Starfield: 10 Best Items For Research & Crafting

Starfield is such a vast sandbox of a game that players can really approach it however they want. They can follow the main storyline and play the game primarily as a looter-shooter. Alternatively, they can go for the space pirate route and barely ever get off their ship except to board other ships they're raiding.

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But, there is also a large portion of Starfield players going the 'technician' route where they specialize in research, weapon mods, armor mods, and pharmaceuticals. For that route specifically, (or for anyone wondering if they should invest in the Science Skill Tree) let's go over the resources players are going to want to hoard early, as they're used in quite a few Research Projects and mods.

10 Inorganic Resource: Aluminum

First up is Aluminum, and this is by far one of the most commonly used minerals across the entire starfield. Because of this, players are going to want to get an Outpost set up on any Planet (with Aluminum deposits) that's actively extracting Aluminum into a Transfer Container at all times. Just for reference, this mineral is used in over 10 Research Projects, over 12 Weapon Mods, and in some of the most common Industrial Goods, so gathering hundreds of this mineral is actually worth doing.

9 Organic Resource: Polymer

Moving on to the Organic Resources with the Exotic Organic Resource called Polymer. Players will find Polymer is needed in just about any technical skill they spec into, be it weapon mods, equipment mods, industrial components, or Outpost Management (though this Skill's Challenges can be a bit of a pain).

However, players will probably need the Polymer the most for Research Projects in the mid to late-game, as it pops up in a lot of the second-level Research Projects. Like most Organic Resources such as Amino Acids or Adhesive, Polymer isn't reliably obtained really anywhere (unless there's a Greenhouse/Animal Husbandry route that hasn't been found yet). So, it's best to just always keep an eye out for it at even NPC Vendor.

8 Inorganic Resource: Titanium

Titanium is a mineral that players will want to start hoarding as early as possible but is also one that doesn't really start appearing in that many Research Projects until players get to the 2nd and 3rd versions. However, it's also a mineral that's used pretty often across all the different weapon mods, so if players want to really trick out their weapons, they're going to want a lot of this space rock. Additionally, the more complex players get with their Outpost Module Research and Module building, the more they'll see Titanium pop up as a necessary resource.

7 Organic Resource: Adhesive

A bit of glue goes a long way when it comes to crafting. Obviously Adhesive is a bit stronger of an Organic Resource than some basic bottle of glue, but the intent on how it's used in reality can help players sort of 'guess' which Research Projects and Crafting Recipes will need Adhesive without even looking.

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Polymer and Adhesive are pretty much the two Organic Resources everyone's going to be fiending for when they're trying to advance all their Outpost and Weapon Research Projects. Thankfully, since it starts with an A, it's quick to see at a glance if any NPC Vendor has some to sell.

6 Inorganic Resource: Tungsten

Next up is another mineral that players likely won't realize they're low on until they're just about to place that Outpost module they were excited about. Tungsten shows up in a couple of weapon mods but where players will primarily find that they're in need of it is with Research Projects. Just to name a few, Tungsten is needed in both Manufacturing Projects, in both Horticulture Projects, it's part of multiple Helmet Mods, as well as Muzzle Mods. Additionally, it pops up in more than a couple of Outpost modules as well, so it also goes on the list of things to 'always keep an eye out for'.

5 Manufactured Component: Zero Wire

Zero Wire is a bit of a unique inclusion because, though it does appear in quite a lot of Projects, blueprints, and Outpost Modules, it doesn't appear as often as most of the other minerals and resources on this list. However, when Zero Wire does pop up as a requirement, it's usually for something that's incredibly crucial to what the players trying to currently achieve, rather than something that prevents them from crafting a simple storage container or something similar. Zero Wire is needed for some of the strongest Weapon Mods and it pops up in just about any Outpost Module that players assume would need some complex wiring to build.

4 Inorganic Resource: Copper

Copper, Aluminum, and Iron are the most basic 'Common' minerals to be found in Starfield. Yet, unless players get started with their mining operations early on, they'll find they're always just barely short on what they need with any one of these minerals.

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With Copper, it pops up in around 4 or 5 Research Projects, a few weapon mods, and a few armor mods, but it's the Outpost Modules where players will quickly discover they'll need it the most.

3 Organic Resource: Sealant

A lot of the resources on here are ones that, after reading their name, readers might think 'Oh yeah that would be used in a lot of things', and Sealant is another example of that. Of course, if someone is building all sorts of complex machinery, slapping new shielding onto their equipment, and strapping explosives to their guns, they're going to need some Sealant to make sure everything is airtight and protected. Thankfully, it does seem to be easier to come by out in the exploration part of Starfield than some of the other Organic Resources. And, this is even more true when it's harvested from the wildlife on different planets, though Sealant is still worth looking for in just about every shop.

2 Inorganic Resource: Iron

Iron, for the purposes of a resource in Starfield, is pretty much the same as Copper in almost every single way. Both minerals commonly have veins or deposits that show up on most temperate planets, either is almost always included in the resources that players need to scan for survey completion, and both are used in a whole lot of Outpost Modules. However, where Iron differs a bit from Copper is simply that it's used in a bit more recipes overall. And, as players advance their crafting skills, Iron does start to pop up even more often.

1 Manufactured Component: Adaptive Frame

Out of all the Industrial Components, Adaptive Frames probably pop up the most, at least between levels 1-40ish. Thankfully, they're one of the easiest Industrial Components to make, only needing a single Aluminum and a single Iron to craft each one. But, in exchange, players will need to craft a lot of them (especially for certain Supply Missions).

Obviously, they're used less in weapon mods and Research Projects than a lot of other inclusions on this list, but they're used in a ton of different Outpost Modules to make up for it.

Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

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