Groundpounder Walkthrough: Starfield Guide

Groundpounder is a side mission in Starfield, which can be started in two ways. Players can either acquire the mission when exploring the Altair System for the first time, as the first planet you jump to is Altair II. There you will receive a distress call from Private Mahoney, who can’t receive messages back, so the mission immediately starts. The alternative is to reach Aranae IV-A for the first time and receive contact by a freighter ship mentioning the distress call. If players decide to respond to the distress call, the Groundpounder side mission will begin (in my case I received the distress call when I first jumped to Altair).

- Side Mission in Altair System

- Planets: Altair II, Altair I, Altair IV

- Rewards: 330 EXP, Peacekeeper Rare Rifle & 5,000 Credits (Normal Difficulty)

Land at Research Outpost U3–09 on Altair II

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Once you land at the Research Outpost, the objective will immediately change to “Find Private Mahoney” as you will be surrounder by several Spacer enemies.

Find Private Mahoney

Research Outpost U3–09 is filled with Spacers, so prepare for a gunfight. On the plus side, you can loot some Storage — Solid containers, a Storage Box, a Storage Crate, and dead alien creatures, so this is quite a haul before entering the facility.

Research Outpost U3–09 — Conference Room

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Once you enter, head to your right to loot three scientist bodies inside the Conference room for some credits and more.

Research Outpost U3–09 — Research 01, Research Lab, and Security

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Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

The next three areas are also filled with Spacers. You can loot more scientist bodies inside the Research Lab while the Spacers will wait for you in the Security Room. Once you exterminate the five Spacers, you can loot three Ammo Cases, a First Aid Kit, and a Pharmaceutical Kit from the corner next to the stairs down.

Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

While there is a ton more exploring to do in the outpost, you can head downstairs toward the objective now. Once you reach the basement, loot the Storage Box to your left and the Storage Crate to your right.

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Research Outpost U3–09 — Storage

You will find Private Mahoney inside the Storage room on your right side of the basement. She will ask you to head to the infirmary and talk to Corporal Lezama inside the Comms Center once you clear the area of spacers.

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Research Outpost U3–09 — Bathroom

You can head to the Bathroom room to loot a scientist’s body there.

Research Outpost U3–09 — Server Room

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Next, follow the objective marker until you reach the Server Room, where you will encounter four Spacers.

Make sure you loot the Storage Box outside the server room, to your right, before you enter.

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Before you head back upstairs, you can loot a Storage Box inside the Electrical Room.

Research Outpost U3–09 — Cafeteria, Break Room, Comms Center (Infirmary)

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Once upstairs, turn right, and you will encounter around ten Spacers. These are your targets even though to exterminate before Lezema opens the door to the Comms Center, which has been turned into an Infirmary.

You will find a ton of loot here, as the area is a slaughterhouse with dead scientist’s bodies.

Once every Spacer is down, Corporal Lezama will open the door.

Find and Rescue Lieutenant Torres

Inside the Comms Center, Corporal Lezama and Doctor Moussa will instruct you to aid Freestar Militia’s commander, Lieutenant Torres. Torres has barricaded his team inside Doctor Moussa’s office on the facility’s third floor. Note that currently, you are still on the first floor. You will be given the U3–09 Facility Card to help you open locked doors.

Loot the two Ammo Cases, two First Aid Kits, and the Pharmaceutical Kit before you head upstairs.

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Head back to the stairs where you came from. Now, you can unlock the door that leads upstairs with the U3–09 Facility Keycard.

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Research Outpost U3–09 — Second Floor

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The whole second floor is filled with Spacers. However, there are many First Aid and Pharmaceutical Kits, Ammo Cases, Storage Crates, Weapon Cases, and Storage Boxes, so I recommend exploring every room before you get to the third floor.

Research Outpost U3–09 — Third Floor

More Spacers are waiting on the third floor (and thankfully less loot). Once you clean the floor, open the door to Dr. Moussa’s office. Lieutenant Torres will thank you and inform you that UC Captain Myeong was the first to arrive at their rescue, and you should find her inside the Office Room on the second floor.

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You will receive the U3–09 Security Keycard, which you can use on the second floor to reach Captain Myeon inside the Office Room. It also unlocks the door to the Reception on the second floor, where you can loot a Storage Box. Additionally, it unlocks the Hallway door at the Research Lab on the first floor, essentially unlocking all pathways in the facility.

Before you go, loot the Weapon Rack inside the room, and don’t miss the stash of Credsticks.

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To get to Captain Myeong, you must take the stairs on the right side from where you entered, past the Autopsy and Research rooms.

Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

Image Credit: Bethesda via OG

You will face two more Spacers before you enter the Office Room, where the Captain is holed down.

Talk to Captain Myeong

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Unfortunately, before you talk to Captain Myeong and her Lieutenant, you must rescue them from a group of about 8 to 10 Spacers that enter the room from the other entrance. I just bombarded them with grenades and took out the rest of them with my pistol (however, my pistol is the Ambassador, so it’s almost like cheating).

Once you deal with them, you will have secured Research Outpost U3–09.

However, this is not enough, as the Spacers will keep coming.

To complete Groundpounder, we must attack the Research Camp elsewhere on Altair II to ensure the Spacers’ forces are significantly hampered. Don’t forget to loot the Science Crate before you return to your ship.

Take Your Ship to the Research Camp on Altair II

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Open your missions log and “Set Course” to the objective. Get ready for a fight!

Eliminate the Spacers at the Research Camp

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It almost felt like the Spacers were waiting for us. When you land, you will face 7–8 more Spacers shooting at you. After dealing with the Spacers, loot the Storage Crate outside the Airlock and then head into the Hab.

Talk with Survivors

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Talk to the Freestar Militia Captain at the Research Camp to receive more commendations and an acknowledgment that you are hero. You can now return to Lieutenant Torres.

Talk to Lieutenant Torres

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After you are thanked again, you must now deal with Spacers in Altair I’s orbit and Altair V’s orbit — time for some space combat to end this. Because, you know, if you don’t kill them all, they may come back.

Deal with Spacers in Altair I’s Orbit

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Three Spacer ships will be waiting for you here, a level 10, a level 12, and a level 18 one. If you have unlocked 1–2 Piloting Ranks and 1–2 Targeting Control Systems Ranks you shouldn’t have much of a problem here.

Deal with Spacers in Altair V’s Orbit

The enemies here are similar to the previous fight, just make sure you repair your ship before you fast-travel to Altair V’s orbit.

Land on Research Outpost U3–09

This should be over by now, right? As it turns out, it isn’t, as Spacers have invaded the outpost once again.

Defeat the Spacer Invasion

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You should expect to encounter more than 20 Spacers this time. The first groups are spread out around the landing area, but the ones after them are quite packed and easy to take out with grenades. Once you are done, it’s time to talk to Lieutenant Torres once again and complete Groundpounder.

Talk to Lieutenant Torres

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Talk to Lieutenant Torres to complete Groundpounder and receive 300 EXP, 5,000 Credits (Normal game difficulty), and the Peacekeeper Rare Rifle.

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