Level Guide
This route starts with a fresh Marty. Each band gives both the next build targets and the content mix that should earn the levels. If Marty is short of the next band, add another bounty, POI, survey stop, ship encounter, lock/computer sweep, or faction mission before spending points ahead of the route.
Important: Follow the opening picks in order unless play clearly demands otherwise. After Security 1, the next Security point is Security 2, once its challenge is ready. Treat level numbers as milestones, not a promise that one quest chain alone will supply all XP.
Levels 1-5 - Marty's opening
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bounty Hunter start Piloting 1, Targeting 1, Boost Pack 1 | Confirm the starting kit Treat ship control, targeting, and boost movement as Marty's native tools.This is the spine that makes him feel like a professional from minute one. | The background points Marty toward ship competence and mobile gunfights from the start. | Keep these background skills in mind before spending the first earned points. | |
| Security 1 First earned point | Pick locks naturally Open safes, lockers, side rooms, and quest-area containers instead of saving all digipicks for later. | All-content play wants locked routes open early. | Do not spend another point here until Security 2 is unlocked. | |
| Ballistics 1 Early combat | Use common ballistic weapons Let pistols, rifles, and shotguns carry the early combat while Marty learns enemy ranges. | Ballistic weapons are common and flexible, which suits a broad build. | Do not over-specialise until a favourite weapon family emerges. | |
| Wellness 1 Early durability | Build a larger health buffer Keep better spacesuits and aid on hand before Wanted ambushes and enemy bases. | Alien DNA and Wanted both reward extra durability. | A bigger health pool still needs reliable healing. | |
| Persuasion 1 Early social access | Talk before shooting when it fits Use dialogue checks in quests, faction work, and companion scenes. | Marty is an all-content character, so dialogue gates matter. | Save before important conversations if a failed check would annoy you. |
Marty now
Where he is
Combat
- Stay with broad ballistic weapons, use boost movement, and treat Wanted ambushes as live-fire tests.
Crafting & economy
- Sell excess loot, keep digipicks, and start noticing resources without hoarding everything.
Roleplay
- Marty begins as a competent bounty hunter, then learns how wide the Settled Systems really are.
Levels 6-10 - Mobility and survival
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boost Pack Training 2 Strong next pick | Run the early XP loop Continue the next Constellation objective, then clear one substantial hostile POI, bounty, or Ranger-board style combat job instead of fast travelling past every side stop.Use the pack while crossing terrain, entering fights, leaving bad angles, and reaching vertical routes. | The skill point improves the whole game, but the levels come from quest steps, combat, discovery, locks, terminals, scans, and location clears. | Make sure the rank challenge is complete before banking the point for it. Do not grind this band just to force level 10. | |
| Medicine 1 Alien DNA support | Make healing less fragile Use Med Packs and trauma aid in real fights rather than hoarding them forever. Pick one combat-heavy stop, such as a bounty, hostile POI, or pirate/spacer activity, to test the change. | Alien DNA makes reliable healing more valuable than usual. | Food is useful, but do not treat it as a full replacement for medical aid. | |
| Scavenging 1 Optional early utility | Loot with intent Take a mission board job or side activity, clear the location properly, open containers, take credits, and learn what is worth carrying. | It supports the user's desire to experiment with systems while giving Marty an XP-bearing reason to loot, fight, unlock, and return to sell. | Take this after survival and movement if combat still feels dangerous. | |
| Security 2 When challenge allows | Keep lockpicking in the loop Prioritise locked doors, safes, terminals, and side rooms while doing Constellation stops, board jobs, and POIs. | Security is one of the best all-content investments in Starfield. | Do not force it if the challenge is not done yet. If the challenge lags, run another interior location before spending the point elsewhere. | |
| First systems pass Ship, outpost, food | Touch the core systems Before or soon after level 10, modify the Frontier once, place one simple outpost, test several food and aid buffs, and complete one ship encounter, bounty, hostile POI, or survey job. | Marty should learn systems early, and these tasks add real XP and achievements instead of saving every system for a late-game chore list. | Do not spend heavily on perfect ships or outposts yet. If Marty is still level 8-9, start Freestar or UC rather than padding the opening. |
Opening the toolbelt
Where he is
- Keep following early Constellation content, but do not treat Constellation alone as the XP plan. A hostile POI, bounty or Ranger-board style job, or short survey/combat loop can add XP from discoveries, kills, ship fights, locks, scans, and mission turn-ins, but level 10 should not become a grind gate. If Marty is close, move into Freestar or UC and let Traveler unlock naturally.
Combat
- Boost Pack Training 2 is the big feel upgrade. Use it to break line of sight and take high ground during actual POI clears, not only while travelling.
Crafting & economy
- Food and aid testing belongs here: check PHYS, ENGY, and EM before and after a buff so Marty learns the numbers on his own gear.
