Fallout 76: The 15 Best Builds, Ranked

(Updated on December 27th, 2019 with five more builds to include updates to Fallout 76)

Plenty of players are still making their way through the Appalachians in the post-apocalypse of Fallout 76, and at this point, many of those players have gathered the max amount of points to spend on their S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. By level 50, you'll have gotten all of the skill points that you're going to get (and probably some mutations along the way, and though they're going to be left out of this build guide, they can be useful tools for a build), leveling out at 56 points to spread across the seven different stats. Each point you spend in a stat gives you, in essence, another slot that you can fit a perk card into. These perk cards give you different abilities and bonuses and can be upgraded by combining cards of the same type together to increase whatever bonus they give. There's quite a lot of fun and interesting builds you can get into when you're willing to delve deep into the depths of these cards, so let's get into it:

Last updated: December 27th, 2019 with five more builds to include updates to Fallout 76

GLADIATOR

This build is intended for melee users that prefer one-handed weapons to either unarmed or the two-handed variety. This build is also intended for use with Power Armor, but if you don't want to use Power Armor, the perks can pretty easily be switched out.

STRENGTH - 12 (Gladiator 1, Blocker 3, Incisor 3, Expert Gladiator 1, Master Gladiator 1, Martial Artist 3)

PERCEPTION - 4 (Refractor 4)

ENDURANCE - 3 (Adamantium Skeleton 3)

CHARISMA - 9 (Lone Wanderer 3, Suppressor 3, Field Surgeon)

INTELLIGENCE - 9 (First Aid 3, Power User 3, Portable Power 3)

AGILITY - 13 (Marathoner 3, Dodgy 3, Adrenaline 5, Action Girl/Action Boy 3)

LUCK - 6 (Serendipity 3, Ricochet 3)

SLUGGER

This build is intended for melee users that prefer two-handed weapons to either of the other options. This build flies in the face of Power Armor, giving you an idea of the perks necessary for melee builds where you want to leave the armor at home.

[credit to Jordan Forward for the build]

STRENGTH - 15 (Slugger 3, Barbarian 3, Expert Slugger 3, Incisor 3, Master Slugger 3)

PERCEPTION - 1 (Glow Sight 1)

ENDURANCE - 11 (Ironclad 5, Vaccinated 3, Rad Resistant 3)

CHARISMA - 6 (Suppressor 3, Lone Wanderer 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 2 (Nerd Rage 2)

AGILITY - 11 (Adrenaline 5, Dead Man Sprinting 1, Moving Target 3, Evasive 2)

LUCK - 5 (Starched Genes 2, Junk Shield 3)

FISTS OF FURY

If you're of the opinion that weapons are for cowards, then this is the build for you. Built entirely for any form of unarmed combat, this build gets you in close and swinging with the only weapons you were born with: your fists.

[credit to Jordan Forward for the build]

STRENGTH - 14 (Barbarian 2, Martial Artist 3, Iron Fist 3, Blocker 3, Incisor 3)

PERCEPTION - 4 (Refractor 4)

ENDURANCE - 12 (Adamantium Skeleton 3, Radicool 1, Lifegiver 3, Ironclad 5)

CHARISMA - 6 (Suppressor 3, Tenderizer 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 5 (Nerd Rage 3, First Aid 2)

AGILITY - 11 (Adrenaline 1, Dodgy 3, Dead Man Sprinting 1, Moving Target 3, Action Girl/Action Boy, 3)

LUCK - 3 (Bloody Mess 3)

SNIPER

This build is exactly what it sounds like: it gets the job done without you generally having to put yourself in very much danger. Some shotgun perks have been included because you can never be too careful, and it keeps the effectiveness of non-automatic weapons perks active.

STRENGTH - 9 (Scattershot 3, Shotgunner 3, Expert Shotgunner 3)

PERCEPTION - 15 (Sniper 3, Tank Killer 3, Rifleman 3, Expert Rifleman 3, Master Rifleman 3)

ENDURANCE - 8 (Lead Belly 3, Thirst Quencher 3, Dromedary 2)

CHARISMA - 3 (Lone Wanderer 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 6 (Gunsmith 5, Weapon Artisan 1)

AGILITY - 10 (Action Girl/Action Boy 3, Escape Artist 1, Sneak 3, Covert Operative 3)

LUCK - 5 (Luck of the Draw 3, Tormentor 2)

TANK

For Power Armor lovers out there, here's a build that puts you front and center of the action. It's designed to make use of heavy weapons, all while making sure you're the prime target for the enemies to hit instead of your friends. This build is definitely meant for playing with a team; if you're playing on your own, you might want to find some replacements for those cards.

