Starfield: 10 Best Weapon Types, Ranked

Bethesda’s Starfield is an RPG of incredibly epic proportions. To put it to scale, consider that the number of explorable planets in Starfield outnumbers the number of weapons found in your average RPG.

The sheer scale of Starfield can be overwhelming, but after a few hours in-game, you’ll start to notice patterns that make the game feel a bit more approachable. One of these patterns is the weapon types that you will find while scavenging the stars for loot. Understanding which weapon types are the best will help you secure the best weapons in Starfield and maximize the potential of your weapons inventory.

Electromagnetic Rifle

The Electromagnetic weapon type is a pacifist’s best friend. Unlike the rest of the weapons in Starfield, EM rifles discharge electromagnetic pulses that stun enemies rather than kill them.

While there is value in sparing the lives of innocent spacers and committing to a life of pacifism, electromagnetic rifles are relatively difficult to find and still take time to put an enemy down. These two things combined make it hard for players to commit to extended stints of pacifism until they track down a reliable Novablast Disruptor or throw credits at the DRONE stand on Neon.

Particle Beam Pistol

Particle Beam weapons are unique for their ability to deal two different types of damage. Each shot from a Particle Beam Pistol like the Va’Ruun Starshard does both physical damage and energy damage.

The combined damage types make these weapons worthy of note, but their rarity makes them hard to rely on as you will often find yourself running low on ammo. Particle Beam Pistols are also weak when compared to the other Particle Beam weapons, with the most common option being the Novalight which loses its viability the second you encounter a foe higher than level 10.

Particle Beam Shotgun

Particle Beam Shotguns are incredibly rare, but the combination of energy damage and physical damage make them a potent option in close quarter combat. If you ever find yourself aboard an enemy ship without knowledge of the crew’s level, a Particle Beam Shotgun like the Big Bang is one of the most reliable weapons to fall back on.

Thanks to its high energy damage output, there is less of a chance that you’ll be caught off guard when you open the cockpit and find a level 30 enemy with three bars of armor waiting for you.

Ballistic Shotgun

When it comes to optimizing your damage output in Starfield, a shotgun might seem like a good choice. Ballistic shotguns are a particularly reliable option for players that find themselves fighting through the tight confines of a spaceship or underground bunker.

However, their high mass and lack of versatility make them a hard sell in a game where inventory management is such a fundamental part of your gameplay experience. When you consider the versatility of a rifle or the low mass of a melee weapon, the Shotgun loses out every time.

Laser Rifle

If you are looking for a reliable and versatile weapon in Starfield, the rifle weapon class is the way to go. Laser rifles offer up some of the most consistent damage output in the game thanks to their lack of damage fall-off at range and an above average fire rate.

On top of being useful at pretty much any range, laser rifles are extremely common in Starfield, meaning you won’t have to struggle to find ammo or upgraded versions of your favorite gun. The only downside of carrying a Laser Rifle is its low physical damage stats, making it difficult to kill with compared to the other rifle types

Heavy Weapons

The Cutter might not seem like a viable weapon when you start your Starfield adventure, but the more you play, the more you’ll learn to appreciate a weapon with infinite ammo and consistent damage output.

Beyond the Cutter, the heavy weapon class is filled with a variety of weapons with high damage and high mass. The sheer variety of weapons that fall under this umbrella make it a difficult weapon type to rank, but it’s hard to look past the N67 Smartgun or the Reckless Bombardment when having a discussion of the best guns in Starfield.

Melee Weapons

The melee weapon class is easily the most underrated weapon type in Starfield. The close range killing machines will do an incredible amount of damage without forcing you to rely on your FPS skills.

With the large hit boxes and impressive damage output of melee weapons like the Wakazashi, Starfield’s open world can feel like a playground for players willing to put their body on the line and chase down their foes. Just make sure you are stocked with a few dozen medpacks until you get your melee skill tree maxed out.

Particle Beam Rifle

When the versatility of a rifle meets the versatility of a particle beam weapon, you will find yourself with a weapon that is viable in any scenario. The first particle beam rifle most players will track down is the Va’Ruun Inflictor.

With a total damage output of 151, relatively low fall-off damage at range, and high fire rate, the Inflictor makes a good case for Particle Beam Rifles all on its own. The rare version of the Inflictor, Eternity’s Gate, is even considered to be one of the best guns in the game.

Ballistic Pistol

If you are looking for a weapon that can take out your foes quickly and quietly, the ballistic pistol weapon type is the best place to look. Unlike the rifle class, which is full of weapons that make up for their lack of firepower with a high fire-rate, the pistol class is made up of weapons that deal high damage with every shot.

All you need to do is add a suppressor and you’ll have a weapon that can stealth wipe an entire room of spacers without giving up your position. A modified Razorback, Urban Eagle, or Magshot will each be able to take down your foes quickly without taking up too much space in your weapons inventory.

Ballistic Rifle

There is no shortage of ballistic rifles in Starfield. From the ever present Maelstrom to the heavy hitting Magpulse, you will almost always have at least one rifle in your inventory.

The majority of rifles that pass through your weapons inventory will be little more than salvaged credits, but every so often you’ll stumble upon a modified AA-99 that is able to keep enemies ducking behind cover from range until you close the distance and put a few dozen rounds into them to finish them off.