Fallout Tactics

Fallout Tactics

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Fallout Tactics - Builds for Main & Recruits
By Wakko
A collection of builds for an effective squad
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Introduction
I was looking into how to set up an effective squad and found there was a painful lack of information on the subject, and whatever information was available was very scattered and incomplete. Which is why I decided to compile some builds for a viable squad.

Note that there are a few bugs with some perks and mechanics, which either makes them too good or useless. The Sniper perk is the most notable one, which does not get the full effect.
However, there is a fix for it, and the easiest solution is to get the Fallout Tactics Scripting Engine which includes several other fixes.
Get it here: https://www.nma-fallout.com/threads/216025/


Notice
The Sniper perk has been confirmed to only work with certain weapons, it has therefore been removed from all gunner builds. Read this post for more information:
https://www.nma-fallout.com/threads/fallout-tactics-scripting-engine-0-50a.216025/page-5#post-4346413
I'll try to compile a list of which weapons it works with, but for now I can tell you that all weapons classified as "Long range" works. This includes the Hunting Rifle, Sniper Rifle, M1 Garand and Gauss Rifle.


Mechanics
Before we get started on the builds, I'll clarify some things that may not be obvious when reading the builds.

I decided to create a separate guide for the mechanics as it ended up taking more space than intended and was outside the scope of this guide.

You can find it here: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2810446405
The guide explains your SPECIAL, Perks, Skills and Experience & Level gain.

Squad Composition
The way I see it, there's 4 main combat classes you can build your characters into.
That's the Big Gunner, Small Gunner, Sniper and Fighter.
You can build your main into any one of these, but it's recommended to go for a Big Gunner to get you through the mid-game. The reason is that the potential Big Gun recruits all suck, while you can get very good recruits for the other classes.
Nonetheless I'll make some builds for all the classes, if you want go a different route.

The recommended squad composition is:
1 Sniper, 1 Big Gunner, 2 Small Gunners, 2 Fighters

This is by no means an absolute rule. Players have cleared the game with 6 Snipers and even solo, so you could use any composition you like.

A squad of 4 fighters, 1 hybrid Sniper/Gunner and 1 hybrid Big Gun/Gunner might be fun, and probably even viable since fighters are good in all stages of the game.

Now, let's get on to the builds!
- Main Character -
Big Guns
Charming Destroyer
- High Charisma Big Gun build
Class:
Big Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 09 3 8 6 9 6
6 10 4 8 6 9 6
Traits:
Gifted
Fast Shot
Tags:
Small Guns
Big Guns
Doctor/Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Leader
4
Level 4, CH6
+1 agi,+10 AC to party in proximity
Save your level 3 perk
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
You could save this perk in order to get both Divine Favor and Bonus Rate of Fire at level 15.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk.
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Divine Favor
15
Level 14, CH8
+1 highest SPECIAL, -1 perk rate
With Divine Favor you get a perk every 2 levels instead of every 3.
Bonus Rate of Fire
17
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
19
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals
21
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Sharpshooter
23
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Action Boy (1)
25
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Action Boy (2)
27
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want

This is a high charisma build that will give you access to recruits as soon as possible, as you will rank up very quickly.

The high charisma build also allows you to get Divine Favor which raises your highest SPECIAL, in this case Perception, and gives you an additional perk starting at level 25 (Since you have to spend 1 perk point on DF).
We're going for the Leader perk, so we need to have 9 agility to reach the maximum of 12 agility with psycho, as we won't get the +1 agi buff from Leader on this character.

We also go for 3 endurance so we'll have to get the Elixir of Life from a special encounter to get our endurance up to 4, which is required by the Lifegiver perk.

You could go for 6 intelligence and keep endurance at 4 if you don't want to look for the special encounter.

Tags:
Big Guns is obvious.
Small Guns should be taken to get you through early game. However, you could take another secondary skill and read a few skill books to compensate for your low skill.
Doctor would be my recommendation for the third tag, since all the doctor recruits are terrible and there are no skill books for the doctor skill.

Sneak is a common choice, but imo is not that useful in CTB (All though even worse in TB), especially for a big gunner.
Barter, Steal, Repair, Science, Traps, Gambling and Pilot are all either not very useful or can be covered by recruit specialists.
Outdoorsman is useful, but doesn't provide any benefit above 100% skill, which makes a tag unnecessary in my opinion. There's also skill books, and it can be covered by a recruit.
You could go for Lockpick or First Aid, but first aid has skill books and lockpick can be covered by recruits.
Throwing is a viable option, but very situational.

Traits:
Fast Shot reduces the AP cost of ranged weapons by 1, which is huge for gunners, but you can't do aimed shots, so don't take it for snipers.
Gifted is necessary to get enough stat points to meet all the requirements we need.

The build was recommended by Nerd Commando Game Studios @ Youtube.
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYy_8Wp3Lqs


The Annihilator
- Low Charisma Big Gun build
Class:
Big Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 10 3 1 6 8 6
6 10 4 1 6 8 6
Traits:
Kamikaze
Fast Shot
Tags:
Small Guns
Big Guns
Doctor/Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Save your level 3 perk.
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Better Criticals
18
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Sharpshooter
21
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Action Boy (1)
24
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Action Boy (2)
27
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want

This is my own variation of the Charismatic Big Gunner. After taking a quick look at the recruits and their potential I came to the conclusion that almost all of the recruits from rank 4 and up are completely terrible. Because of this, the value of a high charisma build drops dramatically.

Even the 2 recruits touted as the absolute best endgame gunners, Dos and Clarise, were not as good as advertised (in my opinion). In fact, the rank 1 and 2 recruits can be built to be much better. You can get the best recruits after the 1st or at worst 2nd mission.

I decided to go for 3 endurance and get the Elixir of Life from the special encounter to meet the Lifegiver requirement of 4 endurance.
If you don't wanna do that, you could go for 5 Strength or 9 Perception and keep endurance at 4.

Since our charisma is low we can't pick up Leader, so another recruit will have to cover it. This allows us to get away with 8 agility.

Tags:
Same as high charisma build.

