Ships are probably the most expensive thing that you’re gonna come across in Starfield and they’re also hard to find. Making credits in Starfield is not that hard but it can be pretty overwhelming for newer Starfield players. 

But did you know that there are ships which you can get for free? Of course, some of them require extra effort, perhaps you’ll need to spend a little bit of time, doing quests here and there but besides that, you won’t have to worry about enormous payments. Well, without further ado, let’s begin with the first ship:

5. Frontier

First love!

The Frontier is the first ship that you’re rewarded with by Barrett, after winning a gunfight against the Crimson Fleet. Long story short, Lin, one of your supervisors, told you to examine a floating piece of metal deep in the mines, once you’ve approached it, you lost consciousness and heard plenty of sounds. The first day at the job is always hard, they say…

The ship itself is pretty crappy but it’s better than being stuck on a planet, talking to the soulless NPCs. It can handle combat encounters but it performs poorly against high-level enemies. Mediocre weaponry and poor shields make it an easy target to destroy but the Frontier still should not be underestimated.

Frontier’s Strengths:

• Decent ship for a starter in Starfield
• Equipped with lasers, particle weapons, and missiles
• The ship has a weird way of motivating you to get a better ship…

Stats:

• Fuel 50
• Hull 366
• Cargo 450
• Power 14
• Crew 2
• Jump Range 16 LY
• Shield 310

How to get this ship:

You get it at the start of the game, from doing the main questline.

4. Wanderwell

Daddy’s car.

Your parents love you and they’ve been showering you with gifts ever since you were a little toddler. Many years later, you’re a grown-up toddler and they decided to give you the Wanderwell, which is a better pick-up than that piece of crap Frontier. 

The shields are improved, and the cargo is also capable of holding more items most importantly… this ship is for free. You just gotta hear their moaning for a little bit of time.

The good things about the Wanderwell:

• A pretty cozy-looking ship, with a cool interior design
• It requires very little of you to unlock this ship, the quest behind it is very simple
• Armed with ballistic/EM weapons, your parents made sure you would go out fighting!

Stats:

• Fuel 200
• Hull 502
• Cargo 800
• Power 20
• Crew 2
• Jump Range 27 LY
• Shield 455

How to get this ship:

• Pick the “Kid Stuff” trait
• Do the quest with your parents

3. Razorleaf

Seen this ship way too many times.

The Razorleaf is a step up from the Frontier in terms of weaponry and maneuverability but you gotta be careful, as it’s not exactly the most durable ship out there. It has a better gravity jump which allows you to travel further distances. 

It’s a pretty basic ship but everything is better than the Frontier… Furthermore, it’s more spacious and better-looking!

Razorleaf’s pros:

• Better weapon systems that allow you to defend yourself during combat
• The 30 LY gravity jump enables you to travel to further locations
• The quest is not that hard or long to complete

Stats:

• Fuel 140 
• Hull 469 
• Cargo 420 (160 shielded) 
• Crew 2 
• Jump Range 16 LY 
• Shield 390

How to get this ship:

Kill a random Spacer and find a data slate on him that says “Secret Outpost”, then slowly start going down the quest chain until you discover the lair of the Mantis. 

2. Star Eagle

Eagle of stars.

We are slowly going from crappy to mediocre ships and Star Eagle gets the job… done. It’s heavier and less maneuverable but it has a decent cargo hold and respectable weapon systems that can cause serious damage to anyone that tries to approach you. 

It’s also equipped with a shield that absorbs 760 damage points and a crew of 5 people, which is impressive for a ship that you can get pretty early.

Why Star Eagle is decent:

• the Infiltrator SC-02 Missile Launcher (x2) deals devastating amounts of damage once you successfully lock-in
• The cargo can hold 2280 mass, it’s a pretty good ship for first-time haulers
• Cool interior design once you get this ship

Stats:

• Fuel 140
• Hull 948
• Cargo 2280
• Power 29
• Crew 5
• Jump Range 16 LY
• Shield 760

How to get this ship:

Finish “The Hammer Falls” questline

1. Kepler R

My favorite <3

The Kepler R is one of the more difficult ships to get, as it requires you to pick the right dialogue options to get it. You have to be VERY careful while getting this ship as you can either pay large sums of credits for it or degrade it to a Kepler S, which is a crappy version of Kepler R.

The ship is meant for transportation and long-distance travel but it can also defend itself against Spacers and other imbeciles.

What’s amazing about the Kepler R:

• The ship has huge amounts of fuel, which helps you get from system to system
• Decent cargo hold for a ship that’s free
• Has a crew of 6 people which improves your ship in all aspects

Stats:

• Fuel 2800
• Hull 999
• Cargo 3550
• Power 24
• Crew 6
• Jump Range 28 LY
• Shield 805

How to get this ship:

• Start the “Overdesigned” side mission after completing “All That Money Can Buy”
• Find the Stroud-Euklund Staryard after arriving in the Narion System
• Speak to Jules Degante
• Select the “We can build whatever we want with a larger budget. Let's go with the "kitchen sink" proposal.” dialogue option
• Select the “The only fair thing to do is to make everyone give up one compromise.” dialogue option
• Go back to Walter to claim your ship

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