As you’re playing Starfield and exploring space, having the best ships at your disposal makes all the difference.

In Starfield, you’re invited to explore the vastness of the universe, a task that takes you through different systems and unexplored regions. Your mission is not without challenges and you might find yourself trying to escape from space pirates or hiding illegal cargo.

To assist in finding the right ship for you in Starfield, we’ve prepared this guide covering the best ships, their stats, and locations.

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The best ships in Starfield

There is a good variety of activities that involve piloting ships, from attacking other ships to stealing them to smuggling contraband. The best ship changes depending on what you enjoy doing and what your goal is. There are, however, some elements to keep in mind when choosing one for yourself.

In Starfield, there are three classes of ships: A, B, and C, which group ships based on common traits. Class A ships have low firepower and high mobility; Class B have moderate firepower and moderate mobility; and Class C ships have high firepower and low mobility. Alongside the classes, there are specific stats you should take into consideration when picking a ship. The Reactor value determines how much power you can allocate to each module. The Hull and Shield stats correspond to how much damage your ship can handle. Lasers, particle weapons, ballistics, and missile values indicate the ship’s effectiveness in combat.

By considering all the aspects, we have selected the five best ships for all the possible scenarios and moments in the game. These are all ships that you can buy or acquire during your first playthrough as well, making them valuable resources to complete the main quests.

The best ships in Starfield are:

RazorleafAegisStrongholdAbyss TrekkerNarwhal

Razorleaf

Class AFuel - 140Hull - 469Cargo Capacity - 420Shielded Capacity - 160Reactor - 18Crew - 2Jump - 16 LYShield - 390LAS - 6PAR - 16MSL - 36

It’s quite difficult to deny that the Razorleaf is one of the best ships in the game considering what it offers and how easy it is to acquire. First of all, Razorleaf is a Class A ship that you get by completing the 'Mantis' sidequest. This means that you don’t need to spend precious credits – that you probably don’t have at the beginning of your journey – to buy a new ship. Razorleaf is quite useful when it comes to actually making more money, because this ship has shielded cargo so you can more easily smuggle contraband. This is not a trait most ships have, especially a free one.

It might come with a modest kit, but the Razorleaf is an explicit upgrade compared to Frontier. This ship has a stronger Reactor, Shield, and Hull, meaning you can easily battle initial enemies. Damage is not its strongest side, but because it comes with particle weapons instead of ballistics, Razorleaf is capable of dealing damage to enemies’ shields and hulls at the same time.

Aegis

Class BFuel - 800Hull - 721Cargo Capacity - 200Reactor - 21Crew - 5Jump - 29 LYShield - 610LAS - 20BAL - 96MSL - 68

When looking for an upgrade from the Razorleaf, the best option is to pick Aegis. You can buy this Class B ship at Deimos Staryard, a station found orbiting Mars for 196,700 Credits by talking to Nikau Henderson. In Starfield, piloting ships of classes higher than A demands levelling up the Piloting Skill. Considering how long it takes to get max rank to get Class C ships, your best bet is to look for a Class B first and Aegis is the best one.

Even though Aegis doesn't exceed in terms of speed or damage, it comes with a solid kit. The ship’s Jump value allows travelling double the distance you could before. Aegis comes with a good balance between sturdiness – 721 Hull and 610 Shield – and firepower – LSR 20, BLT 96, MSL 68 –. which is more than enough to get you through the game without problems.

Stronghold

Class CFuel - 2200Hull - 1047Cargo Capacity - 2360Reactor - 27Crew - 6Jump - 30 LYShield - 1600LAS - 36BAL - 48

Once you rank the Piloting Skill up enough to unlock Class C ships, Stronghold is one of the best to look for. This behemoth costs 380,0971 Credits and it’s sold by the Ship Service Technician in Akila City, a location found in the Cheyenne System.

Stronghold comes with high Hull and Shield values, making it the best ship for scenarios where ignoring enemies’ attacks is possible and you just want to focus on completing a delivery or reaching a new place. At the same time, this doesn’t mean Stronghold doesn’t offer a good offensive if needed, coming with average Lasers and Ballistic modules. Transporting cargo is also where Stronghold shines and we know that a large cargo hold is all you need after hours of exploration.

Abyss Trekker

Class CFuel - 950Hull - 1031Cargo Capacity - 340Reactor - 27Crew - 6Jump - 25 LYShield - 1600PAR - 38BAL - 162MSL - 96

Now, if you can pilot Class C ships and want to take an offensive approach as you travel through the unexplored corners of the universe, Abyss Trekker is the best ship for you. This massive spaceship costs 347,230 Credits in Paradise Hotel located in Porrima II, a planet in the Porrima system. If you have the money, just talk to the Ship Service Technician to buy yours.

Piloting the Abyss Trekker means mostly that you want to focus on fighting other ships. This ship has high values for all the three weapons it comes with. The 162 of BAL means you can cause massive damage to enemies. The Abyss Trekker’s firepower compensates for its lack of Hull and Shield. It also has the lowest mass – 1282 only! – among the three Class C ships we listed here, making it better for aerial manoeuvres.

Narwhal

Class CFuel - 560Hull - 2118Cargo Capacity - 1760Reactor - 36Crew - 7Jump - 30 LYShield - 995LAS - 24BAL - 114MSL - 82

Narwhal is an expensive Class C ship but buying it is totally worth it considering how incredible this ship is. Narwhal is the perfect balance between utility and firepower, the all-rounder you must have in your collection. To get the Narwhal, first, you must have at least 432,620 Credits to buy it. Then, you must go to Neon in the Volii Alpha Planet located in the Volii system. After entering the city, you must look for the Taiyo Astroneering building. Take the elevator and talk to Veronica, the NPC who sells the ship.

When it comes to why you should spend all this money buying the Narwhal, you should consider the combo of having high Hull, Shield, LAS, BAL, and MSL values. This means that this ship offers firepower a little bit lower than the Abyss Trekker and the endurance to take almost as much damage as the Stronghold. In addition to this, it allows the highest number of crew members among the three ships as well as the most powerful Reactor.

Have fun flying around in Starfield, and if you need any more tips, check out our round-up of the best Starfield weapons and best outpost locations. We've also got guides on how to pay and clear a Bounty, the Ryujin Industries questline and the Starfield item ID list.

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