So after figuring out you can get multiple power armor frames my first thought was "ohhhh sweet, I"m gonna deck all my minutemen in PA!" Question is, does a settler in power armor drain its fusion core? I suppose I could just console command in a bunch of cores for my friends the way I did for all their sweet matching minuteman outfits, but I want to avoid cobsole commands as much as possible...

No. They do not. I don't think they even require fusion cores.

Are you positive about that? They definitely will use your weapons and ammunition if you give it to them. I know settlers will even jack your power armor if a settlement is under attack and there is a fusion core inside the suit. I have a hard time believing companions wouldn't automatically just take fusion cores from the player's own stack. I can't confirm this as I haven't given any of my companions power armor yet.

I can confirm that for the companion who comes with Power Armor.....actually the only thing he is wearing under that armour is his BOS hood and he has been stomping about for hours now.

They need a single fusion core to use the Power Armour, but it never drains.

I haven't tried the no fusion core thing, but people are saying it's true. As for depleting fusion cores, you are the only one who can do that. I have had Preston Garvey in Minutemen power armor for ages now. Also, your settlers do not expend ammo. As long as it isn't a heavy eapon I.e. missle launcher, you can put the weapon and 1 bullet in their inventory and they have infinite ammo.

One of my follower used to wear a power armour a while, after I made him exit it I took my Fusion Core back and turns out that no charge was lost

Told someone to get in the none cored armor. Had them RUNNING with zero energy and all that other stuff. It really breaks the immersion when they don't need resources to do things and can survive in the radioactive wasteland without protection. Had them with no armor or anti rads in there earlier.

You don't even need to put a core in for followers. I found a suit in scavenging but lacked a core. Figured I'd make Cait wear it so I could fast travel...she went stomping around like the thing had a full charge.

I think you just need a core in the suit to make it "Open Access" for Settlers during attacks (or Raiders, to steal).

Havnt used them but I heard someone say they get the plates broken eventually. Seeing as they're pretty dumb and take a lot of hits and are immortal anyway it seems a waste just to give them armor plating. I wonder if they use any of the skills the suit has. Might be good for a melee character in raider pa. I think settlers take a knee too when their health is low.

if you have paladin danse as a companion you shouldn't need to worry. i know he doesn't need fusion cores but you also don't need to repair his armour.

but with other companions you will need to repair their armour but i don't know about fusion cores. and i'm a level 49 on xbox one add me as a friend if you want

Bonetrail69

There is no way you can keep youself and your companion outfitted with Power Cores. It would be nearly impossible even to just keep your companion powered up. I do agree though that they should at least require power cores.

well even if you did have to find/buy fusion cores for your companion/follower i'd have 22114 bottle caps to spend on fusion cores anyway. and i did'nt use an exploit to amass such an amount of caps either i keep on taking weapons and armour from fallen enemies but usually weapons.

then selling them

Thabks so much for all the feedback- sounds like I'm gonna be building an army of minuteman pa!

have fun

Are you sure? I gave Vincent a .44 revolver with 100 ammo. I checked on him later and he had 42 bullets left. I checked later and he just had the gun in his inventory and it was unequipped.

Settlers do, but maybe not people with names.

ok companions only lose ammo you give them if their not the same as their default weapon e.g paladin danse has a laser rifle which uses energy cells give him a weapon that isn't a laser weapon and ammo for it it will be consumed,