Spore Archetype Tiers Guide

Have you ever wondered which archetype is worst to play with? One say that Wanderer is the worst. Others say that Bard's superpower is useless and playing as that archetype is for achievement purposes.

In this guide I'll try to answer that question.

This guide was inspired by this guide from Castle Crashers game http://castlecrashers.wikia.com/wiki/Character_Tiers

NOTE: This guide doesn't consider major exploits used in purpose (e.g. "Ghost spaceship", spice duplication, etc.)

Advantages and disadvantages of archetypes are rated by this point system

1 - More less important feature
2 - Less Important feature
3 - Moderately important feature
4 - Important feature
5 - Very Important feature
6 - Game changing
7 - Supreme/Extremely poor feature
X - Rated by individual

Trait Legend:

R - Red (Carnivore, Predator, Aggressive, Military)
B - Blue (Omnivore, Adaptable, Industrious, Economic)
G - Green (Herbivore, Social, Friendly, Religious)

Example: RGBG (Carnivore, Social, Industrious, Religious)

DISCLAIMER!

This guide may represent the creator's subjective opinions about certain abilities and therefore it may be updated on any time, so please don't be offended that your favourite archetype will go suddenly to worse tier

S Tier Archetypes

These archetypes makes Space Stage pretty easy [even on Hard Mode]. Actually there's one S tier Archetype - Zealot. In my opinion Zealot is the best playable archetype due to power of its ability.

You need to play as him or unlock all 4 Zealot parts (GA exclusive) to use that badass "magic" which mass-converts empires

Zealot (Fanatical Frenzy)

[Best traits: RRGG]

18 points (S rank)

Advantages

• 7 - Can capture ENTIRE solar system inhabitated by empire without destruction
  
• 7 - Very useful on alien homeworlds containing expensive kinds of spice
  
• 6 - Useful while fighting with Grox (Fanatical Frenzy always captures their colonies)
  
• 4 - Improves relations with Grox

Disadvantages:

• 3 - Breaks Galactic Code (Makes relations with other empires worse in 10 parsec radius)
  
• 3 - Long cooldown (30 minutes)

Archetype Change mission:

-5kk Sporebucks
-Colonise 15 planets (Probably the easiest mission)

A Tier Archetypes

A Tier archetypes perhaps are not as badass as S Tier ones, but they are very potential.
They have cool features as well. Knight Archetype's superpower unlike other 8 ones cannot be obtained by GA captain parts which it makes more unique.

This is the only superpower which is directly affected by difficulty level. In hard mode its base HP is reduced by approximetely 3 times [comparing to Easy Mode], which it means it's less useful against battling with big empires (this applies not only to Mini-U but to all of your allies' ships in your fleet! Even Grox's allied ship is affected), but still it can be helpful in clearing out enemy spacecrafts and reducing received damage during travelling through hostile territory.

Trader can do "money war" - they can capture solar systems and at the same time improve relationship, but good relationship is very necessary for them. Economic takeover is the slowest conquer method in Space Stage, but thanks to their signature ability - Cash Infusion, they can capture systems nearly immediately with enough money and WITHOUT enraging nearby empires.

It could be an S tier archetype if not the fact that you need to pay 10kk for each homeworld to make sure the economic takeover ends successfully. T2 planets should be bought for 5kk, T1 - 3kk and T0 - 1kk (they may sell for 500k, but 1kk is reccomended)

Trader (Cash Infusion)

[Best traits: BBGB, RBBB]

14 points (A+ rank)

Advantages:

• 7 - Can capture ENTIRE solar system inhabitated by empire without destruction
  
• 7 - Very useful on alien homeworlds containing expensive kinds of spice
  
• 4 - Buying systems for reasonable price improves relationship with target empire [up to +50] (this doesn't apply to Grox, as "they don't need money")
  
• 3 - Useful on Grox (not as effective as Fanatical Frenzy)

Disadvantages:

• 3 - You need to pay for solar system with big amounts of money (it's not a problem if you have T3 planets, especially homeworld ones with top 4 most expensive spices [aka. Purple, Pink, Green, Blue])
  
• 2 - It works only if you established trade route with target solar system. Establishing them requires good relationship with target empire (at least +30 relationship points)
  
• 2 - long cooldown (25 minutes)

Archetype change mission:

-2,5kk Sporebucks
-Sell 5000 items

Knight (Mini-U)

[Best traits: RRGB]

Easy Mode

11 points (A- rank); 14 points maximum (A rank)

Normal Mode

8 points (B rank); 11 points maximum (A- rank)

Hard Mode

6 points (B- rank); 9 points maximum (B+ rank)

Advantages:

• 6 - Useful when you don't have much allies [Especially at beginning of game] or you don't
  want to make them angry by accidental destruction of their ships
  
• 4 - Can assist you in eliminating enemy ships while you are outside planet
  
• 4 - Short Cooldown
  
• 4 - Can be very helpful in battles
  
• X - HP and damage dealt by Mini-U regards of size of your Empire

Disadvantages:

• 6 - May make alliance with Grox impossible while being attacked by them (When Mini-U is active)
  
• 1 - Mini-U self-destructs as cooldown ends
  
• X - The bigger difficulty, the less base HP Mini-U has

Mini-U HP Multiplier for each difficulty [Considering that HP multiplier for easy mode is 1x]

Easy: 1x
Medium: 0.66x
Hard: 0.33x

It's impossible to get that archetype by Archetype Change Mission (Knights will give you Warrior Archetype mission instead)

B Tier Archetypes

These archetypes are still good ones, but some of them are cool, some of them are average.

Scientist's ability allows quick destruction of hostile Empire's homeworlds.Simply,it's a budget version of Planet Buster, but it doesn't destroy a planet. It's reccomended to use it on homeworld with common and cheap spice type (such as red or yellow). If you want to conquer the homeworld with more expensive spice type without greater losses, then use Fanatical Frenzy or Cash Infusion instead, but for the second option, you better NOT have a bad relationship. HOWEVER! If there are lots of non-Grox empires within 10 parsecs, then deterraformation of said planets is better option.

Gravitation Wave aside from homeworld destruction and improving relationship with Grox by breaking Galactic Code, it can be handy while destroying tribe planets, as long as they are not in expensive spice one (If they occupy a purple spice planet, don't use GW, but instead terraform it to T3, fill niches and place a monolith and when they reach space stage do trade route, buy system or use FF). It's a bit quicker method than deterraformation or especially eradicating them with conventional weapons, as their hut icons are small and therefore you may not spot the remaining one. There are PLENTY of tribes planetwide. If the said planet is the only one in solar system, but still you want to capture it, then GW is perfect (unless it has expensive spice ofc). Just be careful of your vicinity as you may enrage a nearby non-grox empire.

Scientist (Gravitation Wave)

[Best traits: RRBB]

8 points (B+ rank)

Advantages:

• 5 - Useful to destroy non-space stage civilisations (especially tribes) in systems with planets containing expensive spices for settling purposes (unless they reside those planets).
  
• 4 - Useful while fighting with Grox
  
• 4 - Improves relations with Grox
  
• 3 - Useful to destroy alien homeworlds

Disadvantages:

• 3 - Breaks Galactic Code (Makes relations with other empires worse within 10 parsec radius)
  
• 3 - Deterraformation is sometimes better option.
  
• 2 - Long cooldown (22 minutes)

Archetype change Mission:
-5kk Sporebucks
-Discover 20 new Black holes or planetary discs

Shaman (Return Ticket)

[Best traits: GRGG, GGGB]

7 points (B rank)

Advantages::

• 5 - Useful while doing Grox investigation homeworld mission
  
• 5 - Can be useful to escape from battle very easily
  
• 4 - Short Cooldown

Disadvantages:

• 3 - Always teleports to homeworld (If you don't mind getting killed, death is sometimes better option as it teleports to last visited / closest(?)* colony)
  
• 3 - Inviable when fighting with far away from player's homeworld empires
  
• 1 - Can be used only if player is in planet

Archetype change mission:

-2,5kk Sporebucks
-Use paint/sculpt tools on 150 different planets

*If the colony you visted gets destroyed before your death.

Diplomat (Static Cling)

[Best traits: BBGG, GBGB]

6 points (B rank)

Advantages:

• 5 - Stuns every vehicle and turrets on planet and jams all buildings
  
• 3 - Good against Grox

Disadvantages:

• 2 - Long cooldown (23 minutes)

Archetype change mission:

-5kk Sporebucks
-Form 5 alliances with different empires

C Tier Archetypes

C Tier Archetypes are average ones. Ecologist Archetype is very good for terraforming and doing scan missions, so you don't have to use Global Scan tool. Its superpower - Safari Vacuum, requires some space in storage. More professional players will use just one specimen of species and then abduct it back while terraforming.

Bard Archetype's Soothing song ability causes all non-grox empires to stop attacking you for 2 minutes. It is possible to bribe them, make missions from them, etc in that time. (basically every thing which it's impossible to do during war). It makes escape from war zone much easier and unlike Shaman's Return Ticket, Soothing Song doesn't teleport you to specific place after use. Unfortunately if you use any conventional weapon (this includes Turrets, Gravity Wave and Planet Buster as well), the effect will be interrupted, however, Terraformation tools and Fanatical Frenzy don't interrupt it, so you can conquer/destroy them much easier.

In other words Soothing Song is more versatile ability than Static Cling on every empire, aside Grox, but you can't use any tool from red label [Weapons] if you don't want to spoil "silent" extermination process.

Ecologist (Safari Vacuum)

[Best traits: RBGG, BRGG]

2 points (C rank)

Advantages:

• 4 - Very helpful in terraformation (Gathers every species of Flora and Fauna from planets in two speciments)
  
• 3 - Scans every species on planet (Useful while doing Scanning and transport missions on planets with big biodiversity)

Disadvantages:

• 2 - Long cooldown (22 minutes)
  
• 3 - Storage space is needed to contain specimens

Archetype change mission:

-10kk Sporebucks
-Complete 50 ecosystems (one of the hardest missions)

Bard (Soothing Song)

[Best traits: RBGB, BRGB]

0 points (C- rank)

Advantages:

• 6 - During the time of Soothing Song effect it's possible to fix relationship with empires you have war (You may don't have to pay for peace)
  
• 6 - Terraformation tools don't interrupt Soothing song effect, so they can be used to exterminate non-grox empires much easier. (or fix relationship, if you upgrade their planet) [Unfortunately you can't capture planets without destroying all/most of colonies with that method.]
  
• 3 - Escaping from war zone is easier (unless you are in Grox Empire territory)

Disadvantages:

• 7 - Doesn't work on Grox
  
• 5 - The effect is ceased once you use a weapon [Even auto turrets may interrupt the effect when used in planet.]
  
• 3 - It's hard to fix relationship without money if empire REALLY hates you (Try to befriend an empire with -400 relationship points :) )

Archetype change mission:

-10kk Sporebucks
-Find 25 artifacts

D Tier Archetypes

These archetypes are below average. Their superpowers are not as good as the ones from above tiers and they are merely used ocassionally. The only D Tier archetype is Warrior. It sounds great, until you see the effects of its ability.

Raider Rally, you can summon pirates. Yarr! Unfortunately in offensive, they are merely a cannon fodder distracting the enemy for short time until their entire fleet is destroyed by turrets or enemy ships (they can drop some money when their ships are destroyed), but for some reason their presence cause the current attacker attacking the planet retreat (maybe because they think it's a Grox arrival??), which makes a pretty decent defensive ability. However, if your colony is attacked and your empire is advanced enough that you can buy Uber Turrets, Raider Rally is useless.

In other words, Raider Rally is good only at early stage of gameplay and quick protection of allies (from for example the Grox), but you can't repel hostile Pirates raiding your homeworld with that ability.

Warrior (Raider Rally)

[Best traits: RRGR, RRRB]

-4 points (D- rank)

Advantages:

• 5 - Useful on defense missions, good if you grind for Bodyguard badge. (Can repel any attacking enemy forces, even Grox. It works just like Raging Roar from Creature Stage in that case)
  
• 3 - Pirates can be destroyed for money
  
• 2 - Pirates can be used to distract enemy's turrets and spaceships

Disadvantages:

• 7 - Pirates are weak and useless while fighting against powerful empires (including Grox)
  
• 4 - Well-guarded colony with Uber Turret is better alternative for player's colonies
  
• 3 - Doesn't work on player's empire homeworld
  
• 2 - Long cooldown (20 minutes)

Archetype change mission:

-2,5kk Sporebucks
-Conquer 20 planets

E Tier Archetypes

These archetypes are the worst ones and they are dedicated for experienced players (especially if you are playing hardmode). Wanderer archetype is the easiest one to attain by just starting the game from Space Stage (unless you are starting the game with creature which has already consequence traits), but you won't get superpower nor trait bonuses which it makes game harder.

If you have GA, in theory you can have up to 3 different superpowers if you play as one of previously mentioned archetypes, but for Wanderer you are limited to have up to 2 (and no Mini-U).

Trivia: Wanderer originally had its own superpower - Species Shuffler, which could change all species in affected planet. This would make terraforming much easier, especially in early game where we have small capacity in cargo hold. If not the fact that ultimately this archetype didn't got one, it could land somewhere between C- and B tier (depending on it's cooldown of course). Still, the lack of consequence traits will make the game a bit more difficult.

