Stellaris – How to Build a Juggernaut

Your scientists and engineers can produce some marvels of technology in Stellaris.

Some of these have a civilian application, while others, like the Juggernaut, only exist to bolster your military. How do you build a Juggernaut, though?

Juggernauts are the largest ships you have access to in the game. Of course, this makes it a late-game feature and is a long-term project for your empire. 

Recommended Read: How to Get More Envoys in Stellaris

If building a spaceship of outlandish proportions sounds cool to you, then you are in the right place. This guide will teach you what a juggernaut is, what features they have, how to unlock it, and how to build a Juggernaut. 

To build a Juggernaut in Stellaris, you need to research the Juggernaut’s rare tech and then build an assembly yard for it. The star base that contains this yard will then be able to build your empire’s Juggernaut. you need to own the Federations DLC to get access to the Juggernaut.

Table of Contents

• How to Build a Juggernaut in Stellaris
• What Does a Juggernaut Do?
• Tips for Researching the Juggernaut

How to Build a Juggernaut in Stellaris

Like most late-game technologies in Stellaris, there are quite a few hoops to jump through before any construction work can begin. The easiest thing to compare it to would be a megastructure, except it is a ship.

The easiest place to begin is at the start. Before you can even start this journey, one thing that is unavoidable is something outside the game. You must purchase and install the Federations DLC.

If you own the DLC, the next stage is where the bulk of your time on this project will take place. You need to advance an empire to the late game.

Focus on research to speed up this process, and enjoy the journey, as this could take 15–20 hours of gameplay.

There are two technologies that signal the end of your journey: the Battleship tech and Citadel tech. With these projects completed, your empire is now technologically advanced enough to research Juggernauts.

Now, you have to wait for the Juggernaut research option to appear in the engineering technology section. The problem is that Juggernaut is a rare technology, making the chances of this happening very low.

Be patient here. If you play long enough, it will turn up. When it does, set your scientists to work on it, and on completion of the tech card, construction work can begin. 

To build a Juggernaut, you will need a starbase with a Colossal Assembly Yard installed. The Starbase will need to be at maximum level as well.

Unlocking Juggernaut also unlocks the assembly yard, so there’s no more research to complete.

With the construction yard complete, create a Juggernaut in the ship design menu and set the shipyard to build one.

Wait for the engineers to finish construction, and then marvel at your empire’s latest creation, the beautiful Juggernaut.

What Does a Juggernaut Do?

As you can see, it takes a lot of effort to build a Juggernaut. Why go through all that hard work to build one ship?

Well, a juggernaut is so much more than a ship. Think of it like a mobile Starbase, only stronger. 

For starters, all Juggernauts come with two shipyard sections. This allows them to both build and repair ships wherever they are in the galaxy. 

This allows your Juggernaut to follow your fleets into battle, replenish casualties, and repair damaged fleets without the need to return to a home base, almost like a mobile command center for your armies.

They can only build ships up to battleship class but can repair ships of larger classes, including itself.

More support also comes in the form of auras. Like Titan class ships, Juggernauts also have access to Auras. These provide buffs to friendly ships and negative modifiers to enemy ships, depending on which one you select.

There isn’t as much choice compared to Titan auras, but they do have the benefit of being several degrees more potent. 

Support isn’t the only tool in the Juggernaut’s arsenal. It also comes with a healthy amount of weaponry to bring to the field. 

It comes with six hanger slots and four medium-sized weapon slots. The best part, though, is the two extra large slots, allowing you to rain laser death on enemy capital ships from across the system. 

What is a shame is that the Juggernaut’s arsenal of weaponry is preset, making you unable to change it. This may change in future patches, but as of now, you get what you are given in terms of offense. 

Although the weaponry it does bring to the field is no slouch, and in the right hands can devastate your opponents. 

On its own, the Juggernaut is very weak and easy to pick off by any half-decent fleet. But as a supporting unit to any sized fleet and behind enemy lines? This mobile command center shines in those situations. 

Tips for Researching the Juggernaut

Earlier in the guide, it states that the Juggernaut tech is rare. It is worth going through what that means and providing a few hints on how to overcome this minor obstacle.

When you are researching technology, you receive a list of potential research projects. The more advanced a piece of technology is, the less likely it is to appear.

Then there is rare technology, which is far more unlikely to appear, even compared to the most advanced tech in the game.

There are two ways to overcome this problem. You can play the game long enough so that you eventually do roll the rare tech you are after. Or, the better option, gain rare tech bonuses and improve your chances of rare tech appearing. 

Here is a list of all the ways to improve the chances of rare tech appearing:

• Taking the Technological Ascendancy perk. This increases the odds of rolling any rare tech by 50 percent.
• Hiring a scientist from Curator enclave and assigning them to the council.
• Being a member of a level three Research Cooperative federation doubles the appearance rate of rare technology.
• Being neighbors with an empire that has already researched the rare technology you want doubles the chances of it appearing.

Even with all of these bonuses stacked, which is possible, you are still beholden unto the RNG gods to roll the technology. 

Good things come to those who wait, and Juggernauts are very good indeed.

This is everything you need to know about how to build a Juggernaut in Stellaris.

If you have any questions or suggestions for this guide, please let us know in the comments section below. As always, have fun building your empire’s Juggernaut in Stellaris.