Traits:
Fast Shot reduces the AP cost of ranged weapons by 1, which is huge for gunners, but you can't do aimed shots, so don't take it for snipers.
Kamikaze for more damage. With a low charisma build, you can drop Gifted.
Gunner
Commander
- Small Guns Build
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 10 4 6 7 9 6
Traits:
Gifted
Fast Shot/Kamikaze
Tags:
Small Guns
Energy Guns
Doctor/Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Leader
4
Level 4, CH6
+1 agi,+10 AC to party in proximity
Save your level 3 perk
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals
21
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Action Boy (1)
24
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want

If you want to play a gunner, there's not that much of a difference in the build from a big guns user.
You have a bit more freedom with your SPECIALs, since you don't need 6 strength to equip big guns. I put the point into endurance to make my life easier, so I don't have to find the special encounter. You could also take 2 points from perception into charisma if you want to go for a high charisma build.

Tags:
Small Guns, obviously.
Energy Weapons for endgame, as small guns become useless once you start encountering robots.
Doctor because there are no good doctor recruits available.
Alternatively, sneak, lockpick and throwing are viable options.

See High Charisma Big Gun build for info on other options.

Traits:
Gifted for the SPECIALs.
Fast Shot: -1 AP cost for ranged weapons, disables aimed shots. Really great for gunners.
OR
Kamikaze: +25% Damage. No AC from Agility. If you want to do aimed shots. The AC loss is insignificant.


Brigand
- Low Charisma Small Guns Build
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 10 4 1 6 8 6
Traits:
Kamikaze
Fast Shot
Tags:
Small Guns
Energy Guns
Doctor
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Save your level 3 perk.
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Better Criticals
18
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want
Sharpshooter
21
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
These final 3 perks are not critical.
Action Boy (1)
24
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP
You can change the order, or choose any perk you like.
Action Boy (2)
27
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP

This is a low charisma small guns build. It's identical to the low charisma big guns build, except for the SPECIALs and Tags.


Tags:
Small Guns, obviously.
Energy Weapons for endgame, as small guns become useless once you start encountering robots.
Doctor for the same reason as before. There are no good doctor recruits available.
Alternatively, Sneak, Lockpick and Throwing are viable options.

See High Charisma Big Gun build for info on other options.

Traits:
Fast Shot: -1 AP cost for ranged weapons, disables aimed shots.
Kamikaze: +25% Damage, no AC from Agility.

Getting both Fast Shot and Kamikaze is the whole point of a low charisma build.

Sniper
Leading Sniper
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 10 4 6 7 9 6
Traits:
Gifted
Kamikaze
Tags:
Small Guns
Lockpick/Traps
Doctor/Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Leader
4
Level 4, CH6
+1 agi,+10 AC to party in proximity
Save your level 3 perk.
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Save your level 6 perk. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
12
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
More Criticals /Action Boy
21
Level 6, LK6 /Level 12, AG5
+5% Crit chance /+1 AP
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]

The SPECIALs here are pretty much the same as the gunner. High perception is king for a sniper, as well as high agility.

As you may have noticed the sniper build has no Lifegiver perk, which frees up a lot of space for other perks. The Sharpshooter perk is a must for any self-respecting sniper.
At level 18 you've pretty much got all the important perks, and you're free to get whatever you want. More Criticals and Action Boy are both decent choices for combat, however they're not vital, so you could go for some more flavorful perks. Such as Tunnel Rat or Team Player or whatever suits you.

Note that Team Player is bugged in the current version, but there is a fix, so make sure you get that if you're going for this perk. This will also fix Loner, which suffers from the same bug, where Loner is always active and Team Player is never active.

This build has the Leader perk which is perhaps not the best choice for a sniper who may be far away from the rest of the group. You could skip it and get Bonus Ranged Damage at level 6, and then either More Criticals or Action Boy at level 18.

Tags:
Small Guns, obviously.
Sneak is a viable option for a sniper, but not really critical.
Doctor for the same reason as before; there are no good doctor recruits available.

Alternatively, Lockpick or Traps is a viable option. Throwing is not really great for a sniper who is meant to be miles away from their targets. You could go for Energy Weapons to snipe robots, but it's not really necessary. The Sniper Rifle gets a range modifier bonus, which the energy rifles do not get. And range is a sniper's greatest strength, no?

Traits:
Gifted for the SPECIALs.
Kamikaze for the 25% damage increase.

Skilled Sniper
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 10 4 1 6 8 6
Traits:
One Hander
Kamikaze
Tags:
Small Guns
Lockpick/Traps
Doctor/Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
6
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Save your level 3 perk.
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Save your level 6 perk. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
12
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
More Criticals / Action Boy / Flavor
18
Level 6, LK6 / Level 12, AG5
+5% Crit chance / +1 AP
Choose any perk you want here. Tunnel Rat, Silent Running, Loner, Night Vision, Tag! are some examples of useful perks.
More Criticals / Action Boy / Flavor
21
Level 6, LK6 / Level 12, AG5
+5% Crit chance / +1 AP
Choose any perk you want here.
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]

This is a low charisma variation without Gifted that will get a lot of skill points and freedom with perks.

Tags:
Same as above.

Traits:
Kamikaze for the 25% damage increase.
There aren't really any other good traits to choose, but One Hander does have some use:
The One Hander trait increases your Small Guns skill by 10% as a modifier, rather than increasing the base skill. This means you can get 10 more skill% before the cost increases.

I.e. at 100-109%, the cost is still 1 point, 110-134 the cost is 2 points, etc. All perks that increase skill works the same way (such as Loner).
Fighter
Charismatic Berserker
Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
8 6 5 8 5 9 6
Traits:
Gifted
Kamikaze
Tags:
Unarmed
Doctor
Throwing/Lockpick/Traps
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Leader
4
Level 4, CH6
+1 agi,+10 AC to party in proximity
Save your level 3 perk. Hit the Deck is an option here.
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Save your level 6 perk. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Lifegiver (1/2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2/2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Divine Favor
15
Level 14, CH8
+1 highest SPECIAL, -1 perk rate
With Divine Favor you get a perk every 2 levels instead of every 3.
Bonus HtH Attacks
17
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Bonus HtH Damage (1/3)
19
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Bonus HtH Damage (2/3)
21
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8, Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.
Save your level 23 perk.
Bonus HtH Damage (3/3)
25
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Hit the Deck
27
Level 4, AG6
-50% damage from AoE attacks

The unarmed build is only viable in real time mode, so if you play turn-based, I would not recommend this build. But then again, FOT was never tuned or tested for turn-based combat, so...
play real time mode.

