Fallout/Tactics

Here are some general tips to fine-tune your combat. Also included is a boss guide.

GENERAL TACTICS --- - You can cripple your foe at five poinnts if you score a critical while aiming at their legs, arms, or eyes. If you cripple your foe's legs, he or she will have a hard time walking around. If you cripple one of the enemy's arms, then he or she won't be able to use two-handed weapons (and of course, if you cripple both of them, then the enemy will have to resort to unarmed attacks). If you cripple your opponent's eyes, then he or she will suffer from reduced Perception levels.

- Aiming for the eyes usually gives a hhigh critical chance and does gobs of damage. Also, on male NPC's, hitting them in the groin makes them fall down.

- Always use the right weapon for the jjob. Sometimes, a .223 Pistol won't  do you that much good (i.e, long range combat) while the Sniper or the Combat Shotgun will work well.

Generally, burst weapons do peanuts for damage against armored targets. For example, lasers are good against leather armor, but don't do much damage against critters with power or metal armor. And burst weapons, well, you can just forget about them. Don't confuse this info with aimed shots, however. You can do heaps of damage with an aimed shot, especially to the eyes or head, regardless of what weapon you use or what armor the target is wearing. You can pacify mutants with Desert Eagles and 10mm pistols if you keep on aiming for the eyes.

And it is pointless to waste precious ammunition against little critters like rats. Always go for unarmed/melee attacks if you can. If you have a Super Sledgehammer and Power Armor, then you can kill the Deathclaws at the Boneyards without much trouble.

- Also use the right ammo for the job aas well. AP ammo might seem to be better than JHP ammo while hitting armored targets, but the game engine always gives lots of negative modifiers to damage with AP ammo. AP ammo penetrates better than JHP ammo, but always use JHP. It's the best type. FMJ isn't that bad either. The only exceptions to the rule seem to be AP and Explosive rockets, which to me seem to deal about the same amount of damage.

BURST WEAPON TACTICS

- You can give your shots "up close andd personal." This works well in the early game. Garl, the raider leader, can be killed in one hit...without a critical! (I once did 71 hp damage to him w/o critical using JHP rounds  and 54 using AP rounds)

- Burst shots have a wide area of effecct. If an ally is in the middle, you might want to not do a burst shot. Here is an example of the "burst cone:"

X (you) |                / \                / | \               / ||| \              / ||||| \             / ||||||| \            Area of effect

This is why giving the shots "up close and personal" deals gobs of  damage. The shots saturate the target with bullets, dealing an immense amount of damage. If you attack multiple characters at range with a burst shot, then both will get hit.

- If the target is heavily armored, donn't use burst shots. You will see this happen to you when you get power armor and mutants are trying to kill you with miniguns.

SNIPER TACTICS -- - Sniping is a good idea for immobile ttargets, such as the master, or  against unarmed critters. It is also good for long-range combat.

- Sniper Rifles, Hunting Rifles, and Asssault Rifles are your best bet for long range sniping. However, the Sniper Rifle is the best. You can also use the Assault Rifle in the burst mode.

The Sniper works well against any target, even if it is armored or not. It has a damage range between 14 and 34 hp, compared with (max) 16 with the assault and 20 with the hunting rifle.

Hunting Rifles work OK on lightly armored targets. The Assault rifle is  all right for mid-armored targets and good for bursting on lightly armored targets.

- You can use a Combat Shotgun for shorrt distance sniping, such as fighting unarmed or melee-weapon using mutants or humans. It is the best weapon for mid armored targets, and is excellent for short range control. It  works well in conjunction with Power Armor when fighting Decker, and can even be used to pacify Deathclaws.

If you get your hands on the .223 Pistol, it is even better than the Combat Shotgun. The only drawback is that it is less accurate and it has only a 5 ammo magazine. This gun eliminates the need for energy weapons later on.

In general, combat shotguns and the .223 pistol are extremely effective in short-range combat, like the fights in the Hub.

- If you have a high energy weapons skiill, get a Plasma Rifle. No armor can withstand Plasma damge well. I got 132 hp on an eye shot on a Deathclaw once. The Turbo Plasma Rifle only costs 4 AP's for a single shot!

- You can kill Deathclaws easily this wway with a high small guns skill and high luck. Get a sniper and/or .223 pistol, cripple their legs, and then go for head and eye shots when they are down.

In general, the above tactic works well against unarmed people and shines when used in tandem with a super sledgehammer. (You can hit them, run  away, and hit them again while conserving ammo. The spiked knuckles work   well here.)

- If you have good small guns skill (1220%+), then go straight for aimed shots. 150%+ should give you a 95% chance to hit anywhere at decent range, even at night.

