A ship is the heart and soul of your intergalactic experience in Starfield, and you will come across several pre-built ships in-game. Not only do you perform exploration using this ship, but you also get into numerous dogfights with hostile forces in space. In such a case, your ship, which is also your home, needs to be strong enough to defeat enemies in your way. And much like any game, a few of the ships outperform others in the speed and weaponry department. In this article, we have covered some of the best ships you can find in Starfield.
Whether you want a balanced spaceship that can do equal amounts of exploration and combat or purely a combat ship, we have everything here. Most of these ships mentioned below are purchasable, barring a few choices that you need to steal.
1. Narwhal
- Location: Ryujin Industries, Taiyoh Astroneering.
- Cost: 432,620 credits
- Max Crew: 7
- Ship Class: C
Yes, we have read the comments and made amends. Narwhal is one of the best and costliest ships in the game, thus, we’ve doubled down to bring you a dedicated guide to find the Narwhal ship in Starfield. Deep in the heart of Neon, you will find Taiyoh Astroneering in the Ryujin Industries compound. This is where you can get arguably one of the costliest, yet all-rounder ships. Called the Narwhal, it is the perfect ship for carriage and dogfighting, thanks to its great ship systems.
For starters, you can carry up to seven companions on this ship, making it one of the few ships in the game to allow that many people. On top of that, you get a cargo capacity of 1,760 tons to carry all your items. And in dogfights, you gain a solid advantage. Not only do you get a great engine that lets you zoom through space, but you also get a powerful shield system, ballistics, and laser system, thanks to its brilliant power distribution. While Narwhal could use a better missile system, the other components make up for it.
2. Razorleaf
- Location: Denebola 1-b, inside the Denebola Star System
- Cost: Free (Reward for completing the Mantis Quest)
- Max Crew: 2
- Ship Class: A
Early in the game, you can get one of the best ships of Starfield by completing a side quest. Called Razorleaf, this was previously the ship of a famed bounty hunter named The Mantis. This ship is for the players to claim for themselves after completing the questline named “The Mantis.” While the questline is lengthy, it is one of the more intriguing handmade Starfield questlines. You can follow our guide to find the solution to the Mantis puzzle in Starfield.
This is an A-Class ship with a balanced spread of power distribution. It comes with an engine that allows you to zoom across a star system with ease. It has a pulse laser, an auto electron beam, and a missile launcher. All three of these weapons are rated class A, and during a firefight, you can annihilate enemies without any problems.
The only downside of this spaceship is its crew capacity. If you want an exploration-based ship that has just enough space, Razorleaf is the perfect pick.
3. Aegis
- Location: Deimos Staryard, inside the Sol System
- Cost: 207,150 credits
- Max Crew: Five
- Ship Class: B
Aegis is one of the purchasable ships from the Deimos Staryard, one of the shipsellers, in Starfield. Arguably one of the best combat-based ships that you should consider getting if you have a lot of credits to spare. This is a B-class ship with a maximum crew capacity of 5 people, so you can bring your Starfield companions with you. Unfortunately, the engine is the weaker of its entire arsenal, but it isn’t something to scratch your head over.
Speed is the only thing Aegis lacks. Otherwise, this is one of the best ships you can purchase with money, where you get two nearly perfect laser and ballistic systems. Moreover, it has one of the best Grav Drives available in-game. So, if you want an overall, well-rounded combat spaceship, Aegis should be one of your picks.
4. Stronghold
- Location: Akila City Ship Service
- Cost: 400,125 Credits
- Max Crew: 6
- Ship Class: C
Akila City in the Freestar Space System houses two of the best defense-based ships in the game that contain some of the best shielding and Grav drives. The Stronghold is a large container spaceship that has some decent laser and ballistic systems in the game. You get half of the total power allotment into both of these systems, meaning a fully powered laser and ballistics will take out enemies easily.
Outside of the weapons, the Stronghold comes with a huge power reserve for the shield system and grav drive. This means it can withstand most of the oncoming attacks from other spaceships. Outside of this, Stronghold also has an impressive 2,360 cargo capacity, making this a dream ship for people who enjoy hoarding items across the galaxy. If you have money to spare, consider adding Stronghold to your fleet.
5. Shieldbreaker
- Location: New Atlantis Ship Service
- Cost: 279425 credits
- Max Crew: 5
- Ship Class: B
Want a ship that can fly fast and attack fast too? Preferably for dogfights? In that case, Shieldbreaker can become your next favorite ship in Starfield. Shieldbreaker comes with an incredibly low-power Ballistic and Missile system in-game, which means they are just for emergency use. Furthermore, these two systems are only there for precise attacks. However, it fulfills its shortcomings by housing an impressive laser system, and engine.
Both of these ensure that if you get in a dogfight, the Shieldbreaker can lock horns with their enemies with ease. Furthermore, because of its modest shield system and impressive Grav Drive, this ship can become the first choice for people who want a fast ship. And because of these reasons, Shieldbreaker becomes one of the best Starfield ships in-game.
6. Watchdog II
- Location: Akila City Ship Service
- Cost: 89,200 credits
- Max Crew: 3
- Ship Class: A
Want a starter spaceship that costs less, has good cargo capacity for the price, and an overall modest weapons system? Watchdog II should be your ship of choice. While it does share names with a Ubisoft open-world action-adventure title, the resemblance dies right there. Maybe it shares the likeness with our canine friends, but seriously, the resemblance dies right there.
The ship barely has any eye-popping features. It has a serviceable laser and missile system and, well, no ballistic system. Furthermore, it has a serviceable engine drive, which means the ship touches approx. 120 speeds max. However, the one place it shines is the cargo hold capacity of 650, which is pretty high for an early-game ship. If you manage to gather its low asking price and want a ship with good cargo capacity, Watchdog II can become your next choice.
7. Abyss Trekker
- Location: Paradiso Ship Service
- Cost: 328,967 credits
- Max Crew: 6
- Ship Class: C
Paradiso is a vacation planet that has its own governing body and security. This planet also has one of the best C-class ships you can purchase in-game. The Abyss Trekker has a decent spread of laser and missile systems and a great ballistic system. This means that it will protect you against any ruffians. It reinforces those beliefs through a great shield system also in place.
The reason why we are suggesting this ship is because it allows you to bring over six total companions in this spaceship. This means you can use their skills during a dogfight, and come up victorious. Unfortunately, the asking price for the ship is pretty steep, which fits the luxurious image of the Paradiso. However, if you want a good battleship, this can be your choice.
8. Stroud-Eklund Ship
- Location: Stroud-Eklund Staryard (Reward from Overdesign side quest)
- Cost: Free
- Max Crew: Depends on the choices
- Ship Class: B or C
After you complete the “All The Money Can Buy” quest in Starfield, Walter Stroud instructs you to help his company of ship designers create their next spaceship, starting the “Overdesign” side quest. In it, you talk with the designers to help them design the ship and collect ship data by delivering and dogfighting enemies.
You can create an impressive C-class Stroud-Eklund ship if you play your cards right and pick the best dialogues. It will come with top-of-the-line ship systems, house numerous party members, and allow you to fight with practically anyone out there. Furthermore, it will cost you nothing, making this one of the best Starfield ships.
Hence, try out this side quest and pick the best choices available. We also suggest making a separate save before attempting this questline, as you can also receive a ship with a good engine, shield, and grav drive, but no weapons system.