Ship designer in Stellaris Stellaris guide, tips

Last update: 14 March 2019

Stellaris offers an advanced system of unit designing. It is based on available sections of the ship and on researching weapons. You must use this panel very frequently so that your units remain useful on the battlefield and so that the enemy won't have easy times when facing you.

The design panel can be activated from the main interface or by pressing F4 on the keyboard.

After opening the tab you will see the above window. On the left side of the panel the available designs are shown, you can modify them. At this point there is no design available, so you must create a new one. The left side of the panel shows unit statistics which will change as you use various components. Select the button shown on the picture, it will allow you to create a new unit design. You will see an additional panel with a list from which you can pick unit you are interested in.

After selecting unit the middle field of the panel will change into an interactive part. Available slots of sections for units will appear there. Select one of the sections by using the button marked on the picture [1]. After selecting slot sections available for it [2] will appear on the screen. The number and type of section depends on ship type and place where the slot is. More about it can be found in the further part of the chapter.

Slot selection allows you to install selected equipment on the ship. You can fill all available slots to maximally utilize the potential of section. You can also leave them empty to reduce unit cost and its energy load. Click on any weapon slot [1]. On the left side a list of available weapons will appear [2]. You can select components that interest you from it. Each researched weapon will be available here. Check the size of specific weapons and fit them to the size of the slot. You don't need to select a specific size, the weapon will adapt the stats to the slot in which it will be placed. If the weapon has different size than the slot, then you won't be able to use it. Click on the weapon and click on the slot to equip it.

After nesting a weapon you can notice that the power of the systems has a negative value. Your next task is to equip the ship with enough reactors for that value to equal 0 or be greater than zero. Otherwise you won't be able to save the design.

Selecting additional equipment is similar as selecting weapons. Simply click utility slot and on the left side of the panel a list of available components will appear.

Then you can select additional equipment such as drive, maneuvering engines, on-board computer or radar. In most cases you should use the most technologically advanced technologies, but the selection of on-board computer is very important. It will determine the behavior of the unit when it faces an enemy ship in the system.

A finished project must be properly named and saved. In the panel you have a text field available and underneath it a special button marked on the picture [1]. The saved project will be seen in the ship creator [2] and you will be able to build it in the cosmoport [3].

Remember that sections also use power, so you cannot calculate the power of the reactor only based on the number of weapons in slots. Other systems will force you to use reactors in larger slots, making the combat value of the unit lower.