Best Starfield ships and how to get them

What are the best Starfield ships? These interstellar space vessels serve as your primary mode of transportation in Bethesda’s ambitious RPG. On your journey, you’ll encounter countless ships warping between solar systems; some are even ripe for the picking. You’re welcome to settle down on the Frontier for the long haul, but the best ships in Starfield will get you to wherever you need to go in a fraction of the time.

Of course, speed isn’t the only factor when getting around in Starfield. The best ships offer style, comfort, and enough cargo space to smuggle as much Starfield contraband as you need in this sci-fi RPG. They also boast enough firepower to send fleets of angry space pirates packing, and can even fend off those pesky Starborn. From colossal military flagships to zippy cargo trucks, we’ve got the best Starfield ships to pick up ahead of the Starfield Shattered Space release date, complete with their full specs and where to find them.

Best Starfield ships

The best Starfield ships can often be purchased from technicians who staff the various spaceports at major Starfield cities, while others are exclusive to Starfield missions – either as part of the main questline or as a reward for assisting certain factions.

Before you set your sights on the best Starfield ship to add to your fleet, ensure you have the Starfield skills to pilot it first. While any spacefarer worth their salt can pilot Class A Starfield ships, Class B and Class C ships can only be piloted at Piloting Rank 3 and 4, respectively.

Regardless of which Starfield ship you buy, borrow, or steal, we recommend customizing it to your preference at any spaceport, whether you’re looking to patch up a hole in its specs or install a bed for your beloved Starfield companion.

The best ships in Starfield are:

Razorleaf
Starborn Guardian
Star Eagle
Narwhal
Stronghold
Silent Runner

Razorleaf

Class: A
Reactor: 18
Fuel: 140
Jump: 16 LY
Hull: 469
Shield: 390
Lasers: 6
Particle Cannons: 16
Cargo: 504
Crew: 2
Value: 89,352
Mass: 572

The Razorleaf is a legendary Mantis ship that’s as fast as it is deadly, sporting a sleek black-and-gold hull perfect for stealth missions. However, the Razorleaf’s main gimmick is the unique interactions you’ll experience while piloting it. Spacers in the vicinity assume The Mantis has come for them and panic on comms, occasionally offering bribes for their freedom.

While you might want to replace it with a more powerful ship as you approach endgame, the Razorleaf is a fantastic option in the early game. Its main drawback is its storage capacity, but its shielded cargo hold makes it perfect for smuggling contraband. Even better? You can completely rebuild the Razorleaf from scratch and it’ll still strike fear into the hearts of space pirates everywhere.

You can begin your hunt for the Razorleaf by reading the “Secret Outpost!” data slate that has a chance to drop from any Spacer. This kicks off The Mantis side quest; while it’s a challenge to complete early on, your reward is flying off with this high-value ship without spending a single credit.

Starborn Guardian

Class: A
Reactor: 22
Fuel: 1,500
Jump: 30 LY
Hull: 649
Shield: 630
Solar Flares: 24
Gravity Torpedo: 70
Cargo: 1,235
Crew: 5
Value: 47,250
Mass: 348

The Starborn Guardian is a nippy ship that’ll be a familiar sight by the time you reach the Starfield ending – in fact, you’re required to reach it before you get to pilot your own. Starfield new game plus puts this ship in your capable hands right from the off, giving you the chance to play the part of a Starfield Starborn right from the off.

This otherworldly ship can’t be upgraded by regular means; instead, you receive a new and improved variant up to NG+6. However, it’s the best ship for what it’s designed to do, which is to help you get through those initial hours as quickly as possible. Its exceptional jump range makes getting to far-flung Starfield planets an absolute breeze, but its lack of beds and restricted cargo size could be a dealbreaker for some.

The Starborn Guardian boasts two unique weapons – the solar flare beam and the gravity torpedo. While they’re a fun alternative to standard ship artillery, no spaceport stocks the components necessary to upgrade them, meaning other ship configurations will eventually outstrip them in new game plus. However, the Starborn Guardian’s speed still makes it a good choice for players looking to dominate in dogfight-style space combat.

The Star Eagle has the best balance of stats for the early game with a low barrier to entry; all you need to do is see the Freestar Collective questline through to its end to make it your own. While this Starfield faction‘s final mission culminates in a major moral choice, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll receive the Star Eagle no matter your decision.

