Terraformers Leader Guide

Last Update: April 21, 2022 1:51 PM /

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Terraformers Leader Guide - cover

Our Terraformers Leader Guide will tell you everything you need to know about the people in charge of your cities in this city builder colony sim from Asteroid Lab.

How Terraformers Leaders Work

A Terraformers Leader is a charismatic person put in charge of your efforts to colonize Mars. Each of them has their own unique abilities which manifest three Skills (two of which are unique) and one Specialization.

All Leaders have the "Explore" Skill by default; this allows them to reveal an unexplored Location at the cost of 2 or more Power. Exploring a Planet Location also awards you a number of Resources based on which icons are shown on the tile.

The other two Skills, however, are unique to each Leader. These are what matter most when you're selecting new Leaders come election time. As a basic rule, you should consider what you need to do the most and pick the appropriate Leader for that goal.

It should be noted that some Leaders have the same Skill as another Leader -- and in some cases, those Skills can have different results. For example, both Hope O'Malley and Jagrav Varman have the "Rally Speech" Skill and it functions exactly the same for each of them. In contrast, Thomas Foster and Arthur Foster both have the "Mine Resources" Skill, but Thomas Foster gets +5 Resources by default and Arthur Foster gets +10 Resources by default instead.

How Terraformers Leader Specializations Work

Each Terraformer Leader also has a Specialization. This is a passive bonus that works separately from Skills. Critically, Specializations stick around after a Leader leaves, giving you a permanent passive bonus.

Some Specializations are fairly straightforward. Henry Carnegie has the "Cheap Mines" Specialization which reduces the cost of building Mines by 25%.

Other types of Specializations give bonuses after completing an objective. Alex Madiba has the "Nitrates Boost" Specialization which increases your Nitrates production by 1 for every 3 new Nitrates you start producing, effectively giving you a 33% increase in production. There are quite a few other Specializations that work in a similar fashion.

How to Unlock More Terraformers Leaders

Not every Terraformers Leader is available at the beginning of the game -- you'll have to play through scenarios and level up your account to unlock more. That said, you can reach the max level for the Early Access release in around 4 hours, so it shouldn't take you too long to get access to all of the ones currently in the game.

Terraformers Leader Guide - Thomas Foster
Leaders will eventually retire and have to be replaced with one of two new Leaders.

Terraformers Leader List and Strategies

We've listed every Terraformers Leader we've found in the game to date along with the best way to use them.


Aishe Jäger

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Import Lifeform - Propose 2 Lifeforms, choose one. This action can be performed 5 times by this leader.
  • Genetic Modification: Cold Resistance - Reduce the Heat requirement of a Lifeform by 1. This action can be done 1 times by this Leader. Lifeforms can only have one genetic modification.

Specialization

  • Efficient Animal Spreaders - Constructing Animal Spreader buildings costs 40% less Water.

Best Way to Use Aishe Jäger

Aishe Jäger is all about Animals and Lifeforms. If you don't need to Explore, you can use her to quickly build up your repetoire of available Lifeforms through her Import Lifeform Skill.


Alex Madiba

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Farm - Farm +5 Food.
  • Breach Aquifer - Convert a not-owned Water deposit into Ocean.

Specialization

  • Nitrates Boost - Increases your Nitrates production by 1 for every 3 new Nitrates you start producing.

Best Way to Use Alex Madiba

Alex Madiba is a strong early game Leader due to his ability to instantly generate +5 Food. Barring that, you can play the long game by turning unowned Water deposits into Ocean at no cost.


Anastasia Dromedo

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Eureka - Research all Projects suggested this Turn for free.
  • Independence Speech - Convinces the Population of a City that Mars should become Independent. When the majority of your Population is convinced, Martian independence is declared.
    • Independence - Independence increases the Global Comfort of Living by 1, but generates 2 negative Support per Turn per active Trade Route with Earth.

Specialization

  • Climate Variety - When you found a new City, gain +5 [Support] per Turn if it is the first City in its Climate Zone.

