Ah, ships, love them or hate them you'll have to use them while playing the game. It's the main way to travel across the galaxy in the game and it's the first time Bethesda has added some sort of vehicle control in their games.
Controlling the ship can feel a bit clunky at the beginning but you should get a hang of it pretty quickly. The main point of the game is creating your own custom ships but if you don't want to bother with that there are some premade ships that you can simply buy. I'll be listing those ships so with that let's get into the article.
10. Frontier
Baby steps.
This is the ship you start the game with and it's the first one every player will get to fly. In terms of stats it isn't great but come on man it's on the cover of the game and it has been in every trailer of the game.
The ship has decent speed, the weapons aren't that strong, and while flying it I do suggest that you try fighting high-level enemies with it. It will do its job getting you from place to place and that's more than enough. Furthermore, the ship has missiles, ballistics, and lasers, has a top speed of 150, and a shield of 150.
Frontier stats:
- Class - A
- Hull - 366
- Shield - 310
- Gravity jump - 16 LY
- Reactor - 14
- Cargo capacity - 450
- Shield capacity - 150
- Mass - 359
- Crew capacity - 2
- Laser weapon strength - 6
- Ballistic weapon strength - 13
- Missile weapon strength - 47
- Particle weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Frontier is great for:
- Getting you from planet to planet.
- It has missiles, ballistics, and lasers as weapons.
- It has a top speed of 150.
- It can take out some low-level enemies.
How to get Frontier:
You get this ship at the start of the game after meeting Barrett.
9. Razorleaf
One of the better ships in the early-game.
Later this ship will become useless but in the early game, it dominates. It's a lightweight ship, has great maneuverability, and can easily escape from enemies. The guns on the ship can shred almost any low-level enemy.
It doesn't have a lot of cargo space sadly and can carry a lot of items. My advice on using the ship is simple. Dash in and out of battle with it and you do fine. Furthermore, the ship is completely free as you get it by completing a quest line called "Mantis".
Razorleaf stats:
- Class - A
- Hull - 469
- Shield - 468
- Reactor power - 19
- Crew capacity - 2
- Gravity Jump - 16
- Mass - 572
- Crew capacity - 2
- Laser weapon strength - 6
- Ballistic weapon strength - none
- Missile weapon strength - 36
- Particle beam weapon strength - 16
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Razorleaf is great for:
- Going in and out of battle.
- Being able to easily outmaneuver the enemies.
- Best for early-game players as you get it for free.
How to get Razorleaf:
You get it by completing a quest line called "Mantis".
8. Star Eagle
One of my favorites when it comes to visuals.
Here's another great free ship that you can obtain by completing a questline for the Freestar Collective. It has a decent cargo hold and can carry up to five crew members. Additionally, the hull has 948 hit points and the shield has 760. Also, the cargo hold has enough space for 2,280 kg of items.
It's also a class-A ship which means you won't need to upgrade your piloting skills if you don't want to. The ship is decent at taking down low-level and same-level enemies and can stand its ground against higher-level enemies although I don't recommend that. My advice on piloting this ship is to search for opponents who are either isolated and alone or take on multiple low-level enemies.
Star Eagle stats:
- Class - A
- Hull - 948
- Shield - 760
- Gravity jump - 16 LY
- Reactor - 29
- Cargo capacity - 2,280
- Shield capacity - 0
- Mass - 1089
- Crew capacity - 5
- Laser weapon strength - 12
- Ballistic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Missile weapon strength - 130
- Particle weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - 2
Star Eagle is great for:
- Being able to carry up to 5 crew mates.
- It can hold up to 2,280 kg of items in its cargo hold.
- The ship has a decent hull and shield hit points.
- It can hold its own against high-level enemies.
- You get it for free by completing a quest line.
How to get Star Eagle:
Get it by completing the Freestar Collective questline.
7. Shield Breaker
Expensive but will do the job.
Here's a good class B ship that’s a jack of all trades. It can carry up to 5 crewmates, has a cargo hold of 2,280, comes with all three slots for weapons fulfilled, and has a 25-light-year jump. The ship is great for combat operations as it was designed for that. My advice on piloting this ship is to poke the enemies from a distance and then rush at them when they’re low HP.
