There’s a multitude of different weapons to find in Fallout 76’s West Virginia wildlands, but we've gathered up some of the best. Some can be crafted and some can be found in the early game, while others can be prayed for during a Nuke raid. While Fallout 76's RPG elements can greatly affect the viability of certain weapons, exotic variants (denoted by a special name, a star, and the inability to scrap them at workshop table) can provide some considerable upper hand to players in the early game, with some being so good they’re probably worth keeping around in the (limited) C.A.M.P. Stash.

Fallout 76 released in November after an extensive series of beta sessions, introducing a strange detour from the franchise with an NPC-free, action-RPG. Since then, critical appraisal of Fallout 76’s perceived lack of focus, combined with its premium cost (along with microtransactions), has stung review scores and earned much in the way of consumer regret. It's been approximately one month since release, and while the game continues to have its ardent supporters, there’s something decidedly disappointing about its performance and continued presence in the headlines.

Related: Fallout 76 Review: A Risky and Rewarding Post-Apocalyptic Camping Trip

Still, regardless of the lack of dialogue trees, there are plenty of hours of gameplay to be found in Fallout 76, and an overwhelming emphasis of combat. Most weapons in the game are subject to a balancing trade-off — damage at the cost of high ammo consumption, accuracy and distance at the cost of lengthy reload times, etc — although certain ones deliver better bang for your buck. Screen Rant has rounded up some of the best common and exotic weapons in Fallout 76, along with some methods to obtain them (or at least increase your chances), so read on to find out what’s worthy of your precious inventory space.

Combat Shotgun

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Combat Shotgun

The large clip size and rate of fire for combat shotguns make them a great tool to keep on hand for crowd control scenarios, as well as for taking out smaller and quicker enemies, like mole rats and mutant dogs. Players sticking closely to the Overseer’s quest line may not run into these weapons until a bit later in Fallout 76 (and take note that they’re restricted to level 20 and above). Aside from Scorched enemies, they’re an extremely common drop from Mole Miners, who often congregate around and inside mining operations (interestingly, their squat shape also makes them an ideal target at which to point these weapons). For a better chance of finding a combat shotgun, check out Garrahan Mining HQ, Blackwater Mine, the Mountainside Bed & Breakfast (which Mole Miners have completely taken over), and the Mole Miner Tunnel for starters. Mole Miners are also commonly found peppered throughout the Ash Heap region, though certain sections of it might prove troublesome for lower-level players.

The main demerit for Fallout 76's combat shotgun lies in its lengthy reload animation, which methodically plunks 8 shells into the weapon, one at a time — even with shotgun reload perks, it can feel egregious. All the same, keeping a fully-loaded one in a quick-slot means that you can swap off of it for a sidearm and reload it once clear of danger.

Sledgehammer

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Sledgehammer

Okay, this relatively common two-handed weapon may not sound overpowered, but an important thing to keep in mind is the amount of Super Mutants all over Appalachia, even early in Fallout 76 (there’s always a crowd clogging up any relay towers on the map, and Eastern Correctional is another solid early-game haunt). Most of them drop boards and other low-tier melee trash, but you’ll often run into a Skirmisher-variant who may drop a sledgehammer, and the wide arc of these powerhouse weapons makes them the perfect way to take down feistier low-level mobs without expending any precious ammo.

Sledgehammers can’t be crafted until later in Fallout 76 (minimum level 30), but you can add mods onto them at a weapons bench to make a trusty one-hitter for when you’re surrounded. Their heavy weight and slow wind-up represent the most obvious downsides, but for a free common weapon that’s in relatively frequent supply throughout starter areas, it’s a good thing to keep around, while equally acting as a stress-free disposable item when your inventory’s clogged up, too. Non-melee builds can still get some use out of these, and that’s well in advance of encountering the Super Sledge.

Combat Knife

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Combat Knife

Combat knives are highly functional, low weight, and rarely a bad backup weapon to keep in a quickslot, even when you’re not optimizing melee in your build. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to stumble onto a the Legendary Vampiric effect on a combat knife, you get the added benefit of lifesteal, which can turn certain high-level encounters into cakewalks. Legendary weapons have a chance to drop in nuked areas or primo loot caches, and the Vampiric modifier can be found attached to all different types of weapons, but combining it with the ridiculous speed of the knife proves especially powerful. Some Fallout 76 players even report that stabbing the air with this modded knife prompts a small amount of heal on its own, but it’s likely that this will be patched out in future updates.

Combat knives can be found all throughout Fallout 76's world map, and can also be easily crafted at a weapons bench, with quality ranging from level 1 to 50.

Handmade Rifle

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Handmade Rifle

Quick note about the Gauss Rifle, which often makes the top of many Fallout 76 weapon lists: some players have noticed that the Gauss Rifle features commonly bugged stats. It has a charging mechanic that increases damage per shot, but the consistency of this aspect varies from player to player. It'd be good to swap the Handmade Rifle for the Gauss Rifle if Bethesda fixes any remnant bugs associated with it.

In comparison to the Handmade Rifle, after scrapping a few extras, the Hunting Rifle reveals some solid modifications, like long-range scopes and magazine increases, but the Handmade Rifle is a more significant upgrade and can be found fairly early, at about level 15. It requires venturing into The Mire, but certain quest lines will push Fallout 76 players into the residential town of Harpers Ferry (the actual location of abolitionist John Brown’s historical raid in 1859), which is manned by the faction known as the Free States. A vendor in the northern area of Harpers Ferry will then sell the plan for the Handmade Rifle for 270 caps.

