Starfield Contraband Guide: How to Steal, Sell, and Smuggle

Starfield’s Contraband refers to illegal or restricted items that can be found, stolen and smuggled. Stealing contraband items and smuggling them for profit can be an exciting albeit risky endeavor in the game.

This guide will provide an overview of contraband in Starfield, including where to find it, how to steal it, avoiding consequences, and how to sell it for profit either legally or on the black market.

Table of Contents

What is Contraband in Starfield?

Contraband refers to any illegal or restricted items in Starfield that can be stolen and smuggled for profit.

These include:

Weapons – Powerful energy weapons or explosives restricted by authorities.
Tech/Gadgets – Advanced tech like hacking tools used for illegal activities.
Medicines – Controlled substances, experimental drugs.
Artifacts – Rare alien or archeological finds of value.
Data – Confidential, sensitive information stolen through hacking.

Contraband items are marked with a yellow icon in the inventory showing their illegal status. Getting caught with contraband can lead to fines, loss of reputation and even imprisonment. However, selling contraband on the black market can earn huge profits for daring players.

Where to Find Contraband in Starfield

Contraband items can be found in various locations throughout the Starfield universe:

Abandoned Labs/Ruins – These often contain illegal and dangerous experiments or substances left behind.
Smuggler Hideouts – Secret bases belonging to smugglers filled with valuable contraband.
Derelict Spaceships – Looting derelict ships may uncover contraband cargo.
Enemy Strongholds – Raiding bandit clans or pirate bases can yield contraband weapons and tech.
Private Collections – Breaking into secure facilities to steal protected artifacts or data.
Black Markets – Purchase contraband directly from shady black market vendors.

By exploring planets, space stations and engaging in ship combat, players can find hidden stashes of valuable contraband items perfect for smuggling.

How to Steal Contraband in Starfield

Once you’ve located sources of contraband, acquiring it requires stealth, hacking skills and avoiding security:

Use stealth – Sneak into restricted areas avoiding detection by guards or security systems.
Disable alarms – Shut down alarm systems so you aren’t detected stealing contraband.
Hack security – Breach door locks, surveillance systems to sneak in more easily.
Hide bodies – Knock out or kill guards and hide their bodies to avoid raising suspicion.
Plan escape routes – Map out ways to escape undetected after stealing the goods.
Upgrade ship – Install cloaking device and maximise ship speed to make a quick getaway.

By carefully planning heists and upgrading skills like hacking, players can more easily steal contraband items from even the most secure locations in Starfield.

Avoiding Consequences for Stealing Contraband

Once you’ve stolen contraband items, avoiding consequences from authorities requires caution:

Smuggle carefully – Use cloaking devices and avoid security scans when transporting illegal goods.
Bribe officials – Pay off guards to look the other way when carrying contraband cargo.
Launder money – Use shell companies or proxies to hide black market profits.
Reduce security level – Avoid further illegal jobs that increase security level and alert authorities.
Hide inventory – Keep stolen goods hidden in ship lockers or safehouses to avoid detection.
Destroy evidence – Get rid of incriminating evidence like security recordings or access codes.
Change identities – Assume fake IDs and change ships to go off the grid when heat is high.

Proper smuggling techniques and covering your tracks can ensure you don’t get a bounty on your head or lose your hard-earned contraband to the authorities.

Selling Contraband in Starfield

The most lucrative option for offloading contraband items is through illegal channels:

Black Markets

Find black market vendors in the shadiest bars, backrooms of space stations and hidden asteroid bases.
Prices for contraband will always be higher on the black market compared to legal vendors.
Build up reputation with fences and fixers to gain access to more lucrative black market deals.

Space Piracy

Find and join pirate factions to gain access to their hidden black market networks.
Conduct raids on freighters with pirate crews to steal contraband cargo to sell.

Criminal Factions

Complete jobs for crime syndicates to open up their illegal markets and fencing operations.
Run contraband smuggling missions for gangs between their secret bases and black markets.

By selling to black market vendors instead of legal traders, players can earn far more credits from their stolen contraband items.

Improving Smuggling Operations

As players progress further into Starfield’s underworld, they can expand their smuggling operations:

Increase inventory space – Upgrade ship cargo holds to transport more contraband per run.
Hire crew – Recruit crew members with skills like hacking and combat to aid in stealing contraband.
Establish safehouses – Purchase bases and outposts where contraband can be securely stored.
Obtain permits – Bribe officials to obtain trade permits allowing access to new systems and markets.
Unlock contacts – Build rapport with fences, pirates and fixers to expand the network.
Increase profits – Reinvest earnings into better gear and skills to take on more lucrative jobs.

By honing their skills and expanding their resources and contacts, players can go from petty theft to running an interstellar smuggling empire in Starfield.

Is There a Black Market in Starfield?

Yes, Starfield will feature illegal black markets where players can trade in contraband goods away from the eyes of the authorities.

Black markets can be found in seedy space stations, hidden outposts on frontier planets, and aboard roaming smuggler fleet ships. Prices for illegal wares will always be higher on the black market compared to legal vendors.

Players will require reputation with underworld bosses and fixers to gain access to the most profitable black market deals for stolen artifacts, experimental tech and illegal substances.

Working with pirate factions and criminal syndicates will open up additional opportunities to buy and sell contraband while avoiding security patrols.

However, caution is required when fast travelling across space with stolen contraband cargo as authorities scan ships and can detect illegal goods. Investing earnings into cloaking devices and faster spaceships can enable easy traversal between black markets.

By leveraging black market connections, players can reap huge profits from their contraband smuggling operations in Starfield’s expansive underworld.

FAQ – September 2, 2023

What are some common contraband items in Starfield?

Common contraband items include illegal weapons, explosives, drugs, alien artifacts, hacked tech, confidential data, and smuggled goods. Anything restricted by authorities can potentially be stolen and sold on the black market.

Where can I find smugglers and black markets?

Smugglers and black markets can be found in seedy space stations, hidden planetary outposts, roaming smuggler fleet ships, and bases belonging to pirate factions and criminal syndicates.

What happens if I’m caught with contraband?

Getting caught with contraband can lead to confiscation of goods, fines, imprisonment, and an increased security level that puts authorities on high alert for illegal activities.

Should I invest in upgrading my ship for smuggling?

Yes, upgrading your ship’s cargo capacity, speed, cloaking, and scanning disruption can greatly assist in stealthy transportation of contraband while avoiding security patrols.

Can I recruit crew members to help with smuggling?

You can recruit NPC crew members with skills like hacking, engineering and combat to help you infiltrate secure locations, disable security systems, and defend your ship while engaging in contraband smuggling.

How risky is the black market trade?

Dealing in the black market carries higher risks but also higher rewards. Maintaining a low profile, having quick escape routes planned, and investing earnings into better gear can help mitigate the risks.

Conclusion

Contraband smuggling provides an exciting high-risk, high-reward gameplay opportunity in Starfield for players who wish to live outside the law. Finding contraband items in hidden locations, stealing them stealthily, and then selling them illegally for large profits can generate huge income streams.

By investing in skills like hacking and building up contacts and resources, players can go from petty thieves to interstellar smugglers controlling a thriving black market trade network. But authorities are always on the lookout, so caution must be taken to avoid getting caught and losing hard-earned contraband.

For players who want to experience the thrilling lifestyle of an outlaw in a sci-fi world, contraband smuggling offers endless opportunities for danger and profit in Starfield’s expansive open universe.

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