In celebration of Fallout 4’s release, we reflect on the Fallout series and rank our top 10 favorite weapons from Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.
After months of excitement and buzz, Fallout 4 is finally here, and based on the reviews, it looks like fans have a lot to look forward to. One feature in the game many fans are excited about are the unique weapons, which they’ll use to wreak havoc on all manner of enemies in the Boston wasteland.
And as players are sifting through the weapons of, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on our favorite weapons from the past couple Fallout games. We polled our team and came up with our top 10 favorite Fallout weapons.
Experimental MIRV – Fallout 3
We’ll kick the list off with a nuclear bang by looking at’s famous Experimental MIRV. The Fat Man gun is by far the most powerful in the game, dealing the most damage as it launches eight mini nukes at once.
Naturally, so much power cannot be easily found or used, so players have to choose carefully when to use the MIRV on enemies. The weapons won’t fire unless there are at least eight nukes to send down the barrel, and can only fire 63 times before breaking. That may sound like a lot, but considering how easy it is to run and gun with the MIRV, those shots deplete quickly.
Chance’s Knife – Fallout: New Vegas
What really makes Chance’s Knife standout, though, is the unique and fun story behind the blade. The knife belonged to Chance, one of the Great Khans and a character in All Roads, the graphic novel that teases the events in Fallout: New Vegas . The backstory, and the fact that Chance’s Knife is still stained with the blood of his enemies, makes this weapons worthy of our list.
BB Gun – Fallout 3
While it’s the weakest and most useless weapon in the game, the Fallout 3 BB gun is also one of its most memorable. In fact, many players hold onto the BB gun throughout the game thanks to its sentimental value.
Gauss Rifle – Fallout 3
The Gauss Rifle is one of the most powerful and fun energy weapons in Fallout 3 . Its high damage ability and unique design were impressive enough to land it on our list of top Fallout weapons.
While none have been revealed yet, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar weapon grace the wasteland in Fallout 4 . If it does make an appearance, there’s no doubt players will go out of their way to pick up the powerful sniper weapon.
Mysterious Magnum – Fallout: New Vegas
The Mysterious Magnum is a fun weapon to use in Fallout: New Vegas because it’s the only weapon that has its own theme song, playing Mysterious Stranger’s theme anytime it’s pulled or holstered. It may not be the most powerful pistol available in the game, but the magnum provides a good deal of entertainment, as players run around the wasteland, drawing and holstering the weapon.
Deathclaw Gauntlet – Fallout 3
The Deathclaw Gauntlet is one of the most creative weapons in the Fallout franchise. It’s the most powerful unarmed weapon, and is able to disregard damage resistance from enemies, making it superior to many short range and melee weapons in the game. Additionally, when paired with the right perks, the Deathclaw Gauntlet will always score a critical hit on enemies, helping players bring them down quickly.
As with the other weapons on this list, there’s likely to be a similar weapon in Fallout 4 that allows players to deal massive damage with little effort. However, such weapons will likely come later in the game due to their cost and resource requirements.
Medicine Stick – Fallout: New Vegas
Those who play Fallout: New Vegas understand the power and benefit of the brush gun variant Medicine Stick. The weapon deals a healthy amount of damage with each shot, and thanks to the ability to reload one bullet at a time, players can begin shooting mid-way through reloading, which often comes in handy while taking on multiple opponents.
Dart Gun – Fallout 3
At first glance, no one would expect a dart gun to provide players with a huge advantage in Fallout 3 . With weapons that do massive damage like the Fat Man, why would a player take the time to construct and use the Dart Gun?
Those who use the weapon, however, quickly recognized the benefit, as the Dart Gun is able to cripple an enemy’s legs, making it easier for players to stop and kill fast melee opponents like deathclaws, super mutants, and aliens.
Ballistic Fist – Fallout: New Vegas
Like the Deathclaw Gauntlet in Fallout 3 , the Ballistic Fist in Fallout: New Vegas is a fun and capable melee weapon. As the name suggests, the Ballistic Fist is a glove with a wrist-mounted shotgun. When a player punches an enemy, the shotgun adds power to the punch, knocking enemies back and causing immense damage.
The Ballistic Fist can be used almost 400 times before breaking, making it useful to players for a long time in the game. Of course, the fun-factor can easily drive a player to go on Ballistic Fist rampages, which depletes the weapon much quicker.
Lincoln’s Repeater – Fallout 3
Similar to Chance’s Knife, Lincoln’s Repeater is included in this list because of its unique storyline in Fallout 3 . After players claim the weapon from the Museum of History, they can choose the fate of the weapon in Lincoln’s Profit Margin quest.
Depending on what players choose, Lincoln’s Repeater will be destroyed, used to kill slaves, or housed in Abraham Washington’s museum. Fortunately, as players make their choice, the weapon does act as a useful death-dealing instrument thanks to its precision and critical hit multiplier.
More Great Weapons
What did you think of our list? Did your favorite weaponsfrom Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas make the cut? Let us know your picks in the comments.
Fallout 4 releases November 10, 2015 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.