Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares/Colony Leaders

The list of Colony and Ship Leaders is in alphabetical order and the following format:

• Image of the leader
• Leader's name
• The Leader's statistics; these normally include (where known):
  • Costs
  • Starting experience level in "experience points". 60 is the most basic.
  • For each skill, how powerful that skill is and how much it improves per additional experience level.
    Skills marked with an asterisk will increase more per level than skills that are not.
• Our comments and recommendations. In order to not repeat the same phrases over and over again, though, we start with a general discussion of leader Attributes.

Attributes (in approximate order of utility)

Free Tech: some leaders bring a free technology when you hire them (noted below). You usually want to hire them for that reason alone, even if you sack them immediately afterwards (which comes at the risk of someone else hiring them and gaining the same tech).

Megawealth: it's just a question of time until they have paid for their own hiring cost, usually it's a rather short time. Almost always worth it if your leader pool isn't already full.

Instructor: free experience for your spaceship crews, wherever they are, whatever they do. No need to keep them lingering next to a space academy (though you may want to do that too, as it adds even more experience). A must-have for every empire. If you have more than one, only the best value applies.

Famous: again, you want one famous leader, Ship or Colony. Again, only the best value applies.

Farming / Labor / Science Leader: This type of bonus is only applied to the output of your workers: that includes (e.g.) the +2 Science per worker you get from a Supercomputer, but not the +10 Science you get from having a Supercomputer in the first place. A science leader is only useful if you have actual people doing science.

The way the bonus is computed also means that it's relative value may differ wildly depending on circumstances: on a high-G world with it's 50% gravity penalty, a +10% bonus amounts to an actual +20% increase on this world. On the other hand, if you already have a +50 bonus from government or morale modifiers, another 10% next to that doesn't look as exciting anymore.

Increasing bonuses make that kind of leader less attractive in the late game. Not un-attractive, only less so: you probably want a good labor leader on your main shipyard, for example. But in an empire of 20 systems, that makes only a small difference in gross production.

Spiritual Leader: The result is similar to the specialist leaders above, but applies to all fields of work at once. Good to have if your race is subject to morale effects. Unification governments know no morale and therefore derive no benefit from spiritual leadership.

Environmentalist: In the early game, an environmentalist can be more useful than a similar-strength labor leader. Tolerant races have little use for them (on conquered worlds, perhaps), and once anti-pollution buildings become available, the ability loses most of it's worth.

Researcher: A big deal if you get one (very) early; the compound effect from having an Urro or Sparky by turn 15 is worth about 4 racial picks. The worth diminishes rapidly over the course of the game.

Operations: free command points are, potentially, each worth 10BC / turn. Think twice before passing on that offer.

Diplomat: useless for repulsive races, otherwise nice to have in single player. +20 points make the other races noticeably more open to deals.

Assassin: mostly a "better I have it than someone else" consideration.

Telepath / Spy Master: the effect is hard to quantify but seems to be rather small.

Medicine: doesn't affect housing or the cloning center; only applies to the natural growth rate, and only in one system. As such, the effect is rather small.

Financial Leader / Trader: Often expensive to hire, and slim benefits unless you already have plenty of money anyway.

Commando: only applies to hand-to-hand combat fought in the leader's system. Probably good to have if it ever comes to that, but no good reason to hire anyone.

Tactics: this skill simply doesn't work, a well-known bug since 1996. Hence the strike-through in the descriptions below.

Leader Experience

Leaders have ranks depending on their experience. With every level, the bonuses they provide increase (except Megawealth, which yields 10BC per turn regardless of level). Colony leaders gain one point of experience per turn as long as they're employed: so an Administrator hired early in the game may well gain two ranks before the game is over.

Expirience	lvl	Title
0-59	1	Administrator
60-149	2	Director
150-299	3	Magistrate
300-499	4	Commissioner
500+	5	Governor

It is not necessary that they are assigned to a colony, simply being on the payroll will get them +1XP per turn. They do not gain experience while waiting to be hired, though. Leaders also increase in rank when rejected: If a player dismisses an applicant, or simply doesn't hire them until the 30 turns are up, they will gain a whole level before they offer their services to the next player. If you see an applicant with a higher skill level than usual, it's because someone else did not hire them.

