After reading about people not liking "bullet sponges", others having trouble with certain missions, and some even afraid to go into a certain location for fear of "getting shredded" I figure it's high time we share some tactical knowledge.

Give me a for-instance, something you find troubling in the game, a battle scenario you dread doing, etc, and I or someone will share how they handled it. Maybe this old dog can learn a few new tricks as well, who knows?


Here are a few basics, based on my own experience and gameplay style of course, to get things started --

1) GET A DART GUN --- Find or buy the schematics, and get yourself one. This, in conjunction with your favorite regular weapon, is one of the most valuable tools in the game, tactics-wise. For one thing when a deathclaw is charging you from a distance, nailing it with a single dart can triple or even quadruple the time you have to shoot it to pieces before it gets within range to swat you.

2) Before entering any door where potential danger may be on the other side (which means basically all of them) always go into stealth/crouch mode. For extreme situations (like the Talon Co. outpost) you may want to activate a stealthboy, take a med-x to reduce damage, and sneak in and place a few mines before engaging the enemy.

3) Don't be in such a RUSH! -- For some quests, while playing hardcoe, it might not be the wisest thing to just "head on out" and attempt to barrel through it. Instead you may want to take a time out in order to go forage and loot, selll loot and buy more ammo, buy better weapons or upgrade what you have. Gain a level. Gain a follower. Outfit your follower, better armor, better weapon etc. Then take on that so-called "hard quest" when you're better prepared.

4) THINK TACTICALLY, ALWAYS --- For example, when approaching Greyditch for the first time in the game, do you find yourself getting burnt to a crisp? Try stealhting your way around the outskirts, maybe up behind a building and out onto a high-up ledge where the ants can't get you. Then snipe their 'antenner' and let them fry one another. But of course in order to snipe effectively you need to what?... PREPARE. As in get a decent rifle that is repaired to a decent degree. Develop your small guns skill a little more. Collect and bring along a good supply of grenades and mines for some extra fun with the ants. Tactics.


Post your tactics, or post a situation, any scenario at all -- giant radscorps, the raider outpost, ghouls in the basemant of the Dunwich Building, supermuties atop a cliff with miniguns... whatever. We'll talk. It's time to quit being afraid to go places, there are ways of taking out the toughest enemies that don't involve you dying 20 times to do it.

Let's talk.

Anytime I have a height advantage and the enemy is in a confined area (ie: Dunwich basemant), I will drop a nuka grenade or two. It will also work against supermutants coming up the ramp at the Metro Station outside Hubris Publishing, among others.