How To Stealth Kill Enemies In Starfield 

Starfield's Stealth Kill mechanic allows you to deal high burst damage without being detected in the game.

Using Starfield Stealth Animation to kill enemies has always been a cool feature in Bethesda titles. Starfield allows you to make a stealthy character that takes out enemies using stealth kills. All of it depends on the right set of skills and how you use them in different situations.  

As you may expect, you need to be in a hidden state and ensure you are not being detected. Then, you may perform stealth kills against your target. Read this guide to learn How to Stealth Kill in Starfield.

How Stealth Kills work in Starfield

Any character in Starfield can use Stealth in general, just by crouching. The only condition is that you should have invested at least one skill point into the Stealth skill. You will find it under the Physical skill tree. Without it, you will not be able to see your stealth status.

If you crouch after allocating one skill point to Stealth, the game will show a Stealth bar at the top of your screen. This bar acts as an indicator to show whether an enemy has Detected you and if you are in Danger.  

Investing more skill points in Stealth will make it much easier to do stealth kills in Starfield. You can kill enemies without letting them or their allies know much easier. If you want to build a character with excellent stealth, be ready to save ample skill points to allocate them for this purpose. 

Some players report that Starfield Stealth is broken, and enemies can spot you even from a distance. But you don’t have to worry, as I will share some tips that can help you in Stealth Kills.

Tips to trigger Stealth Kills in Starfield 

Stealth kills happen when you do a surprise attack from behind a target. To enter the stealth state, you need to crouch by pressing the left Ctrl button on PC or B on Xbox. After that, you will find the aforementioned stealth bar on your screen that shows every move your enemy is making. 

1. Level up and rank Stealth Skill 

As discussed earlier, triggering Starfield Stealth Takedown efficiently requires you to put at least one skill point in Stealth skill. This is not a full stop for your stealthy character’s progression. To enhance your character’s stealth, you must invest more skill points in Stealth skills. This will make it even more difficult for enemies to detect you while you are going for a Silent Takedown.  

2. Pick Cyber Runner or Ronin Background

If you want your character to use the basic stealth actions from the beginning of its creation, choose the Cyber Runner or Ronin background for a head start. 

These Backgrounds have the Stealth as a starting Trait so you won’t have to unlock by spending a Skill Point. The only thing remaining is upgrading this skill by using skill points you earn through gameplay grinding.

3. Mod your weapons

Another fantastic way to stealth attack your enemies in Starfield is using knives or silencing your weapons through mod items. You can find quiet lasers or suppressors that may reduce your guns’ noise throughout the game world.

This way, you can shut your enemy down using a handy pistol or rifle without alerting his fellows, leaving for taking out the next one. Using Starfield Stealth Sniper Build is also possible if you want to take down enemies from a long range.

You will have the option to loot suppressed weapons after killing enemies or making a modded weapon yourself. The first option should always be preferred, as it does not need crafting expertise or lengthy procedures for collecting different mod items.

The second option is complex and requires you to be adept in Weapon Engineering (rank 2). Meanwhile, you can also use Starfield Stealth Mod called Stealth Overhaul to reduce NPC detection.

4. Crouch behind enemies 

A sneak attack from behind in Starfield is the easiest way to stealth kill your enemies. Whenever you spot someone alone, walk behind him by slowly crouching forward. Once you are sure no one is around, attack him when you are close to the target. You can consider investing in Martial Arts if you like to use this stealth mode in your gameplay. 

5. Watch the Hidden Meter 

Always watch the hidden stealth meter when going for stealth kills. This way, you will keep noticing if your cover is blown or the enemy is using stealth against you. 

  • If the meter shows Hidden, no one knows your position, and you are completely in safe mode. 
  • If the meter shows Caution, someone is about to find your position, and you should focus more on your moves. 
  • If the meter shows Detected, it means some enemy or NPC has already seen you, and there is no use trying to hide yourself now. 
  • Finally, if you see Danger on the stealth meter, be ready as an enemy has seen you and has launched an attack on your character. 

TIP

Stealth Meter is also pretty useful while pickpocketing and lockpicking.

6. Use melee weapons for Bonus

Stealth Kill melee in Starfield can be performed using a Melee or Suppressed Weapon. By using a Melee Weapon, your Stealth attack will get a bonus on the damage. As these weapons do not make any noise, they will make you even more stealthy.

7. Use the right equipment

Having the right loadout is important for getting good Stealth kills in Starfield. Wear light spacesuits with Camouflage like the Mantis suit or use a Helmet with a Chameleon augment.

Keep items that lower your Detection rate or increase your Stealth at hand. Pair Stealth with good secondary skills like Concealment to improve your movement.

8. Make use of the Damage Multiplier

Sneak attacks add a Sneak Attack Damage multiplier on top of your screen. You will do increased damage during this window. Each kill refreshes the timer of the multiplier, so you can almost always have the extra damage up.

TIP

Weapons with burst fire and shotguns are excellent for Stealth. Each shot from the burst is considered a sneak attack so you can deliver multiple hits in quick succession. The Damage Multiplier also applies to each individual hit.

What to do if Sneak Attack is not working in Starfield?

While doing Starfield Stealth Animation, some players might face an issue in which the sneak attack might not work. This can happen for multiple reasons, such as “using a weapon without a silencer, a slow-firing gun, a companion without a stealth skill, or not attacking while remaining hidden.”

TIP

Having your spacesuit on, being encumbered, or even your companions impact your stealth. Make sure you are alone with the right loadout before sneaking around.

To Fix Starfield Sneak Attack Not Working, we have listed several fixes below:

  • If you are playing Starfield with a companion, your companion must have the Sneak Skill for both of your Sneak Attacks to work. For this, the solution is to add Stealth Skills to your companion.
  • Having a weapon that makes a lot of noise might cause the Sneak attack not to work. Therefore, you can use Suppressed or Silenced Weapons to fix it.
  • Ensure to be in a hidden position, such as Crouching, while doing a Sneak attack. This is an integral part of the sneak attack and will fix the bug.
  • Restarting Starfield will also sometimes fix the bug.
  • You can also update Starfield, where developers might have fixed this Bug.
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Urooj Zia is your local indie games enthusiast who spends the majority of her time farming in Stardew Valley. When she is not obsessing over the virtual world, she likes to guide lost gamers to ...