Categories: Starfield, Starfield Builds
The Bounty Hunter Build is the ultimate way to play Starfield if you enjoy bringing your own brand of justice to the Galaxy. Combining powerful weapons and abilities with custom ships and crafting, the Bounty Hunter is the perfect way to build your own destiny in Starfield!
This guide is updated for Starfield Free Lanes and Terran Armada DLC
Starfield Bounty Hunter Build Overview
The Bounty Hunter build is a blend of combat performance, ship gameplay, and crafting. The playstyle is geared towards player who want to track, disable, and eliminate enemies on ships. This build blends using pistols close quarters weapons with medium to longer range rifles, giving you flexibility in combat. Additionally, skills like Medicine and Wellness ensure you stay in the fight with high survivability.
However, the Bounty Hunter will lack social skills like persuasion and intimidation in favor of combat skills. As you level beyond 50, you can take more speech based skills to help you avoid combat or manipulate situations. Also, you will need to adapt to non-stealth type of gameplay and use companions in combat to help you. Isolation social skill is great if playing solo, but it requires four skill points to reach it.
Overall, if you want to roam Starfield, disabling ships and excelling at combat from space or on the ground, this is your build. Check out our Starfield Builds video guide for even more tips and gameplay!
Related Starfield Guides
- Is Starfield Worth Playing?
- Starfield 2026 Updates
- Starfield PS5 Features Explained
- Stop These Starfield Mistakes
- Starfield Leveling Guide
Bounty Hunter Build Pros and Cons
Below is some simple pros and cons for the build followed by how to make every selection including leveling progression.
| Bounty Hunter Build Pros | Bounty Hunter Build Cons |
|---|---|
| Mobile | Lacks Social Skills |
| Flexible Combat Style | No Stealth |
| High Survivability | Needs Companions |
TL:DR Bounty Hunter Build
- Damage: Ballistic Pistol or Rifle
- Range: 15-50 Meters
- Weapon: Grendel or Razor Back
- Best Skills: Boost Pack Training, Ballistics, Piloting
- Starborn Power: Phased Time
- Background: Bounty Hunter
- Traits: Wanted, Introvert, Hero Worshipped
- Companion: Vasco
How To Play A Bounty Hunter In Starfield
The core of any Bounty Hunter build in Starfield is taking on bounty missions and completing them. Bounty Hunter missions can be started at any mission board in Starfield’s major cities including New Atlantis, Akila City, Cydonia, Neon, and The Red Mile among others. Many NPCs throughout the game such as the Gal Bank Manager in New Atlantis can also give you specific Bounty side missions to complete which will earn you additional experience and credits.
The core of the Bounty Hunter playstyle is a fast-paced, run-and-gun playstyle, focused on Boost packs to gain higher ground and rain bullets and explosives down on your enemies. If you prefer to one-shot your enemies with Pistols check out the Gunslinger build, or if you prefer precise headshots from Stealth try our Sniper build.
Bounty Hunter Starting Background
Starfield has a Bounty Hunter starting background option, which is a great start for this build! The Bounty Hunter starting background includes Piloting, Targeting Control Systems, and Boost Pack Training as your three starting skills. Each of these will be extremely useful for a Bounty Hunter playthrough, so nothing here is wasted!
- Piloting: Rank 1 gives your ship access to thrusters, letting you move faster in ship-to-ship combat
- Targeting Control Systems: Rank 1 of this skill allows you to target a ship’s specific parts such as its Engine or Shields to disable that system, making it much easier to defeat or eventually board the ship if you choose to.
- Boost Pack Training: Rank 1 of Boost Pack Training enables your character to use any Boost Pack in the game, giving you access to better mobility and evasion in combat.
Best Traits For A Bounty Hunter Build
Wanted, Introvert, and Hero Worshipped are the best traits for a Bounty Hunter build in Starfield. Wanted gives you a damage boost when health is low and also mercenaries attack you randomly, keeping you in the fight more often. Introvert is great if you’re not using a companion, otherwise go with Extrovert if you want to use a companion and not take Isolation skill later on. Lastly, Hero Worshipped gives you an extra crew member to help with managing your ship. Below are more details about each trait and what you can expect:
1. Wanted
Occasionally armed mercenaries will show up and try to kill you, but when your health is low you do extra damage. This trait takes the Bounty Hunter playstyle to the next level! Now it feels like you have some competitors out in the galaxy, trying to hunt you down before your next big score!
2. Introvert
Being a Bounty Hunter won’t make you a lot of friends. You may need to do a few things that Starfield’s primary companions, especially those in Constellation, may not appreciate. With this trait, you will use less Oxygen when you don’t have any companions with you.
