Space battles in Starfield start out as simple fights with one or two enemy ships at a time. But the further you get, both in the story and physically through outer space, the tougher the enemies get. It’s important to upgrade your ship’s systems from time to time. That can mean buying a whole new ship, or simply upgrading a few select parts.
Not to diminish the importance of other ship systems, but shields are absolutely vital for surviving difficult encounters. This list will detail the very best shield generators available, ranked primarily by shield strength, recharge speed, and mass.
Updated on October 24th, 2023, by Aaron Krull: We’ve updated this article to better connect with useful and relevant guides on the site.
10 60S Protector Shield Generator
Class A shield generators have relatively low maximum shield health, but they don’t need much power to fully charge. They also have exceptional regeneration rates, which can make them very appealing for hit-and-run tactics. Don’t let the bulky appearance of the 60S Protector fool you; this shield generator is ultra lightweight.
- Class A
- Max Power: 8
- Shield Max Health: 810
- Regen Rate: 10%
- Mass: 45
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
9 Osiris 2040-B Shield Generator
The Osiris series blends into just about any hull surface, making these some of the best-looking of any shield generators. Being Class B also gives them a solid balance between max shield health and regen rate. While they usually take more power, the Osiris 2040-B’s power usage is actually on par with Class A generators.
- Class B
- Max Power: 8
- Shield Max Health: 995
- Regen Rate: 7%
- Mass: 75
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
8 Deflector SG-60 Shield Generator
Some shield generators have to be placed on an exterior side of another ship part, such as the shield that your first free ship starts out with. This doesn’t necessarily make them any better in terms of capabilities. But, the Deflector SG-60 is arguably the best ship shield for any Class A vessel in the game, more because of its outstanding max health and regen rate rather than its appearance.
- Class A
- Max Power: 9
- Shield Max Health: 860
- Regen Rate: 10%
- Mass: 48
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Attached to the side of other ship parts
7 44T Defender Shield Generator
The Defender series shield generators may not look as nice as some others, but they certainly put up some powerful shields. They’re also much lighter than they appear. If your power supply is limited, this is one of the best shields for Class B ships. Only two better options exist, and they both require more power to fully charge their shields.
- Class B
- Max Power: 9
- Shield Max Health: 1035
- Regen Rate: 7%
- Mass: 69
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Attached to the side of other ship parts
6 Fortress A3 Shield Generator
Only Class C ships are powerful enough to make use of the top-tier shield generators. These are extremely heavy and generally recharge significantly slower than the smaller, lighter shield generators. But, their shield max health can take so much damage that regenerating during combat isn’t usually necessary in the first place.
- Class C
- Max Power: 11
- Shield Max Health: 1215
- Regen Rate: 5%
- Mass: 122
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
5 104D Guardian Shield Generator
The best ship shield that can be placed on the outer sides is easily the 104D Guardian. Its shield max health is enormous when fully charged. Unfortunately, it does take 12 power to reach max strength. There are several kinds of shield generators that require just as much power, and yet give far more in return.
- Class C
- Max Power: 12
- Shield Max Health: 1350
- Regen Rate: 5%
- Mass: 129
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Attached to the side of other ship parts
4 Odin 3050-C Shield Generator
One of the coolest shield generators in appearance, the Odin 3050-C is exceptionally useful as well. The max health of its shield is a bit lower than other Class C shields, but it also weighs less and requires fewer power pips to charge fully. This is one of the best shields for players wanting a Class C ship that weighs as little as possible.
- Class C
- Max Power: 11
- Shield Max Health: 1315
- Regen Rate: 5%
- Mass: 116
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
3 Warden SG-400 Shield Generator
The design of this shield generator blends in exceptionally well with other hull surfaces, since it’s not very tall or bulky. But, while the Warden SG-400 has a much lower shield max health than Class C generators, its regen rate outclasses the vast majority of those. If not for one other, very special generator, this would be the best shield for Class B ships in the game.
- Class B
- Max Power: 10
- Shield Max Health: 1125
- Regen Rate: 7%
- Mass: 71
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
2 Assurance SG-1800 Shield Generator
Similar to its Class B equivalent, the Assurance SG-1800 provides the absolute strongest shield in the Settled Systems. Its shield max health is so high, this thing actually regenerates more hit points than most generators that have even higher regen rates. If pure shield power is the most important concern when building your spaceship, then this is simply the best shield for you.
- Class C
- Max Power: 12
- Shield Max Health: 1600
- Regen Rate: 5%
- Mass: 160
- Starship Design Rank 4
- Placed on top of other ship parts
1 Vanguard Bulwark Shield Generator
Availability is always a factor when considering the best ship parts in Starfield. All the most powerful shield generators in the game require Starship Design Rank 4 just to purchase. However, if you simply join the UC Vanguard instead, they can set you up with some ridiculously impressive gear much earlier.
The Vanguard Bulwark is actually Starfield’s best ship shield generator due to its stats rather than when it becomes available. Its max health is only 150 points away from the strongest shield in the game, and its regen rate returns even more hit points.
- Class B
- Max Power: 12
- Shield Max Health: 1450
- Regen Rate: 6%
- Mass: 70
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No Starship Design Skill is required; players must instead complete all
Vanguard introductory missions - Placed on top of other ship parts