Players will make many discoveries as they guide their fledgling civilization into the stars inStellaris, some wonderful, some terrible. The galaxy is full of dangers, but there are few creatures more deadly to an incautious Science Ship or overconfident fleet thanStellaris' colossal Guardians, an array of vast space-borne entities that are each capable of taking down an entire armada.
While most ofthe Guardians are unique entities, the Tiyanki Matriarch is actually the eldest of the Tiyanki Space Whales, a passive space fauna species that can be found drifting between Systems in anyStellarisgalaxy. Unlike her younger kin, however, the Tiyanki Matriarch guards a single System jealously and will attack any ship that strays into her territory.
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How to Beat the Tiyanki Matriarch in Stellaris
Like most ofthe Guardians inStellaris, the Tiyanki Matriarch can be safely beaten by any fleet of 40k+ Power. However, a smaller Fleet with the correct ship designs will be able to take her down much sooner, giving players early access to the rewards. The Matriarch has a huge amount of Hull Points and some Armor but no Shields at all. This means that players should exclusively fit Energy weapons, with Laser and Plasma being the most effective against Hull and Armor. Additionally, Frigates or Torpedo Cruisers equipped with Proton or Neutron Launchers will be highly effective, especially as the Matriarch is so large.
Despite only having two weapons, the Tiyanki Matriarch has one of the highest damage outputs of all the Guardians, exceeded only by the Infinity Machine andStellarite Devourer. Her first weapon is a slow-firing Tiyanki Bite which deals double damage vs. Armor and Shields but will struggle against evasive targets. Her second weapon is the Tiyanki Siphon, which is much more accurate and ignores Armor but only deals 25% damage to Shields. This means that heavy Shields and a strong Hull are the best defensive components to fit against the Tiyanki Matriarch, particularly when using a fleet of small ships like Frigates, which the Matriarch will struggle to hit with its Bite.
Rewards for Beating the Tiyanki Matriarch in Stellaris
Unlike any other Guardian in Stellaris, defeating the Tiyanki Matriarch can come with penalties as well as rewards. If the player is a member of the Galactic Community and the Tiyanki Conservation Act has been passed, then defeating the Matriarch puts them inbreach of Galactic Law. This comes with an immediate fine of 5000 Energy Credits and also opens the player up to be sanctioned or denounced by the Galactic Community.
Regardless of whether they get fined or not, players will still be able to claim the rewards for defeating the Tiyanki Matriarch. Shortly after the Matriarch dies, the battleship AH4B will burst from its insides, piloted by the high-level Admiral Reth Unddol, who comes with the unique Hell’s Heart trait. Players of non-genocidal empires will be able to recruit the Admiral and his ship, which boasts some top-tier components, while Fanatic Purifiers, Devouring Swarms, and Driven Exterminators can kill him for a Unity boost.
Additionally, any empire that has completed theGenetics Tradition Treeand finished the Leviathan Transgenesis tech will be able to incorporate the Matriarch’s DNA into their species' genetics, unlocking a new trait that boosts organic pop assembly speed.
Stellarisis currently available on PC, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
