Combat in Starfield is some of its strongest forte. Pair that with a ton of weapons found all over the galaxy, and you are in for a trigger-happy good time. Let us check out some of the best weapons in Starfield and where you can get them.
The weapons in Starfield have different rarities. Depending on the rarity, they come equipped with a number of mods and perks, which gives them the edge. These mods are pretty random, so they’re is a chance you might get a different version of the weapon. Legendary weapons are the cream of the crop, while some Rare weapons do hold their ground.
11. Boom Boom
The Boom Boom is a shotgun with a unique perk that makes it randomly switch to explosive rounds. Explosive rounds deal much more damage than a regular shell, have better range and, since they cause an explosion, can easily hit multiple enemies with splash damage.
This weapon comes pre-loaded with large magazines increasing the ammo capacity to 20 rounds, a laser sight, and high-velocity modes to further increase the accuracy. The high fire rate and capacity make this an amazing shotgun when firing regular rounds. You can also upgrade the damage output by investing in the Shotgun Certification skill.
How to get it: Travel to Volii Alpha, Volii System in Neon City. Search the city for the Neon Tactical store and talk to the vendor. The weapon can be bought for 17,000 Credits.
10. Marksman’s AA-99
If your stealth and longer range is up your alley then the Marksman’s A-99 is the weapon for you. This rifle is heavily modded and comes packed with 7 mods in total. It is speced for precision with 82% accuracy.
It also houses a suppressor to reduce the sound of your shots, has a decent scope and the tactical magazine makes sure your reloads are always quick. Although, you don’t need to reload often as this thing is effectively a semi-auto sniper with a magazine capacity of 25. The Hitman perk ensures you deal increased damage while using the scope.
Stealth is the name of the game for this weapon, and it shines at it.
How to get it: On New Atlantis, take the tram to the Residential District. Once here, locate the Centaurian Arsenal shop and from here you can buy the weapon for 23,840 Credits.
9. Experiment A-7
Another weapon with a huge list of mods, 8 mods to be precise, is the Experiment A-7. This weapon is the ideal thing to take out when facing aliens owing to its Exterminator perk dealing 30% extra damage to aliens. Since these things like to come up close and personal, the short-range capability and the deadly perk will evaporate any fauna.
Amazing mods include the full-auto mode making it a short-range machine gun, and the Flechette Rounds causes bleeding. Modding weapons requires resources, research, investment in certain skills, and praying to the RNG gods, thus such weapons with a nice mix of pre-applied mods is a godsent.
How to get it: Progress through the main questline until you reach the Final Glimpses mission. The mission will have two objectives so choose the one that take you to Freya III. As soon as you enter the system, a new mission will begin, Entangled.
Follow this mission until you meet up with Ethan Hughes. Choose the “Are there any scorpions native to this planet” dialogue option. Soon you will be given a Persuade dialogue option and selecting it will reward this weapon to you. If you fail the persuasion check then load your last save and try again.
8. Unfair Advantage
A spoiler alert before we dive into the weapon. The Unfair Advantage is found right at the end of the UC Vanguard questline. Do not be fooled by its rare quality, it is still a potent weapon. It is fast, accurate, and quite lethal.
It has got a lot going for it. Its burst damage is insane, being able to do around 600 damage in a matter of a second or two. It’s also a nearly fully modified gun with 7 mods. On top of that, the gun has the rare radioactive perk which deals the special damage type and causes enemies around the target to flee in fear.
How to get it: In the final mission of the UC Vanguard Legacy’s End. Here you have the option to side with either the Vanguards or the Crimson Fleet. Choose the Crimson Fleet not only for the weapon but also for the much better storyline.
In this mission, you will be charged with defeating the UC SysDef fleet and then board the Vigilance space station. The space station is a massive firefight so come prepared. Make your way to Commander Ikande.
When you are talking to him, make sure to select the Attack option. This way, you can fight him to death and loot the Unfair Advantage off his body.
7. Gallow’s Reach
This simple-looking AK-47 is quite a little monster. It can be easily overlooked so grab it sooner than later. The weapon comes with a good set of accuracy-boosting mods.
The Armor-Piercing rounds are great when going up against heavily armored enemies. It is easy to use and handy. Its fire rate is no slouch, either. All this will help to shred any who dare to oppose you.
How to get it: Follow the main questline to the No Sudden Moves mission. Here you will have to board the Scow spaceship, talk to Captain Petrov, and try to make him hand over the artifact. Regardless if things remain civil or turn ugly, you can still get this weapon.
It is located in the back room where you meet Petrov on the couch. Make your way to the rooms behind him and visit the bedroom. There will be a small office behind a closed door in this room. Just behind the desk, on a gun rack, you will see this weapon, grab it.
Even if you missed it, you can simply revisit the Scow and check the rooms and it will be there.
6. Ember
A well-rounded hybrid laser pistol with surprisingly good accuracy. While the mods you get on this weapon may vary, one thing all variants of the Ember have in common is the Ignition Beams. When you hit an enemy with this weapon, they instantly catch fire and start taking damage over time.
While other weapons have a perk that grants them a chance to do elemental damage, the Ember triggers this effect guaranteed on every shot that lands. Perfect for burning your enemies to a crisp.