3. Hero Worshipped
You’ve earned the attention of an annoying “Adoring Fan.” On the plus side, he will join your crew and give you gifts. This is just a fun trait to have and it really does not have a big downside as you can simply ask your fan to wait on your ship. Talk to him whenever you need to inflate your ego a bit.
Best Weapons For A Bounty Hunter in Starfield
The two best weapon types for a Bounty Hunter in Starfield are the pistol and rifle. This flexibility is the key to being a good Bounty Hunter in the world of Starfield. Being able to use more than one weapon type effectively is useful and is important during the early game when ammo is less available. For that reason, we recommend using as many different weapons as possible, but especially Ballistic Weapons as these are extremely easy to improve with Starfield’s Ballistic Skill. Some examples of recommended Ballistic Weapons include the Grendel and Razorback.
Weapons with higher rarity (blue and above) will also come with pre-selected weapon effects which can be extremely powerful. For a Bounty Hunter style build be on the lookout for traits such as:
- Anti-Personnel: bonus damage against humans.
- Furious: Each consecutive hit deals more damage.
- Hitman: bonus damage while aiming.
- Instigating: Deals double damage to targets with full health.
Bounty Hunter Space Suit and Helmet Options
There are many great options for Space Suits and Helmets for a Bounty Hunter-style build. One great set that is available is the Mantis Set. This set boosts your Carry Capacity while also making weapons weigh 50% less and has some nice defensive options like Anti-Ballistic which reduces physical damage from ranged weapons.
Recommended Boost Pack
While there are many types of Boost Packs in Starfield, the best overall seems to be the Balanced Boost Pack. This pack seems the best for traversal and combat, giving you plenty of hang time and mobility.
Best Skills For A Bounty Hunter Build
Many skills in Starfield will be helpful in building the perfect Bounty Hunter playthrough. The most important skills are listed below with a recommended Skill Progression list.
Boost Pack Training
Boost Pack Training is an essential skill for all builds in Starfield, including the Bounty Hunter. This makes your boosts more efficient, helping you to glide for longer and reach greater heights. The Boost Pack Training skill is located in the Tech Tree.
Ballistics
The Ballistics skill is recommended for this build because it improves the damage of most basic ranged weapons in Starfield, including Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, and more. The Ballistics skill is located in the Combat Tree.
Demolitions
The Demolitions skill in Starfield makes your explosives more effective, including a visible arc on thrown grenades which is very helpful. The Demolitions skill is located in the Combat Tree.
Rapid Reloading
The Rapid Reloading skill in Starfield quite simply lets you reload your weapons faster. Always be ready for battle with this skill unlocked for your Bounty Hunter! The Rapid Reloading skill is located in the Combat Tree.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is an interesting skill in Starfield, giving you more control over your body in combat. This skill makes perfect sense for a well-trained fighter like a Bounty Hunter. Rank 1 of this skill also unlocks the Combat Slide ability which gives you a solid defensive and mobility tool. The Gymnastics skill is located in the Physical Tree.
Wellness
The Wellness skill in Starfield offers a nice passive bonus to your maximum Health. More Health is always a good thing so make sure to grab a few ranks of this skill when you can! The Wellness skill is located in the Physical Tree.
Weight Lifting
The Weight Lifting skill in Starfield boosts your Carry Weight, which is important for a Bounty Hunter who needs to carry plenty of equipment, weapons, and supplies. The Weight Lifting skill is located in the Physical Tree.
Medicine
The Medicine skill in Starfield is extremely useful as this makes your Med Packs, Trauma Kits, and Emergency Kits heal for more and heal faster! The Medicine skill is located in the Science Tree.
Piloting
The Piloting skill is important for a Bounty Hunter build as you will many times be forced to engage in space combat while in pursuit of your bounties. The Piloting skill provides greater control of your ship. The Piloting skill is located in the Tech Tree.
Targeting Control Systems
The Targeting Control Systems skill in Starfield allows you to target specific parts of an enemy ship such as it’s engines or shield, allowing you to disable the ship and even board it if you wish. Targeting a ship also makes it much easier to damage and ultimately destroy.
Starfield Bounty Hunter Leveling Guide & Skill Progression (1–50)
Below is a general outline of the Bounty Hunter’s skill progression, from level 1-50 using the Bounty Hunter background. This outline will help give you a general direction of how to get started.