Best Way to Use Anastasia Dromedo

Anastasia Dromedo is a tricky Leader to use. Her Eureka Skill is great if you're running low on Projects. The real challenge with her, however, is the Independence Skill -- it will introduce pretty bad negative penalties if you have any Trade Routes active with Earth. Do not use this Skill lightly.


Arthur Foster

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Mine Resources - Select a Resource deposit. Mine 10 of that Resource, with a bonus of +1 for large deposits and +2 for gigantic deposits.
  • Earthworks - Destroy 5 Rocks for free this Turn.

Specialization

  • Tritium Boost - Increases your Tritium Production by 1 for every new 2 Tritium you start producing.

Best Way to Use Arthur Foster

Arthur Foster is best used for his Mine Resources ability. Gaining 10-12 of a chosen Resource per turn is phenomenally useful, especially in the early game.


Ayesha Khatri

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Sewage Treatment Plant - Construct Sewage Treatment Plant for free.
    • Sewage Treatment Plant - +1 Water per Turn if the City has at least 4 Population. Adjacent Population provides -1 Support per Turn. This project can only be played once per City. Must be built in a City.
  • Convert Resources - Convert 3 Silicates to +10 Titanium.

Specialization

  • Rock Recycling - Removing a Rock provides +1 Titanium.

Best Way to Use Ayesha Khatri

While Ayesha Khatri's Sewage Treatment Plant is an interesting building, her real power lies in her Convert Resources ability and Rock Recycling Specialization. The ability to gain a free Titanium whenever you destroy a Rock is certainly nice, but the Convert Resources Skill is unparalleled -- you should use it at every opportunity to quickly build up a large stock of Titanium.


Dejah Robinson

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Alternative Space Materials - Provide 3 random Resources in each of your Space Projects. Only applied once per Space Project.
  • Space Hotels - Start construction of Space Hotels.
    • Space Hotels - Space Project. Costs 10 Titanium. Provides +10 Support per Turn.

Specialization

  • Tourism - New Location upgrades that provide Support or Comfort of Living provide +2 Support per Turn.

Best Way to Use Dejah Robinson

Dejah Robinson is great for helping Space Projects move along. Her Space Hotels Skill gives you a guaranteed Space Project, saving you from getting screwed over by bad luck.


Flora Norouzi

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Import Lifeform - Propose 2 lifeforms, choose one. This action can be performed 7 times by this Leader.
  • Accelerate Proliferation of Life - Reduce the recharge time of all Lifeform Spreader buildings by 1 Turns.

Specialization

  • Efficient Plant Spreaders - Constructing Plant Spreader buildings costs 40% less Nitrates.

Best Way to Use Flora Norouzi

Flora Norouzi will give your life-spreading activities a serious kick in the pants. Her Accelerate Proliferation of Life Skill will let you quickly spread Bacteria across Mars -- and in turn, increase your Resource income from said Bacteria.


Gustav Mirzoyan

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Energy Savings - Generate 5 Power.
  • Applied Research - 2 more Projects are proposed this Turn. Gain +3 Science.

Specialization

  • Advanced Machine Learning - Increases your Science production by 1 for every 7 Robots you construct.

Best Way to Use Gustav Mirzoyan

Gustav Mirzoyan's Specialization is not very useful unless you lean heavily into Robots. That said, the ability to generate Power, Science, and Project proposals make him a versatile genericist Leader.


Henry Carnegie

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • CO2 Imports - Gain +4 Atmosphere and +4 Heat.
  • Mine Venting - Choose a Mine, it immediately produces +5 Heat and +5 Atmosphere as well as -25 Support per Resource it mines. Can only be done once per Mine.

Specialization

  • Cheap Mines - Constructing Mines costs 25% less resources.

Best Way to Use Henry Carnegie

Make no mistake about it -- Henry Carnegie is one of the best Terraforming Leaders in the game. Avoid using his Mine Venting ability since the downsides are pretty severe for what you get. Instead, you should pop CO2 Imports every turn -- you'll get to the first stage of Heat before his term is over, and you'll make a fair amount of progress on Atmosphere, too.