How to get it: Join Ryujin Industries by interacting and filling out the job form on their terminals, located in pretty much any major location. Once you join the faction, complete their mission until you receive the Top Secrets mission.
While on this mission, you will meet Simon. Talk to him and he will have a side job for you after selecting the Let’s hear about this side job option. This mission will pit you against a bounty hunter Malai. Either talk to her or force your way into the ship, kill her, and loot the Ember pistol from her body.
5. Despondent Assassin
This legendary sniper comes with a built-in silencer and scope for those stealthy approaches. It also packs two perks that are a perfect fit for this weapon. Hitman increases your damage by 15% while aiming. The Anti-Personnel perk also increases your damage against human targets by 10%.
This means anytime you hit a human enemy while aiming down, you are dealing 25% more damage. On top of that, the High Powered mod adds another layer of damage-boosting that evaporates any caught in this weapon’s sight.
How to get it: Go to Akila City in the Cheyenne system. As soon as you walk in the city, turn left after the Shepherd’s General Store and you will run into Davis Wilson. Talk to him and he will give you the Defensive Measures mission. Complete it and sleep for 24 hours for the next mission False Positives to begin.
Again, complete the mission and rest for 24 hours to receive the final mission Leader of the Pack. Davis will hand you this weapon during this mission. This weapon can be acquired quite early on in the game.
4. Keelhauler
The Keelhauler is a legendary weapon that boasts three perks. However, the perks aren’t its best part, it is the mods that make it stand out.
It comes with a Recon Laser Sight meaning that will mark enemies if you keep your aim trained on them. The best bit is that this revolver fires in full auto.
While the recoil is hard to control, if you choose to fire this at close range you can absolutely melt any enemy. Aim for the chest or lower to ensure all rounds hit the target. Even the elite enemies with multiple health bars don’t stand a chance against this.
How to get it: Join the UC Vanguard by talking to Commander Tuala at the Mast on New Atlantis, Planet Jemison, Alpha Centauri system. Finish the early faction quests until you receive the Deep Cover mission which tasks you to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet.
You can also join the Crimson Fleet without joining Vanguards by committing a crime and getting caught. From here, your arresting officer will give you the option to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet.
Once in the faction, follow their questline to eventually get the Echoes of the Past mission. The Keelhauler is the reward for completing this mission.
3. Revenant
The Revenant is another legendary weapon you can get while working for the Crimson Fleet. It is arguably one of the best weapons in the game with an an incredible rate of fire and manageable recoil.
The legendary perks are great too. For starters, the extended magazine perk doubles the base mag size which means you can fire 150 rounds before you need to reload. Even with the insane rate of fire, you can comfortably hold the trigger down for longer periods before you need to reload.
On top of that, it also has the ability (Lacerate) to apply the bleed status effect on enemies, passively chipping away their health. Additionally, it is surprisingly lightweight, even lighter than some pistols. It barely impacts your carrying capacity, perfect for when you are hauling massive loads in your inventory.
How to get it: Continue on completing the Crimson Fleet questline till you receive the Eye of the Storm mission. Embark on this mission, and soon you will receive an objective to interact with a terminal.
You will find the Revenant sitting on top of a table right next to the objective terminal (on the right side). This weapon is missable so make sure you grab it.
2. Unmitigated Violence
This is a legendary variant of the Orion laser rifle. It has three perks. Frenzy has a chance of driving enemies crazy and shooting their allies. It also has the chance to deal radioactive damage, dealing damage over time, and can cause them to flee.
The thing that makes this rifle an absolute killer is the Instigating perk which makes it deal double damage against targets with full health. A headshot against an unaware target deals massive damage. Even in open combat, most enemies die in one or two shots.
There are also tons of amazing mods on this weapon including stealth lasers that make the weapon stealthy and the Recon laser fight that marks enemies while aiming.
How to get it: Progress the main questline until you reach Unearthed mission. During this mission, you will be forced to decide whether to side with the Emissary or the Hunter or go against both of them.
Siding with the Emissary or going up against both will reward this weapon. Make sure to fight the boss at the end instead of negotiating with them.
1. Eternity’s Gate
This legendary beam rifle one-shots most enemies, and it’s very satisfying to wield. It also has the Skip Shot perk where every fourth shot fires two projectiles at the cost of one ammo. Eternity’s Gate is considered one of the best weapons in Starfield.
There is a downside to this weapon due to the Handloading perk. It makes regular shots pack a bigger punch and deal more damage. However, this special damage is unreliable.
There will be times when you do 50% less damage. Don’t be put off by that cause it’s rare. So keep firing the weapon and more often than not it will eviscerate the enemy.
How to get it: This weapon is obtained through the same Unearthed mission as the previous weapon. Unlike previously, choose to side with the Hunter to get this weapon after taking down the final boss of the mission.
These weapons can be acquired in the same playthrough if you opt to go against them. Choose the “I’m tired of both of you” option and continue to defeat the boss. You will be rewarded with both of these legendary weapons.
These were our picks for the best weapons in Starfield. Even if you are a friendly spacefarer, there will be plenty of times you will be forced to bring out your weapons in Starfield.
The space is a wild place to explore, and you shouldn’t venture it without a trusty weapon to silence any that stand in your way.