To the surprise of nobody, your ship is a very important part of the Starfield experience. While you will inevitably cycle through quite a few ships during your time with the game, it helps to know what kind of endgame ships you’re ultimately looking for. That’s obviously what we’re here to look at today.
Before we dive into the good stuff, though, here are a few things to keep in mind:
– This list focuses on ships you can either purchase outright or acquire as a reward. While I occasionally mention customizing these ships, customizing and building ships is almost always your best option (or is at least an always viable alternative).
– I mention a few retailer locations throughout this article, but certain ship sellers’ inventories can be randomized in Starfield. As such, I’m including reported locations of some of these ships, but please note that these ships may be found elsewhere in your game.
– Finally, I’m also including estimated prices for ships with retail price tags, but that price can be lowered based on your skills and other factors that can improve your relationship with certain retailers.
With that out of the way, here are some of the absolute best ships in Starfield:
15. Silent Runner
Carrying capacity is one of Starfield’s most valuable attributes. You’re going to be acquiring a ton of resources and items in this game, and many of them (at least the heaviest ones) will end up sitting in your ship’s cargo hold. That’s what makes the Silent Runner so valuable.
If there is a ship in Starfield with a higher base carrying capacity than the Silent Runner, nobody has found it yet. With a whopping 6080 Cargo Capacity, the Silent Runner allows you to basically forget about all of your weight limit concerns (at least when it comes to resources).
The bad news is that the Silent Runner doesn’t have much to offer beyond its incredible carrying capacity. It’s not that fast, it doesn’t do much in combat, and its fuel capacity is painfully low. Still, you can’t ignore the value of its carrying capacity (even if it’s sadly not shielded cargo capacity).
Where to Find Silent Runner – Silent Runner can be purchased at Hopetown HQ for 390,00 Credits.
14. Wanderwell
The good news is that the Wanderwell is free, available from nearly the start of the game, and generally better than your other starting ship (the Frontier) in most major categories. The bad news is that you do need to pick the Kid’s Stuff Trait at the beginning of the game in order to unlock it.
Is it worth it? Well, there are certainly Traits that I prefer taking above Kid’s Stuff for the majority of the game, but I can’t deny that the extra carrying capacity is very nice to have during the early parts of the campaign. If you want a bigger ship as soon as possible, this is certainly an appealing option.
Where to Find Wanderwell – Choose the Kids Stuff Trait at the beginning of the game and visit your parents. They’ll give this ship to you.
13. Starborn Guardian
While the Starborn Guardian ship is far from perfect, its biggest downside is the fact you can’t acquire it until after you’ve “beaten” the game. If you really want to get the most out of this ship, you’ll beat the campaign as quickly as possible, start a New Game+ run, and use this ship to start exploring the galaxy.
If you’re willing to do that, though, then this ship does have a lot to offer. It’s fantastic in combat, it comes with Shielded Cargo capacity, it’s highly mobile, its Crew Capacity is respectable, and it’s the perfect choice for jumping between star systems. It’s not exceptional in any particular category (and you can’t upgrade it), but those who want to blaze through the game’s story will find that it’s a nice little reward.
Where to Find the Starborn Guardian – Beat the Starfield campaign and begin a New Game+ run. You’ll start that run with access to the Starborn Guardian.
12. Stronghold
The Stronghold is a fascinating ship that does pretty much what you would suspect it would do based on the name. Actually, this is really one of the best “defensive” ships in the game, which is a quality that is easy to undervalue. However, having an unbelievably durable ship with a ton of shields and a nice amount of Cargo Capacity in your fleet does come in handy when you are just trying to hop around the galaxy and don’t want to worry about getting blown up.
While this ship’s gaudy price tag makes it a pure late-game option (and a niche/specialty one at that), it’s one of the more valuable behemoth vessels in the game for anyone scanning planets and hopping around the galaxy. If you’re willing to put up with its comical lack of mobility, you’ll find that it’s an incredible piece of hardware.
