Because the game is not too hard and user-friendly, superiority of rifle matters little. haha



However, in upcoming new survival mode


Rifle, Handgun, Grenade + SNEAK, can indeed make difference vs Starting game with pure melee build.


Melee build becomes good only after many perks are applied.

Yeah, unless I make a pure melee build, I struggle to get away from rifles. Auto weapons don't interest me a lot cause I usually have enough issues keeping ammo for my weapons. I do often supplement rifles with pistols altho. Especially for short range. Im surprising a terrible shot with shotguns.

Actually not too sure,it's been a while since I got/modded/renamed it. It's also a unique one that does 2x damage if the enemy is at full strength, if that helps.

I have actually never used anything heavy or put perks into big guns, but my modded silenced Gauss that does dbl damage to limbs combined with the sandman and stealth perks is a one shot one kill if you use it right. It is a BEAST! I took out a the behemoth near the car Stonehenge with one shot.


Also,does anyone know the power advantage to holding down the trigger till it reaches 99? I discovered that recently, just when you think it can be any more powerful!!

Rifles are basically the standby that's reliable for all scenarios. Pistols, with lower VATS costs, are really good for VATS and Critical Hit focused builds; I can empty a full magazine of my 10mm in VATS, which could be on a group of ghoul with Gun Fu, a single distant enemy's head with Concentrated Fire, or just do that to build up my critical hits - I found a Lucky 10mm Pistol once and had crits for days. And automatic weapons can be some of the most overpowered in the game with the right legendary effects (*coughWoundingcough*). Heavy weapons are more supplemental, like explosive, but yeah, heavy weapons and melee are just fun. The point of these games is taht you self-direct your experience; for me, the most entertaining builds are almost never the ones where I go for the most damage in the easiest way.

Several times during my playthrough, I've been hijacked by a truly amazing weapon that pushed me into another area. I started with rifles, then found automatics and energy weapons that eventually required several perks in Science! and Commando.


But I had to take the other perks on faith, hoping the weapons would work out. And it took game-days to make it happen.


On my next PT I'm keeping three or four perks "in the bag", so I can be ready to take immediate advantage of an extraordinary drop that I'm not yet wired for.

Everytime I leave my settlement I'm leaving with a new weapon. svcks you only can survive with rifles.

You need Grognak's ax, I tell you what.

Easy to get too, make a beeline for Boston then pop in hubris comics, pick the lock (advanced) and then leave.


Take it a step further and then use said axe to chop up the feral ghouls until you get to the top floor then don Grognak's armor too.


The lack of chest armor svcks, but not too badly. Plus the increased strength and melee stagger is very handy for mutants and other baddies.


Melee is nice for fun and sheer killing power in close quarters. 1000x more effective than rifles, pistols or even shotguns indoors.


Big Jim (the wrench) with the hook attachment is an absolute beast. You disarm your enemy and them just wail on them. On higher levels a smack from most high teir melee weapons will disarm an enemy.


Very funny to rip the gatling lasers out of a Knight's hands before bashing in their skull.


I keep Reba II and a legendary crippling combat rifle with me at all times for distance fights however. Reba II is an absolute monster, with 50% more damage dealt to bugs and mirelurks. Very very effective weapon.

I prefer pistols because they have better "hip shot" stats. Comes in handy when you got a dozen Ferals in front of you and half a dozen Super Mutants show up from behind you.

I carry three weapons. A 10mm converted over to a .45, a Laser pistol, and one rifle for super long range when I need it. The times I need the rifle are rare. My upgraded pistols tend to do a great job at short to medium range and do decent at longer ranges. For example I can stand on the catwalks on the roof of the Iron works and snipe the Gunners in the scrapyard with my laser pistol and generally hit with every shot.

Besides pistols weigh less, that means I can carry more loot before having to head home to sell and salvage.

I have many kind of bullets. That's why

what? how did you convert a 10 to a 45??

http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3480/?

Mod any Lucky, Instigating or Two Shot energy weapon to a pistol with a boosted photon agitator, and build to critical chance/dmg and AP.

All the weapon you'll ever need. Saves on perk points and ammo, as well as sharing its mod skill with what is needed for twinked power armor and advanced settlement defenses.

Why would you use anything else?

OP, this IS the reason to use something other than rifles!

Jilltanith, thanks for the link! never used mods yet, but I always wanted a .45 semi-auto like I own. sweet!

I'm SNEAK VATS RIFLEMAN BLITZ build. LOL. 5.3x dmg and LONE WANDERER made me a 1 shot snoozefest character even with survival and no gear. But now I just sneak and kill with a deathclaw gauntlet. I do use rifles to get a crowd to disperse to make it easier to take one or two out at a time. Level 81 Survival PS4

Ghouls, I try not to waste bullets on them, a Machette will slice and dice them nicely, until they are become 'armless.... they can give a good head-butt though, ouch.

I personally like automatics ALOT, ever since FO3.

Here i struggle to please both game effectiveness and my tastes, expecially considering how there's so small choice when it comes about automatic weapons >.<'

Decided so to use a submachine gun at the early levels, replacing it with a (modded with auto receiver) combat rifle once you can get the gun nut perk at level 3 to fix your weapon accordingly and access the almost endgame modifiers.

For the endgame you can mod to full auto the unique Plasma rifle you're going to find at the Institute's vendor, is named experiment-18A and its more than descent, even if not extestically good looking.

Otheriwse you can go with an automatic laser rifle but to mod those you need science! perk as well, and auto lasers burn through ammos really really fast.

Eventually you can tap with some perks in explosive for engaging from longer distances in order to save ammos.

I find the rank 2 explosives perk to be very good for my playstyle.

Eventually boost agility for vats and any crit related perk, compared to rifles you'll miss only about range.

I do end up using rifles most of the time, not because they are the best option, but because there are so many locations with great vantage points overlooking them and sniping my way through the baddies is so much fun. I spend a lot of time doing it.

But, explosives are great, I perk them with every character, melee or unarmed (I'm thinking Deathclaw gauntlet) can be very powerful if you like getting up close and personal with mobs; I find it more drugery than playtime, though, to go clear a place like

whacking my way through each and every baddie, but some players love it. Pistols are viable as well.

Hmmm, I wonder if VATS auto powers it up to 99. I guess I think it shouldn't... but there's some evidence that it does...

I believe VATs shot for Gauss rifle is automatically 99% charged.

I saw it few times in my VATs as well.


Assault Rifle is really good weapon in this game.. and it becomes near perfect weapon as the player master the perks.

It ends up having perfect stability, long range, high damage, near 0 reloading time, small spread, large ammo capacity.. and suppression option.


Kneecapper, Explosive, Wounding, Plasma, Freezing.. any of these options combined with fully modded automatic Assault rifle makes any battle entirely too easy.

Choice of weapon really doesn't matter. Gun, rifle, automatic are all equally viable and deadly combined with Sneak and Sandman. Just put a silencer on your weapon of choice and you're good to go.

sometimes it's not about minmaxing, been there, done that.

at the moment i'm running without sneak, vats, supressor skills (and no PA since i hate it).

the reason is to try someting different. i found a nice weapon on nexus that would be completely overpowered with a maximum damage build (IF-88)... so i neglect many perks for damage and do a different playstyle.

this "kick down the door, stand in the frame and shout 'come get some'" is fun... although it takes much more consumables than my previous build