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From Aurora and firearms to stolen goods, Starfield has plenty of illicit cargo that needs transporting. It takes a special kind of criminal to move those goods without getting caught or killed. That’s where the smuggler comes in. Thankfully, Bethesda has given players a lot of options for theorycrafting the perfect build. Whether you prefer to focus on piloting skills or close-range combat against the authorities, there’s a skillset to fit you. In many ways, the smuggler is more complex than the average build, with a lot of angles to cover. Here’s everything you need to know about putting together the best smuggler build in Starfield.
Smuggler Build Playstyle
Starfield is packed with great content, and one of the most satisfying activities is smuggling. Stuffing your ship’s storage bay with contraband, sneaking your cargo past the authorities, and shooting your way out if things go sideways is tough. You’ll need a diverse skill set, but above all else, you’ll need to adapt to ever-changing situations. Careful planning goes a long way. Plan your routes and know how much of a law enforcement presence you’ll be dealing with. If all else feels, fall back on your ship and your guns to get you out.
Grav Dash, Creators’ Peace, and Anti-Gravity Field are some of the best Powers for smugglers to use. Grav Dash has offensive and defensive utility, allowing the smuggler to either close the distance on their enemies or beat a hasty retreat. Creators’ Peace saves the smuggler in some sticky situations by pacifying hostile enemies, giving the player a moment to think out their next move without getting shot at. When all else fails, Anti-Gravity Field leaves its targets floating helplessly while the smuggler unloads with their shotgun.
Background
The Gangster is perhaps the best Background for the best smuggler build. Its main appeal is Shotgun Certification. Like space pirates, smugglers often find themselves having shootouts in the cramped interiors of spaceships. The shotgun is an ideal weapon for these claustrophobic firefights. Theft is also a natural fit. Smugglers may not always be thieves, but theft and smuggling go hand-in-hand. Boxing is a bit of a wildcard and won’t be to every player’s taste, but it doesn’t hurt in an emergency.
Space Scoundrel and Long Hauler are excellent alternative Backgrounds if the player doesn’t want to go the Gangster route. The former Background offers a similar balance of combat and utility skills. Long Hauler, meanwhile, shifts the focus from the player to their ship. It’s largely a matter of taste whether the character or their ship should be the smuggler’s focus. These diverse Backgrounds you great options regardless of your preferences.
Skills
The best smuggler build focuses on ship skills but doesn’t neglect the character’s ground combat abilities. Smuggling is more complicated than simply bringing something from Point A to Point B, and the diversity of this skill list reflects that. Here are the most important skills for a smuggler:
- Commerce (Social)
- Deception (Social)
- Shotgun Certification (Combat)
- Astrodynamics (Science)
- Piloting (Tech)
- Payloads (Tech)
- Engine Systems (Tech)
- Shield Systems (Tech)
- Starship Engineering (Tech)
- Targeting Control Systems (Tech)
These skills increase the player’s profits, reduce the likelihood of their contraband being discovered during searches, and make your ship much harder to take down. Increased speed and better shields are great, but the ability to haul more cargo is even better. After all, a smuggler is only worth as much as they can haul. With several points in Payloads, that’s quite a bit indeed.
Best Traits
Spaced, Taskmaster, and Neon Street Rat all work great for the best smuggler build. Spaced increases the player’s health and oxygen in space. Given how much time the player will spend between the stars, that’s a good deal. Taskmaster, meanwhile, doubles the cost of hiring crewmembers but causes damaged ship systems to occasionally repair themselves. The smuggler’s spaceship is their most precious possession, so anything that keeps it in good health is a must.
Neon Street Rat is mostly for roleplay purposes. Players who get deep enough into the story to understand what Neon is all about will appreciate having this Trait for their smuggler. In addition to some solid roleplay options, Neon Street Rat also increases the rewards for missions on Neon. Smugglers never complain about bigger profits, making this Trait’s downside well worth it.
Best Smuggler Build Weapons
Since this build uses the Shotgun Certification skill, it’s going to need a good shotgun. There are a few good options, even early in the game, but the Shotty is one of the best. What it sacrifices in Physical Damage it makes up for with its incredible Fire Rate. Even tanky enemies don’t last long in the face of a semi-automatic shotgun. If you can find a Skip Shot variation, even better: every fourth shot will fire two projectiles at once, increasing this weapon’s already high DPS even further. Late-game shotguns are great, but the Shotty will hold up just fine, especially with mods, so there’s no real need to ditch it unless you feel like it.
Starfield is available now for PC, and