Hong Tao

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Industrial Lobbying - Gain 2 Water, Titanium, Tritium, Nitrates, and Silicates.
  • Trade Center - Construct Trade Center for free.
    • Trade Center - +1 Trade Route for every 3 Population in City. +1 Trade Route for every 3 Robots in City. This Project can only be played once per City. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Solar Roads - Gain +1 Power per Turn for every 10 new Expansions you acquire.

Best Way to Use Hong Tao

Hong Tao can get you some extra Trade Routes, but his Industrial Lobbying ability is a much better use of your turn. 10 Resources is much more useful than anything else in his repetoire.


Hope O'Malley

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Rally Speech - Select a city. Gain +10 Support per Population. A Leader can only speech once in each City.
  • Cultural Festivals - Sped 8 Water and gain +80 Support.

Specialization

  • Gain +1 Support per Turn for every 8 new Buildings you construct.

Best Way to Use Hope O'Malley

Hope O'Malley is the unparalleled queen of Support. If you have the Water (or Trade Routes) to spare, her Cultural Festivals will let get you a stunning 80 Support for just 8 Water. If that's not an option, Rally Speech works as a backup to help you boost your Support even further.


Isabella Torres

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Import Lifeform - Propose 2 Lifeforms, choose one. This action can be performed 7 times by this Leader.
  • Genetic modification: Lower Rain Requirements - Reduce the Rain requirement of a Life Form by 1 (minimum = 1). This action can be done 2 times by this Leader. Lifeforms can only have one genetic modification.

Specialization

  • Oxygen Boost - Increases your Oxygen production by 1 for every new 4 Oxygen you start producing.

Best Way to Use Isabella Torres

Isabella Torres lets you tinker with Lifeforms like many other Leaders, but her Specialization is where she really shines; it's effectively a 20% increase in Oxygen production.


Jagrav Varman

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Rally Speech - Select a city. Gain +10 Support per Population. A Leader can only speech once in each City.
  • Astral Temple - Construct Astral Temple for free.
    • Astral Temple - Provides +5 Support per Turn. Bonus +5 Support per Turn if placed on a high location. This Project can only be played once per Climate Zone. Must be built on a Planet Location.

Specialization

  • Space Support - Gain +1 Support per Turn for every 20 new Resources you transport to progress a Space Project.

Best Way to Use Jagrav Varman

Jagrav Varman's Rally Speech is good to use for some quick Support boosting, but his Astral Temples are much more useful if you have the space to build them. +5 Support (or +10 if built on a high location) will help you out in the long run.


Jorge Dromedo

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Earthworks - Destroy 2 rocks for free this turn.
  • Modular Apartments - Construct Modular Apartments for its food cost only.
    • Modular Apartments - Costs 30 Food. Housing. +1 Population. +3 Support per Turn if next to at least 1 other Modular Apartments. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Rural Construction - Constructing regional buildings costs 15% less Resources.

Best Way to Use Jorge Dromedo

Jorge Dromedo brings the unique building "Modular Apartments" to the table -- this allows you to gain Support bonuses by building them next to each other. That's what he's best at.


Léna Kertész

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Cultural Festivals - Spend 4 Water and gain +50 Support
  • Local Art Gallery - Construct Local Art Gallery for free.
    • Local Art Gallery - +3 Support for every location providing Support or Comfort of Living owned by the City. This Project can only be played once per city. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Happiness Leads to Creativity - If you have 800 or more total Support, gain +1 Project Suggestion and +1 Project Research per turn. You will also be able to store 2 extra Projects.

Best Way to Use Léna Kertész

Léna Kertész is best used for her Cultural Festivals ability in the short term. Her Local Art Gallery building can be a good long-term investment if you build it in the right City.


