Starfield clearly wants to live passively and explore the galaxy, uncovering the mysteries of the universe and cataloging flora and fauna on abandoned moons in the deep reaches of space. But some of us want to terrorize the Settled Systems as a space pirate. Or, act as an avenging angel dishing out justice to the ne’er-do-well of space. Here is where to find space battles in Starfield!
How to Find Ships to Fight in Starfield
Finding space battles in Starfield can take a few jumps throughout the various systems, like into Charybdis, before you finally stumble upon Spacers or Crimson Fleet. However, a good rule of thumb is to look along the outer reaches of explored systems. The planets by the edge of the system typically house pirates and Spacer fleets, though not always.
Alternatively, if you’d rather battle starships from the comfort of virtual reality, you can visit the Space Combat Simulator in New Atlantis. It allows you to test your flying and dogfighting skills in a low-risk environment. It also counts towards your skills, like when trying to rank up Ship Command.
Lastly, a handful of quests ask you to deal with Spacers, such as Groundpounder and Failure to Communicate. They both culminate in massive space battles with you at the forefront.
Related: Where to Find the Autonomous Staryard in Starfield
How to Win Space Battles in Starfield
As you encounter more and more hostile ships during your time in Starfield, you will inevitably become more adept at flying a starship and dogfighting. But in the meantime, here are a few tips to help you improve and win most encounters:
- Invest in damage-based skills, such as Ballistic Weapon Systems, Energy Weapon Systems, Missile Weapon Systems, Particle Beam Weapon Systems, and Targeting Control Systems. These all fall under Tech Skills and increase the damage your ship’s weaponry puts out.
- Always keep spare ship parts in your cargo hold. In your inventory, they’re heavy and useless. But in your hold, you can regenerate your ship’s health with the press of a button, even in the middle of combat, to keep in the fight longer.
- Do not fly straight at your target, as they’ll bombard you before you close the distance and acquire a target. Instead, maneuver to the side or back of your target and hit them in their weak points.
- Keep multiple weapons on your ship at all times. You want to field:
- Ballistic Weapons: Pierce enemy ship hulls.
- Lasers: Destroys shields.
- Missiles: High damage to ship hulls.
- EM Suppressors: Designed to destroy ship systems.
- Focus fire on a single ship until it’s out of the fight. One less gun is one less worry for you during combat.
In no time, you’ll find yourself with the same flying skills as Captain Mal!
For more Insider Gaming guides, check out Where to Find Chargers in Helldivers 2!
