Updated September 20th, 2023, by Christopher Norman Worcester: As more players have found their way into the settled systems, it has become clear that space combat in Starfield is a major fan-favorite. This update adds a video to help players increase their knowledge of the best ship weapons in Starfield.
It can be hard to get the hang of Starfield's space combat, especially for anyone who hasn't had much experience with zero-gravity dogfights. However, even with all the technical nuance involved in ship-to-ship fighting, overwhelming firepower is often the best answer to such situations.
Players don't have to be ace pilots in order to win those dodgy space battles. Most of the time, simple maneuvering is the only thing one really needs to survive in these encounters in Starfield. This tactic won't work if players aren't strapped with the deadliest ship weapons in the game, though. Here are some of the best ones found so far.
Best Ship Weapons in Starfield
Particle weapons are arguably the best type of ship-based guns players can use in the game. They deal great damage against hulls and shields alike, and they save players the hassle of having to redirect ship power to different weapon systems. Weapons can be attached individually; no need to buy new ships for them.
Before diving into the specifics, it's important to paint a clear picture of how each ship weapon type performs in combat:
- Ballistic weapons are strong at destroying hulls but are weak against shields
- Lasers are great for stripping shields but deal minimal hull damage
- Missiles deal high, long-ranged burst damage versus hulls and shields, but they fire and reload slowly
- Particle weapons inflict good hull and shield damage, but they get outclassed by specialized weapons in specific conditions
- EM Suppressors: These weapons target a ships systems, allowing players to knock them out individually. Focusing an EM weapon on a ship's engines will leave in dead in the water, and ready to be commandeered.
One of the best particle weapons in the game is the PBO-100 Auto Neutron Beam, a B-class weapon that rapidly deals 15.40 per shot. A burst from four of these guns can instantly shred the shields of small ships before tearing through their hulls like paper. One downside with these as is that they can be very power-hungry, so make sure to have a decent B-class reactor.
As for ballistic and laser weapon options, the KE-42 Cannon (31 Hull DMG, 2.5 Fire Rate) and Scorch-P 60MWPulse Laser (32 Shield DMG, 2.5 Fire Rate) are both solid options for B-class ships. Pilots who want to use hybrid weapon systems have a lot to gain with this combo as they solve both the shield-stripping and hull-wrecking needs of any combat-capable cruiser.
Players can't go wrong with any of the missile launchers, and it basically boils down to preference and availability. The Atlatl 270B is a safe and reliable pick, dealing 68 damage per hit and capable of hitting targets up to 4000m away. Players can upgrade to the harder-hitting Atlatl 270C when they decide to get a C-class reactor later in the game.
Some of the more exotic weapons like the Dangan W Cannon and Reza 45 GHz MW Pulse Laser are locked behind the Starship Design skill.
Keep in mind that the brute force approach isn't always the best solution to space combat. Players will need some degree of skill if they want to tussle against big fleets of enemies at once.
Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.