There are a few ways to successfully sell contraband in Starfield, but this best, easiest, and low-level solution is hard to find.
In the universe of Starfield, navigating the world of contraband can be both profitable and risky. Contraband refers to any illegal items or substances to possess or trade in a specific location within the game. If you find yourself in possession of such outlawed goods, you’ll need to know how to handle them to avoid consequences. This guide will cover what contraband is, how to avoid detection, and where to sell it in Starfield, including the best, easiest, and Low-Level solution.
Contraband in Starfield
Starfield contraband covers items or substances that are prohibited by the laws of certain regions or factions within the game. These can include illegal weapons, substances, stolen goods, and other illicit items. Contraband is marked with a distinctive yellow marker in your inventory, making it easy to identify.
Where to Sell Starfield Contraband
In Starfield, the best method to sell contraband is in Local Trade Authority merchants in cities and ships or Crimson Fleet.
Selling contraband in Starfield requires careful consideration and a strategic approach. Not all merchants are willing to deal with illegal goods, and traveling to protected systems or attempting to sell contraband to the wrong vendor can lead to serious consequences. Here are the main locations where you can sell your Starfield contraband:
Trade Authority Merchants
You can’t sell Starfield contraband at Trade Authority kiosks, so you’ll need to locate the regional Trade Authority human merchants. For example, in New Atlantis, you can find Zoe in the Wells district to sell your contraband. These representatives are present in all major cities within the game. You can sell contraband directly from your ship’s inventory without the need to carry it on your character. This is crucial because you want to smuggle contraband into an area without triggering scanners in these locations.
Here are a few good Trade Authority merchant locations in Starfield:
- New Atlantis City: The Well district, Jemison in Alpha Centauri System
- Neon City: Volii Alpha in Volii System
- Cydonia: Mars in Sol System
- The Den: Ship in Wolf System
Neon is the best major city option to sell contraband because you can access it almost directly after entering the city. Neon Security is also close by, so if you get caught, you can also sell your goods straight up. If you have the Neon City Street rat trait, you may even avoid any consequences and persuade them.
Trade Authority Ships and Ships with their Representatives
While exploring the universe, you may come across Trade Authority ships. If a particular faction does not control these ships or systems, you can dock with them and sell your contraband. One of those ships is the Den in the Wolf system, let’s take a look.
Starfield’s Best Place to Sell Contraband – Easy & Low-Level Solution
The best place to sell Contraband is the Den, a ship in the Wolf system just next to Sol and Alpha Centauri Systems. It’s a low-level area, easy to access, and the location is not subject to contraband scanning. Once there, find the ship orbiting one of the planets, and dok there, they are friendly, so you can safely board the ship. You will find a Trade Authority representative who will gladly buy your contraband inside.
The Den merchant in the Wolf system offered us better prices for stolen goods than in Neon and had 3000 credits ready to spend on contraband and other items, making it the best place to sell illegal goods.
The Crimson Fleet
The Crimson Fleet has its own equivalent of Trade Authority, and if you join them, they don’t perform scans on your ship. This is probably the easiest and most profitable way to sell contraband in Starfield if you plan on doing it often. During the game’s Deep Cover mission, you can start selling Starfield contraband to this faction and later gain access to available ship upgrades to avoid detection in the future.
How Starfield Contraband Works
Selling contraband can be lucrative in Starfield, but it comes with risks. Authorities will scan your ship when entering patrolled, faction-controlled areas like cities or space stations.
Here’s how Starfield contraband works:
- Price: The price vendors are willing to pay for Starfield contraband can vary based on location, character’s skills, and level.
- Contraband Scans: Patrolled areas subject your ship to contraband scans.
- Detection and Confiscation: If authorities detect contraband during a scan, they will confiscate it along with any stolen loot in your inventory, marking it with a red marker.
- Penalties: Expect fines, arrests, losing XP, and other consequences for harboring specific illegal items.
- Non-Patrolled Areas: Most game’s star systems are not patrolled, allowing you to move contraband freely. If you have the Starfield Dream Home trait, you can safely store contraband there.
How to Avoid Detection with Starfield Contraband
To avoid detection with Contraband in Starfield, pick up the Deception Skill and upgrade your ship with shielded cargo and scam jammer. Avoiding detection is essential, but your success in dealing with Starfield contraband depends on how many of those precautions you take. In this case, the more you have, the better.
Avoiding Contraband Detection Strategies:
To minimize your risk of getting caught, consider one or more of these strategies:
- Invest into Your Deception Skill: Invest in the Deception skill, available in the second tier of the game’s social skill tree. This skill will help you to talk your way out of getting caught during contraband scans. Higher skill ranks provide greater chances, with a maximum of 50% higher chances at rank four.
- Upgrade Your Ship: Upgrade your ship with a shielded cargo hold. Store contraband items in the cargo hold instead of your inventory.
- Variety of Ship’s Cargo Holds: There are several cargo hold options with different quality of effectiveness. Higher-quality upgrades are more efficient but also more expensive. Having a ship with shielded cargo space is another option. Lon Anderssen on Porrima III and Jasmine Durand on The Key offer shielded cargo holds for purchase during the Deep Cover mission.
- Use a Scan Jammer: Some black-market goods vendors also sell scan jammers. These devices block scan signals, making it easier to hide contraband during scans. However, scan jammers only work if you have a shielded cargo hold, and their effectiveness can vary.
- Scan Jammer Options: Better Scan Jammes will cost more credits. Lon Anderson at Porrima III and Jasmine Durand of the Crimson Fleet sell scan jammers as ship upgrades. Similar to cargo holds, scan jammers vary in effectiveness and cost.
Remember that even with all precautions, there’s always a small chance of failing a cargo scan if you have contraband on your ship. You can also join Crimson Fleet to gain easier access to Scan Jammers or more places to sell contraband in Starfield.
Dealing with Being Caught
Despite your best efforts, there’s still a chance of getting caught with Starfield contraband. When this happens, you have several options:
| Solution | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Pay the Fine | Your record will be cleared | You will lose the requested credits |
| Offer a Bribe (Only with the Negotiation skill – social tree). | As your skill level increases, bribes may cost less or even nothing at rank four. | You’ll lose credits and face additional consequences if negotiations fail. |
| Serve Your Jail Sentence | You can keep the goods | You will stay imprisoned for a specific duration and lose some experience (XP). |
| Attempt to Escape | You keep the goods | A bounty will be placed on you, and you’ll need to either pay it or serve more time in jail later. |
| Fight Back | You gain XP and keep cargo | You gain XP and keep cargo. |
That’s all you need to know! In Starfield, contraband can be a lucrative but risky venture. By understanding where to sell it, how to avoid detection, and how to deal with being caught, you can navigate this shadowy world and turn a tidy profit while exploring the cosmos.
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