Here Be Dragons (Science Origin) Full Opening Guide

The Here Be Dragons origin starts you with a powerful guardian monster near your homeworld, sitting on a tech-rich site. Handling it correctly gives you a research boost that snowballs harder than most other openings can match.

Why it’s S-tier

• The origin’s research bonus compounds heavily over the first 30–50 years, comfortably outpacing openings that rely on a slower-burn economy.
• Paired with the Technocracy civic, your research output converts into extra specialist pop slots, creating a strong positive feedback loop.
• It’s also forgiving of player mistakes — unlike some origins with a hard time-pressure clock, you can simply develop first and come back to deal with the guardian later if it’s initially too strong.

What to do early

1. Send a science ship to scout the guardian’s difficulty rating immediately. If it’s rated too high for your current strength, don’t rush in — expand and build up your fleet first, then come back.
2. Prioritize Meritocracy + Technocracy civics. Early on, your social/engineering research will lag behind neighbors who aren’t running this origin, and Meritocracy’s output bonus helps make up the difference.
3. For traits, stack Intelligent with either Natural Engineers or Natural Physicists, depending on which direction your capital’s resources lean.

Mid-game transition

Once you’ve cleared the guardian’s site, keep investing in it as a dedicated research world. Prioritize the Discovery and Prosperity tradition trees to boost research and general economic output, setting you up to unlock multiple ascension perks earlier than most other builds.

If you’d rather lean into a combat-focused build instead of pure science, check out the Titan endgame build for a transition path.