Wanderer (no superpower)

[Best traits: none]

-14 points (E- rank)

Advantages:

• 0 - None

Disadvantages:

• 7 - No superpower (to get one without changing the archetype, you need to have GA and complete a set of captain tools)
  
• 7 - As Wanderer Archetype doesn't require to pass any pre-Space stages, there are no passive bonuses from consequence traits.

Wanderers don't offer you their Archetype Change mission. Instead, they will give you Diplomat one. (and that's for good, I guess...)

Summary

I think the most OP Archetype in the game is Zealot. You can expand your empire very quickly and capture Grox colonies pretty easily. For those whose want to start the game on Space Stage (play as Wanderer), they need to rely on their knowledge and skill.

Every Archetype is cool if you learn the basics of Spore, but for beginners, whose want to conquer galaxy, I recommend the OP one. Don't be discouraged to try other ones and pick your favourite playstyle. You don't have to focus on fighting. You can try to do as much alliances as possible, spreading life and creating other sentient empires via monoliths, chiseling planets and afterwards destroying them, etc. There's no specific task in Space Stage. It's a giant SANDBOX with over 22k+ systems

Remember. There's a possibility to change your Archetype, but you need to ally with a Tier 4+ empire with desired one (except Wanderer and Knights) and do a special mission from them, but for big amount of money. The harder archetype to acquire via evolution, the more money you need to pay. (Grox won't offer you to change your Archetype into theirs)

Hopefully you'll like this guide. Don't forget to leave comment and fave it :3

[Xorgius]

@Turiam

1. Consequence bonuses tierlist is written in different guide

2. Unless you have strong relationship with emprie (approx 300+ points) or it's Grox, you should NEVER use Galactic Code breaking stuff if there are systems owned by them within 10 parsec radius of target (unless you are OP and you want to actually start war with them).

I gave lower negative rating of Galactic Code breaking, because they can be helpful in getting Warmonger badge without allying with Grox if you doh't want to. Also I didn't consider exploits while typing this guide in purpose, because there are some people whose want to play purely without using any form of cheats.

[Turiam]

I know this guide is old, but I'm going to give some critics of mine about the guide.

1: I think something you should've taken into consideration is the consequences of each stage, for example, ending as Adaptable in Creature Stage gives you the Speed Demon skill, which is a god tier skill on Space Stage because it shortens the time you travel through stars.

2: I think you underestimate the relationship penalty you receive from breaking the Galactic Code. Because, during the beginning, and without the use of glitches/exploits (spice duplication for example) it's a really bad idea. It isn't just "worsens the relationship", it's 2 stages of relationship gone. Meaning, alliances get broken, friendly gets to angry and neutrals go straight to war. The only way to fix them? Pay the empires at war with you, and usually a good sum of money.

I had more points, but Steam only allows 1k character comments

[deeerlolipop]

it rare to find a spore youtube video theese day's

[deeerlolipop]

honsty i thought i was the nerd that still plays spore today

[Ayil]

man I love spore

[ercan şimşek]

nice

[33oko]

Return Ticket is rated so strangely here. Death in space has no bad consequences, dying teleports you to the last colony you visited. Return ticket basically sets your last visit to Homeworld and then kills you, so the two uses for it are when either you need to get into your Homeworld and the last colony you visited is far from it or when you want to die and pressing the ability is faster than finding a suicide method. Using Return Ticket in battle just takes away time you have to damage enemies.

[Unamelable]

PLUS - if you somehow was able to settle with the religions you were interested in. You can just take the same zealot (because we basicly in center of the freaking universe). We can make process of "taking down" Grox more effetive.

Why i didn't pick Zealot?
Lets be honest, it is broken balance religion to play with :)

So.. Its kind of possible to be pacifist at some point, even when everyone freaking hates you after alliance with Grox'es.

[Unamelable]

I guess i have a idea to play both endings with Grox.
Like play until Trader. Have Friendly Tribe (+10 to relationships). Do quests for Grox (thank god they pay enough to refill their agro), use Friendly tools like Happy Laser or Fireworks + make Trade Routes.

Of course accept the alliance with evil side, then travel up to center of galactic. Picking up staff of life. Making big colony. Even when everyone hates us - we can still trade spices with each other colonye's lmao.

Because we at this point basicly (kind of safe). And we cannot lose even if our main home is destroyed (i checked it, i tried to kill it ). So with money from Grox, we can basicly. Just buy all those solar systems.

[Xorgius]

27 VI 2023 - Tierlist updated