I only had trouble with deathclaws on two occasions on my first play though....one when I (with Boone and ed-e) was jumped by three deathclaws at close range, I survived by running away (leaving Boone and ed-e to hold up the deathclaws) sniping a couple while boone and ed-e fell, I then finished the last one firing the .50 cal from the hip while quickly backing away. The other was when I was fighting my way up black mountain only to have a deathclaw appear right in front of me and immediately kill me. Where the deathclaw got the stealthboy from and who trained him is still a mystery to me.....maybe it ate a nightkin or a nightstalker. :shrug: