How to Hide Contraband Starfield? Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield?

Learn to hide and sell Contraband in Starfield. Discover how to avoid detection and find the best places to make a profit in our guide.

by Indraprakash | Updated Sep 21, 2023

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Contraband in Starfield

In Starfield, players will quickly realize that the criminal underworld thrives in the settled systems. You'll come across a highly valuable resource called Contraband early in the game when credits are scarce.

The Contraband system in Starfield is quite intricate. To even have a shot at smuggling it and selling it to a merchant, you need to meet specific criteria. Moreover, finding a shady merchant willing to buy Contraband isn't a straightforward task. However, as you explore the galaxy, you'll uncover the secrets to successfully smuggling Contraband.

You can obtain Contraband through various means, such as looting or as part of the story. However, once it's in your possession, the challenge begins. Whenever your ship enters a settled system, it undergoes a scan to detect illegal goods, specifically Contraband. During the scanning process, a complex set of mechanics comes into play to determine whether the Contraband is discovered. To keep your precious cargo safe, you'll need to follow several steps.

Once you've successfully avoided detection, the next task is finding a merchant willing to buy Contraband items. This, in itself, can be quite a mission. Some vendors might even require you to complete a small task to prove your trustworthiness.

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How to Hide Contraband Starfield?

When it comes to hiding contraband in Starfield, understanding the mechanics is crucial. The key factor that determines whether your ship can avoid detection by scanners is the cargo hold. Starfield's beginner ship, The Frontier, has a standard cargo hold and is easily detected. To avoid getting caught, you have a few options:

Purchase from Rare Parts Dealers: 

  • You can buy shielded cargo holds and scan jammers from rare parts dealers like the Crimson Fleet and The Red Mile. The Red Mile is a better choice since you can access it without joining the Crimson Fleet. Look for Lon Anderssen in Ship Services as soon as you enter The Red Mile.

Commandeer a Ship through Piracy: 

  • Use the Targeting Systems skill to disable a ship's engines, making it possible to take control of the ship. You can check if a ship has a shielded cargo space by looking beneath the total cargo capacity gauge in the Ship Overview.

Receive through Quests: 

  • Completing certain quests can reward you with free ships. For example, completing the "Mantis" side quest can get you the Razorleaf, a ship with a Shielded Capacity of 160. You can start the "Mantis" quest by reading the "Secret Outpost!" slate, found on Spacers during the "Groundpounder" side quest. This quest involves infiltrating a secret superhero hideout on Denebola I-b, a moon of Denebola I in the Denebola system.

Once you have a ship with a shielded cargo hold, remember to stow your contraband inside before attempting to jump to settled systems. Planets with major cities, like Jemison (with New Atlantis) and Akila (with Akila City), pose the greatest risk.

With contraband safely stored in a shielded hold, the HUD will display your chances of passing a scan. A basic shielded hold with a small amount of contraband typically shows a 59% chance of success. To improve your odds, consider these methods:

  • Scan Jammer: This item is rare, and it's more likely to be found on a ship you commandeer rather than for sale. Finding one for purchase is extremely unlikely.
  • Payloads Skill: The Payloads skill, according to the game, increases your chances of evading detection.

Keep in mind that carrying contraband in your personal inventory will always be detected, so always store it in your ship's cargo hold.

Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield?

If you want to make some quick credits in Starfield, selling contraband is a shady but profitable option. Contraband refers to illegal items like harvested organs, and you can find them in enemy buildings and ships or locked up in security stations. However, selling contraband can be risky because local security scans your ship for it when you enter major settled systems. You can avoid getting caught by having shielded cargo or by quickly leaving the area before they finish scanning your ship.

Instead of dealing with the hassle of hiding contraband, we recommend selling it at a place called The Den. The Den is a space station located in The Wolf system, which is near Sol and Alpha Centauri. The great thing about The Den is that you won't get scanned when you arrive, even though it's a UC military structure. Here's how you do it:

  • Approach The Den until you see the docking prompt (within 500 meters).
  • Dock your ship.
  • Inside the station, head to the Trade Authority vendor, which is to the left after the entryway.

The Trade Authority vendor at The Den has 11,000 credits, which means you can sell your contraband quickly and easily. You can even reset the vendor's credits by waiting for 48 hours. Just sit or sleep for 24 hours, then do it once more, and the vendor will have 11,000 credits again. There are chairs nearby for your convenience, so you can wait comfortably.

Selling contraband at The Den is a great way to make money in Starfield without the risk of getting caught. And if you want to maximize your profits, consider investing in the Commerce Skill early on. This social skill allows you to sell items for 10% more, and it becomes even more lucrative as you level it up.

Starfield

Starfield, an action role-playing game from Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, made its debut announcement at E3 in 2018. This highly anticipated title marks Bethesda's first new intellectual property in a quarter of a century. Released on September 6, 2023, for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, the game is set in a captivating space-themed environment.

Critics generally responded positively to Starfield, commending its expansive open-world design, immersive setting, and captivating soundtrack. However, the game's storyline garnered mixed reviews, showing that opinions on this aspect of the game vary among players.

Starfield represents a significant leap into the science fiction genre for the studio. As players explore the vast reaches of space and navigate the complexities of the game's universe, it has generated excitement and intrigue among both fans and critics alike.

Starfield Gameplay

Starfield is an action role-playing video game that offers players the flexibility to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives at any point in the game. Set within an open-world environment located in the Milky Way galaxy, this vast game world encompasses both fictional and non-fictional planetary systems.

Players have the freedom to land on over 1,000 planets, along with an unspecified number of moons and space stations. The landscapes within the game are primarily procedurally generated, with subsequent manual modifications and the addition of handcrafted content. The game dynamically generates terrain, alien flora and fauna, and points of interest as players approach different planets.

As players explore this expansive universe, they encounter various non-playable characters (NPCs) who may join their crew. These NPCs can assist in combat, carry items, or engage in dialogues on the player's behalf. Some NPCs even respond to the player's choices, making for immersive interactions.

Players can customize their silent protagonist character at the beginning of the game, selecting body type, appearance, background, and traits, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. As the player progresses, they gain experience, level up, and unlock abilities across five distinct skill trees: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. The game offers a wide range of customizable weapons, jetpacks for improved mobility, and the ability to construct outposts and spaceships.

These spaceships can be customized and used for trading, combat, and exploration, with ship combat involving power allocation and boarding options for other NPC-piloted ships. Resource scanning and extraction, outpost construction, and crafting are also integral aspects of the gameplay.

Starfield Trailer

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How to Hide Contraband Starfield - FAQs

1. How do I avoid getting caught with Contraband in Starfield?

Use shielded cargo holds and avoid scans in settled systems.

2. Where can I find Contraband to sell in Starfield?

You can obtain Contraband through looting and story-related situations.

3. What's the risk of carrying Contraband in personal inventory?

Contraband in your personal inventory will always be detected, so store it in your ship's cargo hold.

4. Can I buy Contraband from vendors in Starfield?

It's challenging to find vendors willing to sell Contraband, but some might require completing small missions.

5. Are there in-game skills that help with Contraband smuggling?

The Payloads skill can increase your chances of evading detection during scans.