In this build I've gone for the Leader perk. If it's provided elsewhere you can go for Bonus HtH Damage at level 3 or Hit the Deck at level 4 instead.

One of the unarmed build's greatest strengths is it's ability to lock down enemies with CC effects from critical hits, which is why we go for Better Criticals to get those CC effects more reliably. Until you get Slayer at lvl 24, you should really use your fighters in a group of 2 or 3, as you won't be able to lock down your target effectively on your own.

Since your crit chance is low (before Slayer) you might want to consider using aimed attacks, as aimed attacks increase your crit chance equal to the accuracy penalty of the targeted body part.
eyes: 60%, head: 40%, groin+arms: 30%, legs: 20%, torso: 0%
This will require a higher unarmed skill, though, as you'll need to offset the accuracy penalty. Normally you'd never need more than 125-130 unarmed skill, but if you use aimed attacks, consider going higher.


EDIT: 6 Perception is needed for Better Criticals, so points were re-allocated there.

Tags:
Unarmed is actually not necessary, since you won't need that much skill, so you can tag another skill instead.
Doctor for your second, since there are no good doctors among the recruits.
Throwing is a decent secondary skill.

Sneak is not really useful for an unarmed fighter, as you'll need so many points into it to get close, and it's just not worth it. Lockpick/Traps are viable options.
Melee Weapons are terrible.
Don't use Melee Weapons.
Unarmed is the sh*t.


Traits:
Kamikaze for the 25% damage.
Gifted for the SPECIALs, there's really no good alternatives.

Heavy Handed reduces your crit effect roll by 20, which is terrible for a fighter who relies on CC crit effects. Bruiser is also terrible as it reduces your action points, and you'll easily max out strength with power armor anyway. Finesse is also not a great option as it reduces your damage by 25% and becomes obsolete when you get Slayer. One Hander is okay, but not really needed;
SPECIALs are more important.


The build was recommended by Nerd Commando Game Studios @ Youtube.
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGPhH3F-KKQ


Kung-fu Fiend
Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
9 6 9 1 8 8 6
Traits:
Gifted
Kamikaze
Tags:
Unarmed
Doctor
Throwing/Lockpick/Traps
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Hit the Deck
4
Level 4, AG6
-50% damage from AoE attacks
Save your level 3 perk
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Save your level 6 perk. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Lifegiver (1/2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2/2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus HtH Attacks
15
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Bonus HtH Damage (1/3)
18
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Bonus HtH Damage (2/3)
21
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8, Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.
Bonus HtH Damage (3/3)
27
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage

For the same reasons as with the big gun builds, I've created an unarmed build with lower charisma, to free up some points.

EDIT: 6 Perception is needed for Better Criticals, so points were re-allocated there.
EDIT: Leader perk moved to Charisma-build. Charisma dropped to 1 and points re-distributed.
+1 Str (9) to hard-cap with regular Power Armor (Adv PA is scarce).
+4 End (9) to soft-cap with Elixir of Life.
-1 Agi (8) -> +1 Int (8), for more skill points, because Leader perk provided elsewhere.


As for perks; I've gone for Hit the Deck at level 4 here, which will provide protection against rocket launching enemies.
If you're feeling confident you could go for Bonus HtH damage for more damage.
Since we don't have 8 charisma, we don't get Divine Favor at 15, so go for Bonus HtH Attacks here. Otherwise the build is pretty much the same.

Tags and Traits same as Charismatic Berserker.
- Recruits: Gunners -
Jax
Jax is probably the best gunner of all the recruits. He comes with both Kamikaze and Fast Shot traits, meaning you get to choose which of these you want to keep (since you still need to mutate into Gifted), as well as Small Guns, Big Guns and Energy Weapons tagged. This guy was born for shooting.

Jax the Gifted Warmonger
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 6 7 4 5 7 5
7 8 8 5 6 8 6
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Fast Shot / Kamikaze
Fast Shot / Kamikaze
Tags:
Small Guns
Big Guns
Energy Guns
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Mutate! (Gifted)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 3 perk.
+1 to SPECIALs. -10% all skills. -5 skill points per level.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
9
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Save your level 6 perk.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Sharpshooter
21
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
For increased range
Gain Perception
24
Level 12
+1 Perception
For increased range
Better Criticals
27
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want

The build is based on the main character's gunner build, but is more limited in terms of perks. The main perks are of course Lifegiver, Bonus Rate of Fire and Bonus Ranged Damage.

Lifegiver is a must on Tough Guy-mode, but on lower difficulties/non-Tough Guy-mode you could potentially get away with just 1 rank, and instead get the second rank of Bonus Ranged Damage earlier.

I've listed perk choices all the way up to level 27 here, but you probably won't reach such a high level unless you're playing on Tough-Guy mode or farm random encounters endlessly.
Mandy
Mandy is also another great gunner as she already comes with the Gifted trait, giving her most of the stats she needs for the main gunner perks.

The downside is, she also comes with the Skilled trait, which means she'll get 1 perk every 4 levels instead of every 3 levels. Resulting in 1 less perk to work with after we Mutate it into Fast Shot/Kamikaze at level 9.

However, the other potential recruits won't be able to get both Gifted and Fast shot/Kamikaze traits and either already has another useless perk or has to spend a perk on something else to meet requirements/get enough skills.

Mandy the Talented
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 8 7 5 9 7 6
Traits:
Gifted
Fast Shot /
Kamikaze
(Mutated)
Skilled
Tags:
Small Guns
First Aid
Sneak
Energy Weapons (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Mutate! (Fast Shot / Kamikaze)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 4 perk.
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons. No aimed shots.
OR +25% Damage. No AC from Agility.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 8 perk.
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Tag! (Energy Weapons)
18
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save skill points to boost this up after tag.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals
27
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
This perk is just fluff and not required. Take whatever you want

You could go for Kamikaze over Fast Shot if you prefer.
Rage & Ice
Rage is a good choice for a gunner, as he comes with high perception and decent agility.
His high int will also give him a lot of skill points to work with, especially in a non-Gifted build.

All though he has no traits, it is possible to make a build with Fast Shot or Kamikaze because of his decent SPECIAL distribution. However, he won't be able to get Bonus Ranged Damage as easily in such a build, since his Luck is a bit short.

I'll list both a Gifted build and a Fast Shot/Kamikaze build, so you can make the choice yourself.

