4 top tips for Starfield ship combat

Starfield’s detailed and realistic setting extends to the furthest reaches of space, where law is hard to enforce. Fleets of hostile ships are looking to take advantage of the environment to get away with murder and robbery. Luckily, your ship has all the tools necessary to defend against armed antagonists or even flip the script on such pathetic pirates. Before you dive headfirst into battle, make sure to follow these handy tips. 

Movement is key

Space battles in Starfield work similarly to a flight sim, using realistic (6DOF) movement. This allows spaceships to move in more directions than you may be used to from some other space-themed games. Take your time to learn the basics of flight in areas without enemies before engaging in battle. 

Some of the best tricks to learn include managing speed to sneak up on enemies and evasion, which is best performed with either a barrel-roll-like maneuver or by arching forward and back. Some of these moves can be hard to practice without targets, so make sure to brush up on your skills whenever comets or non-threatening ships appear.

Take advantage of your systems

Each ship has specific strengths and weaknesses specific to stats like power, defense, speed and technology. Some of these traits are easy to recognize based on the ship’s appearance: it’s safe to assume that a large vessel has a higher-than-average defense but less speed. But other traits are harder to observe from a distance.

Different systems available on the lower left-hand corner of the ship UI can be charged up at any time to tactfully switch your approach. Assigning points to the right system can change the outcome of a fight quickly, but only if you’re proficient with all the functions of the ship. 

You can overcome weaknesses by practicing on smaller enemies or investing in ship parts that take advantage of your play style. 

Escape is always an option

One of the most useful systems is the Grav Drive, which allows ships to travel across different planetary systems at light speed. On the surface, this seems like it has no place in a fight, but it’s a great way to flee from a tough matchup.

It’s easy to see how much damage your ship is obtaining as explosions occur within different rooms. Sometimes, it’s best to power up the Grav Drive, select a destination, and hope that no other enemies are present at your destination. If the area is safe, and you have enough repair parts, then this is a great opportunity to mend damage before other enemies get the chance to sneak up on you. 

Target the engine

Skills are also a very useful way of maintaining the edge in combat. Investing skill points in the tech sector is most efficient for ship functions and combat. One of the first skills you can unlock in the tech tree is ‘Targeting Control Systems,’ a precision aiming tool that allows each ship quarter to be targeted separately. This works similarly to the VATS system of Bethesda’s previous Fallout titles. 

Each part of the ship reacts differently to damage, but disabling the engine gives the best results. The problem is that the engine is hard to target directly as weapons and shields protect this vulnerable area. If you’re having trouble attacking the engine, it might be best to take out any weapons first to stop yourself from getting damaged, though it may give the enemy time to escape

The engine powers every other ship function, so taking this out will incapacitate the spacecraft without causing harm to the exterior. From there, you can choose to board an enemy ship for the chance to obtain a new vehicle or easily destroy it and everyone inside.