Breaking RimWorld's Weapons Gap: From Sticks to Steel Without Dying
Understanding faction tech levels is crucial for surviving on the Rim. This guide breaks down how tech determines faction behavior, combat tactics, trading options, and more. Whether you're dealing with primitive tribes or ultratech Empire nobles, we've got you covered.
Faction Tech Level Quick Reference
| Faction | Origin | Tech Level | Combat | Diplomacy | Recruit Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentle Tribe | Core Game | Neolithic | Bows, spears, war masks | Initially Neutral | Very High (80%+) |
| Fierce/Savage Tribe | Core Game | Neolithic | Greatbows, clubs, large numbers | Hostile (Savage permanently) | Very High (80%+) |
| Cannibal Tribe | Ideology DLC | Neolithic | Same as tribals + human leather gear | Permanently Hostile | Very High (80%+) |
| Neanderthal Tribe | Biotech DLC | Neolithic | Melee-focused, tough bodies | Initially Hostile | Very High (80%+) |
| Impid Tribe | Biotech DLC | Neolithic | Fire weapons, fire breath ability | Permanently Hostile | Very High (80%+) |
| Civil Outlander Union | Core Game | Industrial | Pistols, rifles, flak vests | Initially Neutral | Medium (50%) |
| Rough Outlander Union | Core Game | Industrial | Various firearms, grenades | Initially Hostile | Medium (60%) |
| Pigskin Union | Biotech DLC | Industrial | Firearms, explosives, strong bodies | Initially Hostile | Medium (60%) |
| Pirate Gang | Core Game | Spacer | Assault rifles, SMGs, occasional power armor | Permanently Hostile | High (70%+) |
| Cannibal Pirates | Ideology DLC | Spacer | Same as pirates + human meat preference | Permanently Hostile | High (70%+) |
| Waster Pirates | Biotech DLC | Spacer | Toxin weapons, drug enhanced | Permanently Hostile | High (70%+) |
| Yttakin Pirates | Biotech DLC | Spacer | Mixed melee/ranged, animal control | Permanently Hostile | High (70%+) |
| Empire | Royalty DLC | Ultratech | Charge weapons, cataphract armor, psycasts | Initially Neutral/Allied | Special (Title system) |
| Mechanoids | Core Game | Ultratech | Advanced energy weapons, heavy armor | Always Hostile | Cannot Recruit |
| Insectoids | Core Game | Non-tech | Natural weapons (claws, acid) | Always Hostile | Cannot Recruit (can tame) |
Tribal Factions (Neolithic Tech)
Overview
Tribal factions represent people who crash-landed or developed on the RimWorld long ago and lost their advanced technology over generations. They're primitive but numerous, using simple weapons and relying on strength in numbers.
Tech & Equipment
Tribals use pure neolithic technology. Expect to see wooden or stone weapons, minimal armor, and no electricity-based items. Their strongest ranged weapon is the greatbow, which can still be deadly despite its primitive nature.
Combat Tactics
Tribal raids come in massive numbers compared to other factions. For the same threat points, you'll face roughly 2.5x more tribal raiders than pirates. They overwhelm with quantity rather than quality.
Tribals never use:
- Guns or explosives (except rarely looted)
- Drop pod raids
- Siege tactics with mortars
However, they will bring war animals in higher difficulty raids, which can be surprisingly dangerous.
Recruitment Challenges
Tribals have the highest recruitment difficulty in the game:
Capturing a tribal pawn means preparing for a long persuasion process. Most have low social skill, which ironically makes them harder to recruit. Using Ideology's conversion ritual can help reduce resistance dramatically.
Trading with Tribes
Friendly tribal factions send two types of traders:
- Bulk Goods Trader: Carries raw materials, food (pemmican), leathers, animals, and herbal medicine
- War Merchant: Unique to tribals, they sell neolithic weapons, animals, and basic drugs like smokeleaf
Tribals won't buy or sell high-tech items - they literally won't trade for industrial or higher tech goods.
