To board a ship in Starfield, follow these steps:
- Unlock the Targeting Control Systems skill (at least rank 1). This skill lets you target specific ship systems during combat, which is essential for boarding enemy ships
- Engage the target ship in combat and enter targeting mode. Lock onto the enemy vessel and select its shields first using the d-pad (or corresponding controls). Fire on the shields until they are depleted
- Switch targeting to the ship's engines and attack them using ballistics, lasers, or missiles until the engines are disabled. Be careful not to destroy the hull completely, as that will destroy the ship and prevent boarding
- Once the engines are disabled , the ship becomes immobile. Approach within 500 meters, and you will get a prompt to dock (e.g., press X on Xbox or hold R on PC)
- Dock and board the ship. After docking, enter the ship and clear out all hostile crew members room by room. Use grenades if needed to flush out enemies hiding in crew quarters
- Claim the ship by sitting in the pilot's seat. Some ships require a certain Piloting skill level to operate, especially higher-class vessels. If you want to keep the ship, make a jump to another star system to finalize ownership
- You can loot contraband, cargo, and other valuables inside the ship, which can be sold for profit. Be aware that killing the crew is necessary to take control, but you can avoid stealing cargo if rescuing hostages or on missions
In summary, boarding a ship involves disabling its engines via targeted attacks, docking once immobilized, clearing hostiles inside, and then claiming the ship by taking the pilot seat. This process rewards you with loot, XP, and potentially a new ship to use or sell