Leaders show up at approximately the order of their skill levels: Administrators first, Directors soon later. There is some randomness involved, but don't expect the first magistrates before turn 100, or Commissioners before turn 150.

Keep in mind...

...that your only decision is whether to hire the leader that is currently in front of you. Using the "Dismiss" button on an applicant does not ensure that the next one will show up any sooner, or will be any better.

Colony Leaders

Image	Name	Statistics	Comments / Recommendations
	Ailis the Gifted ID: #30	Starting level: 60 Environmentalist -20% (-10% per level) Medicine +30% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader +10% (+5% per level)
	Androgena ID: #34	Starting level: 60 Farming Leader +20% (+10% per level) Financial Leader +20% (+10% per level) Labor Leader +20% (+10% per level) Medicine +20% (+10% per level)
	Black Razor the Enforcer ID: #45	Starting level: 60 Assassin* 6% (+3% per level) Spy Master* +6% (+3% per level) Farming Leader +20% (+10% per level) Financial Leader +20% (+10% per level) Labor Leader +20% (+10% per level)
	Brainac ID: #41	Starting level: 60 (Random set of skills and bonuses)	You'll have to make up your mind depending on what he has this time.
	Cassandra the Elerian Mystic ID: #39	Starting level: 60 Diplomat +20 (+10% per level) Telepath* +6% (+3% per level) Environmentalist -20% (-10% per level) Spiritual Leader +10% (+5% per level)	Tech: Telepathic Training
	Chug the Planetologist ID: #32	Starting level: 60 Researcher +10 (+5 per level) Environmentalist -20% (-10% per level) Farming Leader +20% (+10% per level)	Tech: Terraforming
	Claw the Klackon Taskmaster ID: #51	Starting level: 150 Operations* +9 (+3 per level) Farming Leader* +45% (+15% per level) Labor Leader* +45% (+15% per level)
	Crassis the Labor Leader ID: #6	Starting level: 0 Labor Leader +10% (+10% per level)
	Draxx the Spy Master ID: #20	Starting level: 0 Assassin* 3% (+3% per level) Spy Master* +3% (+3% per level)
	Electra the High Priestess ID: #60	Starting level: 300 Telepath +8% (+2% per level) Environmentalist* -60% (-15% per level) Farming Leader* +60% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader* +30% (+7.5% per level)
	Emo the Science Leader ID: #4	Starting level: 0 Science Leader +10% (+10% per level)
	Felina the Naturalist ID: #37	Starting level: 60 Environmentalist* -30% (-15% per level) Farming Leader* +30% (+15% per level)
	Galis the Financial Leader ID: #8	Starting level: 0 Financial Leader* +10% (+10% per level)
	Garron the Ambassador ID: #18	Starting level: 0 Diplomat* +15 (+15 per level) Famous -60 BCs (-60BCs per level) Megawealth +10 BCs
	Grogg the Gnolam Capitalist ID: #35	Starting level: 60 Megawealth +10 BCs Financial Leader* +30% (+15% per level) Labor Leader +20% (+10% per level)
	Houri the Environmentalist ID: #10	Starting level: 0 Environmentalist -15% (-15% per level)
	Khunagg the Ruthless ID: #24	Starting level: 60 Commando +4 (+2 per level) Farming Leader +20% (+10% per level) Labor Leader +20% (+10% per level) Tactics +12 (+6 per level)
	Kimbuzzi the Farming Leader ID: #1	Starting level: 0 Farming Leader +10% (+10% per level)
	Kirsus the Psilon Scientist ID: #26	Starting level: 60 Researcher* +15 (+7.5 per level) Science Leader +30% (+15% per level)
	Lydon the Noble ID: #12	Starting level: 0 Diplomat +10 (+10 per level) Famous -60 BCs (-60BCs per level) Megawealth +10 BCs