[credit to Jordan Forward for the build]

STRENGTH - 15 (Blocker 3, Bullet Shield 3, Expert Heavy Gunner 3, Heavy Gunner 3, Master Heavy Gunner 3)

PERCEPTION - 5 (Exterminator 3, Glow Sight 2)

ENDURANCE - 4 (Adamantium Skeleton 1, Nocturnal Fortitude 1, Rejuvenated 2)

CHARISMA - 8 (Bodyguards 1, Magnetic Personality 2, Strange in Numbers 1, Suppressor 3, Tenderizer 1)

INTELLIGENCE - 9 (First Aid 3, Power Patcher 3, Stabilized 3)

AGILITY - 4 (Action Girl/Action Boy 3, Adrenaline 1)

LUCK - 11 (Bloody Mess 3, Luck of the Draw 3, One Gun Army 3, Starched Genes 2)

THE ADDICT

If you've got some interest in taking a look at the chems and alcohol to take advantage of the bonuses they can bring, then look no further. Built entirely around using chems and alcohol and getting lucky along the way, this may not be the most effective build ever crafted, but it's definitely good for a laugh.

STRENGTH - 12 (Traveling Pharmacy 3, Strong Back 4, Pack Rat 3, Sturdy Frame 2, )

PERCEPTION - 1 (Green Thumb 1)

ENDURANCE - 14 (Chem Fiend 3, Chem Resistant 2, Cola Nut 2, Hydro Fix 2, Munchy Resistance 2, Professional Drinker 3)

CHARISMA - 6 (Party Girl/Party Boy 3, Quack Surgeon 1, Happy Go Lucky 2)

INTELLIGENCE - 1 (Chemist 1)

AGILITY - 7 (Thru-Hiker 3, Goat Legs 2, Action Girl/Action Boy 2)

LUCK - 15 (Last Laugh 1, Luck of the Draw 3, Lucky Break 3, Mysterious Savior 3, Pharma Farma 3, Ricochet 2)

BEST FRIEND

This one goes out to all the players who think of their teammates first. If you're comfortable hanging back and focusing on ensuring your teammates stay alive (or reviving them if they don't), then this one is for you. It comes with an added bonus of being able to carry all of their junk with relative ease, too.

STRENGTH - 8 (Strong Back 3, Pack Rat 3, Traveling Pharmacy 2)

PERCEPTION - 4 (Picklock, Expert Picklock, Master Picklock, Fortune Finder)

ENDURANCE - 7 (Photosynthetic 2, Sun Kissed 2, Lifegiver 3)

CHARISMA - 15 (Bodyguards 3, Philanthropist 3, Team Medic 3, Quack Surgeon 1, Healing Hands 1, Friendly Fire 1, EMT 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 7 (First Aid 3, Hacker, Expert Hacker, Master Hacker, Scrapper)

AGILITY - 8 (Thru-Hiker 3, Home Defense 3, Ammosmith 2)

LUCK - 7 (Dry Nurse 1, Pharma Farma 3, Scrounger 3)

ENTREPRENEUR

For those who'd like a future as an entrepreneur, take a look at this build. Specifically crafted for trading gear and materials to other players, this build helps to craft high-quality items that you can sell for a pretty penny - er, bottlecap.

[credit to Jordan Forward for the build]

STRENGTH - 13 (Bandolier 2, Ordnance Express 2, Pack Rat 3, Strong Back 3, Traveling Pharmacy 3)

PERCEPTION - 4 (Butcher's Bounty 1, Crack Shot 2, Green Thumb 1)

ENDURANCE - 4 (Ghoulish 1, Adamantium Skeleton 3)

CHARISMA - 13 (Bodyguards 4, Happy Camper 2, Hard Bargain 3, Travel Agent 1, Lone Wanderer 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 14 (Batteries Included 1, Exotic Weapons 2, Gunsmith 4, Makeshift Warrior 5, Science 2)

AGILITY - 4 (Light Footed 1, Dead Man Sprinting 1, Thru-Hiker 2)

LUCK - 5 (Can Do! 1, Good With Salt 2, Pharma Farma 1, Scrounger 1)

GUNSLINGER

You've forgotten the face of your father. Or, at least, if you aren't playing as a Gunslinger, you have. This is for anybody wanting to use pistols, and only pistols. There's a wide range of different pistol types out there, so you can have one at your side for just about any situation. There are also some explosive perks thrown in here for varieties' sake.

STRENGTH - 8 (Pack Rat 3, Sturdy Frame 2, Ordnance Express 3)

PERCEPTION - 8 (Crack Shot 3, Fire in the Hole 3, Grenadier 2)

ENDURANCE - 1 (Photosynthetic 1)

CHARISMA - 4 (Bodyguards 4 (or Lone Wanderer 3))

INTELLIGENCE - 10 (Gunsmith 5, Demolitions Expert)

AGILITY - 15 (Gunslinger 3, Expert Gunslinger 3, Guerilla, Expert Guerilla 3, and either Master Gunslinger or Master Guerilla 3)

LUCK - 6 (Luck of the Draw 3, Quick Hands 3)

V.A.T.S.

