RimWorld now has a Biotech DLC. One of its features are xenotypes, custom genetic blueprints which change how your pawns will think, combat, heal, and even their lifespan. Do you want to create an everlasting battle machine, brilliant scholar, or a survivor of toxic worlds? The variety of xenotype genes is astonishing.

The Top Vanilla Xenotypes in RimWorld

Vanilla xenotypes come pre-packaged with thematic gene sets, each suited for different playstyles and colony goals. Here are the most powerful ones:

1. Sanguophages 

Arguably the strongest xenotype in the game, Sanguophages are RimWorld’s version of vampires,  but with extreme utility. They boast genes like Bloodfeeder, Coagulate, Deathless, Ageless, Scarless, Superfast Wound Healing, Dark Vision, and Perfect Immunity.

Their primary advantages:

• Immortality: No aging, perfect immunity, and regeneration.
• Combat & Utility: Strong melee, psychic sensitivity, teleportation via Longjump Legs, and even gene implantation to convert others into vampires.
• Colony Value: Excellent social, intellectual, and medical skills.

However, they require blood to survive, suffer from deathrest downtime every few days, and dislike sunlight, introducing strategic challenges in base planning and combat timing.

2. Hussars 

Designed purely for war, Hussars are living weapons. Their gene pool includes Unstoppable, Strong Melee Damage, Great Shooting, Superfast Wound Healing, Partial Antitoxic Lungs, and Reduced Pain.

Their primary advantages:

• Peak combat performance in both melee and ranged.
• Resilience against wounds, toxins, and environmental extremes.
• Superb front-liners for raids or mechanoid defense.

Hussars are dependent on Go-juice, lack psychic sensitivity, and are poor at non-combat skills. You’ll want to keep them away from leadership or social roles.

3. Genies 

If Sanguophages are gods and Hussars are tanks, Genies are the engineers. This xenotype includes genes such as Great Crafting, Great Intellectual, Elongated Fingers, and Dead Calm.

Their primary advantages:

• +8 bonuses to crafting and research make them perfect for high-end weapons, armor, and technology.
• Dead Calm reduces mental breaks, improving colony stability.
• A must-have for any high-tech or modded colony.

Their weakness lies in physical fragility and poor performance in labor-intensive or combat roles.

4. Other Notable Xenotypes

• Yttakin: Excellent with animals, cold-hardy, and strong in melee. Great for tribal or tundra colonies, though prone to mental breaks.
• Highmates: Non-combatants with mood and psychic buffs. Ideal for psy-focused colonies or social manipulation.
• Dirtmoles: Exceptional underground miners who suffer in sunlight. Best suited for mountain bunker builds.
• Wasters: Pollution-immune with psychite dependency. Great for toxic wastelands or biotoxin farms.
• Impids: Fast, heat-tolerant, and can breathe fire. Fragile, but useful for hit-and-run or fire-based tactics.

Custom Gene Builds 

While vanilla xenotypes offer strong archetypes, the real power lies in custom xenotype creation. The Biotech DLC allows you to combine individual genes and build pawns that are perfectly tuned for your goals.

Here are some of the most popular and overpowered gene combos, based on community feedback:

Popular Must-Have Genes

• Superfast Wound Healing
• Deathless / Ageless
• Strong Immunity / Perfect Immunity
• Robust
• Unstoppable
• Reduced Pain
• Elongated Fingers
• Psychic Bonding + Kind Instinct
• Low Sleep
• Dead Calm

Community Favorite Builds

Combat Assassin Build

• Superfast Wound Healing
• Robust
• Unstoppable
• Strong Melee Damage
• Reduced Pain
• Aggressive

Some players add Go-juice Dependency or Psychite Dependency to counteract the high metabolic cost.

Utility Specialist Build

• Fast Learner
• Elongated Fingers
• Dead Calm
• Strong Stomach + Robust Digestion
• Psychic Bonding
• Low Sleep

This combo ensures high skill growth, better food handling, stronger relationships, and minimal mental breaks.

Tips for Crafting the Perfect Custom Xenotype

• Balance metabolic burden: Add minor drawbacks like Psychite Dependency or Pyrophobia to offset powerful genes without crippling your pawn.
• Use modded tools: Mods like Alpha Genes, Gene Ripper, or Xenotype Spawn Control make it easier to test, harvest, and manage custom genes.
• Combine utility with survivability: Stack healing genes with mood stabilizers like Dead Calm or Psychic Bonding to keep pawns happy and alive.

As RimWorld continues to evolve through mods and updates, xenogenetics remains one of its most rewarding and complex systems. Whether you're roleplaying an underground blood cult or running a high-tech scientific utopia, there's a xenotype gene setup for you.