| Level | Skill | Rank | Skill Tree | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bounty Hunter (Piloting, Targeting, Boost Pack) | — | Background | Perfect hybrid start |
| 2 | Ballistics | 1 | Combat | Increase weapon damage |
| 3 | Medicine | 1 | Science | Early sustain |
| 4 | Security | 1 | Tech | Unlock loot and doors |
| 5 | Boost Pack Training | 2 | Tech | Mobility |
| 6 | Weight Lifting | 1 | Physical | Carry more gear |
| 7 | Piloting | 2 | Tech | Better ships |
| 8 | Ballistics | 2 | Combat | More damage |
| 9 | Medicine | 2 | Science | Better healing |
| 10 | Security | 2 | Tech | Advanced locks |
| 11 | Boost Pack Training | 3 | Tech | Mobility scaling |
| 12 | Weight Lifting | 2 | Physical | More carry capacity |
| 13 | Wellness | 1 | Physical | More health |
| 14 | Targeting Control Systems | 2 | Tech | Ship targeting |
| 15 | Ballistics | 3 | Combat | Strong scaling |
| 16 | Medicine | 3 | Science | Sustain |
| 17 | Security | 3 | Tech | High-tier locks |
| 18 | Boost Pack Training | 4 | Tech | Max mobility |
| 19 | Weight Lifting | 3 | Physical | Loot efficiency |
| 20 | Gymnastics | 1 | Physical | Combat movement |
| 21 | Ballistics | 4 | Combat | Max damage scaling |
| 22 | Demolitions | 1 | Combat | Explosive utility |
| 23 | Security | 4 | Tech | Max lockpicking |
| 24 | Wellness | 2 | Physical | More survivability |
| 25 | Demolitions | 2 | Combat | Stronger explosives |
| 26 | Medicine | 4 | Science | Max healing |
| 27 | Piloting | 3 | Tech | Class B ships |
| 28 | Shield Systems | 1 | Tech | Ship survivability |
| 29 | Weapon Engineering | 1 | Science | Weapon mods |
| 30 | Spacesuit Design | 1 | Science | Armor mods |
| 31 | Starship Design | 1 | Tech | Ship upgrades |
| 32 | Pistol Certification | 1 | Combat | Sidearm scaling |
| 33 | Rifle Certification | 1 | Combat | Primary weapon scaling |
| 34 | Marksmanship | 1 | Combat | Crit chance |
| 35 | Weapon Engineering | 2 | Science | Better mods |
| 36 | Spacesuit Design | 2 | Science | Better armor |
| 37 | Starship Design | 2 | Tech | Better ships |
| 38 | Targeting Control Systems | 3 | Tech | Better targeting |
| 39 | Chemistry | 1 | Science | Craft chems |
| 40 | Marksmanship | 2 | Combat | More crits |
| 41 | Rapid Reloading | 1 | Combat | Faster DPS |
| 42 | Demolitions | 3 | Combat | Strong AoE |
| 43 | Armor Penetration | 1 | Combat | Anti-armor |
| 44 | Crippling | 1 | Combat | Control enemies |
| 45 | Sharpshooting | 1 | Combat | Headshot damage |
| 46 | Weapon Engineering | 3 | Science | Advanced mods |
| 47 | Spacesuit Design | 3 | Science | Strong armor |
| 48 | Starship Design | 3 | Tech | Advanced ships |
| 49 | Piloting | 4 | Tech | Class C ships |
| 50 | Shield Systems | 2 | Tech | Stronger ship defense |
Best Chems (Bounty Hunter)
The chems and consumables for your Bounty Hunter build should focus on speed, damage, and healing. You want to use the best like Amp just before combat, so you can close the gap faster and control positioning. Combine with your Starborn power to get a 10-15 second advantage, where you can clear an entire ship full of enemies. Below are the best consumables you should carry with you on the Bounty Build:
| Chem | Type | Effect | Why It’s Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amp | Utility | Movement speed | Stay aggressive |
| Frostwolf | Combat | Damage + resistance | Boost survivability |
| Reconstim | Healing | Health regen | Sustain |
| Battlestim | Combat | Combat boost | Balanced buff |
| Med Packs | Healing | Instant heal | Core survival |
| Paramour | Social | Persuasion boost | Extra rewards |
Best Starborn Powers (Bounty Hunter)
The two best Starborn powers for the Bounty build are Void Form and Phased Time. Void Form turns you invisible, and its perfect for starting fights where you need to eliminate one or two enemies quickly on a ship. Phased Time is the second choice because it slows down time. You can take AMP and boost your speed, using Phased time to chain kill a ton of enemies in a short time while boarding. Below is our recommended Starborn powers for a Bounty build:
| Power | Type | Effect | Why It’s Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phased Time | Combat | Slow time | Control engagements |
| Void Form | Stealth | Invisibility | Tactical advantage |
| Reactive Shield | Defense | Reflect damage | Survivability |
| Sense Star Stuff | Utility | Detect enemies | Awareness |
| Parallel Self | Combat | Clone ally | Pressure |
| Gravity Well | Control | Pull enemies | Combo with explosives |
Changelog & Build Updates
- v1.2 – June 13, 2026 – updated backgrounds
- v1.1 – April 2, 2026 – Updated skill progression, weapons, added Starborn Powers, and Consumables.
- v1.0 – October 8, 2023 – Originally created for Starfield.
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