Summary
Starfield’s June 2024 update brought many changes to the game, including improvements to its Trackers Alliance. This faction allows its members to become true bounty hunters, but it also has a less advertised mechanic which is useful for any Spacefarer.That is because one of its agents has all the legendary gear a player could want- if they have the Astras to pay for it.
Astra is a new currency which wasadded to the game during the June 2024 update. They do not wait until the player becomes a member of the Trackers Alliance to appear, soit is possible some players made the mistake of selling thembefore realizing their true value. Knowing how to use these tokens will prevent plenty of frustration.
“An Instant Classic”: Starfield Review
Starfield has plenty of captivating tales and dynamic mechanics that make it an epic science fiction adventure - and an instant classic.
Where To Find Astras In Starfield
New Trackers Alliance Currency
The Settled Systems are full of unsavory characters, and they often carry some ofStarfield’sbest gear. Any human enemy, from a lowly level-two pirate to a powerful Ecliptic Warmonger, has a chance to appear with three extra red bars below their normal HP bar. This signals that the enemy is carrying a rare item, butit also means the NPC may be carrying the new currency: Astra.
Additionally, Astras can appear in the large storage, military, and science chests at the end of dungeons, andthe chest at the end of the Trackers Alliance mission is also guaranteed to have an Astra. A variant of these chests is the Captain’s Locker which can be found on starships. This means that a player with the Targeting Control Systems skill, auseful Tech skill, can farm Astras by disabling and boarding enemy ships. Considering multiple enemy spaceships often appear together, this is a more efficient method for acquiring the valuable bars than running dungeons.
Space combat difficulty can be changed individually via the settings menu, which could make Astra farming even easier.
Astras Can Be Used To Acquire Legendary Items On Demand
New Trackers Alliance Trader
The new currency appears as a miscellaneous item and can be sold for credits at most vendors, but this is highly discouraged. Instead, it is better to hold onto them until completing the introductory mission of the Trackers Alliance. Afterchoosing their call sign, the player can introduce themselves to the other agents and trackers of the bounty hunting organization. Stache, named after his facial hair rather than a “stash,” is a bit eccentric, andoffers to give the player a rare item in exchange for Astras.
Players have a few options for Astra trading. One Astra can be traded for rare items, two can be traded for epic items, and finally, three Astras can be traded for legendary items. This means a Spacefarer who wishes to acquire legendaries using this method will need to stock up before visiting Stache. However, it is worth noting thatjust because a player will receive a legendary item does not mean they will receive a useful legendary item.
Legendary Items From Astra Trading Can Be Disappointing
Legendary Does Not Equal Good
While Astras can provide quick access to useful legendaries, they can also reward less valuable items.Starfieldwill reward the item using essentially the same system it uses to determine which rare item is being carried by enemies, with a filter for the desired tier. This meansthe playermight receive a major weapon upgrade, but it can also mean the player gets a mining spacesuit they will never use.
In addition,the loot table for Astra trading seems to be weighted toward items common in Akila City. This is especially noticeable for weaponry, which is often a variant of Laredo firearms like Lawgivers and Bridgers. While this makes sense given the source of the items, it can be frustrating for players who do not use these types of guns.
Another issue is thatthe trade does not restrict itself to a specific tierof weapon or armor. This can result in the frustrating situation of receiving a new shotgun with all the best legendary effects, only to have it be a basic shotgun which is already outclassed by the player’s existing arsenal. Unfortunately, the potential for disappointment does not stop there.
In addition to randomized loot which can be found by killing elite enemies, Stache can also provide some unique items. The Live Wire, for example, is a Kodama which will always have the Tesla trait that can shock enemies. However,this is the only trait the weapon will have, which might be fine if the item could only be found when trading a single Astra, but unfortunately, this item can also appear when the player trades two or three Astras, meaning it is entirely possible to trade for an epic or legendary and instead receive this rare weapon.
Because of all of these factors, even the most honest players are encouraged to save before trading their valuable Astras. Items are randomly selected at the time the player selects the trade dialogue, so each load will result in a different item. While this method can be used to save scum for a specific item, it can also be used as a layer of protection against getting one of the lower rarity items for the cost of a legendary. Hopefully, the nextStarfieldupdate will prevent the lower tier items from appearing in high-value trades.
Starfield
Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield - the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.
