Building outposts is a huge part of the Starfield experience. Though not technically an “essential” part of the game (if such a thing really exists), building outposts is both a surprisingly deep activity and the gateway to numerous other elements of Starfield (such as exploration and crafting). Of course, you’re not going to get the most out of your Starfield outposts if you don’t build them on the best available planets.
Though many of Starfield‘s 1000+ planets can support outposts and offer some reason to bother building one there, a small collection of Starfield planets are already revealing themselves to be elite outpost locations. Before we talk about those planets, though, let’s take a look at what makes some Starfield planets better outpost locations than others.
Starfield: How to Find a Good Outpost Planet
The best outpost planets in Starfield will help you fulfill the primary purpose of outposts in Starfield: generating resources.
You’ll need various resources to complete some of Starfield’s biggest projects (including shipbuilding), and even basic Starfield outposts are capable of generating more resources than you could ever realistically acquire via other means. Even basic outposts (meaning a resource harvester, an energy generator, and some storage units) will greatly expedite your resource-gathering potential and allow you to explore every area of the game that demands those resources.
While Starfield’s outposts do offer several secondary functions (trade hubs, bases, homes away from home, etc.), the majority of your outposts exist to generate resources. At the very least, your first few outposts will exist to generate the resources needed to build additional outposts and craft early items/upgrades.
As such, the best outpost planets will feature not just a variety of resources but a variety of the most valuable resources in the game. What are the most valuable resources in Starfield? Well, that kind of depends on your situation and needs. For instance, it’s fairly easy to acquire an abundance of resources like Aluminum, Iron, Nickel, and Helium-3. However, you will constantly use such resources for most of the projects in the game, so you will want to make sure that you have a steady supply of all of them available at all times.
Comparatively, Tungsten, Titanium, and Dysprosium are used in far fewer projects but are also significantly more difficult to find. As such, you will likely want to build at least a basic outpost on any planet where you can find these resources. At the very least, you can sell your excess rare resources for a nice chunk of Credits.
Regardless of which resources you are trying to acquire via outposts, you’ll want to make sure that you prioritize building outposts on planets that allow you to easily extract multiple resources from a small location. You can find such spots by scanning a planet and looking for places where different resources (indicated by colors and patterns) intersect or run parallel to each other. The idea is to start your outpost in a position where you can easily place two, three, or more resource extractors in your small starting area. Though you can eventually expand your outpost to reach multipole resource hotspots, your starting point (and initial outpost locations) should allow you to farm as many resources as possible as soon as possible.
On that note, outposts offer the only truly reliable (and glitch-free) ways to farm both XP and Credits in Starfield. By harvesting resources and crafting items using those resources, you will acquire XP far more efficiently than you would by completing missions, raiding outposts, or doing pretty much any other combination of activities. You can then sell those crafted items (or the resources themselves) for extra Credits. Again, Outposts aren’t your only option for earning extra XP and Credits, but they’re kind of hard to beat for both.
Finally, the best outpost planets in Starfield will be…well, livable. At the beginning of the game, you will want to ensure that your largest outposts are built on habitable planets that naturally support life and do not require external life-supporting devices. While you can eventually unlock Skills that allow you to build outposts on planets with hostile environmental conditions, most of your outposts on those planets will exist to mine the rare resources they typically contain.
With all of that in mind, here are some of the best outpost planets in Starfield…
Andraphon (Narion System)
Notable Resources: Aluminum, Beryllium, Helium-3, Iron
Considered to be one of the best planets in Starfield for your first outpost, Andraphon has a lot going for it. It’s accessible early on, it features a wealth of essential starter resources, and it’s remarkably easy to find overlapping resource spots across the surface. There isn’t much on this planet besides resources, but every Starfield player should have an outpost here and preferably build it early.
Zamka (Alpha Centauri System)
Notable Resources: Helium-3, Nickel, Iron, Uranium, Vanadium
Another notable early planet, Zamka boasts both an array of valuable resources and a friendly design that allows you to harvest many of them with a single outpost. It’s a fantastic option for anyone looking to learn more about building outposts while getting the most out of their earliest efforts.
Bessel III-b (Bessel System)
Notable Resources: Aluminum, Nickel, Iron, Cobalt
Like some of the best early outpost planets in Starfield, Bessel III-b features both a wealth of valuable starter resources and a generous layout that allows you to fairly easily extract those resources from a single location. By extracting Aluminum, Nickel, and Iron (possibly Cobalt as well), you can craft items that will not only assist you in building further outposts but will immediately grant you XP boosts and, eventually, quite a few Credits.
Kreet (Narion System)
Notable Resources: Neon, Silver, Argon, Lead
While Kreet isn’t as bountiful as other early Starfield planets, it does contain a few resources that are otherwise harder to come by (most notably, Neon). It’s not going to be your first outpost location, but it’s a fantastic place to build once you’ve acquired the resources needed to consistently create basic farming outposts.
Pontus (Olympus System)
Notable Resources: Helium-3, Aluminum, Beryllium
Helium-3 and Aluminum are two of the biggest “engine” resources in the game. You’re going to need quite a lot of both to construct some of the most important projects in Starfield, and Pontus is one of the better planets in the game for easily mining both resources fairly early on. Definitely give it a look if you find yourself short on either.
Zamka (Alpha Centauri System)
Notable Resources: Helium-3, Iron, Cobalt, Vanadium
The surface of Zamka isn’t much to look at, but it is an invaluable resource farming location. Along with the always useful Helium-3 and Iron, Zamka also contains the incredibly rare Vanadium which is both valuable on its own and useful in some early modification recipes. Given that you can access Zamka very early in the game, you really should build at least a Vandium extractor here at some point.
Linnaeus IV-b (Linnaeus System)
Notable Resources: Alkanes, Ytterbium, Beryllium, Aluminum
Linnaeus IV-b may just be the best overall outpost planet in Starfield. Not only does it contain a wealth of generally useful resources, but it is one of the rare planets in the game where you can realistically expect to extract 4, 5, or even 6 resources from one basic area. While you will have to hunt a bit to find a spot that allows you to maximize your outpost output, Linnaeus IV-b is one of Starfield‘s few essential outpost locations.
Jemison (Alpha Centauri System)
Notable Resources: Chlorosilanes, Water, Argon, Lead
To be blunt, Jemison is a pretty terrible planet for resource farming. The resources themselves are fine, but the spread is not ideal. However, Jemison boasts both a wealth of fauna as well as the kind of habitable (and lovely) environment that makes it an ideal “home” location. If you’re looking to build a massive base in a mostly friendly location that is close to valuable vendors and other landmarks, it is an ideal location.
Decaran III (Decaran System)
Notable Resources: Palladium, Tungsten, Cobalt, Uranium
While it will take you a while to reach Decaran III, it’s definitely worth a look for the planet’s bountiful supply of Tungsten alone. Tungsten is a relatively rare resource that is both quite valuable on its own and a common part of many high-end crafting recipes. You’ll eventually want to start harvesting it, and Decaran III is a great place to grab some alongside some other valuable materials.
Titan (Sol System)
Notable Resources: Titanium, Tungsten, Water, Lead
Along with being a fairly important location for narrative reasons, Titan is one of the best sources of Titanium that you’ll find in Starfield. One of the rarer and more useful resources in the game, Titanium is valuable as both a commodity and as a key ingredient in many late-game crafting resources. If you happen to be able to gather some Tungsten alongside that Titanium, so much the better.