Out of all ofStarfield’sactivities, flying through space and blasting away enemy ships might be the most fun. There are dozens of awesome prebuilt ship models to buy or find from missions. However, building your own ship, or customizing prebuilt ones, can lead to even more impressive results.
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There are many important parts make for a great ship, and a great engine is the main determining factor for your ship’s speed and mobility. They’re vital for both staying on target and escaping dangerous situations. In this list, we’ll check out all the most powerful engines available in the Settled Systems.
Updated by Aaron Krull on June 05, 2025:We’ve improved this article’s access to similar shipbuilding and space combat links to create a more user-friendly experience.
Class A engines like the Amun-7 are best for providing maximum speed over maneuverability. This is due to their extremely low mass compared to engines of other classes. So, they’re typically ideal for smaller fighter-style crafts that don’t have much mass overall. Up to 6 different Amun-7s can be placed on one ship, greatly improving mobility.
9White Dwarf 3030
When designing a custom engine system, it’s not always the best idea to only use one type of engine alone. Combining 2 or even 3 different kinds of engines can lead to much more well-rounded speed and mobility. The White Dwarf 3030 might be the best Class A engine to combine with other classes for its awesome speed but substandard maneuvering.
8Ares DT60
Panoptes engines are generally more difficult to connect whenbuilding a new ship, but they can definitely be worth the effort. Each Ares DT60 engine only has one connection on one side, which can be flipped. But building up to 6 of them can provide very high mobility compared to just about any other Class A engine.
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7Hercules DT160
Class B engines typically give a moderate amount of top speed and mobility, and they tend to work pretty well with ships of all sizes. The Hercules DT160 epitomizes that middle ground. There are certainly faster and more maneuverable engines, but most are not quite so well-rounded.
The heavier a ship becomes, the more maneuvering thrust it needs to be able to turn quickly. Amun Dunn’s X-300s can help those behemoths with their mobility, but these engines honestly just weigh so much that several top-tier Class B and A engines are still better.
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Slayton Aerospace makes some really mean engines, and it’s a bit of a shame that you can’t buy whole ships from them. The SAE-5660 has the most maneuvering thrust in its class at a lower mass than others. This is also one of the few engines above Class A that still only takes up a tiny 1x1 space in the ship builder.
Some engines are notoriously difficult to connect to your ship. The Dunn-71 is definitely not one of these, and it even has bonus connections at the back of its 2x1 frame. That makes them ideal for incorporating intoships that can be purchased. These also provide the highest engine thrust of any Class B models, making them excellent for mixing together with more maneuverable engines.
Made famous by the Freestar Ranger’s iconic Star Eagle, these Class A engines are powerful enough to top several higher class models. They have extremely low mass, and up to 6 can be built on one ship. They can provide some extraordinary mobility for lighter ships, or a huge boost of speed to heavier vessels.
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Slayton Aerospace’s masterpiece, the SAL-6330s are the only Class C engines that only need 2 power per unit. While they don’t quite provide a ton of raw engine thrust, they have a lot of maneuvering thrust. Just be careful of the SAL-6330’s high mass, because they still have about as much as other Class C engines. Stacking up several of this type of engine can also make for a painfullyexpensive ship. So, these are some of the best engines in the game to mix with other types. They pair particularly well with engines that have low mass and high engine thrust.
1Poseidon DT230
The prize for the most powerful engine of all goes to the Poseidon DT230. Taking up 4 power apiece gives them unmatched engine and maneuvering thrust. While a ship can only have up to 3 of these engines at once, most ships really only need 1 or 2. Make sure you have apowerful reactorto juice them up. The best way to use the Poseidon DT230 is by mixing them with a Class A or B type which only requires 2 power per engine. That way you may build 2 of each engine type to max out both speed and maneuverability, even on some of the most unnecessarily heavy ships.
