There are a number of ways to play through Fallout 4. Most players will try builds around a particular weapon type to exploit the usefulness of power armor, or possibly even recreate one of their favorite characters in-game.

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But there are a number of builds that look to be more creative. Some of these builds utilize unique mechanics, lead to fun gameplay, or are surprisingly overpowered in bizarre ways. Here are some crazy builds you should consider for your next run.

Updated August 22, 2021 by Ben Baker: As players get more creative with the game’s mechanics or roleplaying it leads to some increasingly fun and bizarre builds. It’s also becoming apparent that there are a startling number of ways to play this game. To continue the chaos it seemed appropriate to add a few more wacky builds to the pile. These builds tap into specific perks like Idiot Savant, some are based on fictional characters from other works of fiction, and at least one introduces a unique challenge that would make Diogenes proud. What’s most surprising is that once set up these fun Fallout 4 builds are all perfectly viable in the game.

15 The Idiot Savant

Fallout 4 Mr. Bean Character

Idiot Savant is a perk that rewards the character with more experience for having less Intelligence. To combat the low Intelligence you must pour everything into Luck and Luck-based perks. While this can be the most fun Fallout 4 build at higher levels, in the beginning, it can be a bit rough.

If you can stick it out, you’ll have a character that can randomly deflect bullets back at enemies, gain VATS points quickly, and turn enemies into a red mist when you kill them. In the early game, it’s important to take it slow, gain levels by doing non-combat things, and gear everything towards using VATS and critical damage.

14 Nurse Ratched

Fallout 4 Doctor Rachel

This is one of those Fallout 4 character build ideas that’s a post-apocalyptic version of the Nurse Ratched character from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. The build revolves around using the Syringer weapon almost exclusively.

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The Sniper perk is used to increase critical hit chances, but the real meat of this build is Gun Nut. You’ll be spending time crafting homemade syringes. These syringes will do things like paralyze an opponent, cause poison, and even cause a bloatfly to spawn from the victim’s corpse. All remaining points and perks are dumped into carrying more syringes, finding more materials, and anything that can help you cure the waste one victim at a time.

13 Child Of Atom

Fallout 4 Child Of Atom Cultist

This is one of those fun Fallout 4 builds that involve a bit of role-playing. Your character is a devout member of the Children of Atom or a possible reincarnation of Atom. The build is all about utilizing radiation-based damage to its full extent.

Nuclear Physicist is the key to this build's potential, so a high Intelligence is required. Then it’s a matter of picking a radiation-based weapon and tailoring skills around that. Atom’s Judgment would have the player going melee with Strength and perks like Big Leagues. Where the Gamma Gun would rely more on Agility and perks like Gunslinger.

12 Naked Nomad

Falalout 4 Bathrobe Outfit

The Naked Nomad is one of those fun Fallout 4 builds that should be tried at least once. The idea is to deprive your character of all worldly possessions except what they can carry and find. Obviously, this would be rather easy with a suit of Power Armor, but this isn’t the Nomad build it’s the Naked Nomad.

The build needs to be balanced to take advantage of whatever weapons and ammo you can find. Lots of Strength is recommended to increase carry weight and increase damage with melee weapons. Endurance is also key and possibly Agility to sneak around when low on surprise. Many players find the game plays a lot faster when you’re not burdened with building stockpiles of supplies and returning to a base to drop things off.

11 Road Warrior

Fallout 4 Mad Max Mod
https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/3777

The Road Warrior can either be one of those Fallout 4 character build ideas that turn you into Mad Max or makes you a semi-honorable raider, which is honestly just about the same thing. A high Endurance is useful for Chem Resistant and to justify continually wearing Leather Armor.

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Afterward, it’s a balance of stats as the character will be using generic weapons like shotguns and melee weapons. A high Luck with Bloody Mess would also be thematically appropriate. Low Charisma also makes sense considering you won’t be doing a lot of talking and your only companion is Dogmeat.

10 The Hoarder

Fallout 4 The Hoarder

This build is centered around one singular goal, amassing as many items as quickly as possible. It sounds absurd, but when factoring in settlement building it becomes a surprisingly effective build to beat the game with.

The idea is to lean on Endurance, Charisma, and Strength. Perks like Strong Back, Lone Wanderer, and Local Leader are critical. The idea is to level up by building up settlements and supply lines, amass items and caps, then start culling the wasteland of enemies to gather even more items. It’s slow at first, but you will never want for anything in the endgame.

9 Freak Of Nature

Fallout 4 Freak Of NAture

The idea of this build is to become a powerful Ghoul that can heal from a variety of sources. Solar Power makes the sun provide healing, Ghoulish makes radiation a source of health, Cannibalism turns deceased enemies into health packs, and Life-Giver increases natural regeneration.

