You can do Starfield ships ranked by their usefulness or power, sure, but putting the space game’s fancy craft in order of how incredible they look is where it’s really at. That’s the philosophy I’m operating under for this piece, at least, and it made me look at Starfield’s ships a bit differently. Unlike your usual sci-fi fare, Starfield prioritizes utility in its craft design, and foregoing outlandish styles in favor of something that just works something I could easily see humans doing once they arrived in space.
The best ships blend that utility with a strong sense of style, though there are a few that should never bathe in starlight, let alone see the outside of a hangar.
Note that the final ship is a massive spoiler, so you may want to stop when you see the “Starborn” heading after the Pterosaur.
Falcon
I don’t even know what to say about the Falcon other than it’s a black hole of rizz. No style can withstand the crushing weight of… whatever this is supposed to be.
Mustang
This one is actually close to a crime. Someone took the Frontier, moved its legs out a bit, and stretched the body out, then had the audacity to call it a mustang. Gale Halderman (designer of Ford’s iconic Mustang) is surely sobbing and writhing in their grave.
Ecliptic Stiletto
I stole this during the first Crimson Fleet mission – well, stole may be slightly inaccurate, since everyone on board was already dead. Anyway, it was an ignominious first ship-jacking. For a band of mercenaries feared across the galaxy, their rank-and-file ships are pretty boring and weirdly designed. I can’t quite figure out what’s going on with the elongated bit in the back and the old-timey attic fan perched on top, both of which just scream “target me.”
You can’t even say the Stiletto gets the job done, because I stole it, so clearly it didn’t get the job done.
Longsword
Deimos mostly sells hideous ships, but the Longsword is a step above as decidedly average. It looks like what you’d get if you took the Frontier’s legs off and streamlined it a bit, and that level of function and style is probably what most Deimos customers would be in the market for.
Except me. I’m not buying that.
UC Vigilance
For a legendary ship, the UC’s Vigilance looks pretty ordinary. I’d go so far as to say it looks like the Vanguard members must’ve descended from people who really liked Star Wars, since the Vigilance veers awfully close to being a Star Destroyer without the signature shield generator balls. Maybe that Starfield Star Wars mod is close to the mark after all.
It’s not bad – just a bit derivative. You can’t buy it anyway, but you’d still expect a legendary ship to be a bit more, y’know, legendary.
Wendigo
The Wendigo is cute little ship, assuming you don’t mind dying. The hull rating is terrible, and there’s hardly any fuel capacity to mention. You can just imagine some aspiring star sailor scrimping and saving credits until they get enough money for their first brand-new ship. This is that ship, and they’re just so proud.
Stronghold
I’m not sure what’s going on with the Stronghold, but I dig it. I think. The name seems like a bit of a joke, if you look closely at the ship. A bunch of containers that look like they hold hazardous materials stick out in the front and beg enemies to target them, and it looks like storage containers make up the entire back end, presumably where all your Starfield companions are. The design is good enough to get a hefty hull rating of over 1,000, but it’s not a ship I’d feel safe in.
Watchdog 2
The Watchdog 2 is a nifty little craft that looks like it’d live up to its name. The front has a bunch of nasty-looking weapons and grates that leave no doubt as to what its purpose is, and while I have no idea what function all those tanks in the back have, they sure look intimidating. Unlike some of the other combat ships you can buy, this one is lithe and mobile. Like a real and good watchdog, it moves fast – and quickly tells its enemies how unwelcome they are.
Hoplite
The Hoplite is the only Deimos ship that has some personality injected in it. For nearly 30,000 more credits, you get a version of the Longsword that trades in the clunky frame for something more thoughtfully designed. It looks like it’d fly and fight more effectively, and the back fin sticks out like a little tail, which is an unexpectedly cute little flourish.
Warhorse
Rizz is in the name as much as it is the style. The Freestar Collective ship vendors slapped some new paint on the Mustang and hoped you wouldn’t notice it’s almost the same exact ship. It’s definitely the same exact ship minus a few stat changes, but it looks so much better when you call it a warhorse. Warhorse conjures up images of a beast that’s big, powerful, capable, and sturdy, one that sees you safely through trouble, and it’s not hard to imagine this creature doing the same.
Econohaul
Calling something this cool “econo” feels like an insult, and that’s before even considering the price tag. Econo sounds like what you’d call the Wendigo or the Falcon, crafts that hover on the edge of dinky with hardly any personality.
This hauler’s craft has much more style and character, with its sleek look, cleverly hidden extra cargo holds that manage to avoid breaking the razer-sharp pointed design, and shiny color scheme. The engines on the back have a little flair, and even the ostentatious metal spire at the tip manages to look nifty, thanks in part to the laser it’s hiding.
Galileo
The Galileo’s two big orbs in the middle are a nice nod to the Renaissance astronomer who was imprisoned for saying planets revolve around the sun. Maybe they aren’t, but who cares. This ship looks cool, with its unorthodox frame shape with a bit of stylistic asymmetry going on.
The left side has some sort of complex wire shape connecting the front and back, for example, while the right gets what looks like a proper corridor. The cockpit sits back a bit and gives a slight sense of dramatic layering as well. It serves no real purpose, but you might as well look good when you’re cruising through the stars.
Shieldbreaker
The Shieldbreaker may not look like the most ergonomic of ships, but it’s got the fun factor you’d associate with a space toy. The color scheme is bright and themed around two contrasting colors. There’s some snazzy gold trim here and there, a bunch of lasers, a little thing on the side that I don’t get (but it looks neat), and some very capable-looking engines in the back.
The downside is that eye-watering price of over 200,000 credits.
Pterosaur
There’s some dissonance between this one and its name. It looks absolutely nothing like paleontologists believe the pterosaur looked – but it does capture the idea of flying exceptionally well. The Pterosaur is one of the most streamlined, aerodynamic ships I ran across in Starfield, with a narrow profile and all the clunky bits positioned as if they’re there just to push the craft forward.
It’s sleek and chic, with some extra design flourishes on the top and back, which is the least it can do for nearly 150,000 credits.
The Starborn Guardian
The Starborn ship you get as part of the main story, and it’s a strong candidate for the finest-looking ship in the game. It oozes futuristic style, with a small pod in as the core, wings that are far too large than necessary, and some completely over-the-top accouterments dotted around. It’s dramatic, it’s covered in chrome, and I love it.
For more Starfield fun, check out our list of the Starfield traits ranked and our favorite Starfield weapons to keep handy.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
