How to Recruit Sam Coe in Starfield

Sam Coe is arguably one of the most popular characters in Starfield, and it’s likely thanks to his cowboy persona. Besides being good-looking, the man is great at handling guns and can be a good companion to have while you explore the galaxy. If you want him on your team, you can read this guide to find out how to recruit Sam Coe.

When You Can Recruit Sam Coe in Starfield

You can recruit Sam Coe by completing The Empty Nest main mission, which becomes available once you finish The Old Neighborhood quest. You will need to visit Akila City in the Cheyenne system to investigate the clues about another piece of the Artifact.

Sam believes the map containing the location of the Artifact is stored inside the Galbank. Unfortunately, a group of Shaw gang has decided to rob the bank and take several hostages. I suggest persuading the group to surrender themselves to avoid accidentally hurting innocents.

Once the area is clear, you can head inside the Galbank branch and enter the vault. As expected, another problem arises, and you’ll discover that Sam’s father, Jacob, has taken the map from the safe and left a letter to his son.

Luckily, the man can be found in Akila City, and you must obtain the map from the stubborn old man. The game will offer you three choices: persuade Jacob, ask Cora for help, or steal the map. I suggest convincing the man to give you the item because you only need to get four Persuasion points.

However, you’re also free to steal the map since the game does not seem to give any penalties. I don’t recommend asking Cora for help because Sam won’t approve of your choice.

Once you have the map, you can head over to the cave outside the city. A group of Shaw gang has turned the location into their base, and you must make your way inside. Just be careful of the two turrets if you decide to fight your way in.

After you obtain another piece of Artifact hidden inside, you must exit the cave and face the leader of the outlaw gang, Shaw. She won’t be happy with your actions, and you can either bribe, persuade, or kill the woman.

Regardless of how you deal with Shaw, you can now return to the Lodge to report your progress. The group will have a short discussion, and at the end, you can finally recruit Sam as your companion. Here are his stats:

• Piloting: 4 stars
• Rifle Certification: 3 stars
• Payloads: 2 stars
• Geology: 1 star

I suggest assigning Sam to your starship if you need to increase its cargo capacity. You will even get the ability to fly C-class ships while Sam is around. He’s also a great companion to have during battles, thanks to his ability to use rifles.

Besides recruiting Sam Coe, you can also invite several interesting individuals to join your team in Starfield. I recommend recruiting Barrett since he can provide amazing support when you assign him to your starship.