Furthermore, it has a shield of 610 and a hull of 940 hit points. It will do its job magnificently if you know how to fly well. You can also customize and upgrade it however you wish but you will need to do that as the ship is decent in its own right and it is good in the mid-game. The downside to it is that it will cost you 240,000 credits.
Shield Breaker stats:
- Class - B
- Hull - 940
- Shield - 610
- Gravity jump - 22 LY
- Reactor - 27
- Cargo capacity - 2,280
- Mass - 1238
- Crew capacity - 5
- Laser weapon strength - 24
- Ballistic weapon strength - 33
- Missile weapon strength - 58
- Particle beam weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Shield Breaker is good for:
- Fighting and outmaneuvering other ships in its class.
- It has a 25 light-year jump.
- The fuel capacity is 550 which is excellent for exploration.
How to get Shield Breaker:
You're able to buy this ship for 240,000 credits when you go to Alpha Centauri to Ship Services Technician.
6. Aegis
A flying frog.
This is the better version of the Razorleaf as it has better weapons, and better shields, and the weirdest part is that it's as light as the Razorleaf. The Aegis can also carry up to five crew members and if you decide to upgrade the reactor it will be even better.
Sadly the ship doesn't have a lot of cargo space and requires you to have your piloting skills at least in the B category. My advice to you for flying this ship is to go and fight enemies. The Aegis is quick and reliable and you'll get the most out of it that way. It can stand its ground against high-level enemies if you know how to maneuver.
Aegis stats:
- Class - B
- Hull - 721
- Shield - 610
- Gravity jump - 29 LY
- Reactor - 21
- Cargo capacity - 200
- Mass - 736
- Crew capacity - 5
- Laser weapon strength - 20
- Ballistic weapon strength - 115
- Missile weapon strength - 68
- Particle beam weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Aegis is great for:
- Fighting higher-level enemies.
- It has a huge fuel storage so you can fly more without needing to refuel.
- It has great weapons for shredding enemies.
- It has a good shield.
How to get Aegis:
To obtain this ship, you'll have to buy it from Deimos Staryard for 196,780 credits.
5. Silent Runner
Not for combat-related activities.
Are you looting everything you come across? Do you find yourself struggling because you're constantly having a full cargo hold? If you have those issues, grab yourself the Silent Runner. The specialty of this ship is that it has a 6,060 kg cargo hold. That's the best thing about it. You can also install a mod that shields your cargo hold.
Additionally, it has a hull that has 1,164 hit points and a 975 shield. It's quite the tank. It isn't great at fighting enemies. The best advice for piloting this ship is to avoid fighting as much as possible, looting everything from the planet, and selling it later to someone else. It's perfect for players who are more focused on exploration than dog fights.
Silent Runner stats:
- Class - C
- Hull - 1,164
- Shield - 975
- Gravity jump - 29LY
- Reactor - 34
- Cargo capacity - 6,060
- Mass - 2,463
- Crew capacity - 5
- Laser weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Ballistic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Missile weapon strength - 100
- Particle beam weapon strength - 38
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Silent Runner is great for:
- It's perfect for players who prioritize exploration.
- If you loot everything you come across.
- It has a massive cargo hold.
- It has a gigantic hull and shield which makes it a flying tank.
How to get Silent Runner:
Purchase the ship from Hopetech Astroneering for 370,633 credits.
4. Abyss Trekker
For trekking.
We are in the mid to late game. If you're the player who loves to fight other enemies constantly then get yourself the Abyss Trekker. It's slower than most ships on this list but the firepower and hit points make up for it. It's a force of nature in battle due to having excellent ballistic weapons.
Furthermore, you can have up to 6 crew members on this ship and they can make the ship even better with their skills. Additionally, the hull can take 1,031 hit points, and the shields 810 hit points. Sadly it only has a cargo capacity of 380 kg.