Roleplay
- Wanted means he should spend consumables before trouble, not admire them from the cargo hold.
Levels 11-20 - Systems open up
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security 3 path Explorer utility | Push Security as challenges unlock Run interiors that actually contain locks and computers: faction openings, city jobs, abandoned facilities, pirate bases, and quest locations. | This is the phase where locked content stops being a novelty and becomes a normal part of exploration and XP collection. | Carry digipicks before remote POIs and faction missions. | |
| Piloting 2/3 path Ship ladder | Take ship fights when ready Accept space encounters, bounty targets, and faction travel that can produce ship combat. Use Targeting Control Systems, upgrade shields and weapons sensibly, and work toward better ship classes as challenges allow. | Marty's background and Taskmaster both make ships part of the identity, and ship fights are part of the XP diet rather than a separate minigame. | Do not rush into expensive shipbuilding before the economy can support it. | |
| Shield Systems 1 Future ship survival | Stabilise space combat Improve the ship's ability to survive mistakes while Marty learns better combat piloting. | A living captain gets to keep doing captain things. | Take it when ship fights start feeling common enough to justify the point. | |
| Research baseline Crafting | Use research and mod benches Start weapon, suit, and food or aid research that matches resources you are actually finding. Make one short resource run if a useful project is one material short. | Crafting should grow from play, and small resource runs give exploration XP without becoming a spreadsheet grind. | Track rare materials before selling them. | |
| Open the right faction doors Freestar first, UC close behind | Start the Ranger path Join the Freestar Rangers early and start UC Vanguard soon after, then complete real opening jobs instead of only collecting quest markers. | Freestar fits Marty's bounty-hunter identity and leads toward the Star Eagle, while UC gives strong combat work and a second institutional perspective. | Leave Ryujin and the Crimson Fleet/SysDef path as leads for later unless one of them is already pulling Marty hard. | |
| Companion foundation Social | Travel with one main companion Pick a main companion and take them through the faction openings, one Constellation step, and several POI or board-job clears. | Starcrossed is easier when relationship progress starts early, and companion travel needs actual quest mileage to matter. | Some crimes and faction decisions can annoy companions. |
From capable to connected
Where he is
- Marty should be known by Constellation, deputised by Freestar, and introduced to UC Vanguard work. By level 20, he should have done real opening jobs, not only accepted invitations.
Combat
- Keep ballistic weapons current, clear hostile POIs when travelling, and let ship combat happen often enough to feed Piloting progress.
Crafting & economy
Roleplay
- He is taking contracts, reading rooms, and deciding which institutions deserve his trust.
Levels 21-35 - Field captain
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballistics 2+ If still gun-led | Choose the Ranger work lane Push the Freestar Rangers several quests deep and let those fights decide whether Ballistics deserves more ranks. | Damage investment is best when it follows real play habits, and the Ranger line gives Marty grounded bounty-hunter work while moving him toward the Star Eagle. | If lasers, particle weapons, or melee become more fun, pivot later rather than forcing Ballistics forever. | |
| Freestar Rangers arc Star Eagle | Earn the Ranger ship Finish the Freestar Rangers arc early enough that the Star Eagle can carry Marty's middle game, then make it the working ship for bounties, hauling, crew, and travel. | The Star Eagle is a strong free Class A ship reward from The Hammer Falls, so it solves a lot of early ship pressure without demanding a huge credit sink. | Save before the final confrontation and judgement, then inspect the ship before spending heavily on custom builds. | |
| Wellness / Medicine Durability | Patch the Alien DNA downside Use higher-rank survivability when incoming damage or weak healing starts to bite during faction missions, Wanted ambushes, and higher-level POIs. | Marty's traits make defensive comfort a real part of the build. | Do not ignore armour, positioning, and aid just because the health bar is larger. | |
| Persuasion 2+ As checks justify it | Lean into dialogue routes Use persuasion in faction, city, and companion quests whenever it fits Marty. | A completionist character should see social solutions, not only firefights. | Save before important checks if you care about the outcome. | |
| Shipbuilder basics Taskmaster future | Build a practical working ship Upgrade cargo, weapons, shields, mobility, and crew space around Marty's actual missions, then use the ship for bounty travel, boarding chances, and resource hauling. | Ships should support bounties, hauling, crew, and survival, and the route needs space activity in the levelling mix. | Keep one simple ship you trust before chasing exotic designs. | |
| Outpost production Resources | Make one useful resource loop Set up extraction and storage for resources you actually need for research or crafting, then do one supply run or survey stop tied to that outpost. | Outposts become less abstract once they feed upgrades Marty wants, and they give the middle game a concrete reason to explore planets. | Keep it small enough that maintenance does not swallow the playthrough. | |
| Main quest midgame Constellation | Advance Constellation deliberately Move the main quest forward enough to unlock powers and major story beats, but do it between faction jobs, POI clears, ship fights, and surveys rather than as a single tunnel. | Powers, companions, and main quest structure give the rest of the route context, but Constellation alone is not the whole XP plan for this band. | Hard save before major story choices and emotional points. |
The captain takes shape
Where he is
- Marty should now have a home base, faction contacts, and ideally the Star Eagle as the ship that makes the middle game click. If he is below the band target, add another Ranger job, bounty, survey loop, or POI clear before moving on.
