Skip To...
If you pick the best early-game weapons in Starfield, you’ll have much less trouble fighting space pirates or anyone shooting your precious crew members. There are valuable early weapons in the game that you might hold onto till the end of your Starfield journey. However, some of these high-tier guns are not so convenient to discover, at least if you don’t know where to find them. In this guide, we’ll be showing you the 5 best early-game guns to find in Starfield.
5. Maelstorm
The Maelstrom is a pretty standard weapon you can find within the game. Once you start your first fight on Argos, you’ll face pirates attacking the mining crew. Kill them, and don’t forget to loot all the soldiers to find this rifle.
The Maelstorm uses the 6.5mm ammo, which is easily found anywhere you go. Most of your enemies carry this common type of ammo, and you can buy more at stores in each settlement. But remember, there are various versions of this rifle, and it’s better to have the modified versions. Look for a version of this with a long barrel and armor piercing rounds to really have an advantage.
4. Old Earth Hunting Rifle
A suppressed sniper rifle that consumes common ammo; what else could you ask the galaxy for? The VSS, known as the Old Earth Hunting Rifle, is one of the best early-game weapons in Starfield. This rifle’s ability is not just having a scope for better aim, but it saves a ton of ammo. With this rifle, you can shoot semi-auto shots, making it great for stealth focused builds.
Now, to get this rifle, you don’t need to complete any quests or put in extra hours doing what NPCs ask you to do. All you need to do is head to New Atlantis and use the NAT to reach the Residential District. Once there, turn left, and you’ll find the Centaurian Arsenal right before you. Anya Griffon is in this shop, waiting for your service.
3. Elegance
The Elegance is the absolute sidearm to have in Starfield. This pistol has many mods and a silencer attachment. The main power of it is that you can break into any armor with its high caliber ammunition. A few shots of this pistol to armored enemies and wildlife puts a hurting on them quickly.
You can purchase Elegance in Akila City, located in the Cheyenne system. Once there, walk past through the main gate, and you’ll spot Rowland Arms weapons shop on your left. This vendor holds this powerful pistol and sells it for 18K credits; it’s worth it.
2. Peacekeeper – Ground Pounder Starfield Mission
You can buy the previously mentioned weapons for some credits easily from various stores. However, there’s a specific mission that you have to accomplish to gain the Peacekeeper. This rifle packs a punch for one-shot headshots, and most importantly, it uses 11mm ammo, commonly found in some spacers’ pockets and stores.
You must complete the Ground Pounder side mission to gain the Peacekeeper rifle in Starfield. This quest is found on the Altair solar system, west of Narion. Once in the system, go to the Altair II planet, and you’ll receive comms from the residents requesting help.
Remember, you can access this mission when you unlock the Altair system. And then unlock the Peacekeeper as one of the best early-game weapons in Starfield for completing the assignment. This mission requires you to kill many enemy targets, including some dogfights in space.
The Ground Pounder mission is straightforward but time-consuming to complete, and once you’ve killed all the spacers in five phases, you’ll receive the Peacekeeper rifle from Captain Myeong as your reward.
1. N67 Smartgun
Not satisfied with all the power that comes with the weapons you’ve acquired so far? There’s only one answer to that hunger: The Mini-Gun! The fully automatic Mini-Gun is a top pick in many shooter games, and Starfield developers have brought this bad boy to space.
The N67 Smartgun is the name; you’ll find it as a purchasable weapon on New Atlantis. Head for the Commercial District on the Jemison planet, and then look for the UC Vanguard building in front of you. Enter, and the vendor inside will take care of the business. You can also join the UC Vanguard, and their opening mission will take you to a planet where you can pick this gun up for free.
Now, you should note that purchasing Mini-Gun here costs 38K credits, which is a bit much. This is undoubtedly one of the best early-game weapons in Starfield to get, and you can gain the money to buy it by selling ships and contraband packages.
Related:
Starfield Surveying Planets Guide
Starfield is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
