Starfield weapon tiers explained: All gear rarities and differences

Take a look at our explanation of the Starfield weapon tiers and gear rarities mechanics, which dictate how good the guns in the game are.

Tarran Stockton

12th Sep 2023 17:12

Images via Bethesda

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The Starfield weapon tiers and gear rarity system can be confusing at first, and even after spending dozens of hours in the game, it can be hard to fully grasp if you aren't paying attention to how it works.

Starfield has a loot system much like every other role-playing game out there, but it doesn't just copy the rarity mechanics over and call it a day. While the best weapons are easy to tell apart from their worse counterparts, understanding the deeper aspects of tiers and rarity is important to make the most out of your builds.

If you want to know how to properly compare your guns in the game, check out how the Starfield weapon tier and gear rarity systems work.

We also cover how to join the UC Vanguard in Starfield, which is a questline full of quality weapons

Starfield weapon tiers explained

a Calibrated weapon, one of the Starfield weapon tiers

Starfield weapon tiers consist of five categories which dictate the overall stats and value of a weapon. The tiers are:

Base
Calibrated
Refined
Advanced
Superior

As you level up and progress through Starfield, the weapon tiers you find the most will match your character. For example, as you begin the game, the base weapons will appear most often.

After hitting Level 10, Calibrated weapons will begin to spawn as loot, with Refined weapons between levels 20-30, Advanced weapons between levels 30-40, and finally Superior weapons between levels 40-50.

These aren't exclusively capped to levels though, so you can expect to see slightly worse or slightly better weapons throughout the game.

Here are all Starfield resources and how to get them

Starfield weapon rarity explained

a Rare weapon. one of the Starfield weapon rarities

Starfield weapon rarity is a different mechanic than weapon tiers and instead relates to the number of modifiers a weapon has. The rarities are:

Common - No modifier
Rare - One modifier
Epic - Two modifiers
Legendary - Three modifiers

Rarity has nothing to do with levels and is all down to RNG, meaning you can find Legendary gear the second you begin the game if you are lucky enough.

Combining Starfield weapon tiers and weapon rarity together and comparing them with other weapons is the ultimate way of determining which of your guns are the best, so it's worth making sure you have a good understanding of both mechanics.

That's all for our explanation of Starfield weapon tiers and weapon rarity, and now you know how both the systems work to dictate the overall quality of guns in the game.

For more Starfield guides, stick with GGRecon. Alternatively, check out how to smuggle and sell contraband in Starfield.

About The Author

Tarran Stockton

Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.

This is part of the ‘Starfield’ directory

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