Starfield’s got starships. How could it not? Sure enough, some of these starships are a lot cooler than others. That stands to reason; not every space-worthy tugboat is built for a lasting impression. Or anything else of note, really.
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But then you’ve got your prime grav-jumping real estate, your uber-powerful gunships and massive-cargo stealth ships and more. We’re talking the best of the best of Starfield ships today, and we’ll tell you our favorites – will you tell us yours?
Updated on November 23, 2023 by Quinton O’Connor: We have added a ‘fast facts’ section for each ship to give you a better idea of their performance. Just click the ‘Expandable’ to see each one. Oh, and uh, about that ‘Coolness Rating’… that’s just us being cheeky, no need to factor it into your decisions!
10 Frontier
We can’t leave the Frontier off this list, even if it’s not particularly good. When we talk about the best ships in Starfield, we’re letting emotion get the better of us a bit, even if we’re mostly weighing the stats and overall vibe. But seriously, the Frontier is iconic. It’s destined to be Starfield’s most iconic starship; it’s on the tin, after all, and it’s what you start out with. You can’t even ditch it for a long time.
The Frontier’s far from the most glamorous ship in the Settled Systems, but then, that’s part of her charm. Constellation’s seen as a has-been in the eyes of the many, and their trademark craft doesn’t turn a ton of heads, either. But she’s got it where it counts.
9 Stronghold
The Stronghold is certain to get you from A to B with minimal fuss even in some of the farthest (and thus, highest-leveled) fringes of known space. It’s built like a tank, even if it doesn’t quite hit like one – which isn’t to say it can’t compete with a fair number of enemy craft, it’s just not quite as lethal as some of what’s to come on our list.
With a cargo capacity of 2,360, piloting a Stronghold is like telling the universe, “you’re right, I do have valuable loot, and no, you’re not coming anywhere near it.” That alone should attract a fair few players with their eyes on lucrative deliveries. The only sizable downside is the need to reach Class C in Piloting before you can pick one up in Akila City.
8 Crimson Fleet Wraith
A Crimson Fleet Wraith won’t just fall into your lap, and if you want to steal it through the old battle-and-board maneuver, prepare to deal with several Fleet craft at once. In other words, if all you’ve got is the Frontier, snagging one of these without going through the full process of joining the faction and purchasing one for a pretty penny… is doable, but just barely.
It’s better, then, to get yourself a Wraith via joining up. Alternatively, wait until you’ve got something that can go toe-to-toe with it, like the Aegis, or the Shieldbreaker (the latter of which doesn’t make our list, but make no mistake, it’s pretty good). While the Wraith will find itself outclassed as you get into the more sterling spacefaring fare, it’s customizable enough to keep up for a good while, and there’s something to be said for that fittingly crimson-shaded default color.
7 Star Eagle
As a reward for completing the Freestar Collective storyline, the Star Eagle’s a pretty hot piece of hardware. We love its design, especially if you give it a nice new paintjob with striking reds and golds to really accentuate those wings.
Decent cargo space means you can carry a fair bit wherever you may roam. There’s room for five crew members, too, which is plenty spacious for a ship you’re likely to get closer to the middle of your time with Starfield than the end. Combat specs are solid, meaning you can either tower over weaker enemy craft, or survive long enough to escape the heavy hitters.
6 Aegis
On the other hand, the Aegis is what you’ll want if you intend to bring the fight to those heavy hitters around mid-game. You’ll find this model of battle-ready spacecraft at Deimos Shipyards. A price south of 200,000 credits might not sound like a huge deal, but when compared with the most expensive ships in Starfield, we think you’ll agree you get more than what you paid for with an Aegis.
The Aegis’ most impressive trait is its powerful reactor. You’ll seldom find anything so sturdy on the market with this much room for engine-boosting. We painted ours blue and white just because, and we’ve got to say, it looks nice.
5 Razorleaf
The Razorleaf’s your reward for the excellent Mantis quest, which can be completed surprisingly early on, considering how mighty the spacesuit, helmet, and – indeed – starship rewards can be. Her engine’s outstanding, though she’s not necessarily made to last for long in major scraps. But if you can handle that maneuverability, odds are good you’ll learn to make it happen.
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What makes the Razorleaf truly shine is that it comes with shielding for its cargo. It’s highly unlikely you’ll come across anything so good remotely soon otherwise, so smuggle some contraband to your heart’s content.
4 Silent Runner
Shielded cargo is great, but the Razorleaf’s only got a cargo hold rated 428. All things considered, you can’t fit a ton of goods in there. This is where the Silent Runner comes into play. This thing’s got 6,080 cargo space. We repeat, 6,080 cargo space. Nothing else in Starfield comes close. And once you get savvy with shipbuilding, you can go ahead and install that shielded cargo mod, anyway.
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Grab this ultimate space hauler from HopeTown. If your idea of a good time is earning a ton of credits on routine resource deliveries, you’re about to fall in love with the Silent Runner.
3 Abyss Trekker
The Abyss Trekker is unparalleled when it comes to tearing your enemies to shreds. Its 27-level reactor offers ample energy to power up the strongest assortment of starship weaponry in all of Starfield. The Abyss Trekker’s Ballistic Weaponry rating is north of 1,200, and its Missile rating’s 96. If these numbers don’t mean anything to you yet, here’s the translation: so long as you keep this ship in one piece, it can and will bring down the heavens in its wake.
You can find the Abyss Trekker on Paradiso. Just be forewarned, you’re looking at tossing over 328,000 credits out the window here.
2 Starborn Guardian
A big reward for beating the main story in Starfield is the Starborn Guardian, a truly unique-looking ship that’ll get you where you’re going in style. It’s the only ship that will transfer with you into New Game Plus. The Starborn Guardian might not look like much at first, but it boasts a radical ability – every subsequent clearing of the main story boosts its stats, up to six times.
By the sixth go-around, you have a powerhouse unrivaled, though needless to say, it’s going to take some real dedication to get there.
1 Narwhal
No ship in Starfield has a reactor level nearly as high as the Narwhal’s. At 36, you’re going to have amazing breathing room when setting up your systems for speed or sorties, and likely even spare slots for shipbuilding upgrades to make the Narwhal even scarier.
A hull of 2,118 is also outrageous. The default shielding might not blow your mind, but the Narwhal will still take a battering unlike nearly anything else out there. It’s our pick for best ship in Starfield, and it can be yours from Ryujin in Neon for a not-so-modest 424,000 credits. Yeah, start saving up.
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