Arguably, the most important part of any ship’s design in Starfield is the Reactor, with the best ones granting a balanced spread of power to all of a vessel’s systems. Various important pieces are available for the three different ship classes you might obtain during your adventures. Ranging from your crew size to your ship’s overall defenses, your Reactor could determine success or failure in the deeper regions of space.
Reactors are responsible for a ship’s Power Generation, Crew Capacity, and Hull systems in Starfield. The first stat regulates how much power goes into other subsections, such as your engines, weapons, and even your grav drive as you travel to new planets. The Crew Capacity lets you know how many crew members you can have on a ship, while the Hull shows you how many points of defense the vessel can take before being destroyed.
Some Reactors cannot be used in a custom ship design if you do not have a high enough Piloting or Starship Design skill rank. Some of the best backgrounds in Starfield give you free Ranks for both of these attributes when you make your character.
5 360T Stellarator (A-Class)
A-Class Reactors like the 360T Stellarator mostly work on smaller ships with less power generation or Hull values but are far lighter. This particular generator can be excellent for early missions, providing above-average stats for the vessels you can access at the start of your journey in Starfield. In addition, this Reactor doesn’t require your character to have a Skill Rank to use the part.
The 20 Power of the Stellarator marks it as one of the highest generating Reactors in the first parts of Starfield, along with a repair rate that outshines many other versions of this part. Although it does cost more once your character reaches level 14, you should find plenty of side quests to earn enough Credits. The low Mass allows you to find more ship parts from Ship Technicians to start building your own custom ship.
4 104DS Mag Inertial (B-Class)
Medium-sized ships are typically labeled as B-Class, with Reactors that match durable Hulls and slightly upgraded Crew Capacity, as seen on the 104DS Mag Inertial. Sporting a high 39 Power that will support many different ship archetypes, this generator also has strong defenses with a 1,125 Hull value. The only downside to this part comes from a relatively small crew size compared to other B-Class models in Starfield.
This Reactor arrives later in the game when your character reaches around level 60 in Starfield, making this a part that only becomes relevant briefly. Your character must also have a Starship Design Rank 4 and Piloting Rank 3 to operate the Inertial Reactor. Despite both disadvantages, this part is flexible due to its balanced stats, making it useful in almost any customization process.
3 Fusor DC401 (C-Class)
The first C-Class Reactor here is the Fusor DC401, a part built mainly for the largest ships in Starfield that naturally have a much higher Crew Capacity. A strong 29 Power matches a decent 755 Hull with 3 Crew available, creating an even distribution of stats that will suit many vessels you might use. While it does take a Piloting Rank 4 to operate, this Reactor is a jack-of-all-trades that shouldn’t be ignored for its low cost.
One thing to remember when using the Fusor comes from its 1x1x2 model size, making it slightly awkward to fit into a custom ship design. Many Reactors are installed conveniently in the center areas of a ship, but this one may have to be placed elsewhere in Starfield. You will have to determine whether the above-average balance of stats is worth dictating the shape of your finished ship to include this part in Starfield.
2 Z-Machine 2020 (B-Class)
The Z-Machine 2020 has the highest defense out of any Reactor in Starfield, with a massive 1,100 Hull score that makes your ship able to withstand a barrage of enemy fire in the depths of space. While the 16 Power can be lackluster compared to other B-Class Reactors, no other part comes close to this level of protection. You need to be only level 24 to purchase this model, but your Piloting and Starship Design must be Rank 4.
This version of the Z-Machine Reactor can be so strong because it lets your ship stay fast without sacrificing health. C-Class ships and their Reactors typically have the highest overall stats, but they often achieve those scores by becoming less mobile. Piloting a B-Class ship with the durability of a larger vessel can lead to some truly inspired designs that can adapt better to different situations.
1 Pinch 8Z (C-Class)
The best Reactor in Starfield is the Pinch 8Z, which costs the most and requires Piloting and Starship Design to be Rank 4. Despite both of these obstacles, there’s no denying that the ridiculous 40 Power gives you a part that constantly activates all of your ship’s systems without having to reallocate anything. Fights in space are made trivial since you can continuously fire your weapons without worrying about energy generation.
Like many C-Class Reactors, the 1,350 Hull should be noticed, giving your ship a powerful defense on top of the already deadly offensive benefits. While most Reactors are fragile, this one has 129 Health to make it resilient even when targeted by enemy ships. Even though your character must be level 60 to operate the Pinch, you could easily use this part exclusively throughout the final missions of Starfield.
The best Reactors for ships in Starfield are the ones that can regulate every aspect of a vessel’s core systems with minimal drawbacks as you venture across the stars in your interstellar adventures.
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Starfield
- Platform(s):
- PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Released:
- 2023-09-06
- Developer(s):
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s):
- Bethesda Softworks
- Genre(s):
- Open-World, RPG, Sci-Fi
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield – the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.
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