Where to Find Stronghold – You can buy the Stronghold ship for 400,125 Credits in Akilia City.
11. Vista III
If you’re looking for a “flagship” type vessel, you should definitely consider the Vista III. With its massive crew capacity (6 members), powerful weapon systems, substantial carrying capacity, and some of the best shields in the game, this is the kind of ship that you can always feel confident bringing into just about any situation.
Granted, this ship’s weak jump drive and lack of shielded cargo limit its initial versatility, but it’s easy enough to upgrade and is certainly a viable option until you can add a couple of things to it.
Where to Find Vista III – You can purchase the Vista III from a vendor in Neon for around 300,000 credits.
10. Kepler R
The Kepler R is one of the best “free” ships in Starfield (even if you’ll likely not be able to use it as soon as you acquire it). It has a ton of crew and cargo capacity, powerful weapons, nice shields, and enough fuel capacity to keep you flying with only a modest amount of pit stops. It’s also visually absurd (which I mean in a good way) and fairly easy to upgrade/customize.
While this ship’s bulkiness limits its combat potential somewhat (and it doesn’t necessarily excel in any particular category), this is absolutely one of the best large ship options many players will find in the relatively early parts of the game. It offers something pretty close to a late-game option well before you reach that part of the experience.
Where to Find the Kepler R – The Kepler R can be acquired by participating in the “Overdesigned” quest. During that quest, choose the following options:
– “Larger Budget”
– Converse with the individual team members and support their plans while downplaying their opposition.
– Complete combat missions from the requested job board (do not choose non-combat options).
– Select “Group Meditation” as a team-building exercise and always select the most positive and reaffirming dialog options during that sequence.
9. Razorleaf
There’s a strong case to be made that the Razorleaf is the best early ship in Starfield. Of course, how early you get it depends on your willingness to look up some spoilers and save scum your way through some tough early combat situations. If you’re bold, though, you can realistically acquire this ship as early as Level 10 (or so).
It’s honestly worth the effort. Not only is this a fantastic combat ship that boasts blazing speed, but the Razorleaf comes with a unique effect that causes many bandits to run away from it as soon as they spot it. Granted, its low cargo capacity is a real bummer (even if it does come with a small supply of Shielded Cargo), but you absolutely need to pick this one up as soon as possible.
Where to Find Razorleaf – The Razorleaf can be acquired by completing the hidden “Secret Outpost” quest. If you want a full walkthrough for this quest, be sure to check out this video guide.
8. Conquerer
Another entry in the “appropriate name” category, the Conquerer is one of the largest ships in the game and certainly one of the largest ships you can acquire at around the midway point. If sheer size is worth anything to you, the Conquerer has it.
While this ship’s combat abilities are relatively modest (though certainly capable enough), its massive fuel capacity, sizeable cargo hold, and ample space make it ideal for anyone looking to use their ship as a command center while exploring the galaxy. It’s certainly worth considering as soon as you have the credits for it.
Where to Find Conqueror – You can purchase this ship at Stroud-Eklund Staryards for roughly 250,000 Credits
7. Vanquisher III
It’s bulky and it’s absurdly expensive, but if you’re ready to throw down a ton of credits on the massive star cruiser of your dreams, then you should definitely look at the Vanquisher III.
Capable of housing up to six crew members while still hauling a lot of ass and a ton of (non-shielded) cargo, the Vanquisher is one of the larger ships in the game that can still get around with relative ease. That makes it a fantastic option for anyone doing resource runs who doesn’t want to waste time reaching the furthest corners of the galaxy. Just keep an eye on its weaker shields during combat sequences.
Where to Find Vanquisher III – You can purchase this ship for around 490,000 Credits in New Atlantis.
6. Renegade III
The Renegade and Vanquisher actually share a few basic qualities. Both are absurdly expensive, both can house a ton of crew members, and both boast exceptional overall carrying capacity. The difference is that the Renegade is far more capable in combat while the Vanquisher can carry much more fuel and has better engines.