V.A.T.S. may not be quite as good in Fallout 76 as it is in previous incarnations of the Fallout franchise, but that doesn't mean it's useless. If you're curious about an entirely V.A.T.S. build then give this a look!

STRENGTH - 3 (Pack Rat 3)

PERCEPTION - 15 (Awareness 2, Concentrated Fire 3, Rifleman 1, Expert Rifleman 1, Master Rifleman 2, Penetrator 3, Tank Killer 3)

ENDURANCE - 4 (Adamantium Skeleton 3, Photosynthetic 1)

CHARISMA - 2 (Lone Wanderer 1)

INTELLIGENCE - 5 (Gunsmith 5)

AGILITY - 12 (Action Girl/Action Boy 3, Gun Fu 3, Covert Operative 3, Marathoner 3)

LUCK - 15 (Better Criticals 3, Critical Savvy 3, Four Leaf Clover 3, Grim Reaper's Sprint 3, Mysterious Stranger 3)

HEAVY HITTER

Another build with an emphasis on excessive melee damage, this build is capable of doing excess of 30,ooo damage on a single hit to an enemy (in the right situations). (Credit to KingofPSU for the build)

STRENGTH - 15 (Expert Slugger 3, Incisor 3, Martial Artist 3, Master Slugger 3, Slugger 3)

PERCEPTION - 6 (Glow Sight 3)

ENDURANCE - 6 (Radicool 1, Revenant 2, Solar Powered 3)

CHARISMA - 7 (Party Girl/Boy 3, Strange In Numbers 1, Tenderizer 3)

INTELLIGENCE - 3 (Nerd Rage 3)

AGILITY - 11 (Adrenaline 5, Gun Fu 3, Ninja 3)

LUCK - 8 (Better Criticals 3, Bloody Mess 3, Class Freak 3, Starched Genes 2)

STEALTH COMMANDO

For use when you want to stick to the shadows, but still want to use weapons that are a bit more forgiving. (Credit to reddit user VladGordiienko for the build)

STRENGTH - 8 (Bandolier 2, Pack Rat 3, Traveling Pharmacy 3)

PERCEPTION - 12 (Commando 3, Concentrated Fire 3, Expert Commando 3, Master Commando 3)

ENDURANCE - 1 (Dromedary 1)

CHARISMA - 2 (Field Surgeon 2)

INTELLIGENCE - 5 (Gunsmith 5)

AGILITY - 15 (Action Girl/Boy 3, Covert Operative 3, Escape Artist 1, Sneak 3, Thru-Hiker 2, White Knight 3)

LUCK - 13 (Bloody Mess 3, Critical Savvy 3, Luck of the Draw 3, Lucky Break 2, Starched Genes 2)

STEALTH SHOTGUN

Another stealth build (a theme is developing here) this build requires you to get up-close-and-personal without being detected, but doing so is going to reward you with some seriously damaging shotgun blasts. (Be sure to throw a suppressor on there, first.)

STRENGTH - 15 (Bandolier 2, Expert Shotgunner 3, Master Shotgunner 3, Pack Rat 1, Scattershot 3, Shotgunner 3)

PERCEPTION - 6 (Glow Sight 1, Night Eyes 2, Skeet Shooter 3)

ENDURANCE - 1 (Adamantium Skeleton 1)

CHARISMA - 2 (Field Surgeon 2)

INTELLIGENCE - 8 (Gunsmith 5, Weapon Artisan 3)

AGILITY - 15 (Action Boy/Girl 3, Adrenaline 5, Covert Operative 3, Escape Artist 1, Sneak 3)

LUCK - 9 (Bloody Mess 3, Luck of the Draw 3, Lucky Break 3)

I MEAN BUSINESS

This build lets everyone around know that you are NOT messing around. Heavily (hah, get it?) oriented towards using the heaviest of weapons, this build ensures that you are always going to pack a punch. Plus, you'll still have two points leftover!

STRENGTH - 15 (Bandolier 2, Bear Arms 1, Bullet Shield 1, Expert Heavy Gunner 3, Heavy Gunner 3, Master Heavy Gunner 3, Pack Rat 2)

PERCEPTION - 3 (Night Eyes 2, Night Person 1)

ENDURANCE - 1 (Adamantium Skeleton 1)

CHARISMA - 2 (Field Surgeon 2)

INTELLIGENCE - 14 (First Aid 3, Gunsmith 5, Power Patcher 3, Stabilized 3)

AGILITY - 11 (Action Girl/Boy 5, Adrenaline 5, Thru-Hiker 3)

LUCK - 8 (Bloody Mess 3, Class Freak 3, Starched Genes 2)