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Starfield NG+ Guide: Tips, Tricks & All Variants 🌠

Starfield‘s expansive galaxies hold endless adventures for those wishing to fully embrace the pioneer spirit – and the New Game Plus (NG+) mode acts as the ultimate frontier for dedication. By repeating this 80+ hour RPG up to 10 times, you can amass legendary-tier loot that allows literally breaking the system through unmatched power.

For fans craving the true completionist experience to honor over 25 years of anticipation, this mode encourages continuous discovery by introducing new lore items, impossibly rare gear and reality-warping abilities with each repeat run. Our guide will breakdown how to quickly accumulate these rewards that essentially turn your character into a deity by the 10th NG+ finale.

Introduction: Pursuing Mastery Among The Stars

I‘ve journeyed through multiple NG+ cycles in this astronomically vast title – here is what drives the appeal of repeatedly playing as an outlet for unleashing unrestricted creativity.

The core of Starfield‘s NG+ mode focuses on removing limitations imposed against vaulting player power levels across every system. Level caps get lifted, crafting recipe restrictions disappear, and new means of strengthening your spaceship and character grow into legitimate game-breaking potential. Ultimately, it transforms grinding for incremental gains early on into an accelerated climb towards near-invincibility on latter runs.

Yet the incentive remains rooted in unlocking exciting new lore and legendary gear rather than just inflating numbers alone. Alternate reality messages, behind-the-scenes developer tidbits and the strangest companions possible make each playthrough distinct on the path towards ΓΌber completeness. Bethesda essentially challenges veterans to test the upper limits of freedom by maintaining engagement over potentially 400+ hours.

In short, Starfield‘s NG+ mode succeeds by encouraging Mastery – both from a gameplay and Roleplaying perspective by gradually lifting all restrictions for pioneering your perfect vision among the stars. Think of it as a super-charged sandbox inviting unleashed creativity rather than repeating identical missions every time. Let‘s breakdown what awaits on this journey towards inconceivable power!

My NG+ Journey So Far

While keeping some late-game surprises vaguely spoiled, I‘m currently on my 7th NG+ run focusing on a Leadership/Science hybrid build utilizing Companions and energy weapons to maximize Charisma-boosting gear on the way to stronger Science scores.

I also emphasize dialogue solutions thanks to my Diplomacy skills progression – it‘s immensely satisfying roleplaying a complete pacifist that can convince even the most rigid NPCs through non-violent reasoning! It exemplifies the freedom of picking any path based on personal flair vs chasing whatever strongest DPS options remain the meta.

Efficient Play for Quick Completions

Now for battle-tested tips towards swift milestone clears that unlock the juiciest gear…

Lean Into Fast Travel

Vast as Starfield‘s procedurally generated worlds may be, the Critical Path storyline still ultimately drives Returning players across familiar landmarks – just spaced further apart.

Manually piloting my ship to traverse these spread-out points initially felt immersive…for the first two runs. These days I almost exclusively rely on Fast Travel to smartly minimize transit times.

Memorize all map markers uncovered during initial completions to warp directly between them. This shortcut cuts 10+ minute commutes down to mere seconds after loading screens. Given character progression hinges on completing core missions rather than wasting time dawdling, embrace the fast travel functionality with zero guilt!

Reset Exploits & Quicksaving

This might qualify as an exploit, but I won‘t judge those wishing to utilize Starfield‘s generous Auto-Save and Quick Save mechanics to bypass frustrating RNG elements or re-attempt certain tasks for better results.

For example, resetting Lockpicking checks via quickload saves until hitting that sweet 100% success chance prevents wasting precious lockpicks. And manipulating dice roll checks to pass speech challenges by save scumming works wonders too!

Of course this heavily abuses the system, but when chasing maximum rewards efficiency matters more than anything. Thankfully NG+ runs lift item restrictions anyway to promote crazier strategies.

Optimizing Side Missions Over Main Quests

Similar to focusing only on the critical path, stick to shorter side missions over lengthy main quest chains to squeeze value out of every playthrough.

Prioritize high-reward Blueprints, loot caches from derelict sites, outpost liberation and occasional quick errands you uncover across various planets through Settlement map bounties or random encounters. This nets plenty experience and useful rewards to unlock better items without mandated story participation eating into clear times.

Legendary Gear for the Record Books

Now for the question undoubtedly on every Starfield fan‘s mind: what incredible goodies await the most dedicated completionists? Let‘s dig into details on some unlockables:

The Rainbow Rifle (& Other Early Milestone Unlocks)

Completion # Reward
#4 Rainbow Rifle
#5 Legendary Guardian Starship
#8 Voidwalker Starship Engine Upgrade

Aside from the coveted Guardian Starship at run 5, my favorite early NG+ prize emerges after finishing round 4: the brilliant Rainbow Rifle energy weapon.

Firing concentrated beams reflecting every color spectrum, it demonstrates mastering Starfield‘s core completion gauntlet deserves equally radiant gear. And the damage output exceeds even standard Plasma/Laser legendries – we‘re talking instant melting of most enemies on higher difficulties!