- If you use long-range weapons, you'lll get a negative modifier if you are attacking critters at really close range. This is an issue with the Fallout combat engine.

MELEE TACTICS - - If you have a sledgehammer, use the wweapon against unarmed critters. Aim for the legs. After they have been crippled, you can score aimed shots to the head and eyes easily. Rippers work just as well.

- If you have Power Armor and have spikked knuckles, then you can use those against any critter...regardless of their armor. I dealt 46 damage to a  Deathclaw once (critical to the eyes). Power fists are even better, and can kill scores of enemies. Ditto for Super Sledgehammers and Rippers.

CATHEDRAL / MILITARY BASE TACTICS (Cowboy approach)

- It is recommended that you bring the water chip to your Vault and kill the Regulators. Their metal armors sell well, and you need the experience.

- If you want to assault the base, heree is a good list on what to bring. This might be a bit steep, but if you do kill the regulators, there are many metal armors and they sell for $1000. You: Advanced Power Armor, 2 Psychos, Turbo Plasma Rifle, 300+ cells, 80+ stimpacks Ian: .223 Pistol, 300+ ammo, 30+ stimpacks Tycho: Sniper Rifle, 300+ ammo, 30+ stimpacks Katja: SMG, 600+ ammo, 30+ stimpacks

- Enter the Military Base at night, aroound midnight. There are few guards in the base.

- Guard Tycho and Ian; they don't have much armor and their weapons deal quite a lot of damage. If they die, be sure to take Ian's and Tycho's weapons.

- There are many, many, many mutants thhere. Here is a list of what I think is there. Cathedral: - Level 3: about 15 mutants, several robots and COC techs plus the Master - Level 2: 5 mutants, some scientists and COC chanters - Level 1: 2 mutants, one COC member, several centaurs and floaters - Ground floor: 1 nightkin, lots of humans - 2nd floor: 2 nightkin, one COC member - 3rd floor: 3-4 nightkin - 4th floor: 3 nightkin, Morpheus Military Base: (night) - Outside: 4 mutants - Level 1: 10 mutants, 3 robobrains - Level 2: 15 mutants, 2 robobrains (note: two mutants were dead...because            of what I don't know.) - Level 3: 5 mutants, 1 human - Level 4: 5 mutants, Mr. Handy, 3 robobrains and 6 humans plus lieutenant Military Base: (day) - Outside: 4 mutants - Level 1: 13 mutants, 3 robobrains - Level 2: 13 mutants, 2 robobrains - Level 3: 5 mutants, 1 human - Level 4: 5 mutants, Mr. Handy, 3 robobrains and 6 humans plus lieutenant NOTE: The mutants on future levels will regroup after attacking. This holds true for the night approach.

Also, if you kill the mutants within three turns, then they won't set off the alarm. (In other words, one fistfight can         last up to three turns.)

BOSS TACTICS (or big creature tactics) -- Fallout doesn't really have any bosses, but it does have its share of powerful opponents that you will meet in the game. This section has strategy information for the biggest of the bad guys.

- Garl (The Raider Leader) Hit points: 70 Armor    : Metal Armor Weapon   : Desert Eagle .44 Difficulty: Hard

Watch out...this is one of the two fights that can result in your death. Since you are attempting this fight in the early game, it is quite difficult. Equip the SMG and go burst right in his face. And, as always, use stimpacks...but in this case, frequently.

Garl also has about 14 allies, which are fairly easy kills. The only ones that should give you trouble are those that weild guns, like Petrox, Tolya, and his female raiders.

Ian comes in real handy during this battle. The fight is difficult, but with the amount of equipment that you'll gain, is well worth it.

- Gizmo (The Casino Owner) Hit points: 70 Armor    : None Weapon   : Mauser 9mm Difficulty: Stupid Easy

This guy is really easy. You'll get two good allies, plus Ian and Tycho and Dogmeat. Just attack Gizmo first, and later Izo. Izo has 50 hit points, metal armor, and is unarmed.

- Decker -- Hit points: 50-95 Armor    : Vaires; none to leather armor Weapon   : Strong pistols/strong melee Difficulty: Medium

This is the last one of the death fights. You'll have Ian, Tycho, Dogmeat, and two Hub Police guards, but they don't have many hit points. Decker's  guards are somewhat tough, and Kane has 95 hit points and somehow seems difficult to kill. Also, one has a sledgehammer. You might lose Dogmeat in this battle.

- Deathclaw (at Hub) -- Hit points: 225 Armor    : Strong Skin Weapon   : Claw Difficulty: Somewhat easy

Actually, this fight is pretty easy...you can do the job in Metal Armor and semi-decent big guns skill, something like 35%. Get Jake's Rocket Launcher and pummel that deathclaw down...

