Starfield: Best Crew Members Ranked

In Starfield, you can recruit companions and other NPCs to become members of your starship crew. Typically, all five main companions (Andreja, Barrett, etc.) are very good additions due to their rich skill sets. If you don’t want to keep one of them by your side, you can always assign them to your ship squad or outpost posse. But there are many other NPCs that can be added to this lineup. Our guide ranks the best crew members in Starfield.

Best Crew Members in Starfield, Ranked

Here’s a quick glance at the best crew members in Starfield. Click the links to jump down to each character, why we think they’re worth recruiting, and how to get them to join you. The last link takes you to some tips for assembling the best crew in the game.

• Andromeda Kepler
• Rafael Aguerro
• Heller
• Omari Hassan
• Supervisor Lin
• How to Assemble the Best Crew (Ship & Outpost)

Andromeda Kepler

Andromeda is a universal crew member who can be very useful on both your starships and in your outposts. If you assign her to your ship, her Aneutronic Fusion skill will come in very handy, as it can maximize the ship’s energy output by up to one extra unit. She’s also a very good early pilot who can use thrusters with the help of her Piloting skill. But I’d recruit her specifically for her Outpost Engineering (Rank 2) ability, which allows her to research and construct superior modules.

• How to recruit Andromeda Kepler: You can hire Andromeda at the Broken Spear Bar on Cydonia, Mars, for 15,000 Credits. If you pass the Persuasion check, her price will be reduced to 7,500 Credits.

Related: Starfield Ship Combat Guide

Rafael Aguerro

Rafael would be an excellent addition to Andromeda’s skill set, as you can benefit from his Outpost Engineering and Outpost Management skills at the early stages of constructing your outpost and placing cargo links. On the other hand, I’d assign him straight to your starship, as that’s where his Starship Engineering (Rank 2) ability will be of the most benefit. It will effectively increase your ship’s damage mitigation by 25%.

• How to recruit Rafael Aguerro:
  1. Complete the “Entangled” mission at the Nishima Research Station, Freya III.
  2. Choose to save Rafael at the end of this mission.
  3. Travel to Viewport on New Atlantis, Jemison, and hire him for free.

Heller

All Starfield players need to mine for surface minerals, and that’s where Heller’s Geology skill becomes very important. It grants you a slight bonus on all of your mined common and uncommon inorganic resources. Additionally, Heller would be a great assistance to both Rafael and Andromeda on any of your outposts, as he possesses the Outpost Engineering (Rank 3) skill. This one will let you research and construct cutting-edge outpost modules in larger quantities.

• How to recruit Heller: During the “Back to Vectera” mission, you’ll be traveling to Dalvik, where you can meet and hire Heller at the crash site for free.

Related: How to Get Gaseous Resources

Omari Hassan

But let’s not forget about maintaining and protecting your starships. In this department, the best crew member outside of the main five companions is Omari Hassan. His initial Starship Engineering perk allows you to repair all ship systems 10% faster. But his main skill is Shield Systems (Rank 3), which increases your starship’s shield capacity by a whopping 60%. That’s a massive boost to your ship’s defenses that every player will need at some point in the game.

• How to recruit Omari Hassan: You can hire Omari at the Hitching Post in Akila City, Akila, for 16,500 Credits. If you pass the Persuasion check, his price will drop to 8,250 Credits.

Supervisor Lin

After Andromeda and Heller set up and properly manage your outpost, you’ll need to assign even more crew members to that outpost. The only way to do so is to hire Supervisor Lin, who has the required Outpost Management (Rank 3) skill. But it’s not her only advantage, as she’s also a Demolitions expert who can increase the radius of all your explosives by 25%.

• How to recruit Supervisor Lin: You can’t avoid meeting and speaking to Lin during the “Back to Vectera” mission, and once she offers herself to become your crew member, simply agree to her conditions.

How to Assemble the Best Crew in Starfield

When you decide to hire a crew for your ships and outposts, you must consider their passive skills that can benefit you in the best possible way. These skills not only have to synergize but also support each other when it comes to either defending your starship or managing your outpost.

At first, you won’t be able to recruit more than three crew members, but with the help of the Ship Command social skill, you’ll be able to get as many as eight crew members at once.

If we take into consideration the five best crew members listed above, then here’s how I would distribute them, taking into consideration that Andromeda and Rafael get one of the assignments, depending on your current priorities either for your starship or outpost crew:

• Starship Crew:
  • Andromeda Kepler
  • Rafael Aguerro
  • Omari Hassan
• Outpost Crew:
  • Andromeda Kepler or Rafael Aguerro
  • Heller
  • Supervisor Lin

Those are the best crew members ranked in Starfield, including tips on how to assemble the best crew in Starfield. Stay tuned for more Starfield tips and tricks articles right here.