Ice is a pretty decent gunner, similar to Rage, but her Perception and Intelligence is a bit lower. This results in a shorter range and fewer skill points to spend. She does have more agility though, giving her more action points.

Rage the Gifted Psycho
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 8 5 2 8 7 5
6 9 6 3 9 8 6
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
Sneak
Steal
Energy
Weapons (Tag!)
Ice the Cool & Gifted
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 7 7 2 5 8 5
7 8 8 3 6 9 6
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Finesse
Tags:
Small Guns
Sneak
Outdoorsman
Energy
Weapons (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Rage:Awareness
3
Level 3, PE5
Show info on enemies
HP, Equipped weapon and ammunition.
Ice:Loner
4
Level 4, CH<4, Outdoorsman 40%
+10% to all skills outside party proximity
This perk is bugged in current version (1.27) and will always be active. This is fixed with the FTSE mod.
Mutate! (Gifted)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 6 perk.
+1 to SPECIALs. -10% all skills. -5 skill points per level.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Tag! (Energy Weapons)
18
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save skill points to boost this up after tag.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals
27
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]

The gifted build allows you to get all the main gunner perks easily, but missing out on fast shot / kamikaze is a pretty significant loss.

Rage the Psycho
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 8 5 2 8 7 5
5 8 5 2 8 7 6
Traits:
Fast Shot /
Kamikaze
(Mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
Sneak
Steal
Energy
Weapons (Tag!)
Ice the Cool
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 7 7 2 5 8 5
6 7 7 2 5 8 6
Traits:
Fast Shot /
Kamikaze
(Mutated)
Finesse
Tags:
Small Guns
Sneak
Outdoorsman
Energy
Weapons (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Rage:Awareness
3
Level 3, PE5
Show info on enemies
HP, Equipped weapon and ammunition.
Ice:Loner
4
Level 4, CH<4, Outdoorsman 40%
+10% to all skills outside party proximity
This perk is bugged in current version (1.27) and will always be active. This is fixed with the FTSE mod.
Mutate! (Fast Shot / Kamikaze)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 6 perk.
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons. No aimed shots.
OR +25% Damage. No AC from Agility.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Tag! (Energy Weapons)
18
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save skill points to boost this up after tag.
Gain Luck
21
Level 12
+1 Luck
Required for Bonus Ranged Damage.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
27
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage

You get Bonus Ranged Damage a little later in this build and no Better Criticals, but having Fast Shot / Kamikaze from level 9 will make up for it.
Robin
Robin can be built like Rage & Ice, either Gifted or Fast Shot/Kamikaze. Though keep in mind that Robin will also make a great a sniper, so you'll need to decide if you want to build him into a gunner or sniper.
Let's start with the Gifted build.

Robin the Gifted Rogue
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 09 5 3 6 9 5
6 10 6 4 7 9 6
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Night Person
Small Frame
Tags:
Melee Weapons
Sneak
Lockpick
Energy Weapons (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Mutate! (Gifted)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 3 perk.
+1 to SPECIALs. -10% all skills. -5 skill points per level.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
9
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Save your level 6 perk.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Tag! (Energy Weapons)
18
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save skill points to boost this up after tag.
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals
24
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]

Robin comes with neither Small Guns, nor Energy Weapons tagged, which means you'll have to tag one of them. That should be energy weapons, since you can read books for small guns, but not energy weapons.

Night Person is bugged and will never turn off and there's no fix. This means a permanent +1 Perception and Intelligence. I've not included these stat increases in the table above, as they don't count for requirements or skill point gain (unconfirmed). So Robin's Perception would be 11, Intelligence 8.

Robin the Pumping Rogue
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 9 5 3 6 9 5
5 9 5 3 6 8 6
Traits:
Fast Shot / Kamikaze (Mutated)
Night Person
Small Frame
Tags:
Melee Weapons
Sneak
Lockpick
Energy Weapons (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Mutate! (Fast Shot / Kamikaze)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 3 perk.
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons. No aimed shots. OR +25% Damage. No AC from Agility.
Gain Luck
12
Level 12
+1 Luck
Save your level 6 perk.
Required for Bonus Ranged Damage.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Tag! (Energy Weapons)
18
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save skill points to boost this up after tag.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals is an option.

I've chosen to Mutate Small Frame here, but you could Mutate Night Person instead if you'd prefer to keep the agility.
You'll notice that there's no Better Criticals in this build either, but you could take that instead of Bonus Ranged Damage (2) if you want them insta-deaths.
Dos & Clarise
I'll include Dos and Clarise here, as they're not completely useless. Their stats are actually very good, but they don't have all the vital perks and their HP is really low compared to a Lifegiver built recruit.

To unlock Dos, you need to be rank 10, Paladin Commander, and do the Newton mission (mission 19).
For Clarise you need to be rank 12, General, which is the highest rank.
Dos starts at level 18, Clarise at level 22.

Dos the Cyborg
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 10 8 2 7 6 9
Traits:
Gifted
Kamikaze (Mutated)
Finesse
Tags:
Small Guns
Energy Guns
Traps
Science
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus Rate of Fire
18
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
More Criticals (1)
18
Level 6, LK6
+5% Crit Chance per rank
More Criticals (2)
18
Level 6, LK6
+5% Crit Chance per rank
More Criticals (3)
18
Level 6, LK6
+5% Crit Chance per rank
Toughness
18
Level 3, EN6 LK6
+10% Damage resistance
Sharpshooter
18
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Loner
18
Level 4, CH<4, Outdoorsman 40%
+10% to all skills outside party proximity
This perk is bugged in current version (1.27) and will never turn off. This is fixed with the FTSE mod.
Mutate! (Kamikaze)
21
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+25% damage. No AC from agility.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Better Criticals is an option here.
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
27
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage

Since Dos comes with Gifted already, he's able to get Fast Shot/Kamikaze, which is great. He'll also get 1 rank of Bonus Ranged Damage and he already comes with Bonus Rate of Fire. With a high base perception and the Sharpshooter perk, he'll have a great range as well.

Dos also has considerably less HP, at 137, than a Lifegiver built recruit who would have around 198 HP at level 18.

As you can see, he's not terrible, but I still consider the rank 1/2 recruits to be built better by this point. They'll have the amazing Fast Shot/Kamikaze trait and Bonus Rate of Fire perk much earlier, and a lot more HP and AP.