Sniper Rifles and Combat Shotguns in conjunction with Combat Armor work well.

Aim the shots (if you have the sniper) at the Deathclaw's legs or eyes. You can cripple his legs, and then it will be quite easy.

- The Lieutenant of the Mutant Armies ((aka Lou) -  Hit points: 250  Armor     : Unknown, equivalent of Brotherhood Armor  Weapon    : Gatling Laser  Difficulty: (Him: Easy)              (His mutant troopers: Difficult)

This brute is pretty tough, and has two super mutants on his left and right. Both have about 80-90 hit points and wield gatling lasers and rocket launchers. One great tactic is entering combat mode, running up in front of him, and using the .223 Pistol at the eyes. The Lou will attack, and so will his guards. Since the guards' weapons have the 'area' effect, they will work wonders on the lieutenant. His armor cannot withstand rocket launcher damage well. This fight is pretty difficult, but with Power Armor, a strong weapon, and several stimpacks, it will be well worth it.

The .223 Pistol, the Combat Shotgun, and Sniper Rifles are excellent small arms choices for this fight. If you have a Plasma Rifle with you, then the fight would be even easier.

It is also a good idea to pick the Rocket Launcher and Minigun from dead troopers. Miniguns work wonders on the mutants with minimal clothing.

Your main worry for this fight is the chance that the enemy will score critical hits. Since they wield huge weapons, there is a small chance of  survival, and it is advisable to save often.

- The Master of the Mutants - Hit points: 500 Armor    : Thick skin Weapon   : Twin Gatling Laser cannons with unlimited ammo Can spawn mutants at will (they have 50 hit points and good             weapons) Difficulty: (Him: Somewhat Difficult) (His mutant troopers: Difficult)

Two things: Plasma Rifle and Power Armor. Or if you have excellent small arms skills, a .223 pistol and a sniper will also work well.

These two will kill him in an instant, and since he is immobile, you can use the columns to your advantage. This is what to do:

X (Master)

O     O  (Columns) *        (You)

Stand behind one of the columns, and when it is your turn, go move out one hex, aim for his eyes (with decent skill) or just attack him, and then fall back. This trick is guaranteed to work, and you will have a clear line of fire for the mutants he spawns.

This method takes time, but with criticals, he is toast. I scored 119 points on him once at the eyes. Pretty much, you can devastate the entire cathedral with about 300 cells, 35 stimpacks, Power Armor, and of course, the Plasma Rifle. If you have an extremely high critical chance (or have  leveled up enough to get 'sniper'), you can use a gatling laser from the dead body of a mutant. Gatling lasers deal a lot of damage with criticals...it is entirely possible to kill the master in two hits.

Again, your main worry is that the master or his mutants might score a  critical against you.

NOTE: According to Eric Wills, this guy is what became of Richard Grey. Earlier, it was stated that Grey was the Lieutenant of the mutant armies.

NOTE: This is the actual text from Bernardo Barros, as he had more info to give:

"Actually, it's half-true. On the military base, when you access the        Vats computer, you can search the logs. There are two that are         useful: Maxon's and Grey's. Maxon's diary was written by Captain         Maxon, who founded the Brotherhood of Steel (he's related to General         Maxon). It says all about the true circumstances of the foundation of         the Brotherhood. Grey's diary was written by Harold's missing friend         [Harold is the ghoul who lives on the Hub (Old Town) and tells you about         the deathclaws - he mentions Dr Grey if you ask him about his story, he         also says how he lost contact with him while raiding a certain "military base"]. It says Grey started mutating, he found out about the FEV while        in there, he started his wicked plan and then looked for another suitable         base of operations (which happens to be the Cathedral). However those things         only serve your own curiosity, since nobody cares about it (I tried Harold;         General Maxton and his assistant; Vree; and the Elder who talks to you)."

Deathclaws (at Boneyards) - Hit points: 225-320 Armor    : Strong skin Weapon   : Claw Difficulty: With .223 Pistol: somewhat easy With Combat Shotgun: between medium and hard

This fight is pretty difficult if you are stuck with the combat shotgun and combat armor. This fight is also relatively easy if you have the .223 pistol and power armor. Keep on aiming for the eyes, and you'll guzzle up about 10 stimpacks in no time. Deathclaws don't deal much damage to you (5 tops) with power armor, and with hardened it is almost nil, but you've got to  watch out for the critical attacks.

Once I played it and there were three Deathclaws on the ground floor. The second time, there were two. This could be due to the difficulty setting...

You also have to know that the deathclaws will respawn (i.e., more will come) after about one to two hours if you kill the critters on the ground floor and forget about the deathclaw mother and the deathclaw eggs on the basement floor. This is a good way to get heaps of experience since one deathclaw is worth a thousand experience a pop.