Avast, ye landlubbers! For those who love the skull and crossbones and forcefully relieving folks of goods, Starfield has a lengthy questline that’s all about piracy. And better yet, it’s space piracy. The Crimson Fleet questline is one of the lengthiest in Starfield, but the rewards are plentiful and fantastic. Compared to many of the in-game factions, the Crimson Fleet questline will likely stick with you longer. It’s a lot of fun, promising many hours of shootin’ and lootin’.
To begin the questline, you first need to join the UC Vanguard. Yeah, I know. Hanging out with literal space cops does seem like an odd start to a life of piracy. The Vanguard faction branches into two questlines: One where you join UC SysDef and infiltrate the Crimson Fleet, and another where you hunt down space monsters. You’ll want to go the former’s route to start the pirate questline. Let’s go over it now.
Crimson Fleet questline
- Deep Cover
- Join Commander Ikande on the UC Vigilance and begin your mission to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet.
- Rook Meets King
- Prove your worth to the Fleet by “taking care of” Austin Rake. Do so, and you meet the pirate leader Delgado.
- Echoes of the Past
- Team up with BFF Mathis Castillo while you search for clues in the depths of a frozen prison.
- Breaking the Bank
- Infiltrate the space cruise ship and make away with bank credentials… and maybe a trophy.
- The Best There Is
- Sneak into the starport and escape with the ComSpike.
- Absolute Power
- Head to Neon to steal the Conduction Grid Module, the next piece you need to track down the Legacy.
- Eye of the Storm
- This is it: Time to find the Legacy and make off with until riches.
- Legacy’s End
- Stick with the Crimson Fleet or wipe them out as part of UC SysDef.
Crimson Fleet questline rewards
The Crimson Fleet questline in Starfield is rich in rewards, ranging from credits to weaponry. Most missions award you in credits along with 250 to 350 XP each. However, the best rewards are the kind that go bang. You can get two weapons by playing the questline, plus another as a bonus. Completing Rook Meets King rewards you with Pirate Swashbuckler Gear, which is all right. But guns are better.
The Keelhauler is a legendary ballistic pistol you get after completing Echoes of the Past. It’s one of the most powerful guns out there and requires the .43 MI Array ammo type. It’s hard to find, but we’ve been keeping an eye out on where to find it.
The Revenant is a legendary rifle you can miss in the Eye of the Storm mission. We have a walkthrough for the quest, but you should check the computer console next to the body of Jasper Kryx.
Legacy’s End rewards
The final mission of the Crimson Fleet questline in Starfield offers different rewards based on your actions. If you side with the Crimson Fleet and decide to kill Commander Ikande, you can take his unique pistol: Unfair Advantage. But if you side with the UC and kill Delgado, you can get his unique rifle, the Tempest. Killing Delgado also lets you loot his outfit and the Advanced Pirate Corsair Spacesuit. Staying with the UC, on the other hand, rewards you with the SysDef Formal Uniform. No matter which faction you side with, you’ll also earn a fat stack that runs 250,000 credits.
Related: Should you side with UC SysDef or the Crimson Fleet?
Oh, and if you manage to spare Delgado’s life, you do get one final reward. After finishing the last mission, take some time and head back to the UC Vigilance where you can find Delgado locked up in the brig and showing off the goods. Job well done.