Think of the Handmade Rifle as Fallout 76's AK-47, hosting a vast collection of unlockable mods that turn it into one of the most versatile base weapons in the game. Crafting can bring it all the way up to level 45, and its base ballistic damage of 32 with a 20-round clip ensures that players collecting rifleman Perks can position it as the linchpin of their loadout. Just keep in mind that if you want to see how the Handmade Rifle fits into your arsenal, you should be equipped with the Gunsmith Perk at level 3 to craft it. To score a Handmade Rifle without having to craft it, it can also be looted from a rooftop in Berkeley Springs.

Page 2 of 2: Fallout 76's Other Best Weapons

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide M2 Browning

M2 Browning

Character builds that strive for heavy weapon usage prioritize Fallout 76 Perks like Bear Arms, Lock and Load, and Heavy Gunner, all of which can effectively shift the M2 Browning from a hefty inventory-drag to a lightweight DPS machine. Lest players forget, .50 cal ammo is also much, much easier to craft and scavenge than most other ammo types, with a simple recipe calling for steel scrap (something most players have a gross abundance of without even trying) and gunpowder, which is usually dropped by Super Mutants and many other mobs. That being said, lacking the requisite perks possibly drops this gun down a few notches, but most players planning for a heavy weapon can prep for it in advance.

Beyond that, the M2 is also incredibly easy to find, though it might require some light server-hopping. Fallout 76 players looking for the gun can head to Clarksburg, and start their search from the southern side of the lake. If you’re at Clarksburg Shooting Range, head southeast and follow the road, until eventually coming up to a blown-out pickup truck. The M2 will be positioned like a turret on the truck’s flatbed facing downhill. Again, if it’s not available in your server instance, it just means that someone else already grabbed it today after it spawned — quit to the main menu and search for a new world, and you should be able to claim an M2 Browning of your very own.

Fat Man

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Fat Man

It’s hard to write a Fallout 76 weapons roundup without mentioning the Fat Man in the room. Synonymous with the Fallout series by now, the Fat Man in the newest game is unsurprisingly powerful, although over-encumbered players will quickly be made aware of the whopping 20 lb weight, with 6 lbs needed per mini-nuke. For Fallout newcomers, the Fat Man is a portable nuke launcher, boss-killer, and long-distance crowd destroyer, ravaging enemies with its mini-nuke payload and causing 450 base ballistic damage in a radius of approximately 14 feet.

Beyond the raw destructive capability of the Fat Man, there’s also an exotic MIRV launcher variant named the Daisycutter. Turning a single mini-nuke into six discreet missiles that separate in mid-air, the Daisycutter is technically weaker than the regular Fat Man, though its damage radius is potentially greater (and it weighs 90% less without Perks, thanks to its built-in Legendary effect).

Regardless of which version you prefer, you’ll obtain the Daisycutter as a reward from the quest “An Organic Solution” located in the The Mire, but players will want to be well-prepared — it involves a few tough fights, including a Deathclaw. Once secured, the MIRV mod can even be removed from the Daisycutter at a weapons bench, turning it back into a vanilla Fat Man if preferred. Perks that pair nicely with the Fat Man include Ordnance Express (reducing the weight of each mini-nuke) and Demolition Expert.

Perfect Storm

Fallout 76 Weapons Guide Perfect Storm

As with many exotics, the Perfect Storm can be effectively outclassed by late-game RNG weapon drops, but, as a light-weight level 10 SMG, it can carry beginning players through Fallout 76’s early game quests. Aside from its base 14 ballistic damage, the Perfect Storm causes 24 burning damage on enemies for 3 seconds (with a nice accompanying visual effect). Note, however, that the burning damage doesn’t stack, but 3 seconds of 24 damage ticks is still plenty for lower-level enemies. Players who want to get their own Perfect Storm will have to complete Fallout 76's "Cold Case" quest. To find it, head to Wavy Willard's Water Park and fight any ghouls you find until prompted to speak with the Miss Annie robot to begin the quest.

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Fallout 76 employs a rigorous stats system, so certain weapons may not benefit all builds. Heavy weapons can weigh down an unoptimized player lacking the correct Perks, especially in terms of their inventory-crushing ammo, while speedy reload and damage Perks can make a black powder weapon overpowered in a specific build. Considering that the Perks system allows for card-swapping, multiple loadouts can be reasonably maintained in accordance with your Stash, though many weight perks only apply to personal inventory. In other words: a heavy weapons weight reduction won’t stop a Fat Man Launcher from clogging up your Stash.

Beyond that, Fallout 76 shares a lot of common DNA with the looter-shooter genre. Specific low-tier weapons matched with a randomized Legendary buff can be worthier than advanced, yet vanilla, higher-tier exotics. Others look great on paper, but falter in practical combat, either due to bugs in the code (a primary reason for neglecting to mention the Salvaged Assaultron Head) or an absence of Perks. Consider this list a general guide to help figure out some practical combat solutions until you’re storming nuke sites and making quick work of Legendary Scorchbeasts.

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