Starfield: Should you persuade or attack the Crimson Fleet commander?

During your first hour or so in Starfield, you will come across the Crimson Fleet, which is the first major faction to attack you. This happens at the mining rig you start at, but the fleet eventually follows you into space. To get them off your tail, VASCO recommends that you head to the Crimson Fleet base on a nearby planet to deal with its commander.

Here, after fighting your way through Crimson Fleet pirates, you will speak to the commander and have the option to either persuade or attack him.

The persuade option is basically getting the Crimson Fleet commander and his troops to not attack you. The commander is after your ship, the Frontier, because of what treasures Constellation might have stored onboard. When you engage in dialogue with the commander, you have the attack and persuade options right from the start.

Persuade or attack the Crimson Fleet commander in Starfield

For starters, if you choose the attack option, you will immediately get shot at by the commander and the two officers on his side. There will also be a ship of four additional pirates that fly in during the fight, making your combat sequence much longer. The commander himself is named Borgan, and he is a level six enemy. You are likely only a level two at this point, so Borgan will take dozens of shots to kill.

Luckily, you can actually shoot an explosive barrel right behind the commander and his two officers at the start of the fight. This kills the officers instantly and damages Borgan. The pirates who fly in during the fight are only level two and don’t put up much of a fight.

Now, on the flip side, if you want to persuade Borgan, you will have to go through some additional dialogue options. You have to use some clever lines to persuade Borgan into not attacking you and taking control of your ship. I used the “trade ships” and “Constellation is an explorer’s group” persuade options to make the commander not attack. Once the commander is persuaded, you can leave the facility and be on your way. The Crimson Fleet won’t bother you again.

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If you have the ammo and enough healing items to keep you going, I fully advise attacking Borgan and the Crimson Fleet. Borgan has a ton of credits, ammo, and a rare weapon on him, which can be a huge help in the early game of Starfield. Of course, if you’re going for a more pacifist run or aren’t confident in your combat abilities, then use the two persuasion options I listed above and you can walk out Scott-free.