The Narwhal is a Class C ship in Starfield. The Taiyo Astroneering Corporation manufactures this ship. True to its name, the ship is a behemoth, sporting a good mix of courier and combat capabilities.
In this guide, we’ll go over specifics on acquiring the ship, tweaking it, and comparing it to a similar vessel.
Starfield Narwhal Ship Location
Acquiring the Narwhal starship is a rather straightforward endeavor. Players must talk to Veronica at Taiyo Astroneering in Neon, the only game vendor selling the ship.
Head over to the Volii system, specifically planet Volii Alpha, to get to Neon City. Once there, head past Legrande’s Liquors and into the red corporate building ahead. You’ll see an elevator inside, leading you to Taiyo Astroneering.
Once there, turn right and keep walking until you see the Demo Room to your right. Step right in, and you’ll see Veronica standing in front. Speak to her and ask to see her collection. You can browse the collection of available ships, but the Narwhal will be the last option in Starfield.
Beyond the impressive specs, what’s sure to catch your eye is the enormous price tag. That’s right, this dream ship costs a whopping 455,400 Credits. You can also get Narwhal by entering the Ship ID, 000F3078, in the console command. The following is the complete command that you need to enter:
player.placemeat 000F3076
How to reduce Narwhal’s Price
If you unlock the 4th rank of the Commerce skill, you can reduce The Narwhal’s price by 20%. With that, you can buy it for 364,320 Credits. It’s a noticeable cut, but you’ll still need to come up with some other moneymaking schemes.
Selling Contraband and other valuables could be a nice start. Moreover, you need to unlock the Rank 4 piloting skill to be eligible to fly the spaceship.
Starfield Narwhal Upgrades
While the stock Narwhal is impressive, ship customization lets us improve certain aspects even further. To ensure you have access to all options, ensure your Starship Design perk is level 4.
The first thing you want to look at is weapons. Considering the Narwhal’s primary damage comes from Ballistics and Missiles, it’s only right to prioritize such things.
The Vanguard Obliterator Auto Projector would be a great stand-in if you obtained the Narwhal early. Balancing Shield and Hull damage at 11 each, with a high fire rate of 6.65. As you progress, you may consider something like the Atlatl 270B 68.
Though it sacrifices the high fire rate, its damage dealing is top of the line. Do note with The Narwhal’s Class C reactor, you can upgrade it to 270C for extra speed.
As for shields, a top-of-the-line option would be the Assurance SG-1800 Shield Generator. This one boosts your shield capacity to around 1600, comparable to the tankiest ships. It does cost a pretty penny, though, so if you’re strapped for options, the Vanguard Bulwark Shield Generator is a nice alternative.
You’ll also need good maneuverability, so you aren’t limited to an immobile fortress-style ship. Being a large vessel, the SAL-6330 is a neat option that synergizes well with The Narwhal starship in Starfield.
Narwhal vs Stronghold?
Of course, the Narwhal isn’t the only ship in its class. A popular alternative some players point to would be The Stronghold. Acquired from the Ship Services Technician in Akila City, The Stronghold has its own advantages.
To truly assess the tradeoffs between the two ships, here’s a table showcasing the stats of The Narwhal.
| Narwhal Components | Specs |
| Fuel | 560 |
| Hull | 2118 |
| Cargo Capacity | 1760 |
| Reactor | C 36 |
| Crew Capacity | 7 |
| Jump | 30 Light Years |
| Shield | 995 |
| LAS | 24 |
| BAL | 114 |
| MSL | 86 |
| Mass | 1593 |
And here’s a table that details the specs of The Stronghold ship in Starfield:
| Stronghold Components | Specs |
| Fuel | 2200 |
| Hull | 1047 |
| Cargo Capacity | 2832 |
| Reactor | C 27 |
| Crew Capacity | 6 |
| Jump | 30 Light Years |
| Shield | 1600 |
| LAS | 36 |
| BAL | 48 |
| MSL | N/A |
| Mass | 2030 |
The Stronghold has a definite advantage in cargo capacity, shields, and fuel. If long trips between systems and hauling massive cargo is your focus, it will serve you well. However, there are some clear tradeoffs compared to The Narwhal.
Apart from having a higher mass that impedes maneuverability, the firepower in The Stronghold leaves much to be desired. The Narwhal has impressive stats in the Ballistic and MSL categories. The Stronghold lacks in both, not even supporting Missile weapons in Starfield. Though it has an advantage in beam weapons, it is minor.
Apart from that, while The Stronghold has the stronger base shields, the Hull strength of The Narwhal is far superior. Factoring in Shield upgrades, The Narwhal makes up for the initial disparity quite handily, making it comparatively more resilient.
That said, full employment on both ships also differs. The Stronghold’s crew capacity tops off at 6, while The Narwhal’s caps at 7. This minor stat adds another layer towards optimization. The Ship Command skill only employs 6 crew members at rank 3, and you’ll need to get it to rank 4 for The Narwhal. The Narwhal is perhaps the more well-rounded of the two.
