It all begins with a mysterious power surge emanating from no particular point in the galaxy, and before you know it, a fleet of translucent energy beings warps into existence. With them, they bring a massive fleet, an overpowered StarBase, and a threat to devour every living thing in the galaxy. The Extradimensional Invaders have entered the game, and this is only the first wave. But how do you even begin to combat an empire made of beings consisting entirely of pure energy?
All the end-game crises in Stellaris can become overwhelming rather quickly, which is exactly what they were designed to do. Luckily for us, this doesn't mean they're immortal! Every end-game crisis faction has a weakness, and the Extradimensional Invaders are no exception. Let's walk through how to not only survive these hungry energy invaders but also absolutely annihilate them from your plane of existence.
THE INVASION BEGINS
As mentioned earlier, you will be alerted to a significant surge of energy detected in the galaxy. This prompt notification will make it clear to you immediately and definitively that an extradimensional invasion force is approaching. These extradimensional invaders manifest as three distinct empires. The initial empire, known as "The Unbidden," is characterized by a striking shade of blue. Following closely (with a 15-day interval), a second empire arrives, known as the Aberrant, resembling a bright orange flame. Just as you contemplate the possibility of succumbing to two distinct energy-based lifeforms, a third faction emerges in a cosmic and vivid neon green hue: The Vehement.
Don't worry, there is actually some positive news amidst the chaos: The three end-game crisis empires deeply despise each other. Their animosity becomes evident as each of them joins the conflict, indicating that The Unbidden are being pursued by the other two. It appears that a vibrant civil war has erupted on this alternate plane, and it's now spilled over into your dimension like a splash of watercolor (except much more lethal). While this situation benefits them, you can take advantage of this intense energy by rearranging your forces in preparation for your retaliatory strike.
It is crucial to remember that the Unbidden target one empire at a time, with a particular interest in empires possessing Psionic abilities. If your empire's leader has the Chosen One trait, you are highly likely to be their initial target for invasion. Additionally, if any Starbase has been upgraded with FTL Inhibitors, they'll be completely useless against the Unbidden and other Extradimensional fleets.
DESTROY THE EXTRADIMENSIONAL INVADERS
These beings are pure energy, as suggested by their portraits and ship designs. This characteristic provides a clue on how to defeat them. When examining their fleets, you will notice that all their ships, irrespective of their class or faction, are equipped with 100% shields and hull for defense and completely lack armor. Below are the specs for each of the extradimensional invader ships:
As you can see by the overwhelming use of Matter Disintegrators, these energy beings weren't joking when they said they were here to consume every living thing in the galaxy. Couple this with the overwhelming use of Psionic Shields, and you have yourself a brutally well equip pure energy fleet. With this information in mind, you can now begin redesigning and upgrading your fleet to counter the enemy fleets perfectly.
EXTRADIMENSIONAL FLEET WEAKNESSES
Extradimensional fleets move very slowly: It's advantageous to construct your ships with a focus on speed to gain a significant edge in maneuverability. Speed serves as a form of defense in this scenario. Additionally, the lack of maneuverability from the extradimensional fleet means that these ships move very slowly from system to system, granting you extra time to move your fleets into position.
Focus on Shield Penetration weapons: Weapons like the Whirlwind Missiles are incredibly effective against the extradimensional fleets because of their long range and +100% Shield Penetration bonus. Your missiles will begin hitting the enemy fleet and pass straight through their shields, dealing heavy damage to their hull before your ships are even in range. You can take this a step further and equip your ship with an artillery-focused combat computer, which grants an additional 20% of effective distance.
Max Out Shield Defenses on ships: Considering the Extradimensional fleets rely exclusively on "Matter Disintegrators," anything other than shields will literally melt away on contact. This means armor on your ships is basically useless. However, using all these shields will use a massive amount of energy, so you will need to balance your shield use with your ship's speed to maximize effectiveness. If you find yourself with additional slots for shielding, armor, and hull, feel free to use armor for the simple fact that it's better than nothing.
ENDING THE CRISIS ONCE AND FOR ALL
When each Extradimensional Fleet enters the game, they bring with them a "Dimensional Anchor." Destroying these anchors is the first step in ridding the galaxy of this energy menace for good. You can locate these anchors by accessing your Situation Log. However, they will not make it easy for you to take them down. They are the first line of defense when protecting their Dimensional Portals. Once you're able to take down those portals, it's only a matter of time until you've eliminated them all from (at least your) existence.
Below are a few key points to keep in mind when on the attack against the Unbidden and their frenemies:
The Dimensional Portal cannot be eliminated unless all Dimensional Anchors are destroyed.
The portal will continue to be protected by the primary Extradimensional fleet.
In the event of an attack on the portal system, the invaders will summon all their ships to defend it.
If the Starbase in the portal system is destroyed, all fleets will stay to protect the system until it is reconstructed, stalling their expansion.
These anchors can be found in systems highlighted on the Galaxy Map, enhancing shield hardening for Extradimensional fleets in the system by 50% and possessing flawless cloaking detection capabilities.
The empire that destroys the final Dimensional Portal will receive the Extradimensional Warlock Relic and a temporary Opinion boost from all factions.
Having all this information easily accessible, you will resume your normal activities even before the invasion started. For some of you, this undoubtedly involves either enslaving your neighbors or battling countless irritating pirate fleets.
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