Combat
- Use Wanted ambushes, faction fights, and hostile POIs to test whether survivability, weapon damage, or mobility needs the next point.
Crafting & economy
- Start treating resource, mod, ship spending, and mission income as connected systems.
Roleplay
- He is not just taking jobs now. He is building the infrastructure that lets him choose which jobs matter.
Levels 36-50 - Settled Systems operator
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Vanguard arc Faction | Finish a major military arc Let Marty decide what public duty means when the Settled Systems need him. | UC content suits a capable bounty hunter learning how power operates at scale. | Hard save before the finale. | |
| Open secondary faction doors Fleet, Ryujin | Choose the next world Start Ryujin and the Crimson Fleet/SysDef path after Freestar and UC have given Marty a public identity, then choose which one deserves a full push first. | This keeps the run from becoming four faction queues at once while still opening the remaining achievement paths. | Companions may judge crimes and corporate choices sharply. | |
| Crimson Fleet / SysDef arc Faction | Run the dangerous double life Use stealth, persuasion, ship control, and combat judgement through the Fleet line.Safeguard: hard save before the final Fleet/SysDef choice; the ending branches and the whole arc's payout hangs on it. | This is perfect Marty material: risk, money, trust, and moral pressure. | Treat this as the secondary arc for the band if the double-agent story is pulling hardest. Otherwise, park it for 51-75 and do Ryujin first. | |
| Ryujin arc Faction | Practise corporate problem-solving Use persuasion, stealthy restraint when useful, and a low-body-count mindset if it suits the run.Safeguard: hard save before the Ryujin finale decisions. | It broadens Marty beyond combat contracts. | Treat this as the secondary arc for the band if the corporate route is pulling hardest. Otherwise, park it for 51-75 and do Fleet/SysDef first. | |
| Companion bond Relationship | Commit to one main companion Travel together through enough meaningful quests to reach maximum relationship. | Starcrossed is best handled naturally, not as a late grind. | Avoid avoidable crimes if your companion hates them. | |
| Level 50 audit Achievement check | Review the whole build Check skill ranks, unfinished faction arcs, ship goals, outposts, resources, magazines, and combat totals. | Level 50 is a natural point to stop drifting and choose the next long project. | Do not enter the late game with basic systems untouched. |
Faction season
Where he is
- Marty should now have the Star Eagle, a completed public-service arc, and one secondary faction arc either finished or clearly chosen. Do not force both Fleet and Ryujin here if the route needs breathing room.
Combat
- Upgrade weapons that match how you actually fight, and keep the ship strong enough for faction travel.
Roleplay
- This is where Marty decides what kind of professional he is when every employer wants a different answer.
Levels 51-75 - Surveyor and builder
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star-system survey Exploration | Visit widely Work through star systems in deliberate loops, landing when a planet, POI, resource, or mission is worth the stop. This band is also where the parked secondary faction arc (Fleet or Ryujin) gets finished if you deferred it. | The all-systems character should know the map, not only the quest hubs. | Track which systems are done before the final clean-up. | |
| Planet landing total Exploration | Land as you travel Turn surveys, resource runs, bounty jobs, and curiosity stops into steady progress. | This avoids making 100 planet landings feel like a late chore. | Do not let the checklist erase actual exploration. | |
| Organic and inorganic resources Gathering | Gather while doing real work Collect useful resources from planets and outposts while feeding research and crafting. | The resource achievements should ride along with build progression. | Sell bulk only when you know you do not need it. | |
| Cargo links Outposts | Connect useful outposts Build cargo links for outposts that actually support production or storage. | This teaches the logistics layer without demanding a giant spreadsheet empire. | Verify each link is functioning before counting it. | |
| Magazines and side jobs Cleanup | Read, work, and catalogue Read skill magazines as you find them, finish terminal or misc missions, and clear activities that fit Marty's travels. | These are broad-run achievements that reward curiosity. | Do not ignore magazines in named locations. | |
| Human and creature totals Combat | Let combat totals accrue naturally Bounties, POIs, faction missions, and exploration should supply most kills without dedicated grinding. | Marty is a bounty hunter, but not a mindless farming route. | If one total lags, pick locations and missions that naturally feed it. |
The long middle
Where he is
Combat
- Use combat totals as a health check for whether the build still feels good. If fights drag, upgrade damage or gear.
