As an interstellar traveler in Starfield, you’ll come across many unique and powerful weapons during your journey across the Settled Systems. Among the wide arsenal you can equip, Particle Beam weapons stand out as some of the most devastating guns you can get your hands on. Mixing physical and energy damage, Particle Beams melt through enemies whether you’re in the middle of a firefight or picking them off from a distance.
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Best Particle Beam Weapons
In this guide, I’ll rank Starfield’s top 4 Particle Beam weapons based on stats, abilities, and acquisition difficulty. I’ve spent hours experimenting with these guns in-game to provide the best recommendations on which ones are worth hunting down.
4. Va’Ruun Starshard
This exotic particle pistol surpasses the Novalight with 106 total damage per shot, giving it incredible stopping power. It retains Novalight’s 70.1% accuracy rating as well. The Va’Ruun Starshard does have a reduced fire rate of 12, but it makes up for this with raw damage output.
At a range of 30, the Starshard excels at medium-range combat. I found it great for clearing out buildings and waves of enemies that get up close. You can purchase it from Neon Tactical vendors once you reach around level 20.
3. Big Bang
The aptly named Big Bang particle shotgun lives up to its name, delivering huge AoE damage perfect for close-quarters crowd control. Each blast deals 126 total damage split between physical and energy damage.
While the Big Bang only has a 20-meter range and mere 54.7% accuracy, its sheer damage potential at close range is unrivaled. If you’re getting swarmed by enemies, the Big Bang will easily wipe them out. You can purchase it from multiple vendors like UC Exchange and Centaurian Arsenal.
2. Va’Ruun Inflictor
This particle rifle is a straight upgrade to the Va’Ruun Starshard pistol, boasting 151 total damage per shot along with an increased 70% accuracy rating and 50-meter range. It retains the Starshard’s solid fire rate as well at 25.
With excellent base stats across the board, the Va’Ruun Inflictor excels at both close-quarters and long-range combat. When used up close, it can reliably take out enemies from a distance or clear out rooms. You can purchase it from Centaurian Arsenal once you reach around level 30.
1. Eternity’s Gate
The legendary Eternity’s Gate is hands down the most powerful Particle Beam in Starfield. With specialized perks like Skip Shot and Anti-Personnel on top of its base 67 damage (17 Physical & 50 Energy), this rifle obliterates human enemies. It also boasts an outstanding 81.6% accuracy rating and a 60-meter range.
Eternity’s Gate is extremely ammo efficient and can reliably take out enemies from long range with critical damage; you can essentially call it a sniper. You can acquire it late in the main story campaign during a pivotal decision moment. While difficult to obtain, Eternity’s Gate’s sheer performance makes it the undisputed best Particle Beam weapon in Starfield.
Summing up
While all Particle Beams can be viable, these four options have the best overall combat performance. Here’s a quick overview of their rankings:
| Weapon | Type | Total Damage | Acquisition Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eternity’s Gate | Rifle | 67 | Very Hard |
| Va’Ruun Inflictor | Rifle | 151 | Hard |
| Big Bang | Shotgun | 126 | Easy |
| Va’Ruun Starshard | Pistol | 106 | Medium |
Particle Beams stand out from other weapons with their mixed damage output, so they’re worth hunting down if you want an edge over enemies.
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Hopefully, my guide will help you decide which to pursue as you venture through the Settled Systems!