Stellaris is Paradox Interactive's grand strategy game set in space, where you design a civilization from scratch and guide it from first interstellar contact to galactic domination — or extinction. The empire designer lets you create anything from democratic space elves to genocidal mushroom hiveminds to corporate lizard megacorps. Mid-game crises (the Prethoryn Scourge, Unbidden, or Contingency) threaten the entire galaxy, forcing even rival empires to cooperate or perish. With over 20 DLC packs adding mechanics like federations, espionage, and machine empires, Stellaris has grown into one of the deepest 4X games available. Games typically last 15-40 hours per campaign.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key synergies |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Home System
Key resources: Starting resources, guaranteed habitable planet, initial science output Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Colossus upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Frontier Colonies
Key resources: Additional pops, resource districts, strategic chokepoint control Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Colossus upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Fallen Empire
Key resources: Dark Matter, Living Metal, Fallen Empire buildings, unique technologies Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Colossus upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
L-Cluster
Key resources: Nanite resource, unique systems, defensible territory, potential Gray Tempest threat Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Battleship Fleet max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Galactic Core
Key resources: Unique strategic resources, megastructure potential, galactic center control bonus Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Battleship Fleet max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Home System — Frontier Colonies)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials — you'll need them later
- Focus on Colossus once accessible
Mid Game (Fallen Empire)
- Push Colossus to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Battleship Fleet
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (L-Cluster — Galactic Core)
- Max out Battleship Fleet — this is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment — Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials — Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear — Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Fallen Empire farming — This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early — Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Rush alloy production in the first 20 years by building alloy foundries on your homeworld. Alloys build ships and starbases — the two things that keep you alive and expanding. Aim for +50 alloys/month by year 2220.
- Farm Fallen Empire during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build — some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Stellaris Guides
- Stellaris Stellaris Overview
- Stellaris Best Builds
- Stellaris Tier List
- Stellaris Walkthrough
- Stellaris Beginner's Guide
- Stellaris Tips & Tricks
- Stellaris Weapons Guide
- Stellaris Combat Guide
- Stellaris Boss Guide
- Stellaris Maps & Locations
- Stellaris Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Stellaris, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Crafting Guide — strategy game with similar mechanics
