The great game Fallout 4 has a dizzying number of weapons for the player to find and modify in their efforts to recover their son and bring peace to the Commonwealth. Eventually, the player will be tossing aside weapons as they find bigger and badder tools of destruction.
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There are some weapons that rise to the top in terms of how destructive and useful they are in combat. While the player should always go with a weapon that matches their character’s strength and personal playstyle, it would be foolish to ignore the best weapons in Fallout 4.
Updated September 9th, 2020 by Morgan Austin: These days, Bethesda is pretty busy. They've worked on a lot of new content and fixes after the controversial release of Fallout 76, and fans have eagerly been waiting for more details about the upcoming release of Elder Scrolls 6. While they wait, fans might be going back to some of their favorite Bethesda games, like Fallout 4 and those that came before it in the series. For those that might be playing Fallout 4 again or for the first time, there are plenty of powerful weapons to keep an eye out for in the Wasteland.
Updated On August 12, 2021 by Ben Baker: Simply knowing which are the best weapons in Fallout 4 isn’t enough. For starters, players need to know how to obtain these powerful weapons. Some are rewarded as part of side quests or factions quests, others are sold by merchants, and some are tucked away in the secret corners of the world. It is also important to know exactly what these weapons are capable of via their stats. Players must choose the right weapon for their chosen build so knowing the stats and special effects help with making the right choice. As always the most powerful weapon in the game depends on the character build and the player’s skill, but these are generally held to be the best weapons in Fallout 4.
15 The Striker
- Damage – 100
- Clip Size -1
- Fire Rate – 1
- Range – 117
- Accuracy – 63
- Ap Cost – 60
The Striker is not a traditional weapon by any means. Based on the Fat Man, a mini-nuke launcher, the creator of this weapon traded out the mini-nukes for modified bowling balls.
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There was a bit of damage trade-off but dealing 275 damage with a bowling ball isn’t too shabby, and a danger-close hit won’t kill you as a Fat Man would. Its perk grants a 50% chance to cripple the target’s leg which is nice for slowing down powerful opponents to give yourself some room to kite them. You can also craft more bowling balls at a Chemistry Station.
How To Obtain It
The Striker can be obtained at any point in time as it’s not associated with any quests. The player simply needs to go to Beaver Creek Lanes in the southwest area of Far Harbor. The Striker is in the upstairs office.
14 Le Fusil Terribles
- Damage – 62
- Clip Size – 32
- Fire Rate – 20
- Range – 71
- Accuracy – 41
- Ap Cost – 35
- Violent Effect – +25% damage/limb damage & increases recoil
As far as small guns go in Fallout 4, shotguns do some of the most damage, and the Le Fusil Terribles is no exception. Its effect even adds 25% more damage, even though the downside to it is that it gives this gun a lot more recoil.
The upside is that the recoil can be toned down a bit with different mods that can be added to this weapon. Plus, it's fairly easy to find and doesn't require players to finish any quests like many of these other powerful weapons do. This shotgun can be found in the captain's cabin in Libertalia, which players may recognize if they side with the Institute. Players can go to this location at any time despite it being related to an Institute main quest.
How To Obtain It
The Le Fusil Terribles is located inside of Libertalia, the raider encampment just south of the Nahant Warf in the water. More specifically the weapon will be sitting on a wooden crate in the captain’s cabin. Players will come here as part of the Synth Retention quest given by the Institute.
13 Spray N’ Pray
- Damage – 34
- Clip Size – 100
- Fire Rate – 127
- Range – 77
- Accuracy – 69
- Ap Cost – 43
- Explosive Effect – 15 AOE explosive damage with each shot.
The Spray N’ Pray should be a familiar weapon with most players for how useful it is and how annoying it was to find Cricket in order to buy it. It’s a sub-machine gun that deals 48 damage. This alone would make it a handy weapon but the perk causes each bullet to explode on impact dealing 15 damage AOE.
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Even if this isn’t your style of gun you will definitely want it if you’re trying to get the Eyes On The Prize achievement in Nuka-World. Take this baby into the Bandit Roundup shooting gallery and you’ll be raking in tickets in no time.
How To Obtain It
Obtaining the Spray N’ Pray can be a bit tricky as it’s typically sold by the wandering merchant Cricket. She can sometimes be found in Bunker Hill, outside Vault 81, Warwick Homestead or even Diamond City at times. This weapon can also rarely be found on random vendors and being used by Legendary Raiders near Diamond City.
12 Ashmaker
- Damage – 8
- Clip Size – 500
- Ap Cost – 40
- Incendiary Effect – each shot deals +15 damage and sets targets on fire.
Why use just a minigun when you can use a minigun that sets enemies on fire? That question can now be answered if players complete the quest The Big Dig and receive the Ashmaker as a prize. What miniguns might lack in damage, they make up for with their fire rate, and the Ashmaker makes that damage per second count go up with its fire damage.
It might be a heavy gun, but it's worth having. Players could give it to a follower so they can free up some inventory space while still using the Ashmaker if they need the space. The Big Dig quest does have a few different endings, but all of them give players a way to get the Ashmaker, so they don't have to worry about missing it based on dialogue options.