Crafting & economy
- Outposts, cargo links, and research should now feed each other. Keep it practical.
Roleplay
- This is the phase where Marty becomes a resident of the Settled Systems, not just a visitor.
Levels 76-100 - Endgame audit
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach level 100 Endgame | Finish high-value loops Use quest completion, exploration, combat, crafting, outpost work, and a final all-star-systems pass to keep levelling without exploit loops. | Level 100 and all-system travel are long-run achievements that prove Marty became an all-content character. | If levelling slows, rotate systems instead of grinding one stale activity. Track visited systems before the final audit. | |
| Main quest finale Unity prep | Finish Constellation on purpose Complete the remaining main quests up to the door of the Unity, collecting powers and Quantum Essence as desired. Stop before the final jump: the cleanup and return-point rows below happen in this universe. | The story finale belongs after Marty has enough life in this universe to make the choice matter. | Hard save before Unity. | |
| Ship and smuggling clean-up Systems | Finish ship-related achievements Collect ships, tune modules, and do a controlled contraband run with the right equipment. | Marty's captain identity should be fully earned before NG+. | Save before scans and contraband attempts. | |
| Advanced equipment Crafting | Finish high-end gear goals Use research, resources, schematics, and equipment upgrades to finish late crafting achievements. | The final Marty should understand both gear and the economy behind it. | Verify the exact current requirements before spending rare materials. | |
| Clean save audit Before Unity | Make the return point Create a named manual save with unfinished tasks noted before entering Unity or deep post-launch content. | A good completionist file protects choices, ships, outposts, and the player's patience. | Do not rely only on autosaves. |
Before the jump
Where he is
- Marty should feel like a complete character in one universe before deciding what comes next.
Combat
- Keep one confident ground loadout and one confident ship loadout.
Crafting & economy
- Spend resources to finish real goals, not because the cargo hold is full.
Roleplay
- Unity should feel like a choice, not a menu prompt you clicked too early.
Level 100+ - Unity and beyond
| Pick / target | Activity | Why now | Watch | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NG+ plan Universe choice | Choose what Marty carries forward Enter the Unity from the pre-Unity save when the old universe is truly done (One Giant Leap unlocks on the jump), then retrieve Marty's inventory in the new universe if pursuing Quantum Hoarder. | This keeps completionist control while still letting Starfield be strange. | Verify any NG+ achievement-specific requirements before committing. | |
| Shattered Space House Va'ruun | Enter Va'ruun'kai prepared Travel to Va'ruun'kai and work the Shattered Space questline in order: What Remains onward through The Promised, Broken; Zealous Overreach; The Other Side; Conflict in Conviction; Exhuming the Past; The Scaled Citadel; then the ending pair (Into the VOID and Battle of the Unifier). Bring a strong ground build and enough healing.Safeguard: hard save before major House Va'ruun decisions; Savior of the Promised needs the aid-the-people outcome, so verify the required choices against current sources before the finale. | This is the densest faction-themed expansion content and fits a high-level Marty well. | Hard save before major House Va'ruun decisions. | |
| Incursions and Delta Post-launch | Clear repeatable threats deliberately Clear incursions in stages (5, 15, then 30) and run Delta's story: fully upgrade her, then handle the Greater Than / Less Than outcomes. Also work through the Va'ruun'kai exploration and combat totals (50 locations, Vortex Horrors, Redeemed).Greater Than and Less Than are opposing outcomes of the same choice: hard save at the decision and take both from that save. | Marty's late build should be broad enough to handle new content without respec panic. | Confirm the latest content requirements before final clean-up. | |
| Action figures and Arbitrator Post-launch | Clean up new collection and bounty content Track action figures to the full set, show Sarah her figure for the related scene, and work the Arbitrator's bounty targets to ten kills. | These are exactly the kind of side systems Marty should eventually sample fully. | Use a checklist and verify locations against a current source. | |
| Final oddities Clean-up | Finish the strange achievements Finish the one-offs: eat the old woman's questionable food, use the magnet on Ivica's robot in New Babylon, answer the riddles without deaths, save Caruso from Bernhard, craft one of each Vortex Grenade type (Five of a Kind), build and hand an outpost to a faction (This for That), and do the Lost Luxury quest. Hard save before each; verify triggers against current notes. | The last achievements are often less about power and more about noticing the right situation. | Do not guess at missable one-off outcomes. Verify before committing. |
Keeping Marty alive as a character
Where he is
- After level 100, the guide becomes less about survival and more about choosing which universe and systems deserve more time.
Combat
- Use late content to test the build at full strength.
Crafting & economy
- High-level Marty should be able to fund, build, and repair the tools he uses.
Roleplay
- He is no longer proving he can survive. He is deciding what kind of legend he wants to leave behind.