No Man’s Sky Guide: Combat Tips for Beginners

Planetary and Space

Multi-tools and Starships

Both your Multi-tool and your Starship can be upgraded to have different ways of firing. The base Multi-tool blast is your Minelaser, which is primarily used for mining elements from the planets. While it can do a decent amount of damage to low-tier Sentinels and some animals, it isn’t the best thing on the market. You’ll want the Boltcaster technology which turns your Multi-tool into a bona fide weapon as well as the Plasma Launcher, which is essentially a grenade launcher. With certain modifications, you can fine-tune the weapon to your playstyle, making combat a bit easier in No Man’s Sky.

Your Starship works similarly, relying on technology you can install to alter how it fires. You start with a Photon Cannon which is more than capable of taking out smaller Starships, but you can add different types of blasts, including a powerful beam weapon.

You don’t want to stick to the starting gear for long, as threats become more powerful down the line. Sure, you can avoid them more often than not, but you should still always be prepared. 

Keep It Moving

One of the best things you can do while in combat with anything is to keep it moving. Standing still or flying in a straight line will only make you a much easier target when facing off against opponents in No Man’s Sky. Animals will charge at you, Sentinels will surround you, and enemy ships will make sure to keep you in their sights, so don’t make their jobs any simpler.

When on foot, jump around a lot and try to keep to your enemy’s side. Not many attacks cover a wide area, so if you stay to the side you can usually avoid all damage. Of course, this is harder to do when fighting a group, but pick one target at a time. In the air, just always try to get behind or beside your enemy. Behind is the easiest to manage with a quick loop and a few turns. It will also ensure that the enemy stays in your crosshairs.

When Fighting With Your Starship, Aim for the Circle

While fighting other ships in No Man’s Sky, you may have noticed that a circle appears near the ship. That circle is where you want to aim for as it’s your ship’s computer targeting system that helps you lead the shot.

Aiming directly at a ship will only help you if you happen to be flying directly behind it or if you’re really close to the ship you’re trying to destroy. Aiming at the circle, however, will ensure that you land every single shot from your Photon Cannons or whatever other weapon you happen to be using. 

Keep Your Weapons Charged

Technology in No Man’s Sky needs to be charged after enough usage, and that holds true for the weapons as well. Weapons use Isotopes to keep a charge, and while the charge for some of them lasts pretty long, they still do deplete. The worst thing to have happen is be in the middle of a particularly tough fight and you can’t fire anymore because you forgot to charge. Now you’re stuck running from some particularly dangerous enemies with no means of defending yourself.

Make sure to check your inventory every once in a while, especially if you’ve been on a collecting frenzy. Also, keep a healthy stock of Isotopes both in your ship and your Exosuit. 

The Easiest Fights are the Ones You Avoid

One of the best tips for combat in No Man’s Sky is to avoid it when you can. The easiest way to not get shot is to have nobody shooting at you in the first place. This is sometimes easier said than done, but you usually have a warning before combat ensues. Sentinels don’t just attack for no reason, and you’ll get a warning when pirates are about to attack.

Use that to your advantage to get the heck out of whatever area you’re in. If you feel you don’t have time or the ability to do so, then you can also plan out your strategy. Find a good position, ready your weapons, and charge up your shields.