Abyss Trekker stats:
- Class - C
- Hull - 1,031
- Shield - 850
- Gravity jump - 25 LY
- Reactor - 27
- Cargo capacity - 340
- Mass - 1,282
- Crew capacity - 6
- Laser weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Ballistic weapon strength - 194
- Missile weapon strength - 96
- Particle beam weapon strength - 38
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Abyss Trekker is good for:
- Fighting enemies and putting up a fight.
- The ballistic weapons it has are perfect for taking down enemies.
- Easily escaping fights if you're outnumbered.
How to get Abyss Trekker:
This ship will cost you 347,230 credits and you can buy it from in Ship Services Technician in Paradiso.
3. Dragonfire II
The name doesn’t really fit this ship..
We are in late-game territory now. This ship excels in every category and can take on multiple high-level enemies at the same time. Controlling the ship feels like butter. It's that smooth and the design of the ship is quite sleek. Additionally, the ballistic weapons will take down anyone who stands in your way and they will be turned into space trash.
Additionally, the hull has 1,006 hit points and the shields have 850. Furthermore, it isn't expensive to obtain as it will cost you 259,847 credits. The best advice on piloting this ship is that you fight anyone that fights anyone that comes across you, and if you do end up being on low HP you can easily outmaneuver the enemies and run away.
Dragonfire II stats:
- Class - C
- Hull - 1,006
- Shield - 850
- Gravity jump - 26 LY
- Reactor - 27
- Cargo capacity - 2,790
- Mass - 1,960
- Crew capacity - 7
- Laser weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Ballistic weapon strength - 92
- Missile weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Particle beam weapon strength - 64
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Dragonfire II is great for:
- The late game as it completely demolishes enemies.
- It has great ballistic weapons for fighting.
- The hull and shields are massive and won't go down easily.
- It doesn't cost a lot of credits considering it's a late-game ship.
How to get Dragonfire II:
Purchase the ship on New Homestead on Titan for 259,847 credits.
2. Starborn Guardian
One of the coolest ships!
This is quite a unique ship which you will earn once you complete the game. It has a unique design that no other ship has and unique weapons. Furthermore, the ship gets stronger each time you finish the main quest line, and that stacks up to six times. The first time you get it it's still a great end game ship but the sixth time you get it you will be completely unstoppable.
The ship has great maneuverability and two unique weapons such as the solar flare and gravity torpedo that shred enemies. The downside to this ship is that it doesn't have a huge cargo hold and you can't upgrade it either. But it makes it up by being able to acquire the ship on every new game start.
Starborn Guardian stats:
- Class - A
- Hull - 649
- Shield - 630
- Gravity jump - 30
- Reactor - 22
- Cargo capacity - 950
- Mass - 348
- Crew capacity - 5
Starborn Guardian is great for:
- The ship gets stronger each time you finish the main questline up to six times in total.
- It has a great hull and shields.
- Two unique weapons that shred enemies.
- Great maneuverability and can easily escape from a bad situation.
How to get Starborn Guardian:
To obtain the ship just complete the main questline.
1. Narwhal
It even looks like one!
This is a flying fortress of a ship. The hull has a massive amount of 2,118 hit points and 995 hit points of shields. It is on the slower side when it comes to maneuverability and controlling this titan will give you the feeling like you’re in a tank.
Furthermore, it can support up to 7 crew members. Additionally, combat will be easy with this fortress as the automatic turrets will do everything but if they aren't cutting it the ballistics, missiles, and lasers will do the trick with the massive amount of damage they deal. It also has the strongest reactor core of any ship in the game.
Narwhal stats:
- Class - C
- Hull - 2,118
- Shield - 995
- Gravity jump - 30
- Reactor - 36
- Cargo capacity - 1,760
- Mass - 1,593
- Crew capacity - 7
- Laser weapon strength - 24
- Ballistic weapon strength - 114
- Missile weapon strength - 86
- Particle beam weapon strength - doesn’t have one
- Electromagnetic weapon strength - doesn’t have one
Narwhal is great for:
- This is amazing for players who don't want to be easily killed in battle.
- It's a walking fortress as it can take a ton of damage in battle.
- It has the strongest reactor core in the whole game.
- It can carry 7 crew members.
How to get Narwhal:
Purchase the ship on Neon from Ryujin Technologies for 432,620 credits.