Clarise the Perky
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
5 11 6 8 9 10 4
5 11 6 8 9 9 4
Traits:
Gifted
Fast Shot
Small Frame
Kamikaze (Mutated)
Tags:
Big Guns
Energy Guns
Throwing
Sneak
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus Move
22
Level 6, AG5
-2 AP cost for movement
This perk is completely useless in real time mode, since moving doesn't cost AP in real time
Dodger
22
Level 9, AG4
+5 AC
Heave Ho!
22
Level 6, ST<9
+2 ST for throwing calculations
Tag!
22
Level 12
Tag a skill
Gain Perception
22
Level 12
+1 Perception
Gain Endurance
22
Level 12
+1 Endurance
Quick Recovery
22
Level 6, AG6
It takes only 1 AP to stand up from knockdown
Normally it costs 4 AP to stand up from knockdown
Weapon Handling
22
Level 12, AG5 ST<7
+3 ST for weapon strength checks
Tunnel Rat
22
Level 8, AG6
Move at walk speed while prone.
Flexible
22
Level 4, AG6
50% less AP to change stance
Changing stance doesn't cost AP in real time mode
Leader
22
Level 4, CH6
+1 agi,+10 AC to party in proximity
Divine Favor
22
Level 14, CH8
+1 highest SPECIAL, -1 perk rate
With Divine Favor you get a perk every 2 levels instead of every 3.
Bonus Rate of Fire
23
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Mutate! (Kamikaze)
25
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+25% damage. No AC from agility.
Sharpshooter is an option, for more range.

Phew, that's a lot of perks. Too bad they're almost all useless. On the other hand Clarise's stats are really good. 11 Perception and 10 Agility is amazing, however her Luck is only 4, which means she won't get Bonus Ranged Damage or Better Criticals. And since she's level 22, she'll only get 1 or 2 more perks before you most likely cleared the game.

Clarise has even less HP than Dos with 137 HP at level 22!
(Dos will have around 165 HP at 22). A Lifegiver built recruit would have around 258 HP. This difference will only increase as they continue to level up.

This is why I find Dos and Clarise a bit overhyped.
- Recruits: Snipers -
Dillon
Dillon is considered by most as the absolute best sniper, mainly due to his abnormal perception of 14, which gives him an insane range. Of course, all good things have a price, and Dillon's price is a lower damage potential, both in terms of damage per hit and rate of fire. He also lacks the agility required for the Sniper perk, meaning he'll have to rely on aimed shots throughout the game. Aimed shots cost 5 AP, while Dillon only has 7 base AP. This means he'll be able to fire a shot once every blue moon :P

Dillon unlocks at rank 5 (Junior Knight) after you save the ghouls in the Quincy mission (mission 6) and do the Mardin mission (mission 7).

The way I see it, there's 2 ways to build Dillon. That's the Heavy Shot way, and the Quick Shot way.

Dillon the Heavy Shot
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
6 14 6 2 7 5 9
6 14 6 2 7 6 9
Traits:
Gifted
Glowing One
Kamikaze (Mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
Science
Repair
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Mutate! (Kamikaze)
12
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+25% Damage. No AC from Agility
Gain Agility
16
Level 12
+1 Agility
Required for Bonus Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
20
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
24
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage

With 2 ranks of Bonus Ranged Damage and Kamikaze he'll get some a pretty good shot(s) off.

Dillon the Quick Shot
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
6 14 6 2 7 5 9
6 14 6 2 7 7 9
Traits:
Gifted
Glowing One
Small Frame (Mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
Science
Repair
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Mutate! (Small Frame)
12
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+1 Agility, -50 Carry capacity
Gain Agility
16
Level 12
+1 Agility
Bonus Rate of Fire
20
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Action Boy
24
Level 12, AG5
+1 AP

In this build you won't get the 25% damage from Kamikaze or 30% damage from 2x BRD, but with the Small Frame trait and Gain Agility perk, he'll get enough agility for Bonus Rate of Fire, which reduces the cost of aimed shot down to 4 AP. With all this added agility and action boy, he'll be at 9 AP. Enough for 2 aimed shots in rapid succession.
With the Leader buff from one of your other members, he'll be at 10 AP.

AP regenerates faster with higher AP, allowing Dillon to fire shots quite frequently.
You'll also be able to max out agility with chems (even without Leader buff), which would give Dillon 11 AP at level 24.

Should you for some reason be playing in turn-based mode, you'll also be able to fire 2 shots per round.

Robin
The next 3 recruits is what I call the Human Snipers Trio. They'll all serve well as snipers, with some slight advantages in different areas. Mainly secondary skills.

Their main difference from Dillon is their considerably lower perception values. Humans have a max perception value of 12, while ghouls can go as high as 16. On the other hand, humans have a perk rate of 3 vs ghouls 4, which means humans will get more perks than ghouls allowing for more damage increasing perks.

Despite humans' lower perception, it's still high enough to be a viable sniper.

Robin the Perceptive
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 9 5 3 6 9 5
6 10 6 4 7 9 6
Traits:
Night Person
Small Frame
Gifted (mutated)
Tags:
Melee Weapons
Sneak
Lockpick
Small Guns (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Mutate! (Gifted)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 3 perk
Better Criticals
9
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Save your level 6 perk. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Tag! (Small Guns)
12
Level 12
Tag a skill
Don't spend any skill points on Small Guns until you get this perk.
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]

Robin might not seem like an obvious shooter, since he comes with no gun skills tagged, but his stats make him a much better shooter than a fighter, despite being tagged with melee weapons.

This does however mean he'll be pretty useless until level 12, so you might be better off with one of the other snipers until then. You'd need to use a trick with the recruit pool for him to gain experience though.

I've chosen to Mutate Small Frame into Gifted here, since Perception is more important to a sniper than Agility, and since Night Person trait is bugged you get +1 Perception permanently.
Robin has the greatest damage potential of all snipers (excluding a main character sniper).
With the Lockpick skill, he even brings some utility to the squad.


