Mastering Starfield: Insider Tips and Must-Have Skills for Unleashing Your Potential
Discover the essential skills to excel in Starfield! Enhance your physical abilities, master social interactions, dominate in combat, unravel scientific mysteries, and harness advanced technology Prioritize these skills for an unrivaled experience in the game
In Starfield, there are over 80 Starfield skills that you can level up as you advance in the campaign. With no level cap, it is possible to acquire all of them eventually. However, reaching that point is a time-consuming process, so it is recommended to prioritize the best skills. Given the numerous options and the considerable time and effort involved, you may be curious about which skills are truly beneficial in the long term. Our Starfield best skills guide provides insight into the most advantageous choices for your journey.
Table of Contents [hide]The best skills in StarfieldPhysical skillsStealth
Social skillsCommerce
Persuasion
Leadership
Ship Command
Combat skillsBallistics or Lasers
Science skillsGeology
Other viable picks
Tech skillsBoost Pack Training
Piloting
Security
Targeting Control Systems
Starship Design
The best skills in Starfield
The essential Starfield skills that we believe are crucial for success are Stealth, Commerce, Persuasion, Leadership, Ship Command, Ballistics or Lasers, Geology, Weapon Engineering, Boost Pack Training, Piloting, Security, Targeting Control Systems, and Starship Design. These skills have been determined based on our comprehensive campaign and New Game Plus playthroughs, taking into account all the various actions and tasks that players can expect to encounter.Additionally, it is important to consider the best backgrounds, which offer three starting skills. This grants players the advantage of not having to allocate skill points solely towards unlocking these skills.
Physical skills
StealthEffect: Adds a stealth meter; makes you harder to detect; increased sneak attack damage for suppressed weapons.
Refining the leveling strategy: Execute stealthy strikes.
Suggestion: Although utilizing an aggressive approach is common for achieving success, consider the option of discreetly eliminating opponents, particularly when equipped with weapons that have suppressor attachments.
Sneaking around is always a viable option.
Social skills
CommerceEffect: Buy items at lower prices and sell them at higher prices.
Leveling tally: Sell different kinds of items.
Tip: If you need to make a lot of money fast, then having the Commerce skill aids you in that endeavor.
Persuasion
Effect: Increases the success rate of persuading an NPC.
Leveling tally: Opt for the Persuade choice during conversations with NPCs.
Tip: Frequently, you will come across opportunities in dialogues where you can choose to evade conflicts, coincidentally pleasing companions like Sarah. Additionally, you can reduce the joining fees requested by specific crew members.
Leadership
Effect: Increases companion affinity gains, HP, carry weight, and skill bonuses; companions can heal you when you're low on health.
Leveling Tally: Sprint a specific distance with an active follower.
Tip: Despite being limited to one companion, it is still advantageous to utilize these enhancements. The affinity bonus is particularly valuable as it expedites the unlocking of romance options and quests.
Ship Command
Effect: Increases the number of active crew members on your ship by +4/5/6/8.
Level Up Requirement: Eliminate or capture enemy ships with a crew of X or more.
Advice: There are several methods to expand the size of your ship's crew. However, it is important to note that the maximum crew size is determined by the smallest value among all related factors. Consequently, mastering the Ship Command skill proves to be one of the most effective strategies in the Starfield, as it simplifies the task of managing ship compartments to meet the crew limit.
Combat skills
Ballistics or LasersEffect: Increases the damage dealt by ballistic or laser-type weapons.
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Progress Tracker: Eliminate X number of adversaries utilizing either ballistic or energy weapons.
Tip: Though not as crucial as other choices, enhancing the damage output of your preferred weapon type is always a safe bet.
Pick Ballistics or Lasers, or get both if you like different weapon variants.
Science skills
GeologyEffect: Gain more inorganic resources from surface objects.
Resource Accumulation Meter: Gather inorganic materials from X objects.
Note: Inorganic materials encompass elements such as iron, silver, titanium, and others. As these are crucial for crafting purposes, it is advisable to possess a proficiency that enhances the quantity obtained from nodes.
Other recommended options for exploration in Starfield include: Research Methods, Spacesuit Design, Weapon Engineering, Astrophysics, Outpost Engineering, Planetary Habitation, and Special Projects. These skills are primarily focused on crafting, research projects, and outpost development. While they may not be necessary at the beginning of the game due to the abundance of loot and objectives, you have the freedom to pursue them when you feel the need to engage in crafting and building activities.
Mining nodes with your Cutter becomes more advantageous in the long term when you receive an additional mineral for each extraction.
Tech skills
Boost Pack TrainingEffect: Enables the usage of boost packs/jetpacks with reduced fuel consumption and accelerated fuel regeneration.
Leveling tally: Do boosted jumps while in combat.
Tip: You only need to allocate a single point. This lets you use your equipped jetpack, which is great for exploration and traversal.
Piloting
Effect: Lets you utilize your ship's thrusters; improves turning rate and maneuverability; allows you to pilot Class-B and Class-C ships.
Objective: Destroy X amount of ships to advance to the next level.
Tip: Piloting is a highly advantageous skill in Starfield as it enables the opportunity to pilot advanced ships in the future. These ships come equipped with superior weaponry, equipment, and defensive systems.
Security
Effect: Allows you to lockpick doors and containers.
Leveling tally: Master the art of lock picking.
Tip: Starfield's impressive expertise in security shines brightly, given the multitude of locked doors and chests awaiting you on your thrilling journey.
Targeting Control Systems
Effect: Unlocks your ship's targeting functionality, which lets you destroy specific parts of a hostile vessel.
Leveling tally: Eliminate a specified number of ships while in target mode.
Tip: Obtaining this skill early on can prove highly advantageous. It allows you to board and seize control of enemy vessels, resulting in increased loot and cash rewards.
Starship Design
Effect: Allows you to install high-end ship modules.
Leveling Tally: Install a specific number of distinctive ship modules.
Note: Similar to the Piloting skill, having expertise in Starship Design allows individuals to fully personalize their ships with top-notch options. Once you reach a certain level, you can acquire state-of-the-art components for your vessel.
The following are the top skills in Starfield. It's important to note that leveling tallies do not count retroactively, so allocate points to unlock desired perks and increase tallies based on key actions. Additionally, once you finish the campaign, it's worth learning about New Game Plus mode and how it impacts your chosen skills and other aspects. Starfield offers a vast universe to explore, including multiple planets. For additional tips and strategies, visit our guides hub.