How To Obtain It
The Ashmaker is obtained exclusively through the quest The Big Dig given by Bobbi No-Nose near Goodneighbor. The weapon can be given as a reward for betraying Bobbi or looted off of Fahrenheit’s corpse if siding with Bobbi.
11 Kremvh’s Tooth
- Damage – 28
- Speed – Medium
- Ap Cost – 30
- Sacrificial Blade Effect – Boost to damage, added poison damage, and bleed damage.
This wicked-looking sacrificial blade is a great reference to the horror author H.P. Lovecraft who frequently wrote about cults worshiping powerful cosmic monstrosities. In fact, the weapon is found beneath Dunwich Borers a reference to his short story The Dunwich Horror.
The dagger deals an impressive 49 damage and causes bleed and poison effects on opponents. Dark minded players will get a thrill sneaking up on opponents, shiving them in the back with this wicked weapon, and watch as their enemy slowly dies and their souls are sent to the void where things wriggle in the darkness.
How To Obtain It
The Kremvh’s Tooth is located beneath Dunwich Borers. Just before reaching the bottom of the shaft is an underwater tunnel leading to an alter where the weapon is located. There are ten quests that lead the player to the Dunwich Borers, but none leading to the secret chamber where the weapon is hiding.
10 Protectron's Gaze
- Damage – 26
- Clip Size – 30
- Fire Rate – 57
- Range – 47
- Accuracy – 44
- Ap Cost – 25
- Rapid Effect – +25% Fire Rate and +15% Reload
While this weapon is pretty powerful, it takes a bit of effort to get it sometimes. Protectron's Gaze is a laser rifle that was added in the Automatron DLC. One of the main aspects of this DLC is that players must find and defeat a character called the Mechanist, who has the only version of Protectron's Gaze in the game.
When they meet the Mechanist in her lair, they can either kill her to get this weapon or, if she's spared, she can offer the gun for players to buy if they give her a more powerful weapon. For those that like energy weapons, the trade might be worth it, as this gun does quite a bit of damage. It also reloads and fires faster than other weapons.
How To Obtain It
This is the personal weapon of the Mechanist who is residing in The Mechanist’s Lair near the RobCo Sales & Service Center. The player will come here as part of the Restoring Order quest. The weapon can be obtained by killing the Mechanist, pickpocketing it, or possibly buying it by providing her a better weapon first.
9 Final Judgement
- Damage – 14
- Clip Size – 500
- Fire Rate – 340
- Range – 203
- Accuracy – 48
- Rapid Effect – +25% Fire Rate & +15% Reload
Final Judgement looks like a weapon straight out of the Terminator series and acts like it too. It’s a Gatling laser that deals 26 damage with a ridiculous fire rate. There are few feelings greater in this game than pummeling laser beam after laser beam into a deathclaw and watching it melt.
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The one downside is that it requires valuable Fusion Cores to power it. This can get pricey and you’ll be debating between using this gun or your power armor, but for those with the funds or the stash of Cores this is a fun gun.
How To Obtain It
There are three opportunities to obtain this weapon from the current owner Arthur Maxson. The first is during the Railroad quest Precipice of War, instead of traveling to the Police Station the player can go to the Prydwen and kill Maxson. The second is during the Rocket’s Red Glare quest given by the Railroad faction when the player is ambushed by Maxson after planting the explosives. The final way is the least recommended due to a bug. During the quest Airship Down Maxson will be on a Vertibird fighting Synths, the player can kill him and get the weapon, but if the Prydwen blows up his body may wind up under the wreckage and be inaccessible.
8 Kiloton Radium Rifle
- Damage – 42 Regular & 50 Radiation
- Clip Size – 20
- Fire Rate – 40
- Range – 119
- Accuracy – 69
- Explosive Effect – 15 AOE damage
The Kiloton Raidum Rifle is very similar to the Spray N. Pray but is far superior. It’s physical damage is 36, but it also deals 50 radiation damage over time and like the Spray N Pray it’s bullets explode on impact dealing 15 AOE damage.
This semi-automatic radiation gun is great for firing a couple of rounds into distant opponents and watch as their health drains away before they can reach you. If you want your hands on this weapon you’ll need to visit the Children of Atom at the Nucleus.
How To Obtain It
The weapon is sold by Brother Kane who is residing in the Nucleus where the Church of the Children of Atom are located. In fact the player will need to join the Children of Atom in order to be able to buy from Brother Kane.
7 Gamma Gun
- Damage – 100 Radiation
- Clip Size – 8
- Fire Rate – 66
- Range – 119
- Accuracy – 69
While this gun may not look super powerful, it can pack a punch against human enemies. The Gamma Gun does lots of radiation damage to enemies and has a fairly large area of effect compared to most guns.
This weapon can also come with legendary effects on it for even more bonuses. That plus the multiple options to mod the Gamma Gun can make it even more powerful for any difficulty or any player's skill level. A few shots from this gun can even take out large, heavily armored bosses — as long as they're humans since most creatures and robots in the Wasteland aren't too adversely affected by radiation.