Robin the Destroyer
Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 9 5 3 6 9 5
5 9 5 3 6 8 6
Traits:
Night Person
Small Frame
Kamikaze (mutated)
Tags:
Melee Weapons
Sneak
Lockpick
Small Guns (Tag!)
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Save your level 3 perk.
Tag! (Small Guns)
12
Level 12
Tag a skill
Save your level 6 perk.
Don't spend any skill points on Small Guns until you get this perk.
Gain Luck
12
Level 12
+1 Luck
Save your level 9 perk.
Required for Better Criticals and Bonus Ranged Damage.
Better Criticals
12
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Mutate! (Kamikaze)
18
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+25% damage. No AC from Agi.
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
27
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage

Given Robin's high Perception and Agility, he can actually manage without Gifted. This allows him to pick up Kamikaze for even more damage, and he can still max out both Per and Agi with Leader buff, Night Person and chems. Without Gifted, he'll also have a ton of skill points to spend.

Due to the amount of skill points gained, it would be viable to skip the Tag! perk and take your damage increasing perks earlier (Mutate! at 9, BRD at 18 and 21). If you give him all (7) Small Guns skill books and all skill points from levels, you'll reach 195% skill at level 18.
Rebecca & Farsight
Rebecca the Scout
Rebecca gets all the same perks as Robin (in his Gifted build), so their main differences are the SPECIAL stats and secondary skills. Robin has the edge in stats (which is what allows him to get Kamikaze) over both Rebecca and Farsight, but Rebecca comes with First Aid which means she could serve as the team's medic.

Granted, you can get skill books for First Aid and have any character be a medic (like say your Doctor main), so it's not a huge boon. Not to mention that Mandy also has First Aid tagged.

Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 8 4 4 6 8 5
6 9 5 5 7 9 6
Traits:
Gifted (mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
First Aid
Lockpick
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Scout
3
Level 3, PE8
+1 square world map exploration
This perk will also increase the chance of finding special encounters
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Save your level 6 perk-
Mutate! (Gifted)
12
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 9 perk
Better Criticals
12
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]

The main reason to choose Rebecca would be for the Scout perk, to find special encounters.

You could also pick the Scout perk with Farsight and use her to avoid undesired encounters while searching for special encounters.

Farsight the Wild
Farsight is pretty much the same as Rebecca, just with the Outdoorsman and Sneak skills tagged, instead of First Aid and Lockpick. And slightly less agility, resulting in 1 less AP for Farsight (assuming Leader buff).

However, with Leader buff and chems, all 3 Snipers max out agility, giving them a total of 11 AP.

But, since Psycho is rather scarce, it's better to save it for your fighters and gunners, in my opinion.

Class:
Sniper
SPECIAL:
5 8 5 5 6 7 4
6 9 6 6 7 8 6
Traits:
Gifted (mutated)
Tags:
Small Guns
Sneak
Outdoorsman
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Sharpshooter
9
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Save your level 3 perk.
Mutate! (Gifted)
12
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 6 perk.
Gain Luck
12
Level 12
+1 Luck
Save your level 9 perk.
Better Criticals
12
Level 12, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Sniper
24
Level 24, PE8 AG8, Small Guns 80%
Increase crit chance by 10*Luck
Note that this perk is bugged in current version (1.27). Get the fix[www.nma-fallout.com]

The main reason for choosing Farsight would be for her Outdoorsman skill, allowing you to avoid encounters on the world map in the early game. Later on, you should raise Outdoorsman on one of your other squaddies with excess skill points.
- Recruits: Fighters -
Torn
As for fighters, you've got some really great ones available.
First of all Torn, who is probably the best fighter of all, since she already comes with Bonus HtH Attacks at level 1.

Torn the Tiger
Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
8 7 7 4 4 6 4
9 8 8 5 5 8 6
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Tags:
Unarmed
Melee Weapons
Traps
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus HtH Attacks
1
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Hit the Deck
4
Level 4, AG6
-50% damage from AoE attacks
Save your level 3 perk
Gain Luck
12
Level 12
+1 Luck
Save your level 6 perk.
Bonus HtH Damage is a good option (which you should get at level 6).
Required for Better Criticals.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk.
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Mutate! (Gifted)
18
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 15 perk (if you're going for Better Criticals)
Better Criticals
18
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Bonus HtH Damage is a good option (which you should also get at level 15).
Gain Agility
21
Level 12
+1 Agility
Required for Slayer.
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8 Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.

This build is made for endgame, with the Better Criticals+Slayer combo, which is absolute Godmode.

However, it comes at the cost of lower base damage, as there's no room for Bonus HtH Damage, since Torn is a bit short on luck and agility for Better Criticals and Slayer respectively.

You could of course forego Better Criticals and Gain Luck for 2 ranks of Bonus HtH Damage, giving you a more balanced damage output.

Torn the Tiger
Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
8 7 7 4 4 6 4
9 8 8 5 5 8 5
Traits:
Gifted (Mutated)
Tags:
Unarmed
Melee Weapons
Traps
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus HtH Attacks
1
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Bonus HtH Damage (1)
3
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Bonus HtH Damage (2)
6
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus HtH Damage (3)
15
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Mutate! (Gifted)
18
Level 9
Change one trait for another
+1 to SPECIALs. -10% all skills. -5 skill points per level.
Gain Agility
21
Level 12
+1 Agility
Required for Slayer
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8 Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.

In this variation, you'll be an absolute beast through the early and midgame, since you get 2 ranks of Bonus HtH Damage at level 6. And then the 3rd rank at level 15. However, you'll be susceptible to rocket launching enemies, since you don't have Hit the Deck.

You'll also lose out on the Better Criticals perk for endgame, but it's not a gamebreaking loss.
Kevin & Beth
Kevin the Lion
Kevin is the other great fighter available, and is the tankier of the 3 early fighters, as he already comes with the Toughness perk. Kevin has a fair amount of perk slots available as he already has the Gifted trait and doesn't need any Gain perks to reach requirements. This, combined with his 9 agility, makes Kevin a good choice for the Leader perk, if you want that on one of your recruits.

Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
8 5 6 6 7 9 6
Traits:
Gifted
Tags:
Small Guns
Melee Weapons
Repair
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Toughness
3
Level 3, EN6 LK6
+10% Damage resistance
Hit the Deck
6
Level 4, AG6
-50% damage from AoE attacks
Leader and Bonus HtH Damage are good options
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk.
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus HtH Attacks
15
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Bonus HtH Damage (1)
18
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Better Criticals
21
Level 9, PE6 AG4 LK6
+20 Bonus to critical hit table
Bonus HtH Damage is a good option. Note that this does not increase your chance to crit by 20%, but makes your critical effects stronger. See link[fallout.fandom.com]
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8 Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.