While future gifts like the literal game-breaking Voidwalker engine mod continue raising the bar, this rainbow-ific rifle remains my go-to reminder for persisting through early milestones.

The Legendary Guardian Starship

This elusive vessel‘s surprise debut at completion #5 makes perfect sense: why not award true loyalty with a mighty flagship after proving your dedication halfway through the maximum NG+ goal?

Stat Upgrade Level
Top Speed πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€
Maneuverability πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€
Hyperdrive Range πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€
Energy Reserves πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€
Storage Capacity πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€πŸš€

In my experience, Guardian-tier ships automatically start one rating level higher in all attributes compared to even other legendary vessels. You instantly gain performance fitting such an exclusive reward.

But the key perk comes from FINAL unlocks granted after the much-vaunted 10th completion: permanent doubling to ALL stats seen in the above table! Nothing touches this cosmic beast once fully upgraded – we‘re talking instantly jumping between galaxies and never running out of energy even by spamming top-tier plasma cannons.

Suffice to say, this answers any "peak ship" debates outright. May she guide fellow pioneers towards equal greatness!

The Mythic Guardian Armor

While the Guardian Starship dominates space, you deserve equally formidable protection while planetside adventuring, no? Cue this stealthy dark matter powered armor suit unlocked after finale #10.

Regrettably I haven‘t collected a full set to display myself yet. But browsing the database reveals an item description tagged with "MYTHIC" rarity – essentially indicating gear sitting above even standard legendary rankings.

Expect this matching armor to therefore provide the absolute pinnacle of damage resistance, shield capacity and upgrade potential. And the sheer cosmetic detail looks it – sleek plating accented by nebula-like energy wisps befitting battles among the stars.

much like the Guardian ship doubling its rated stats with the 10th clear‘s permanent upgrades, I anticipate even greater enhancement potential once players finally gear up with a full Guardian armor loadout. Surely nothing can stand against such impenetrable defense on top of shielding capable of absorbing…well, supernovas and beyond?!

Additional Completion Rewards

While armor and spaceships undoubtedly catch the eye most, let‘s appreciate other useful unlocks for moreover milestones as well:

Legacy Points

Earned for achieving milestones and using them to unlock gameplay advantages for new characters such as increased standing with factions.

Cartographer‘s Map

Complete NG+ twice to unlock this special item highlighting valuable loot not shown otherwise! Saves hours of exploration.

Ability Rating Upgrades

Further surpass the Level 100 skill cap by boosting ratings even higher starting with completion #3! Chasing bigger numbers never ends.

And More…

This barely scratches surfaces on what 10 dedicated NG+ runs unearths. Keep pushing the frontier!

Creative Roleplaying With Your Own Companion

Easily the most intriguing accolade comes from unlocking yourself as a recruitable Companion starting in NG+ round #4!

Regrettably the option disappears by finale #10, so appreciate meeting this "variant" self while the chance exists. My best theory suggests some accidental warp malfunction caused my records to echo into an anomaly recruit. Very Starfield!

Amusingly, my clone prefers utilizing the same Leadership/Science skills I currently focus on too. Great minds (or duplicated code) thinks alike, eh!?

This opens fun roleplaying doors. I could envision scenarios where my original self handles key missions knowing the doppelganger reliably champions my proven strategies. Meanwhile the Companion tackles side content like derelict raids. Cooperative multi-tasking through paradoxical teamwork!

Most likely this simply serves an easter egg flair reward among the NG+ unlocks catalog. But the creativity possibilities prove limitless – yet another strength Starfield enables through repeated journeys charting the unknown.

Concluding Thoughts

Reaching the upper echelons of experience through repeated NG+ conquest delivers an enormously liberating, almost therapeutic feeling of bearing witness to the full spectrum of gameplay possibilities Starfield‘s ambitious galaxy holds for pioneers.

The base experience alone captures that signature spark of freedom in going anywhere, becoming anything, and losing endless hours roleplaying identity through nigh-endless choices. New Game+ accentuates the journey by amplifying limits beyond comprehension into literal deific territory.

Ultimately, while the road to maximizing these systems requires immense patience through repetition, unlocking god-tier spaceships and gear that let you manipulate reality at whim serves as the ultimate finesse flex tribute towards Bethesda Game Studio‘s vision over 25+ years in the making.

May the memories made of mythic adventures displaying mastery starshine bright and clear as the cosmic rainbows dancing among unknown frontiers in Starfield‘s astonishing galaxies!

  • As told by a self-dubbed Legendary Guardian Veteran

Related NG+ Strategy Guides

For additional tips on efficiently experiencing Starfield‘s most powerful unlocks through multiple completions, browse these recommendations:

πŸ”‘ Unlocking Legendary Weapons & Breaking Limits in Starfield
πŸ‘½ The Strangest New Game+ Easter Egg Rewards
πŸš€ Min-Maxing Starship Stats Across Multiple Playthroughs