Ideology DLC Variants
- Cannibal Tribes: Same tech level but with human leather gear and permanently hostile status
- Nudist Tribes: They hate clothes, which ironically makes them less protected in combat
Biotech DLC Variants
- Neanderthal Tribe: All members are Neanderthal xenotypes - big, tough, but less intelligent. They're extremely durable in combat with 50% sharp damage protection on their bodies
- Impid Tribe: Fast-moving, fire-breathing Impid xenotypes. They can ignite your crops and buildings with their natural fire abilities
Defensive Tips
- Chokepoints: Tribals bunch up, making them vulnerable to area damage. A well-placed molotov or inferno turret will wreak havoc
- Melee Blocking: Position a strong melee colonist with good armor at a doorway while ranged colonists shoot from behind
- Counter Animals: Tribals often bring war animals - have your own animals ready to intercept
- Late-Game Mass Raids: For massive tribal raids (80+ pawns), area-effect weapons like doomsday rockets or mortars are essential
- Traps: Deadfall traps are highly effective against tribals as they lack armor. For advanced trap strategies including gas traps and IEDs, see our comprehensive trap guide
Many players intentionally keep tribal factions hostile in the late game, as they provide easier raids compared to pirates or mechanoids while still offering useful prisoners for recruitment or organs.
Outlander Factions (Industrial Tech)
Overview
Outlanders represent the "default" human societies in RimWorld - roughly analogous to mid-1900s to early 2000s Earth technology. They've developed or maintained electricity, firearms, and manufacturing capabilities.
Tech & Equipment
Outlanders use Industrial-era technology. Their weapons include firearms and explosives, and their armor includes basic ballistic protection. They rarely use spacer-tech gear like charge weapons unless through trading.
Combat Tactics
Outlanders employ smarter tactics than tribals:
- They take cover and use ranged tactics
- Conduct sieges with mortars
- Use sapper tactics with grenades to breach walls
- Come in smaller groups than tribals, but with more firepower
An early outlander raid might be 3-4 people with pistols, rather than 8-10 tribals with bows for the same threat level.
Recruitment Ease
Outlanders are much easier to recruit than tribals:
They're desirable recruits, often having valuable industrial-era skills like shooting, crafting, or medicine. Using a good warden and a nice prison cell, you can typically recruit them in a reasonable timeframe.
Trading Advantages
Outlanders are your best trading partners in the early and mid-game:
- They send Bulk Goods Traders with components, medicine, advanced fabrics
- Combat Suppliers bring guns and armor
- Exotic Goods Traders (only from outlanders or orbital) carry bionics and special items
- They accept a wide range of items in trade
It's usually worth it to befriend at least one outlander faction for regular trade caravans.
Biotech DLC Variants
- Pigskin Union: An outlander faction where all members are pigskin xenotypes
- They have stronger stomachs and are known for "gnawing" melee fighting
- They maintain the same industrial tech level but have a penchant for explosives
In Ideology, outlanders can have various belief systems, but they tend to be less extreme than tribal ideologies - no cannibalism or extreme body modification by default.
Defensive Tips
- Cover is Critical: Unlike against tribals, you need good cover when fighting outlanders due to their guns
- Watch for Grenadiers: Prioritize outlanders carrying grenades, as they can destroy your cover or defenses
- Counter Siege: When outlanders set up a siege, either counter-mortar them or rush them before they can build
- Melee Rush: Ironically, charging outlander gunners with shield-belted melee pawns can be effective
Diplomatic Advantages
Allied outlanders can be called for military aid once per season, providing valuable gun support against other threats. They make excellent allies against mechanoids or tribal raids.
Pirate Factions (Spacer Tech)
Overview
Pirates are the scourge of the Rim - a loose confederation of bandits who steal and use whatever technology they can find. The game classifies them as Spacer tech level, though their equipment is often mixed between industrial and spacer tech.
Tech & Equipment
Pirates have no specific tech limit. Their equipment progresses as your colony grows:
- Early game: Simple guns, makeshift armor
- Mid-game: Assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, flak armor
- Late-game: Charge weapons, marine armor, shield belts, doomsday rocket launchers
Their gear is inconsistent and "schizo tech" - one pirate might have a marine helmet but cloth pants.
Combat Tactics
Pirates use the most diverse and advanced tactics:
- Drop Pod Raids: They're the primary faction that will drop directly into your base
- Sieges: Set up mortars outside your base
- Sappers: Use grenades to breach your walls
- Kidnapping: They'll actively target downed colonists to steal
Many pirates also use combat drugs like Go-juice, making them exceptionally dangerous in close combat.
Recruitment Difficulty
Pirates have high but manageable recruitment difficulty:
Recruiting pirates can be worthwhile - they often have high combat skills and sometimes come with bionics already installed. However, many have negative traits like Pyromaniac or Chemical Fascination.
Permanent Hostility
Pirates are permanently hostile - you cannot improve relations with them in vanilla gameplay:
- They will never trade with you (they'll insult you if you try to contact them)
- They occasionally demand payment to avoid raids (not worth paying usually)
- Pirates are often the antagonists in quests
The upside: you can capture and use pirate prisoners however you wish without diplomatic repercussions.