How To Obtain It
This weapon is used by the Child Of Atom cultists and can be looted of their corpses. Those carrying this weapon can be found in the Decayed Reactor Site or the Kingsport Lighthouse. Players may consider buying Gamma Rounds from merchants to use this long term.
6 Atom’s Judgement
- Damage – 40 regular & 100 radiation
- Fire Rate – Slow
- Range – Melee
- Ap Cost – 45
Speaking of the Children of Atom, another weapon in their possession is this monstrous Atom’s Judgement. It’s a massive sledgehammer that deals a terrifying 315 damage with 787 radiation damage over time. This is possible thanks to the cracked fusion cores the cultists strapped to the head of the hammer.
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A few swings should kill just about anything and whatever manages to survive will quickly succumb to the radiation now flowing through their body. Even if you don’t plan on using this hammer yourself having a companion like Strong wield this weapon makes for a terrifying ally. It is easily one of the best weapons in Fallout 4.
How To Obtain It
This is the valuable reward given to the player after completing the Children of Atom quest The Heretic. It’s given out by the Grand Zealot Richter who is located in the Nucleus.
5 Cito's Shiny Slugger
- Damage – 123
- Speed – Slow
- Range – 10
- Ap Cost – 35
- Relentless Effect – Each Critical Hit refills action points
This unique baseball bat is found in the Nuka-World DLC after players help rescue the family of a character named Cito. He will give them this bat as a reward for their efforts. As far as melee weapons go this is the best weapon in Fallout 4.
Cito's Shiny Slugger can do 94 damage. It also has the Relentless effect on it, causing Critical Hits to refill the player's AP so they can do more targeted damage even quicker. There are lots of different upgrades that players can put on this bat as well, and the Nuka-World DLC also allows players to paint the bat and make it weighted, which does even more damage.
How To Obtain It
The player will receive this reward from Cito after completing the Safari Adventure quest. Cito is located in the Safari Adventure theme park.
4 Admiral’s Friend
- Damage – 150
- Clip Size – 1
- Fire Rate – 2
- Range – 14.3
- Accuracy – 63
- Ap Cost – 40
- Instigating Effect – Double damage if the target has full health.
The DLC Far Harbor introduced a number of unique concepts and harpoon guns like Admiral’s Friend is by far the most interesting. It deals a whopping 300 damage which thanks to a perk doubles to 600 if the opponent is at full health.
Admittedly the fire rate is abysmal, but for stealthy characters taking that 600 damage and adding in a stealth multiplier on top can deal astronomical levels of damage. If anything doesn’t die after that first hit they almost deserve to live.
How to Obtain It
Allen Lee will sell this weapon to the player. Lee is a merchant located in the town of Far Harbor. Players just need to interact with him and have around 1,500 caps available.
3 Splattercannon
- Damage – 51
- Clip Size – 75
- Fire Rate – 11
- Range – 89
- Accuracy – 108
- Furious Effect – Consecutive strikes increase damage
This deceptively named weapon is great for mid-range encounters. Found in Nuka-World it deals 49 damage and has an excellent fire rate. What really makes it shine is the perk that deals increased damage after each consecutive hit on the same target.
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If you can make every hit count then your damage output will skyrocket very quickly as stronger and stronger bullets pummel into your enemies.
How To Obtain It
Aaron Corbett at the Nuka-Town Market will sell this item to the player.
2 The Problem Solver
- Damage – 57
- Clip Size – 75
- Fire Rate – 59
- Range – 185
- Accuracy – 92
- Furious Effect – Each consecutive strike will increase damage.
This weapon is similar to the Splattercannon but with the much better range at the cost of initial damage. The first bullet deals 21 damage, but with a perk that increases damage by 15% for each consecutive hit it will quickly add up.
Because it’s a ranged weapon players can get some far-range shots at the enemy and by the time they get close, you’ll have a weapon capable of dishing out impressive damage, assuming your shots hit the target of course. Some players prefer the slower fire rate as there’s less chance of one of the bullets missing and resetting the damage stack.
How To Obtain It
This weapon is obtained through the Ambitious Plan quest given by Mason in Nuka-World. Players must pass a Charisma check with him and only choose aggressive dialogue choices whenever they speak with him.
1 Nuka-Nuke Launcher
- Damage – 794
- Clip Size – 1
- Fire Rate – 1
- Range – 117
- Accuracy – 63
- Ap Cost – 75
Arguably the most powerful weapon in the game is the Nuka-Nuke Launcher found in Nuka-World. It’s essentially a Fat Man that has been modified to hurl modified mini-nukes known as Nuka-Nukes at foes.
These Nuka-Nukes deal a whopping 833 damage at a decent range from the enemy. This thing is absolutely useless in close quarters so you’ll want something like the Atom’s Judgement for those encounters, but for mid-range enemies this will obliterate them on the atomic level. In a world devastated by nuclear holocaust and radioactive fallout it’s only fitting that a mini-nuke launcher would be the strongest weapon in the wastes.
How To Obtain It
The best gun in Fallout 4 is tucked away in a vault below John-Caleb Bradberton’s office in Nuka-Town. Players must be on the Cappy in a Haystack quest and side with Bradberton over Sierra to get the bests weapon.