Planet devastations are a common thing in Stellaris. After all, if you want to capture enemy planets, or defend yours, you’ll need to go to war not just in space but on the planet’s surface as well.
If you are at war with another empire, then planet devastation is inevitable. If you are on the defending side, then ground combat will take place between your defense armies and your enemy’s assault armies. How many armies can engage in combat on both sides will be five plus 1/5th of your planet’s size.
Due to this, if battle ensues, then planet devastation follows. Luckily, there are ways to reduce that as much as possible.
How to Reduce Devastation in Stellaris
Planet devastation refers to the damage caused to your population centers. The numbers can go from 0-100%, with a higher number causing your defense armies to take more damage. Not only that, but every 1% of planet devastation can lead to a 1% decrease in the following sectors:
Amenities
Growth Speed
Housing
Immigration Pull
Resources from Jobs
Upkeep from Jobs
Trade Value
Apart from your enemy’s assault armies, planet devastation can also be caused by orbital bombardment. Meanwhile, assault armies come with a Collateral Damage modifier which can indicate the rate at which they cause planet devastation.
Fending Off Ground Invaders
In order to reduce planet devastation as much as possible, you’ll want to make sure you invest in sizeable defense armies to fend off any assault armies that invade your planet. They are naturally stronger against assault armies one-for-one, so they are your best bet during ground combat.
It’s also a good idea to increase their ranks as high as possible. Additionally, you can also order assault armies to land on your planet to provide additional defense.
Fending Off Orbital Bombardment
As for orbital bombardment, there are a handful of ways you can reduce devastation as much as possible. The effectiveness of an orbital bombardment will depend on the enemy’s Fleet Size in orbit, with the maximum at 200 Fleet Size. Hence, the bigger your enemy’s Fleet Size is, the more Devastation it can cause to your planet.
To reduce the amount of Devastation damage your planet can take from enemy orbital bombardment, you’ll need to secure the following: