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Best Starfield weapons: Early game must-haves & best guns overall
Bringing out the big guns for the best guns.
Bethesda
- Cole Luke
Published: Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 4:13 pm
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There are plenty of people, robots and creatures in the galaxy that want you dead - so to blast and slash your problems away, we have the best Starfield weapons including early-game must-haves and the best guns overall.
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You should also pair the best weapons with the best Starfield ships so that foes on land or in space will meet their match.
Many of the weapons listed are found during the main quest, so check out our Starfield mission list to see where in the story you are.
With such a large universe to explore, you'll be glad to know there are plenty of weapons to deal with those who stand in your way. These range from rescue axes all the way up to fearsome particle weapons.
There's plenty to cover, so let's get to it!
Starfield weapon tiers
Let's first break down the different Starfield weapon tiers. From our experience, there are six main weapon tiers, with lots of individual weapons listed underneath each tier. These weapon tiers can all be found below:
Pistols
Bethesda
Shotguns
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Rifles
Bethesda
Heavy Weapons
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Particle
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Melee
Bethesda
Additionally, there are a small number of miscellaneous weapons to be found in Starfield. Many of these we'd consider spoilers, so these will be left out for the time being.
What are the best early game guns in Starfield?
A Starfield character holding an Old Earth Hunting Rifle.
Old Earth Hunting Rifle
This Soviet-era suppressed rifle can be found at Centaurian Arsenal in New Atlantis. While a few centuries old, it still packs a mean punch and deals 36 Phys Damage.
When paired with the Stealth skill, you will gain additional damage with suppressed weapons at every rank, increasing the utility of the rifle.
With all of that, headshots can be absolutely lethal and will make short work of enemies early on. It’s particularly great for clearing out lesser enemies before going in to deal with high-level foes.
Elegance
Elegance is a suppressed pistol that betrays its namesake, as the damage it deals is absolutely brutal. With a base of 48 Phys Damage and a fire rate of 109, you can set off a rapid succession of shots to dispatch foes.
Similarly to the Old Earth Hunting Rifle, pairing Elegance with Stealth perks turns it into a monster.
You can find Elegance in Rowland Arms in Akila City on planet Akila in the Cheyenne system. It costs 18,000 credits.
The Buzzcut
We're a big fan of this rifle. While great for taking out enemies from a fair distance away, it's not bad up close with armour-piercing benefits. With a 50 mag, eight mod slots and a fire rate of 212, it's perfect for getting out of any tough situations.
To start using The Buzzcut, head to Neon City and purchase the weapon from Neon Tactical for 4,500 credits.
Read more on Starfield:
- Starfield review - our final verdict
- Starfield missions list - how far are you?
- Starfield tips and tricks - how to get started
- Starfield romance - all potential relationships
- Starfield character creation - all your options explained
- Starfield digipick - how to lockpick
- How long is Starfield? The hours you'll need
- Will Starfield ever come to PS5? Developer comments
- Starfield cast - all voice actors
- Starfield companions - who to recruit
- Starfield soundtrack - how to listen
- Starfield storage guide - don't be overburdened
- Starfield FOV - change your point of view
- Starfield FPS - developers explain 30fps
- Starfield PC requirements - specs needed
- Starfield performance - potential fixes
- Starfield factions - all possible groups
Marksman’s AA-99
If you’re able to cough up the credits – maybe by boarding and stealing ships – the Marksman’s AA-99 from the Centaurian Arsenal is a great weapon that you don’t have to venture far for.
Its base damage isn’t as high as the Old Earth Hunting Rifle at 31 Phys Damage but it has eight mod slots and has the Hitman trait, netting you an additional +15 per cent damage while aiming.
N67 Smartgun
If you really want some firepower, then the N67 Smartgun is the way to go. It's essentially a huge minigun that can tear through enemies like a hot knife through butter. Anyone who gets their hands on this weapon early on will immediately notice a tactical advantage in combat.
Head to UC distribution on New Atlantis and pay the vendor 38,000 credits to gain access to the N67 Smartgun.
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What are the best guns overall in Starfield?
Starfield.
Boom Boom
Boom Boom is a rare shotgun that has the Explosive perk, meaning it randomly switches to explosive rounds. These rounds deal a lot of damage, and with a mag capacity of 20, the trade-off in your favour can be substantial.
To get Boom Boom, simply head to Neon and make your way to Neon Tactical where you can buy it for 18,000 credits.
Keelhauler
The Keelhauler is a Legendary pistol which means its three perks are randomised, but overall the underlying stats are still very good and it’s well worth seeking out.
The Keelhauler has some pretty nifty mods.
- Long Barrel – Increases accuracy
- Recon Laser Sight – Highlights targetted enemies
- Compensator – Reduces recoil
- Full Automatic – Can switch to fully automatic
To get it, you have to start the UC Vanguard quest by signing up. After you complete training, you’ll need to complete the first quest, Grunt Work. After this, there will be two quests, one of which will be Deep Cover - which then goes onto Echoes of the Past.
You can skip the initial sign-up phase and Grunt Work by committing a crime in New Atlantis, being arrested and agreeing to take on the Deep Cover mission to atone for your crime.
Once you complete Deep Cover and Echoes of the Past, you will be rewarded with the Keelhauler.
Revenant
The Revenant is a Legendary rifle but its perks appear to remain the same between play throughs. The three Legendary Perks it has are the following.
- Extended Magazine – Doubles the base magazine capacity
- Lacerate – Randomly applies a bleed effect to the target
- Titanium Build – Premium build materials make this weapon as light as a feather
With a fire rate of 330, 14 Phys Damage and 150 rounds in a mag, everything in front of you will be turned to Swiss cheese fairly quickly.
To find it, you need to play all the way through the Crimson Fleet quests till the quest Eye of the Storm. To avoid any spoilers, you will find the Revenant in the Vault Control Room next to a terminal during this quest.
Experiment A-7
This beast of a shotgun is an experimental version of the Breach shotgun, and it is best suited for dealing with extraterrestrials as it has the Exterminator perk - which grants an additional +30% damage to alien creatures.
Couple this with the 119 base Phys Damage and those who stand in your way are in for a bad time. The A-7 comes fully modded out too.
- Long Barrel – Increases accuracy and range
- Laser Sight – Increases accuracy
- Reflex Sight – Increases Accuracy
- Choke – Reduces spread
- Tactical Stock – Increases Accuracy
- Flechette Rounds – Can cause bleeding damage
- Hair Trigger – Improves fire rate
- Fully Automatic – Can switch to fully automatic
To get the A-7, you need to reach the quest Final Glimpses. A quest marker will send you to Freya III in the Freya star system. This will begin the quest Entangled, where you need to investigate a distress call.
Follow the markers and, eventually, you’ll find yourself in Guard Ethan’s office. Make sure to save as you need to pass a Persuasion Check before he will give you the A-7.
What are the best guns to buy in Starfield?
If you have the credits to spare and don't want to fuss with fetch quests and squabbling NPCs, you might want to just buy yourself a shiny new weapon.
Below is a quick look at some of the best guns in the game and where to get them.
The Zapper – Rowland Arms (Akila City)
- Weapon Type – Pistol
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – .27 Caliber
- Mag – 28
- Damage – 13
- Fire Rate – 104
- Accuracy – 71.6%
- Range – 19 meters
- Mods – 5/7
- Unique Perk (Tesla) – Rounds will sometimes emit electricity where they land that damages and slows nearby targets
- Mod Slot 1 – Long Barrel
- Mod Slot 2 – Compensator
- Mod Slot 3 – Large Magazine
- Mod Slot 4 – High Powered
- Mod Slot 5 – Binary Trigger
Elegance – Rowland Arms (Akila City)
- Weapon Type – Pistol
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – .43 Ultrmag
- Mag – 8
- Damage – 66
- Fire Rate – 109
- Accuracy – 73.7%
- Range – 17 meters
- Mods – 0/7
- Unique Perk (Shattering) – Break through even the strongest armour
The Prime – Laredo Firearms (Akila City)
- Weapon Type – Pistol
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 7.5MM
- Mag – 6
- Damage – 84
- Fire Rate – 12
- Accuracy – 79.8%
- Range – 48 meters
- Mods – 0/8
- Unique Perk (Elemental) – Randomly deals Corrosive, Radiation, Poison and Incendiary damage
Head Ranger – Laredo Firearms (Akila City)
- Weapon Type – Rifle
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – .50 Caliber
- Mag – 6
- Damage – 70
- Fire Rate – 14
- Accuracy – 80.4%
- Range – 62 meters
- Mods – 5/6
- Unique Perk (Rapid) – +25% increase in attack speed
- Mod Slot 1 – Long Barrel
- Mod Slot 2 – Recon Scope
- Mod Slot 3 – Muzzle Brake
- Mod Slot 4 – Penetrator Rounds
- Mod Slot 5 – Hair Trigger
The Buzzcut – Neon Tactical (Neon)
- Weapon Type – Rifle
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 7.77MM
- Mag – 50
- Damage – 6
- Fire Rate – 212
- Accuracy – 71.6%
- Range – 23 meters
- Mods – 6/8
- Unique Perk (Rapid) – +25% increase in attack speed
- Mod Slot 1 – Short Barrel
- Mod Slot 2 – Laser Sight
- Mod Slot 3 – Reflex Sight
- Mod Slot 4 – Compensator
- Mod Slot 5 – Armor-Piercing Rounds
- Mod Slot 6 – High Velocity
Boom Boom – Neon Tactical (Neon)
- Weapon Type – Shotgun
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 7.77MM
- Mag – 20
- Damage – 101
- Fire Rate – 60
- Accuracy – 45.8%
- Range – 25 meters
- Mods – 3/8
- Unique Perk (Explosive) – Randomly switches to explosive rounds
- Mod Slot 1 – Laser Sight
- Mod Slot 2 – Large Magazine
- Mod Slot 3 – High Velocity
The Spacer – Arboron (Neon)
- Weapon Type – Pistol
- Damage Type – Particle
- Ammo – Light Fuse
- Mag – 12
- Damage – 17
- Energy – 60
- Fire Rate – 25
- Accuracy – 70.7%
- Range – 40 meters
- Mods – 5/7
- Unique Perk (Space Adept) – +30% damage while in space and -15% damage while on a planet
- Mod Slot 1 – Laser Sight
- Mod Slot 2 – Reflex Sight
- Mod Slot 3 – Focus Nozzle
- Mod Slot 3 – Annihilator Rounds
- Mod Slot 3 – Overclocked
Pirate Legend – Aludra (The Key)
- Weapon Type – Rifle
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 6.5MM
- Mag – 70
- Damage – 7
- Fire Rate – 100
- Accuracy – 69.6%
- Range – 52 meters
- Mods – 4/7
- Unique Perk (Space Adept) – +30% damage while in space and -15% damage while on a planet
- Mod Slot 1 – Reflex Sight
- Mod Slot 2 – Muzzle Brake
- Mod Slot 3 – Drum Magazine
- Mod Slot 4 – Hair Trigger
Feather – Aludra (The Key)
- Weapon Type – Rifle
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 11MM
- Mag – 36
- Damage – 36
- Fire Rate – 117
- Accuracy – 79.1%
- Range – 62 meters
- Mods – 5/6
- Unique Perk (Titanium Build) – Premium build materials make this weapon light as a feather
- Mod Slot 1 – Long Barrel
- Mod Slot 2 – Laser Sight
- Mod Slot 3 – Compensator
- Mod Slot 4 – Large Magazine
- Mod Slot 5 – Hair Trigger
Fury – Aludra (The Key)
- Weapon Type – Rifle
- Damage Type – Ballistics
- Ammo – 7.62MM
- Mag – 100
- Damage – 28
- Fire Rate – 150
- Accuracy – 70.3%
- Range – 57 meters
- Mods – 5/7
- Unique Perk (Furious) – Each consecutive hit deals more damage
- Mod Slot 1 – Short Barrel
- Mod Slot 2 – Laser Sight
- Mod Slot 3 – Muzzle Brake
- Mod Slot 4 – Drum Magazine
- Mod Slot 5 – High Velocity
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Authors
Cole LukeFreelance Writer
Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to Radio Times Gaming. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.
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