Unlike the Razorleaf, the Star Eagle has exceptional cargo capacity for all the loot you’ll pick up on your travels, and its excellent shields mean you can pick a fight without fear of being blown to bits. You can also pack out this ship with up to five Starfield crew members, and their skills can give you a solid leg-up for outpost engineering, weapon expertise, and geology.

The Star Eagle is an ideal ship while you’re finding your feet in the Settled Systems, and with just a few upgrades, it can also carry you safely through to the end. Shielded cargo should be your top priority, and we also recommend swapping out its terrible cockpit and reconfiguring its weapon layout for a more comfortable flight.

Narwhal

Class: C
Reactor: 36
Fuel: 568
Jump: 30 LY
Hull: 2,118
Shield: 995
Lasers: 24
Ballistics: 114
Missiles: 86
Cargo: 1,760
Crew: 7
Value: 364,320
Mass: 1,593

The Narwhal is a flying tank powered by a powerful reactor, so it should come as little surprise that it’s also the most expensive ship your credits can buy in Starfield. It’s available to purchase from Veronica Young at Taiyo Astroengineering in the Ryujin Building in Neon for 455,400 credits. This is, admittedly, a small fortune if you’re used to acquiring Starfield ships by other means. However, once you’ve added the Narwhal to your fleet, you won’t need to invest in another ship any time soon.

The Narwhal’s reinforced hull and decent shields provide the best defensive capabilities possible, helping you shrug off Starborn, pirates, and whoever else crosses your path. It can accommodate seven crew members, though the exact number you can take with you depends on your Ship Command skill. If you’ve got your heart set on the Narwhal, we can help you save up the Starfield money to pick it up sooner rather than later. We also can’t deny that it’s a bit of a maze, and we highly recommend reconfiguring the layout to minimize the frustration of navigating through it.

Stronghold

Class: C
Reactor: 27
Fuel: 2,200
Jump: 30 LY
Hull: 1,047
Shield: 1,600
Lasers: 36
Ballistics: 48
Cargo: 2,832
Crew: 6
Value: 288,090
Mass: 2,030

The Stronghold is the Narwhal’s utilitarian cousin, trading in its sleek blue shell for an industrial sci-fi look. You can purchase the Stronghold from the Ship Technician in Akila City, though you’ll have to part with 400,125 of your hard-earned credits to make the trade. This exorbitant sum isn’t far off the Narwhal’s price tag, though the Stronghold is notable for a few major differences.

The Stronghold’s grav drive and fuel capacity make it a great choice for the intrepid space explorer, capable of hauling the heaviest loot in the shortest timeframe. Its shield capacity far outstrips the Narwhal’s, but its hull is half as thick, so you might end up in a bind if enemies break through those built-in defenses. However, it also has a slightly smaller crew capacity, which could be a deciding factor if you’re after a flying fortress but prefer to operate a skeleton crew.

Silent Runner

Class: C
Reactor: 34
Fuel: 300
Jump: 29 LY
Hull: 1,164
Shield: 975
Particle Beam: 38
Missiles: 100
Cargo Capacity: 7,272
Crew: 5
Value: 280,908
Mass: 2,463

As its name suggests, the Silent Runner is the best choice for loot hoarders and smugglers thanks to its enormous cargo hold. While it doesn’t have the same strength of artillery as other Starfield ships on this list, it’s got just enough reinforcement in its hull and shields to keep you in one piece for long enough to escape tough encounters.

The one notable omission is the Silent Runner’s lack of shielded cargo, but that’s easily remedied with a few modifications – and it’s a great little delivery truck to keep in your fleet for a relaxing session of slinging loot. This small but mighty ship can be yours for 370,633 credits, which comes in at slightly less than the Stronghold or Narwhal. You can purchase the Silent Runner from Inaya Rehman at Hopetech Astroneering HQ on Polvo, a little planet in the Valo System.

Now that you’ve built an interstellar fleet of the best Starfield ships available in Bethesda’s space game, it’s time to look a little closer to home with the best Starfield builds for your spacefarer. We’ve also got some top-tier Starfield mods to spice up the Settled Systems, from full HDR support to polyamory possibilities for your Starfield romance. We’ve also got Starfield Shattered Space DLC details to get you up to speed ahead of the expansion.

Looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further. Starfield Db offers you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.