Ideology DLC Variants
- Cannibal Pirates: Same tech but with a preference for eating humans. They often carry human meat and leather
Biotech DLC Variants
- Waster Pirates: Primarily waster xenotypes who are toxic-resistant and drug-loving. They favor chemical weapons and often carry addictive substances
- Yttakin Pirates: Burly, fur-covered pirates who can summon animal allies. They combine guns with strong melee capabilities and can send local animals into berserk rages
With multiple DLCs enabled, you might encounter up to 3-4 different pirate factions in one playthrough.
Critical Combat Tips
- Target Priority: Identify and eliminate high-threat pawns first - the one with the rocket launcher, sniper, or grenades
- EMP vs Shields: Use EMP weapons against shield-belt users to temporarily disable their protection
- Interior Defense: Always have a plan for drop pod raids landing directly inside your base
- Valuable Loot: Pirates are your main source of high-tech loot early on - defeat them to acquire guns, armor, and advanced medicine
Pirates remain dangerous throughout the game as they scale with your colony's wealth and technology.
The Empire (Ultratech)
Overview
Added in the Royalty DLC, the Empire (often called the Shattered Empire) represents the remnants of an advanced stellar civilization. They maintain ultratech weapons and a strict feudal hierarchy centered around nobles with psychic abilities.
Tech & Equipment
The Empire uses the highest human-controlled technology in vanilla RimWorld:
- Energy Weapons: Charge weapons with superior damage output
- Advanced Melee: Energy-field enhanced close combat weapons
- Elite Armor: Cataphract armor exceeds standard marine armor protection
- Psychic Technology: Many Imperial nobles can use psycasts in combat
Unique Faction Mechanics
The Empire operates differently from all other factions:
- Honor System: You gain or lose favor through actions and quests
- Royal Titles: Your colonists can earn titles like Knight, Baron, Count, etc.
- Permits: Titles grant special permits to call in military aid, orbital strikes, etc.
- Psychic Powers: Through the Empire, you can access psycast abilities
Rather than simple "allied" or "hostile" status, your relationship with the Empire evolves throughout the game based on your participation in their hierarchy.
Unique Trading Restrictions
The Empire has special trading rules:
- You cannot trade with Imperial settlements unless you have a colonist with the title of Knight/Dame or higher
- They don't send normal trade caravans
- They send Royal Tribute Collectors who accept gold or prisoners in exchange for honor
- Imperial traders carry ultratech items unavailable from other sources
Becoming Hostile
The Empire can become hostile if you:
- Attack their caravans or settlements
- Kill or fail to protect their nobles during quests
- Refuse to return a kidnapped noble
- Repeatedly fail to meet noble room requirements
An Imperial raid is arguably the hardest human raid in the game - avoid their wrath if possible.
Death Acidifier
Most Imperial troops have a special implant that destroys their gear upon death:
- When an Imperial soldier dies, their equipment melts into worthless goo
- This prevents you from killing them just to loot their advanced gear
- The acidifier also triggers if they're about to be captured
- Lower-rank Imperials or special quest enemies might not have this protection
To legally obtain Imperial gear, you must earn royal titles and purchase prestige items, or receive them as quest rewards.
If You Must Fight Them...
Fighting the Empire is extremely dangerous, but if necessary:
- EMP Weapons: Nearly all Imperials have powered armor vulnerable to EMP
- Focus Fire: Target and eliminate one Imperial at a time rather than spreading damage
- Watch for Psycasters: Enemy nobles may use powerful abilities like Berserk Pulse or Vertigo Pulse
- Avoid Direct Confrontation: Use traps, kiting tactics, or ambushes rather than standing battles. Learn advanced trap deployment in our trap mechanics guide
Ultimately, the best strategy is diplomacy - maintain good relations with the Empire to avoid fighting them and to access their unique benefits.
Other Faction Types
Mechanoids
Mechanoids are deadly machine intelligences with ultratech/archotech origins:
- Tech Level: Ultratech/Archotech
- Weapons: Inferno cannons, charge blasters, built-in weapons
- Behavior: Always hostile, no morale, no needs
- Raid Scaling: 66 Scythers ≈ 100 Pirates ≈ 250 Tribals in threat points
Unlike human factions, mechanoids are not affected by diplomacy and don't trade. They appear as raids or in mech clusters that land on the map. With the Biotech DLC, you can control some mechs through a mechanitor.
Insectoids
Insectoids are the result of genetic engineering gone wrong:
- Tech Level: Not applicable (biological)
- Weapons: Natural weapons (claws, acid spit)
- Behavior: Always hostile, spawn from infestations
- Tactics: Pure melee rush, no ranged attacks
Insectoids emerge from hives in mountain bases or via drop events. They're extremely dangerous in close quarters but have no ranged capability. Fire and chokepoints are effective against them.