While I think the Renegade’s combat versatility makes it the better overall pick, that can obviously depend on your preferences, skills, and playstyle. Both are really, really, good endgame options for those looking for the absolute best pre-built endgame ships, though.
Where to Find Renegade III – You can purchase Renegade III for around 490,000 Credits. While some players are reporting finding it through vendors on New Atlantis and Neon, it seems to be another randomized retail vessel.
5. Crimson Fleet Wight III
As one of, if not the, best Crimson Fleet ships in Starfield, the Wight is a miracle of ship design that offers more than enough incentive to pursue a pirate’s life for you.
The Wight is certainly one of the best defensive ships in Starfield (its shield and hull strength are insane), but it’s one of the few defensive ships that doesn’t make notable sacrifices in other key areas to attain its survivability. It has fantastic fuel and crew capacity, a decent cargo hold, and it will destroy just about anything in combat with relative ease. While its engines are a bit on the weaker side, that’s a negligible downside given what else this vessel has to offer.
Where to Find the Crimson Fleet Wight III – This ship can be purchased for around 300,000 Credits at The Key. You’ll need to be a member of the Crimson Fleet in order to buy it.
4. Shieldbreaker
As you’ve undoubtedly gathered from the name, the Shieldbreaker is indeed one of the best combat ships in Starfield. This thing simply melts enemy shields with its stunning laser weapons and impressive maneuverability.
What impresses me most about this ship, though, is that it’s not quite the glass cannon you think it would be. Its shields are nothing to write home about, but it’s maneuverable and sturdy enough for most fights. It even boasts surprisingly solid storage capacity. Explorers may want to look elsewhere, but this is a combat pilot’s dream come true.
Where to Find Shieldbreaker – You can purchase Shieldbreaker for 250,000 Credits on New Atlantis.
3. Star Eagle
This is a truly insane ship that you can also acquire relatively early in the game (assuming that you’re okay with focusing on some faction side quests). In fact, it might be the first substantial ship upgrade that most players will be able to acquire.
With its powerful weapons, sturdy hall, impressive cargo capacity, and decent speed, the Star Eagle offers a solid spread of stats that you’ll have a hard time beating quite so early into the game. Granted, its jump capabilities are definitely on the weaker side, but it remains a fantastic option for quite some time.
Where to Find Star Eagle – You can acquire Star Eagle by completing the Freestar Rangers questline. The quest consists of about eight missions and can be started in Akila City as part of the main quest.
2. Narwhal
The Narwhal’s most notable downside is its high price tag. You won’t be able to get this until much later in the game, and when you do, you’re going to be weighing it against other options that may have more to offer in specific areas.
However, the Narwhal is an exceptional overall ship. Its top-tier hull strength and respectable shields keep it in the sky, while its powerful jump drives allow you to bounce around with ease. Even better, its already powerful combat abilities are bolstered by its shocking ability to house seven crew members at once. Stack this thing with crew members that can boost your overall ship capabilities, and you’re laughing. What few downsides this ship has are relatively easily covered up by a few basic upgrades.
Where to Find Narwhal – The Narwhal can be purchased on Neon from Taiyo Astroengineering for around 455,000 Credits.
1. The Abyss Trekker
The thing that makes the Abyss Trekker so special isn’t necessarily its strengths but rather its relative lack of notable weaknesses. For instance, its carrying capacity is low, but you can easily make up for that with a couple of modifications. It’s not the fastest or the biggest ship, but it’s fast enough and big enough for most things you can reasonably expect to do in this game.
What matters most is the Abyss Trekker’s combat capabilities. You’ll have a hard time finding another ship that can destroy enemy vessels as quickly as this one, and you’ll certainly have a hard time making (or customizing) a ship with the Abyss Trekker’s combat capabilities for the same price. Those costly combat parts and this ship’s incredible jump capabilities make it
Where to Find Abyss Trekker – You can purchase the Abyss Trekker in Paradiso for around 365,000 Credits.