Kevin has a much easier time with perks. In this build he's very tanky, since he has both Toughness and Hit the Deck perks. He'll pair very well with Torn who serves more of a DPS role, where Kevin is more of a tank. He'll still be a beast at endgame, though.
If you want Leader on one of your recruits, you could swap Hit the Deck, or if you just want more damage you could take Bonus HtH Damage.

Kevin does not have Unarmed skill tagged, but since you don't need more than ~125% skill, it's not really needed.
(While he does have Small Guns tagged, he's actually a terrible gunner due to his low perception).
Kevin comes with a base +2 Melee Damage increase, which is actually really good.


Beth the Gorilla
Class:
Fighter
SPECIAL:
10 5 7 4 4 8 4
8 5 7 4 4 8 4
Traits:
Bruiser
Heavy Handed
Kamikaze (Mutated)
Tags:
Unarmed
Melee Weapons
Repair
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Bonus HtH Damage (1)
5
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Mutate! (Kamikaze)
9
Level 9
Change one trait for another
Save your level 6 perk
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk.
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus HtH Attacks
15
Level 15, AG6
-1 AP cost for unarmed/melee attacks
This is THE most important perk for unarmed builds
Bonus HtH Damage (2)
18
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Bonus HtH Damage (3)
21
Level 3, ST6 AG6
+2 Unarmed Damage
Slayer
24
Level 24, ST8 AG8 Unarmed 80%
All hand-to-hand attacks cause critical hits.

Beth is another recruit who could serve well as a fighter. However, she's not really optimal as she comes with 2 traits that has severe drawbacks for unarmed fighters.
That's Bruiser and Heavy Handed.

Bruiser gives +2 strength and -2 AP. That AP loss is horrible, not to mention that she'll max out strength with power armor, even without this trait.

Heavy Handed gives +4 Unarmed damage and -20 Penalty to the critical hit table. The +damage is great, but the penalty to the crit table is really bad for a fighter, as they rely on good critical effects to CC targets.

There is one good thing about Beth, and that is; she doesn't need to mutate into Gifted to get Slayer, which means she can go for Kamikaze to capitalize on her massive base damage.

Note that Beth unlocks at rank 3 (Squire), but you should still be able to get her quite early even with low charisma.

Beth also comes with +2 Melee Damage and she's able to get all 3 ranks of Bonus HtH Damage, coupled with the Heavy Handed and Kamikaze traits, she'll hit like a truck.
Her total bonus Melee Damage with all perks, traits and max strength would be +19.
Haymaker, the most efficient unarmed skill attack, has +7 damage, bringing her effective bonus damage to 26. Added to the base damage of a punch (1-3) brings her damage range to 27-29, before crits.
Unfortunately she's not able to get the Better Criticals perk easily. You'd have to mutate into Gifted instead of Kamikaze and take Gain Luck instead of Bonus HtH Damage (2) just to meet the requirements, and then Better Criticals instead of Bonus HtH Damage (3). This would severely affect her damage.
If you want some more survivability you can take Hit the Deck at level 18 or 21.


Beth could serve well as the 3rd fighter in a group, with the other 2 fighters providing CC.
- Recruits: Big Gunners -
Jax
If you went for something other than Big Guns for your main, you're probably gonna need a Big Gunner from the recruit pool. Your best bet would then be Jax, as he has the traits, tags and strength needed for a Big Gunner. His perception is a bit on the low side, so his range is shorter than preferred, but you're better off putting your Big Gunner in front of your Small Gunners anyway, to prevent them from getting mowed down.


Jax the Heavy Warmonger
Class:
Small Gunner
SPECIAL:
6 6 7 4 5 7 5
6 7 7 4 6 7 6
Traits:
Fast Shot
Kamikaze
Tags:
Small Guns
Big Guns
Energy Guns
Perk
Level
Requirements
Effect
Info
Gain Intellect
12
Level 12
+1 Intellect
Save your level 3 perk.
Required for Bonus Rate of Fire.
Gain Luck
12
Level 12
+1 Luck
Save your level 6 perk.
Required for Bonus Ranged Damage.
Lifegiver (1)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Save your level 9 perk
Lifegiver (2)
12
Level 12, EN4
+4 HP every level per rank
Lifegiver is HUGE and the reason we don't go for higher endurance. 1 rank of LG = 8 endurance
Bonus Rate of Fire
15
Level 15, PE6 IN6 AG7
-1 AP cost for ranged weapons
This is THE most important perk for any gun build
Bonus Ranged Damage (1)
18
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Bonus Ranged Damage (2)
21
Level 6, AG6 LK6
+15% Ranged Damage
Gain Perception
24
Level 12
+1 Perception
Required for Sharpshooter.
Gain Agility is an option here.
Sharpshooter
27
Level 9, PE7 IN6
+2 PE for range modifier calculations
Action Boy is an option here.

I've opted to keep both Kamikaze and Fast Shot here, instead of Mutating into Gifted to meet requirements for various perks, in order to maximize his damage.
I then went for Gain Perception and Sharpshooter to increase his range.

You could also simply use the Small Gunner build, and just go from small guns in the early game, big guns in the midgame and then energy weapons in the endgame. However you won't quite pack the same punch in the midgame with that build.
The End
That's all I've got so far.
I haven't looked much into the Super Mutants, Ghouls and Deathclaw recruits yet, but I'll see if I get around to it at some point... I believe Mother is a viable fighter, but I need to take a closer look before I put something up.

To do:
  • Create a Main Character Big Guns build with 1 Charisma and no Gifted trait, for that sweet Kamikaze damage bonus
  • Look into more recruits
  • Make a specialist section for non-combat skills, such as steal and barter.
  • Other things? Perhaps cleaning up the build formats or descriptions
  • Add info on recruit pool experience trick

Would also like to credit
- Nerd Commando Game Studios @ Youtube, from whom I shamelessly stole most of the builds. Read his Fallout Tactics Tips guide here.
- The guys over at the No Mutants Allowed forum[www.nma-fallout.com]for your hard work on fixing the many bugs left in the game.
- All the Fallout Wiki[fallout.fandom.com] contributors, for all your contributions!
- Interplay for making the game.


Thank you and good night.