	Malovane the Battle Lord ID: #62	Starting level: 300 Commando* +15 (+3 per level) Instructor* +6 (+1.5 per level) Labor Leader* +60% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader* +30% (+7.5% per level)
	Matrix the Cyber Mage ID: #49	Starting level: 150 Assassin 6% (+2% per level) Telepath* +9% (+3% per level) Science Leader* +45% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader* +22% (+7.5% per level)
	Megatron the Relic Android ID: #57	Starting level: 150 Farming Leader* +45% (+15% per level) Labor Leader* +45% (+15% per level) Science Leader* +45% (+15% per level)	Techs: Android Farmers, Android Scientists, Android Workers (you get a random one)
	Mentox the Legendary Scientist ID: #43	Starting level: 150 Famous* -270BCs (-90BCs per level) Researcher* +22 (+7.5 per level) Science Leader* +45% (+15% per level)	Techs: Research Laboratory, Autolab It's virtually guaranteed that you have Research labs by the time Mentox Shows up.
	Necron the Dark Lord ID: #63	Starting level: 300 Telepath* +12% (+3% per level) Financial Leader +60% (+15% per level) Labor Leader +60% (+15% per level) Science Leader +60% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader +30% (+7.5% per level)
	Nimraaz the Master Tactician ID: #36	Starting level: 60 Commando +6 (+3 per level) Operations* +6 (+3 per level) Instructor +2 (+1 per level) Tactics +9 (+9 per level)
	Orphus the Peacemaker ID: #50	Starting level: 150 Diplomat* +45 (+15 per level) Famous* -180BCs (-60BCs per level) Instructor +3 (+1 per level) Medicine +45% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader* +22% (+7.5% per level)
	Ralleia the Siren ID: #22	Starting level: 60 Diplomat* +30 (+15 per level) Famous* -120BCs (-60BCs per level) Spiritual Leader +10% (+5% per level)
	Rash-Iki the Warlord ID: #25	Starting level: 60 Commando +4 (+2 per level) Instructor* +3 (+1.5 per level) Labor Leader* +30% (+15% per level) Tactics +12 (+6 per level)
	Tanus the Revolutionary ID: #47	Starting level: 150 Farming Leader +30% (+10% per level) Labor Leader +30% (+10% per level) Science Leader +30% (+10% per level) Spiritual Leader +15% (+5% per level)	Tech: Advanced Government
	Torg the Overlord ID: #53	Starting level: 150 Commando +6 (+2 per level) Farming Leader +45% (+15% per level) Financial Leader +45% (+15% per level) Labor Leader +45% (+15% per level)
	Urro the Ikarian Doctor ID: #16	Starting level: 0 Researcher* +5 (+5 per level) Medicine* +15% (+15% per level)
	Valin the Rogue Trader ID: #28	Starting level: 60 Megawealth* +10 BCs Trader* +30% (+15% per level) Financial Leader +20% (+10% per level)
	Vott the Technomancer ID: #55	Starting level: 150 Megawealth* +10 BCs Researcher* +22 (+7.5 per level) Financial Leader +45% (+15% per level) Science Leader +45% (+15% per level) Tech: Virtual Reality Network	Vott's Virtual Reality Network tech is huge if you get it well before you could research it: a 20% morale boost at all your colonies with no construction or maintenance.
	Xantus the Supreme Leader ID: #64	Starting level: 300 Environmentalist -60% (-15% per level) Financial Leader +60% (+15% per level) Labor Leader +60% (+15% per level) Science Leader +60% (+15% per level) Spiritual Leader +30% (+7.5% per level)
	Yota the Elder Sensei ID: #14	Starting level: 0 Famous* -90BCs (-90BCs per level) Instructor* +1 (+1.5 per level)	At zero starting experience, Yota is among the first leaders to show up, covering two of the must-have skills. Keep in mind that he'll level up after 60 turns, bringing his instructor skill to 3 (probably still before your fleet-building starts in earnest).