Energy weapons have been a staple of the Fallout games since their inception. The Brotherhood of Steel of Fallout 3 proudly wields laser rifles in their war against the Super Mutants. These seem like the most powerful weapons imaginable until the Institute show up with their Plasma weapons and suddenly you want their shiny new toys.
Unless you’re rocking a role-playing energy weapon specialist, you probably only want one or two on you so as not to over encumber yourself. But there are so many to choose from in Fallout 4, how ever will you decide what weapon capable of turning enemies into goo or ash is really you? Read on.
Institute Pistol
Now, this may not seem like anything special, but it is one of the very first energy weapon you can find if you’re strictly following the main quest. During the Call to Arms quest, you’ll encounter many Institute synths wielding this weapon, meaning you have plenty to pilfer from their corpses. They’re honestly barely any weaker than laser pistols, so definitely consider using them when you’re just starting out.
Laser Musket
The laser musket is the first energy weapon you’re likely to come across, and it sure is a strange thing. A wonderful mix of nostalgic design and modern lethality, the laser musket is both stylish and deadly. The need to crank up shots may be putting you off as it slows down combat, but it seems to be trying to teach you to consider combat in a more tactical FPS way. Take cover, charge up your shots, and watch your enemies turn to ash.
Old Faithful
Another relatively early weapon, Old Faithful is a laser pistol that can be bought from Arturo in Diamond City Market. This weapon is ideal for beginner characters and stealthy players due to its perk; it deals double damage to targets at full health. This means a successful sneak attack will deal quadruple damage. It also just helps to give you an edge at the start of a fight, as you can hit everyone with it once and then swap to a higher base damage weapon.
Righteous Authority
Given to you by Paladin Danse upon completion of the Brotherhood’s Call to Arms quest, this laser rifle fills the critical meter 15% faster than usual and causes crits to deal double damage. This is great for anyone playing with a luck specialist who banks multiple critical hits. A critical headshot with Righteous Authority will deal huge damage to anything, definitely a weapon to hold on to.
Laser Sniper Rifles
Due to the new weapon modification system introduced in Fallout 4, any laser pistol or rifle can be converted into a sniper rifle. The only thing sacrificed in the switch to a sniper rifle variant is ammo capacity, fire rate is relatively unchanged. The pay off is huge though, you get a huge damage boost to each shot. Turn Old Faithful or Righteous Authority into snipers and they’ll deal huge damage, one hit KO damage.
Wazer Wifle
Not to be confused with the weapon from Fallout 3 of the same name, the Wazer Wifle in Fallout 4 bears a perk that ensures you never have to reload again. The downside to this weapon is it can only be acquired after the main story. Get it from Shaun after doing some jobs for him. Never having to reload may not seem all that special, but turn it into a sniper wifle and you completely mitigate their lower ammo capacity shortcoming.
Cryolater
Due to being securely tucked behind a master lock, many players will probably forget about this weapon. But, with the right perk setup it can deal huge damage. Benefitting from both Demolitions Expert and Heavy Gunner, a fully upgraded Cryolater can kill enemies in just a few hits, making the rare ammo less of an issue. Also, it’s just super fun to watch enemies freeze and then shatter into teeny tiny pieces.
Sergeant Ash
This hilariously named flamer found as part of the Farharbour DLC makes up for in brutality what it lacks in damage. Coming with the kneecapper perk, this flamer has a chance to cripple an enemy's legs with every shot. Now, considering a stream of fire is just loads of tiny little shots, this means you’ll be crippling all your opponents in no time. “Is this an energy weapon?” you ask. Well, it uses fuel, and fuel is energy so…
Plasma Rifle
Now, plasma weapons, while powerful, are often considered bad due to the relatively slow speed of their projectiles. Sure, the bolts don’t move as fast as lasers or bullets, but what they lack in speed they more than make up for in punch. Landing a shot with one of these will be like hitting your enemies with a truck. Try getting in close or just laying out a good spread of shots to ensure you hit and you’ll be turning your enemies into Mountain Dew coloured goo in no time.
Gatling Laser
Using a weapon that eats fusion cores like a hungry dog at mealtime may not sound too appealing at first. But, when you’re playing on survival mode, 500 shots per fusion core is way more weight-efficient than many standard ammo types. The gatling laser also works well for strength-based melee builds as you can just bang a few perk points into heavy gunner and you’re all set. Also, it’s just so, so cool.