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Hoarding loot is a pastime of many a Bethesda RPG fan, and those playing Starfield will likely have collected way beyond their inventory space’s limit within their initial hours of adventure. Luckily, you have a spaceship cargo hold to dump much of your goods if you’re ever over-encumbered. Some might be tempted to store everything away except their spacesuit, gear, and weaponry. However, we believe there are at least 10 essential items in Starfield that you should always have with you wherever your voyage takes you.
10. Throwables: Grenades & Mines
Starting with essential combat items in Starfield, we have throwables, which include various mines and grenades. These come in handy, especially when you’re fighting enemies inside enclosed spaces such as mines or labs. Suppose you’re up against two or three Spacers hunkered down, or perhaps you want to avoid peeking an elite Pirate down a corridor. Chucking a grenade or two might save your skin thanks to their reliable AoE damage output. Placing down Mines is also useful to ensure any approaching melee-weapon wielders will be punished when attempting to flank or shank you from behind.
9. A Decent Melee Weapon
For the most part, it’s very hard to run out of ammunition in Starfield. Enemy corpses and lootable containers will contain so much ammo that you could buy a new spaceship with their collective value. However, if you’re dealing with bullet-sponge opponents on harder, or even normal, difficulty, a spare knife or axe might be your saving grace. Ideally, getting the best melee weapons, like the Wakizashi or The Last Priest, would ensure you always have a chance against the toughest of foes when you’re low on ammo. If not, a basic Rescue Axe is still better than attempting to throw hands during an intense gunfight.
8. Damage-Reducing Consumables (Alcohol)
While our first two essential items to always have in Starfield are focused on damage output, it’s just as important to ensure you keep yourself in one piece during combat. That said, having a sip of booze might sound counterintuitive to survival in a firefight, but alcohol might save your skin. Drinks like Codos Crater or Amber Ale provide solid damage resistance buffs that shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re like us and hoard loot, we recommend carrying the “juice box” alcohol drinks, as they weigh less but still offer decent damage reduction.
7. Terrabrew Coffee Variations (Orange)
One main drawback of drinking booze in space is receiving a debuff that reduces your O2 Recovery, aka your stamina regen. Fortunately, you can immediately neutralize this adverse effect with variations of Terrabrew Coffee, such as the Classic, Cortado, or Espresso. You can buy coffee from shops or find a bunch simply by exploring settlements occupied by Pirates or Spacers. Despite being so easy to obtain, we still recommend you always have this Aid consumable with you during your adventures in Starfield.
6. Tranquilitea Variations (Blue)
While not as easy to acquire as Terrabrew, Tranquilitea drinks provide a tiny yet effective 1% XP boost that accumulates over time. In Starfield, progressing your skills is always a goal you keep in mind, so even the slightest bit of passive help can become a massive benefit as time passes. We purchase our Tranquilitea in bulk from CJ’s in New Atlantis. If you’re into cooking, Alien Tea is very easy to make and provides a 2% XP buff. There’s also Shepherd’s Pie and Grandma’s Meatloaf, offering one to two hours of XP boost uptime, respectively. However, unlocking their recipes and gathering their ingredients is less accessible than a sip of Tranquilitea.
5. Treatment Consumables
When storing away your loot to relieve your over-encumbered shoulders in Starfield, never stash your Treatment consumables, as you’ll never know when you might need them. Whether you sprain your leg from a fall or get a bad cough from toxic spores, Treatment pouches like Anchored Immobilizers or Boosted Injectors are must-haves to remove adverse status effects. They can be purchased from vendors like Reliant Medical or found inside Med Kits scattered across the environment. Remember to always have a variety of these essential items in Starfield since each variation treats a different ailment.
4. Ship Parts
Serving as first aid for your space vessel, Ship Parts are essential for staying alive in space combat. You can store these heavy components inside your ship, but remember to always keep them in your inventory when you find or buy one, even if they’re a bit heavy. Of course, hauling around Ship Parts during exploration on foot is ineffective, defeating its purpose as an item you should always carry on your character. This viewpoint isn’t wrong, but since you’re spending a solid 40% to 60% of your playthrough in space, we believe Ship Parts deserves a spot on this list.
3. Cutter
Regardless of whether you’re running a melee or ranged build in Starfield, the Cutter is a weapon that should always be in your inventory. Even though it is a bit heavy, you’ll need it for mining resources or opening sealed doors. Harvesting materials, in particular, is especially important if you’re into crafting, researching, or outpost construction. From when you receive your first Cutter during the tutorial, it becomes an essential item that should never leave your spacesuit’s pockets in Starfield.
2. Digipicks
Even if you’re not playing as a rogue pirate or thief, Digipicks are beyond indispensable for finding valuables and accessing locked areas. If you’ve played Skyrim, you should be intemently familiar with why Lockpicks are consumables that every adventurer should have on their person at all times. Likewise, almost every location you visit in Starfield will have a safe, locked container, or inaccessible room or two that requires a Digipick to open. Of course, don’t forget to level your Security skill as well.
1. Med Packs
It goes without saying that Med Packs are the number-one essential item in Starfield that your character should always have. Regardless of your game’s difficulty, you will take damage. Receive enough over a period of time, and you will die. Miraculously weighing nothing, Med Packs are what will keep you exploring the stars instead of seeing yours burn out. They are quite pricey for those at the start of the game, so we recommend you avoid buying them and instead focus on looting every green Med Kit you see.
Related:
All Ship Modules & What They Do in Starfield
Keeping track of all your inventory items can be a hassle, but ensuring you always possess these 10 essential items will make your life in Starfield much easier. If you’re struggling to hold even these essentials with your hauls, consider putting a point or two into Weight Lifting.