Toughness and Ricochet give incredible durability. Then the goal is to dose the character with as many useful Chems as desired thanks to Chem Resistant. Then while the drugs are coursing through the character's veins and everything provides health regen the play can go crazy killing everything in sight. Melee, unarmed, or ranged weapons it doesn’t matter as the character can survive whatever the wastes throw at them.

8 Human Deathclaw

Fallout 4 Human Deathclaw

This build causes you to become the human persona of the Deathclaw. The Deathclaw Gauntlet is the only weapon allowed and the character can go naked or don hide-based armor. Agility is important early on to get perks then Strength and Endurance are used to increase damage and survivability.

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The idea is to sneak up on enemies using stealth and then trigger Blitz to eviscerate enemies in VATS. The weapon needed may take a bit to obtain as merchants only sell them at level 20 and returning the egg to the nest in The Devil’s Due quest can get tricky.

7 One Punch Man

Fallout 4 One Punch Power Fist

This build seeks to make your character a brutal combatant capable of killing enemies in one punch like the iconic character from the anime. A key to this build is the Blitz perk and lots of Strength. Perks like Rooted and Iron Fist enhance melee damage further.

The weapon that brings this build together is the strong melee weapon Power Fist. This is because its damage rises with Strength and the aforementioned perks. Raising critical hits can also help lower the number of punches needed to kill foes. Afterward, the goal is to find ways to increase DPS to get that elusive one-punch kill.

6 Death Incarnate

Fallout 4 Death Incarnate

Many players discovered the absurd potential of VATS in Fallout 4, and this build exploits that mechanic to its fullest. Any cool perks related to VATs is used here like Grim Reaper’s Sprint, Action Boy/Girl, Mysterious Stranger and so on.

This means Perception, Agility, and Luck are the core stats. The idea is that you can pull up VATS and use a low AP weapon like the Deliverer Pistol. It’s shocking how quickly enemies start dropping with this build.

5 Follower Of Ug-Qualtoth

Fallout 4 Follower

The Follower Of Ug-Qualtoth is a role-play build that would make H.P. Lovecraft proud. It’s a stealthy melee build centered around the eerie Kremvh’s Tooth blade and amassing followers by building and connecting settlements.

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With loads of Intelligence, Agility, and Charisma you will start gathering loyal followers in honor of the Eldritch horror. Cannibalism, Mister Sandman, and similar perks to kill enemies in their sleep are fitting for a follower of the old ways. John Hancock makes a solid companion as well.

4 Sneaky Fatman

Fallout 4 Sneaky Fatman

Explosives and stealth typically don’t go together, but for the Sneaky Fatman build it works. The idea is to use stealth to plant mines along the routes enemies will take, essentially laying traps. Once the traps are in place you can use a Fatman Launcher to trigger enemies or set off a chain of explosives destroying everything.

Agility and Perception help for sneaking around and Sneak obviously needs to be high. Demolitions Expert nudges the damage explosives deal. Scrounger is handy for finding more explosives. It’s a combination of careful planning and utter chaos.

3 Tesla

Fallout 4 Tesla Cannon

The Tesla build seeks to role-play the famous Nikola Tesla. Your character will have a high Intelligence and focuses on technology. Any weapon with ‘Tesla’ in the name is used, don tesla-based Power Armor, and you must be accompanied only by Automatrons.

If you enjoy Power Armor, Energy weapons, and modified robots this is a fun build. It’s also surprisingly effective and you'll find the game getting easier as time goes by.

2 Puppet Master

Fallout Intimidation Puppet Master

The Puppet Master is both incredibly annoying and a lot of fun. The idea is to sneak up on enemies and Intimidate enemies into fighting each other. Perks like Lady Killer/Black Widow helps with humans, Animal Friend for animals, and Wasteland Whisperer for creatures.

Robotics Expert can also be considered for robots. But in general, you'll want your Charisma and Luck as high as they’ll go to cut down on the annoying RNG of this build. Another trick is to use the Syringer with Berserk syringes. If all goes well the group of enemies will turn on each other leaving you to mop up the survivors.

1 The Egg

Fallout 4 The Egg

The Egg is a quirky build that utilizes Power Armor as a weapon. You will want high Strength, Endurance, and Intelligence. Afterward, you will engineer a suit of Power Armor to have Explosive Vents to stomp enemies, Tesla Coil upgrades to zap foes, and Pain Train to bulldoze enemies.

You can also eject their fusion cores for massive ranged explosions. Any perk that helps with tinkering on Power Armor is needed like Armorer and Nuclear Physicist. In the early game, you will want to amass fusion cores, gather upgrade materials, and build the perfect suit of armor to enjoy this late game build.

NEXT: Fallout 4: Overpowered Builds (And Some That Are Just Ridiculous)