Maryam Fayed

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Applied Research - 3 more Projects are proposed this Turn. Gain +4 Science.
  • Drone Hub - Construct Drone Hub for free.
    • Drone Hub - Provides +1 Robots. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Power Boost - Increases your Power production by 1 for every new 6 Power you start producing.

Best Way to Use Maryam Fayed

Maryam Fayed is best at increasing your Robot Population at no cost. While Drone Hubs aren't quite as good as other Robot buildings, it's hard to argue with a price of "free."


Misha Kiyama

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Import Lifeform - Propose 2 Lifeforms, choose one. This action can be performed 3 times by this leader.
  • Genetic Modification: Reproduction Speed - Reduce the base spread duration of a lifeform by 15%. This action can be done 1 times by this leader. Lifeforms can only have one genetic modification.

Specialization

  • Efficient Bacteria Spreaders - Constructing Bacteria Spreader buildings costs 40% less science.

Best Way to Use Misha Kiyama

Misha Kiyama is all about Bacteria. Use Import Lifeforms first to build up a good variety of Lifeforms, then use Genetic Modification: Reproduction Speed to buff one of them.


Nailya Bolatbek

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • City of the Year - Select a City. It produces its Support again. Each City can only be selected once per Leader.
  • Embassy - Construct Embassy for free.
    • Embassy - +2 Support per Turn per Trade Route provided by this City. Trade Routes from Mine adjacencies don't count. This Project can only be played once per City. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Trade Boost - Increases your number of Trade Route by 1 for every 3 new Trade Route you set up. Trade Routes from adjacent Mines don't contribute.

Best Way to Use Nailya Bolatbek

Nailya Bolatbek is a major asset if your City has multiple Trade Routes connected to it -- her unique Embassy Building can provide a bunch of Support. Combine that with her Trade Boost Specialization and you have a serious asset for increasing your trading capabilities.


Svetlana Rossi

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Overwork - Select a City. It produces all its Resources a second time and generates -5 Support per Population. A Leader can only call for Overwork once in each City.
  • Urban Planning - Get 2 Habitation Module Projects and 1 Skyscraper Project.

Specialization

  • Megapolis Support - Gain +1 Support per Turn for every 13th, 14th, and 15th new Building you construct in each City.

Best Way to Use Svetlana Rossi

Svetlana Rossi's Megapolis Support Specialization will give you a tiny boost of Support in the mid-to-late game. Popping her Urban Planning ability at least once will be good for securing the high-density Skyscraper Building.


Tariq Fayed

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Overwork - Select a City. It produces all its Resources a second time and generates -5 Support per Population. A Leader can only call for Overwork once in each City.
  • Police Station - Construct Police Station for free.
    • Police Station - Provides +1 Comfort of Living. This Project can only be played once per City. Must be built in a City.

Specialization

  • Water Boost - Increases your Water production by 1 for every new 3 Water you start producing.

Best Way to Use Tariq Fayed

Tariq Fayed is a solid Leader with two very useful abilities. Overwork will let you produce Resources again for a small Support penalty. His Police Station Building is where he really shines, though -- this unique Building gives you +1 Comfort in a City, no strings attached.


Thomas Foster

Skills

  • Explore - Explore a Location for a Power cost.
  • Mine Resources - Select a Resource deposit. Mine 5 of that Resource, with a bonus of +1 for large deposits and +2 for gigantic deposits.
  • Supply Station - Construct Supply Station for free.
    • Supply Station - Exploration missions can be undertaken from here. Must be built on a Planet Location.

Specialization

  • Silicates Boost - Increases your Silicates production by 1 for every new 3 Silicates you start producing.

Best Way to Use Thomas Foster

Thomas Foster's unique Supply Station Building is not terribly useful in my experience; instead, you should use as much of his Mine Resources Skill as you can.


That's all for our Terraformers Leader Guide! Make sure to check out our other Terraformers Guides below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
| Senior Writer

One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Terraformers
Game Page Terraformers
Developer
Asteroid Lab
Publisher
Goblinz Publishing
Platforms
PC
Release Date
April 21, 2022 (Calendar)
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