Ancients
Cryptosleep survivors found in sealed vaults:
- Not a proper faction but a special encounter
- May be hostile or neutral when awakened
- Tech level ranges from spacer to ultratech
- Often carry charge weapons or advanced gear
- According to lore, they're from advanced past civilizations
Sanguophages (Biotech)
Immortal vampire-like entities:
- Hidden among regular factions
- Effectively ultratech individuals with special powers
- Appear in special events rather than as a distinct faction
Anomaly DLC Content
For those with the Anomaly DLC:
- Cult of Horax: A spacer-tech cult faction with horror elements
- Entities: Archotech-level monsters that aren't traditional factions
Research & Tech Progression
Research Penalties by Tech Level
Your colony's starting faction determines research speed for technologies beyond your level:
| Your Faction Tech | Researching Tech Level | Multiplier | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neolithic (Tribal) | Neolithic | 1× (normal) | Tribal researching Pemmican |
| Neolithic (Tribal) | Medieval | 1.5× slower | Tribal researching Plate Armor |
| Neolithic (Tribal) | Industrial or higher | 2× slower | Tribal researching Electricity |
| Industrial (Crashlanded) | Any level | 1× (no penalty) | Crashlanded researching Charge Rifles |
- No Automatic Advancement: In vanilla RimWorld, your faction's tech level never changes automatically. A tribal colony is always considered "neolithic" even after researching spaceship tech
- No Building Restrictions: Your tech level does not prevent building anything - it only affects research speed. A tribal colony can eventually build everything, just more slowly
- Fixed Faction Tech: NPC factions never upgrade their tech over time. Tribals will always use primitive weapons, even in year 20
- Tech Level Mods: Mods like "Tech Advancing" can allow your faction to progress through tech levels based on research milestones
Research Tips
- For Tribal Starts: Focus on crucial "bridge" technologies first (like Electricity) despite the penalty
- Multiple Researchers: Assign several pawns to research to offset penalties
- Ideology Boosts: Use Research specialist roles and research-focused memes
- Hi-tech Research Bench: Build this as soon as possible to get the research speed bonus
Tech Progression Mods
- Tech Advancing: Automatically increases your faction's tech level as you research enough techs
- Tech Limit: Restricts research to simulate a medieval or industrial-only world
- Vanilla Factions Expanded - Medieval: Adds proper medieval factions between tribal and industrial tech
- Medieval Overhaul: Creates a pure medieval experience with appropriate factions
- Vanilla Factions Expanded - Pirates: Enhances pirates with "warcaskets" (advanced power armor)
These mods are extremely popular, with VFE-Medieval and Medieval Overhaul each having over 200,000 subscribers on Steam Workshop.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not in vanilla RimWorld. Your faction's tech level is fixed by your starting scenario and never changes automatically. A tribal colony remains "neolithic" forever, even after you research spaceship technology.
The only effect of tech level in vanilla is on research speed - a tribal colony researches industrial and spacer techs at half speed (2× point cost).
If you want dynamic tech advancement, you'll need mods like "Tech Advancing" which can promote your faction's tech level based on research milestones.
Tribal starts offer several unique advantages despite the research penalty:
- Start with 5 people instead of 3 (more labor force)
- 1.7× foraging yield on caravans (better at nomadic play)
- Different starting flavor with unique low-tech items
- More challenging progression curve (appealing to experienced players)
Many players enjoy the slower, more gradual tech progression as tribals. You'll appreciate every gun or component you acquire, since it took blood, sweat, and tears to reach that level.
No, in vanilla RimWorld, NPC factions remain at their set tech level forever. A tribal faction in year 10 will still use bows and spears, not guns.
Factions might occasionally use items above their tech level if they loot them (e.g., if tribals and pirates fight, tribals might pick up dropped guns), but systematically they don't advance.
Mods like "Faction Evolution" attempt to simulate factions progressing (or devolving) tech over a long game, but this is not vanilla behavior.
A popular strategy is:
- Befriend at least one outlander faction: For consistent trade and access to better goods
- Keep neutral or allied with the Empire: To access psycasts and permits (if using Royalty DLC)
- Consider keeping tribals hostile late-game: Their raids are easier to handle than pirates/mechanoids but still provide resources
- Pirates are always hostile: No choice here in vanilla
Your strategy should depend on your needs. If you desperately need good traders, befriending civil outlanders is top priority. If you want to play with psycasts, cozy up to the Empire.