Changelog:
  • V1.0: Initial guide.
  • V1.1: Update gunner builds for Jax, Mandy, Robin, Ice. Add Rage build.
  • V1.2: Add separate Mechanics section and add info on perks and exp. Update Jax's big guns.
  • V1.3: Fix mistakes in Main Character's Fighter builds
  • V1.4: Remove Sniper perk from all gunner builds, as it only works with certain weapons.
  • V1.5: Merge Rage and Ice. Update Main Big Gun builds (02.06.2021)
  • V1.6: Update Main Character's Big Gun builds. (26.12.2021)
  • V1.7: Formatting/readability: Important. Less Important. Bloat. (18.04.2022)
  • V1.8: Separated mechanics into own guide. (20.05.2022)
  • V1.9: Added low charisma gunner build. (15.10.2023)
38 Comments
Wakko  [author] 17 Jul, 2024 @ 10:02am 
Besides him, you've got Toni [fallout.fandom.com] and Cookie [fallout.fandom.com].

Toni comes with Kamikaze and Steady Arm, but can't really be developed much further, as she doesn't have a second trait to mutate or stats for any good perks. The best course is probably more accuracy (perception/sharpshooter) or action points (agility/action boy).

Cookie has a lot of useless melee perks and low big guns skill, but starts with Fast Shot and traits/stats to develop further. You could mutate Heavy Handed into Kamikaze, and then pick up Steady Arm. Or you could mutate into Gifted to get Bonus Rate of Fire on top of Steady Arm, giving you the Fast Shot/BRoF/Steady Arm combo. The problem is mutants only get a perk every 4th level, which means you'd need to reach level 24 to get all the perks. Gifted also reduces skill point gain, which Cookie desperately needs.

2/2
Wakko  [author] 17 Jul, 2024 @ 10:02am 
Glad you like it!

The best mutant for big guns is easily Jim Grimm [fallout.fandom.com].

He comes with the Fast Shot trait, Bonus Rate of Fire and the mutant-exclusive Steady Arm perk, for a total of -3 AP cost. You can also mutate his useless trait (Vat Skin) into Kamikaze for more damage. The problem is, he's unlocked by a special encounter and requires rank 11 (Paladin Commander).

1/2
Lukaszthegreat 15 Jul, 2024 @ 5:57pm 
Thank you for the great guide. In Kansas city now.

Following it with

Mc: Charming Destroyer
Jax: energy guns
Farsight: small guns, sniper
Mandy: energy guns
Dillon: sniper
Rage: to be replaced by supermutant big guns*


*do you have recommendation for supermutant recruit ? I thought having ghoul and mutant would be more role playing fun.
Spider 8 May, 2024 @ 10:06pm 
Thanks a lot for this great guide, really helped me out for my first play through! :cozybethesda:
Wakko  [author] 5 May, 2024 @ 3:27am 
On fighters you can pick up the Hit The Deck perk for explosive damage reduction, allowing them to be more useful against Hover robots. Against energy weapon enemies, you may be right that fighters will struggle and may have to sit out. If you want a squad where every member will be useful on every single encounter, then yes you should probably go all gunners. Having fighters in the squad is more about variety than absolute efficiency.

Same can be said for snipers. They can be pretty weak against mutes and bots, since most sniper weapons are normal ballistic weapons. If you're gonna go for Fast Shot on a sniper, just make him a gunner instead. And use the weapons you suggest, like FN FAL or Jackhammer, moving onto energy weapons once you encounter robots.
Alone 4 May, 2024 @ 4:29am 
Third part of the game. Sniper still weak. I guess snipers weak until you reach buena vista and get gaus rifle from the shop. Only one good thing snipers can do before gaus weapon is knockback behemoths so your squad can destroy it easy. So... technically we speak about sniper after buena vista mission. I think sniper with "better criticals","fast shot" and "sniper" setup can do much more damage and have no aim penalty for aimed shot.
"The crit gained from aimed shots corresponds to the hit chance penalty."
I know how it works, but you anyway have atleast 60% crit chance with "sniper" perk and with few science books almost every shot become critical. Better criticals allow you bypass armor in most cases.
in my vision you can pick up "fast shot" asap for more comfortable quincy,mardin and springfield missions, or hold one perk and pick it at lvl 24 with sniper perk. Before that sniper just will play support role for knockback, or cripled limbs e.t.c.
Alone 4 May, 2024 @ 4:29am 
About snipers. We have 3 parts of the game, first one with raiders and beastlords, second with mutants, third with nothing but mechs.
First part your snipers not skilled enough to play around aimed shots. Better to play burst fire with fnfal and jackhammer.
Second part, your snipers actually can do that. But it is not efficient.
I score critical hit with 2 damage vs mutant and i aiming at the eyes. Best one was around 16 damage. Mutant spend all rounds and go melee. jesus... so i get no ammo from corpse btw.
You don't need this, it's awkward, it's not efficient. You suppose to use m249saw at least, or vindicator from upspring event at this point and play with it until mechs.
Alone 4 May, 2024 @ 3:51am 
About vid from yt.
I know how game works. At this place you facing hover robots ( rocket launcher), humanoid robots with energy guns. Psycho protect only from normal damage type. Not from energy or explosive. Why you think his fighters around 40-50% hp ? If you really try fighters, you know how akward it feels. You have a melee guy, who cannot engage, cos if he do, he will die instantly. And you hold him in cover for better moment to engage, like kill all hover bots, kill all robots with energy guns... this guy useless while you do that. He can be useful big gunner, or another laser beam guy, but he one, who wait in cover and do nothing until any threat can be save to engage. Even guys with normal damage can kill you. Just one crit from vindicator or browning and fighter dead. If you play from distance they also can crit you, but your guys take less damage from crit, cos most of rounds missed from burst, but at close range this is death.
At least it how it feels for me.
Alone 4 May, 2024 @ 3:25am 
f@ck 1k symbols rule.
Wakko  [author] 3 May, 2024 @ 8:00am 
@Alone
Fast Shot prevents you from making aimed shots, which is where snipers get their crit from before the Sniper perk. The crit gained from aimed shots corresponds to the hit chance penalty.
That's why snipers don't take Fast Shot.

Fighters can survive plenty of hits with sufficient HP (which is why we go Lifegiver), power armor and Psycho buff, which will give them the maximum damage reduction of 90%. So no, fighters are not dead at endgame on high difficulties. They are particularly good at taking down Behemoths, with their fast attack speed and crits, which will continuously stunlock them.

Nerd Commando demonstrates that in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGPhH3F-KKQ