Summary
Considering its initial release was way back in 2015,Fallout 4continues to enjoy considerable popularity. Part RPG, partaction-combat first-person shooter, it has a lot to offer players even today. It could be argued thatFallout 4holds a prominent place among the most successful and cherished video games in history, with numerous players regarding it as the apex of Bethesda’s expertise in crafting immersive worlds.
New players toFallout 4will likely want to know how to build their character. They need to know what works, what doesn’t, whatstarting statsto choose, and how stats and perks synergize. Using the wrong build can be disastrous, so it is important for players to consider what their favorite playing style is, before settling on an effective build.If a build is constructed carefully, it can become extremely overpowered.
Updated on July 13, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Bethesda games have always been famous for giving players a ton of options regarding the race they want to play as, the stats they want to invest XP in, and the builds they want to create to make their playthrough as enjoyable as possible. Fallout 4 is not the exception, as there are tons of different perks and stats that players can tweak to their liking to create powerful characters that can go in guns blazing without taking damage, or sneaky individuals who can get past hordes of enemies unnoticed. In any case, players will have to invest enough time to build their character from the ground up. However, when they do, the payoff will be considerable.
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ThisPacifist buildis a matter of debate amongFallout 4fans, as a lot of players argue that the game is a lot more fun when the Sole Survivor enters any building or area guns blazing. Using a pacifist approach eliminates this possibility in many cases, forcing players to find ways to persuade hostile and non-hostile NPCs either through witty remarks and negotiation, or intimidation.
It’s not always possible to take the peaceful route, so there will be casualties here and there, but all in all, this build is quite powerful when used right. Strength and Endurance are not that important in this scenario, as there will be little fighting in general.
ThisEngineer buildforFallout 4focuses more on crafting,creating settlements, and building offensive and defensive emplacements. However, this doesn’t mean that an Engineer cannot be effective in traditional combat as well, but it is going to mean investing in the right perks to do well.
The Demolition Expert perk is going to give the player some decent damage dealing potential, but is best combined with Adamantium Skeleton to help with those times that the player’s own explosives detonate a little too close for comfort. Life Giver adds some health regen for survivability.
ThisBrawler buildforFallout 4focuses on raw melee damage and survivability. High Strength and Endurance are the cornerstones of this build. Playstyle wise, nothing could be simpler. The Brawler simply closes to melee range and starts pounding on their enemies. Apower suitis a must-have for later game content with this build.
Recommended perksfor this build are all all about damage output and staying alive. Solar Powered gives an endurance boost in the daytime. Big Leagues is simply a damage add. If the player is willing to travel without a companion, Lone Wanderer is a further damage add, all working towards making the Brawler more deadly in combat. Combined with some of the best and most powerful melee weapons inFallout 4, the Brawler build can be unstoppable. Granted, there are some cases where a long-distance approach is much safer and more efficient, but if with the right perks and XP expenditure, getting up close and personal will almost always work very well.
Perks
ThisTrickshot buildforFallout 4is all about laying down sustained DPS at short to medium range. This build is intended for non-automatic pistol users, and is designed to allow a player to exploit the V.A.T.S. system to the fullest. However, this is something of a glass cannon build, as its Endurance is quite low. That said, how important can Endurance really be when the Sole Survivor is decimating their enemies with the highest level of accuracy?
Perk wise, Gunslinger specifically targets non-automatic pistols, and increases damage when using this kind of weapon. Quick Hands speeds up reloading, and Critical Banker enables the player to save up an extra critical hit for use with V.A.T.S.
Stats::
TheNinja buildforFallout 4relies onstealth and high damage. This playstyle involves sneaking up on enemies until within optimal range for a high-damage, non-automatic silenced weapon, such as a laser rifle. This isn’t the easiest build to play, and it will take some time to master, but it is well worth the effort.
High Agility and Intelligence are the main drivers of this build, giving good stealth ability due to the Sneak perk. Mister Sandman adds bonus damage when using silenced weapons. This damage bonus stacks with the one that is granted by Mister Sandman when attacking from stealth, with the Rifleman perk adding even more bonus damage when using non-automatic weapons.
The great thing about theCommando buildforFallout 4is that it has a lot of flexibility, simply because it relies on a single perk to boost the damage of heavy weapons. It should be apparent that this build is aimed at players who have access to a power suit, as it has little in the way of defense, but requires close-range combat to be effective.
The only downside with this build is finding/crafting enough ammo to keepheavy weaponsin play. This can be a problem until the later stages of the game. However, this issue can be somewhat mitigated by carrying multiple weapons that use different types of ammo.
Playing aSniper buildinFallout 4can be very rewarding, but expect to need some practice time to master this style of gameplay. Additionally, it can be tricky playing a sniper build when exploring indoor locations. Perception and Agility are the key pillars of this build, along with some Endurance to increase damage.
Perks for a Sniper are based on damage adds. Rifleman adds damage when using non-automatic rifles, ninja adds damage when attacking from stealth, and Bloody Mess stacks even more damage on top of those two. The actual Sniper perk doesn’t add damage, but it does improve weapon handling, which is crucial for long-rang shooting. This is a hard-hitting build, and it’s a lot of fun to play.
