Discover the best Beast Hunter Build guide in Starfield and how to create a powerful character with recommended skills, background, traits, weapons, and armor.

This build was updated for game version Starfield Update 1.11.33 –May 2024.

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Beast Hunter Build Introduction in Starfield

In 2330, humanity has spread to the stars, colonizing hundreds of planets. In Starfield, a Beast Hunter is a specialized character or profession focused on tracking, capturing, or eliminating exotic and dangerous creatures across the cosmos. As a beast hunter, players take on the role of a skilled and fearless individual who traverses alien landscapes, untamed planets, and treacherous environments to hunt down these elusive and often menacing creatures.

You will want to pick the Beast Hunter if tracking down aliens, crafting food, and playing solo is for you. The Xenosociology skill allows you to control aliens, creating a fun, unique gameplay experience. The downside of the Beast Hunter is its emphasis on planets, not spaceship combat or against human enemies. However, this is for you for any space-wandering player who wants to manipulate aliens!

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Features and Mechanics for Best Beast Hunter Build in Starfield

The following list presents all the essential Beast Hunter Build Mechanics and Features in Starfield:

Background

The Beast Hunterbackgroundin Starfield gives you Fitness, Ballistics, and Gastronomy skills at level 1. Here’s of the Beast Hunter’s Backgroundskillsin Starfield:

Theseskillsare given to you at level 1, and you progress using the skill or some other function. Fitness levels can be achieved by using up all oxygen 20 times. Ballistics by killing enemies with Ballistic Weapons. Gastronomy by crafting food and drink. You should use Ballistic Weapons while in combat andresearchvarious foods and drinks to level thatskill. Additionally, you can run out of oxygen on purpose via sprinting to level up your Fitness. Scroll over eachskilland check how to progress once it is unlocked.

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The besttraitfor a Beast Hunter build in Starfield is Terra Firma. Health and oxygen increase when on the surface but decrease when you’re in space. As a Beast Hunter who spends most of your time exploring planets, this will help you.

Traits are optional customization options inCharacter Creation. Players can select up to three attributes from a comprehensive list oftraitsto further shape their protagonists. The May 2024 update allows players to change their traits on a New Game + (Unity). Thus, you’re able to change them both in the game and in a new game, which keeps your progress but starts the universe over.

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Xenosociology, Instigation, and Diplomacy are the best skills for the Beast Hunter Build in Starfield because they let you manipulate NPCs, human and alien! The Beast Hunter heavily invests in the social tree, allowing dialogue manipulation and control. Moreover, on alien planets, the Xenosociology skill can make alien creatures attack enemies on your behalf. Lastly, the Isolation skill boosts damage and damage reduction while playing solo without a companion. Thus, invest heavily into social for this type of build and playstyle.

You should attempt to rank upskillsby completing their requirements. For example, Boost Pack Training hits Boost Pack constantly in combat to level it up very quickly. Leave one enemy alive, continually boost the pack as you have fuel, and you may complete the progression in one encounter.

Best Starfield Beast Hunter Build Guide

Level Progression

We recommend Beast Hunter for this build, which unlocks Ballistics, Fitness, and Gastronomy. Use thecharacter creatorand select any optionaltraits.

Starfield leveling progression system gives you three skills at level one via your background, then one skill per level without a level cap. You will need several skill points in each tree to move to the next level and pick higher-tier skills. Unlike other Bethesda games, Starfield requires you to use or complete specific objectives with your skills to take a higher rank. For instance, in Boost Pack Training, hit Boost Pack constantly in combat to level it up very quickly. Leave one enemy alive, continually boost the pack as you have fuel, and you may complete the progression in one encounter. This is why we jump from tree to tree, giving you time to level up your skill ranks. Come back or take another skill in the progression if you haven’t reached the level.

Levels 1 – 10

Here’s a list of the best skills to select from levels 1 – 10 with the Beast Hunter Build Guide in Starfield:

Levels 11 – 20

Here’s a list of the best skills to select from levels 11 – 20 with the Beast Hunter Build Guide in Starfield:

Levels 21 – 30

Here’s a list of the best skills to select from levels 21 – 30 with the Beast Hunter Build Guide in Starfield:

The bestweaponfor Beast Hunter Build is the Big Bang Shotgun because it has the most burst damage up close and can be heavilymodified. The Big Bang is a later gameweapon, and the animation can be difficult to find, but it’s well worth it due to the damage. The weapon defaults to ballistics and energy, which helps if you take the skills in the Combat skill tree.

Here are the bestweapontraits and perks for the Big Bang Shotgun weapon in Starfield:

Pick up the Breach shotgun early and use that until you level up and find a Big Bang. The secondary weapon is the AA-99 because you can modify it to fit medium or long-range with high damage, and its ammunition is easier to obtain.

Weaponscan have up to 8modificationsdepending on the type. Eachmodrequires materials or resources and the Weapon Engineeringskillfrom theScienceskill tree. You will also have toresearchmod upgrades via aresearchstation, and it can take some time to unlock the full potential of the gun and weapons.Weaponshave four qualities: white, blue, purple, and legendary yellow. If a weapon is blue or greater in rarity, it comes with a perk or a trait. These add additional effects in addition to modifications.

The bestarmorfor Beast Hunter Build is the Trackers Alliance gear. Trackers Alliance armor offers great resistance and is designed for beast hunters and trackers. Here are the recommended armor perks and traits for a Beast Hunter build in Starfield:

Armorsare available in four distinct qualities: white, blue, purple, and the legendary yellow. If anarmorpiece holds the rarity of blue or higher, it boasts an accompanying perk or trait. These augmentations introduce supplementary effects alongside any modifications. For instance, the “Beast Hunter” perk reduces damage from Alien enemies by 15%. Inspect each blue or greater armor mod and see if the trait and perk align with your build.

Starborn Power

The bestStarborn powerfor Beast Hunter Build is Alien Reanimation because it reanimates a dead alien creature that fights on your side. Combined with Xenosolocialy, this power allows additional enemies to fight at your side and make the best Beast Hunter build in Starfield! Sense Star Stuff is another greatStarborn powerbecause it helps detect enemies and friendlies.

Starborn Powersare earned through themain storycampaign. You will encounter artifacts early on and acquire more of them as you progress. Using Vlad, located in the eye, and theConstellationgroup, located at the Lodge, to find more. Spend time discovering and exploring Temples to progress this power.

Companions

The Beast Hunter is meant to play solo with the Isolationskill. The reason is that while companions can be helpful, they often interfere with both the Xenosociology skill and Alien Reanimation. When you find the perfect creature to mind control, yourcompanionwill destroy them with a shotgun blast and ruin your entirebuildpremise.

The downside of not usingcompanionsfrom a non-combat perspective is carrying capacity. Outside of this, I’d recommend sticking to solo with Isolationskills.  If you are set on acompanion,Vascomakes an excellent choice due to theskillsyou will most likely lack in the Tech tree.

Build Summary – Beast Hunter Best Build for Starfield

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