundane compared toGuardians like the Stellarite Devourer, as it’s merely a massive VI-controlled spaceship that is locked into a routine patrol that makes it hostile to all who approach. However, the Dreadnought packs some top-tier components and a well-rounded defensive loadout, making it much more of a challenge to counter than its esoteric brethren.
How To Beat The Automated Dreadnought In Stellaris
Most of theGuardians inStellariscan be reliably defeated by any fleet of around 40k Power, while more specialized fleets will have an easier time with them. The tricky thing about the Automated Dreadnought is that it’s much more generalized than the other Guardians, with no specific weaknesses or strengths to be exploited. The Dreadnought uses a fairly even mix of Armor, Shields, Hull, and Point Defenses, forcing players to bring a well-rounded fleet of their own. A blend of Kinetic and Energy weapons will allow players to deal with both the Shields and Armor, while Whirlwind Missiles can overwhelm the Dreadnought’s Point Defense and ignore Shields entirely.
When it comes to the Dreadnought’s offensive firepower however, the Guardian is fortunately not quite as well-rounded. The Dreadnought’s primary weapons are its Titan Beam and varying sizes of Plasma Launcher, all of which are excellent against Armor and Hull but deal reduced damage to Shields. It also has a pair of small Disruptors, but their Armor and Shield piercing damage should be negligible to most fleets. Players should use theship designer inStellaristo equip their fleets with heavy Shields, which the Dreadnought will struggle to penetrate.
The Rewards For Beating The Automated Dreadnought
If players manage to defeat the Automated Dreadnought, they’ll be given a choice between scrapping the wreck or recovering it. Scrapping the wreck will award a large amount of Minerals, Energy Credits, and Engineering Research Points, while recovering it will start a new Special Project at the Dreadnought wreck that requires a Construction Ship and 50,000 Engineering Research Points to complete. Finishing the Project will give players a copy of the Automated Dreadnought, though lacking its bonuses to defenses from being a Guardian. Regardless, the rebuilt Dreadnought is stilla powerful spaceshipand a useful acquisition.
Whether players choose to scrap or recover, they’ll also get the chance to plan a parade to celebrate the defeat of the Dreadnought on theirspecies' home planet. The centerpiece of the parade is the Dreadnought’s power core, which will malfunction in an event halfway through the planning stage, allowing players to either incorporate it into their energy grid for extra Energy Credits, use it in the parade for a chance for extra Unity, or turn it off for Engineering Research Points. When the parade finished it will grant a large amount of Unity, as well as a permanent reduction to Job, District, and Building Energy upkeep on the capital world.
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