Statistics? Perks? Child's play ...
Starting from the assumption that no build is wrong and that everyone is able to play in the way they prefer, this guide of ours was born with the intention of making life easier for newcomers to the genre and the franchise by analyzing the pros and cons of every choice made regarding the assignment of SPECIAL points and the builds that can be created to maximize, especially in the early stages of the game, the results obtained, regardless of the equipment in use.
We remind you that in the game there are seven basic parameters (SPECIAL) and that each of them will have a direct effect on the abilities of our character, specifically:
S (Strength - Force): More inventory space, more melee damage
P (Perception - Perception): Better knowledge of the surrounding environment, higher accuracy in SPAV mode
E (Endurance - Resistance): More Health Points, More Resistance to Damage
C (Charisma - Carisma): Allows you to access special dialog options
I (Intelligence - Intelligence): Increases the number of experience points obtained
A (Agility - Agility): Higher number of PA in SPAV mode
L (Luck - Fortuna): Increases the chance of finding rare loot and landing critical hits
Leveling up these stats also unlocks certain increasingly useful talents which are divided into 10 different levels and can be upgraded to different ranks.
Before we start talking about the builds, let's do some things premises:
1. We do not recommend assigning 10 SPECIAL points to a single statistic, as it would risk being limited, then, in the use of Vault-Tec figurines, able to donate additional points to a specific SPECIAL statistic. If you really want to overdo it, get to a maximum of 8 points, the rest will be obtained with statuettes or particular magazines.
2. Every build is good, you just need to adapt to your style of play. Spending points on Strength (S) will come in handy as far as carrying weight is concerned, but if you intend to use melee and non-firearms it will not be exploited properly (we doubt you don't use firearms anyway). Instead, it will be essential to spend points in the Charisma (C) in case you decide you want to approach the game from a role-playing point of view and access dialogue options otherwise not available.
3. Regardless of the build you choose, it is important to unlock level 1 talents with Intelligence (I) and level 3 with Perception (P).
4. At the beginning of the game you will be able to assign a total of 21 SPECIAL points divided into the 7 statistics listed above and each one cannot go below 1. In total, therefore, you will have a total of 28 points assigned to your SPECIAL parameters.
Below is a list of some useful builds in different situations that, of course, you can freely modify according to your needs.
CHARACTER-BASED BUILD
- Build to level up quickly
S: 6 | P: 4 | E: 2 | C: 1 | I: 8 | A: 3 | L: 4
Best companion: Nick Valentine (great in close combat, opens doors and unlocks terminals)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
|
- Statistics optimized for the acquisition of many experience points; fair amount of inventory space; more AP for SPAV mode and for running.
- Feats: Strong Back (STR 6, 2 points), Burglar (PER 4), Hacker (INT 4), Recycler (INT 5, 2 points).
|
- The lack of points in Charisma and other statistics determines a lower damage in close combat, makes the quests more difficult and will determine the need for a greater quantity of bullets to take down the enemies.
|
- Build for utility and weapon and armor crafting
S: 4 | P: 4 | E: 3 | C: 6 | I: 6 | A: 1 | L: 4
Best Companion: None (with the Lone Wanderer feat) or Preston Garvey (more damage and stamina when fighting in a group)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
| - All and nothing. An all-rounder with a talent for crafting, mods and utilities.
- Feats: Gunsmith (STR 3), Blacksmith (STR 4), Strong Back (STR 5), Burglar (STR 5), Lone Wanderer (CH 3, 3 points), Local Leader (CH 6, 2 points), Recycler ( INT 5, 2 points), Science (INT 6), Mysterious Ally (FORT 4). |
- Little life / damage resistance. - Few PAs. - No mates. |
- Good / bad boy build (karma)
S: 5 | P: 4 | E: 1 | C: 8 | I: 5 | A: 1 | L: 4
Best companion: Piper (more experience from conversations)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Missions will be easier to complete and will give you more rewards
- Feats: Strong Back (STR 5, 2 points), Local Leader (CH 6), Revelry (CH 7, 3 points), Source of Inspiration (CH 8, 3 points), Recycler (INT 5), Mysterious Ally ( FORT 4). |
- The Charisma figurine is difficult to obtain (found by following a series of missions). - Few PAs. - Little health. |
BUILD BASED ON WEAPONS
- General build
S: 8 | P: 6 | E: 2 | C: 1 | I: 2 | A: 5 | L: 4
Best companion: Nick Valentine (great in close combat, opens doors and unlocks terminals)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Heavy weight, powerful melee attack, moderate agility, increased experience gain at night.
- Feats: Strong Back (STR 6, 2 points), Night Creature (STR 6). |
- Due to the lack of points in Charisma, you will not be favored in conversations and will have to do a lot more work. - The same goes for the lack of intelligence and stamina: less experience, less sprint, less health ... |
- Heavy Melee Build (FOR / RES)
S: 8 | P: 3 | E: 8 | C: 1 | I: 2 | A: 1 | L: 5
Best companion: Strong (great help in melee) or Preston Garvey (more damage and stamina when fighting in a group)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
| - High carrying weight, high damage in melee attacks and less damage taken. The high resistance also allows you to breathe underwater and take less damage from radiation.
- Feats: Intensive Training (STR 2), Breaker (STR 8), Strong Back (STR 6), Grounding (STR 9), almost all Stamina talents except the last three. |
- You will not be able to unlock the advanced ranks of Burglar and Hacker (PER 4 and INT 4). - Reduced accuracy with ranged weapons, very few AP available. |
- Build stealth / ranged attacks
S: 1 | P: 8 | E: 2 | C: 1 | I: 1 | A: 7 | L: 8
Best companion: Deacon (more damage with sneak attacks), MacCready (more likely to perform headshots) or Hancock (quicker crit when suffering from radiation)
| For | Cons |
|---|---|
| - High accuracy, easier enemy detection, high damage with long range weapons.
- Feats: Sniper (PER 8), Penetrating Gaze (PER 9, 2 points), Man of Action (AGI 3, 5 points), all Fortuna talents up to level 4. |
- Very little transportable weight, very weak in melee combat. - To achieve maximum power, you need to find or create weapons optimized for accuracy. |
These are some effective builds that reflect different styles of play that you can use if you don't like "wasting time" in creating your character. Hoping they will come in handy, we wish you a good (and long) game of Fallout 4! For other guides dedicated to Fallout 4 take a look here
10 tips for surviving in Fallout 4
Trophy / achievement guide - Fallout 4
Fallout 4, how to fix xaudio driver crashes
Fallout 4: Legendary Weapons and Effects
Fallout 4: All items available in a snap
