From my observations the ai only uses hip fire, so mods that improve hip fire accuracy are better on them, and mods that make hip fire worse simply make them worse.

Scopes do not help the ai, at any range, so always go for fire from the hip accuracy boosts.

Having used most of them I would say the most combat effective companion so far is the Aussaltron Dominator.

Although their dialogue is annoying and you can't take them home to meet the family because they don't get on, they certainly do enough damage that you can just sit back and watch them go to town on all and sundry.

They also have very good perception.

They don't last long but are good for some amusemant.

Short video of my current companion (while he lasts) doing it's thing.

He's a killing machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pGPRHhyMuA

To a certain extent they are effective. I go with Cait and MacCready and both saved my life in several fights in close combat. Cait is ok with her shotgun, to MacCready I gave an assault rifle. I stopped however pumping up the companions. They are such a good meat shield that it is too much when they also are effective killers. Boths main task now is to distract and make nighttime a pleasure.

Hancook became very effective last night, was fighting a bunch of Gunners and I saw him pick up a Fatman, I tried to leg it but it was lights out for all of us.


I loaded a save and shot him in the face for being a prat.

Good to know. I only knew about Curie quest. Let's not hope I will have to get them all to idolize me, grinding with Deacon to 1000% affinity took like forever haha. Now at melee 10X sneak multiplier his perk will not be needed.

Yes, keep them away from explosives at all costs. I had Nick shower me with molotovs. Can't prevent them from picking up something, though.

Scopes affects primary statistics of weapons therefore they work on NPCs too. Myself I give my companions and settlers only weapons with reflex scopes since they usually does not affect negatively hip fire, unlike sniper scopes (as I said, there's no way to tell how often NPCs use hip fire but I just want to be sure). I always optimize NPC weapons for close to mid range fight since that's what they get engaged in most of the time. That's also when most enemies are the most dangerous.

I don′t want companions in a Fallout game. Ruins the feel of isolation.