There are games that reward players for finishing fast and those that punish players for going too slow. Other games even discourage players from straying away from the path that leads to their goal. Not the Fallout series, these games reward players for taking their time. The more time players invest into these games, the more treasures and surprises they discover. Yes, Fallout games actually justify aimless wandering by encouraging players to get off the beaten path! Who wouldn't want to miss out a chance to venture inside ominous irradiated bunkers, right?
The mere act of wasting time while exploring can yield even greater rewards as opposed to just finishing the game hastily. In fact, some of the best weapons in these games can't even be obtained by simply finishing the main game. Although only the most intrepid and determined players could get their hands on the game's rarest weapons since these aren't exactly laid out in the open. Some rare weapons require the most sharpest and observant eye while others can only be acquired through triggering certain events.
Those who are hoping to find these legendary armaments of destruction should be willing to tread on the road less traveled. Of course, players will have to go through toxic craters, ravenous raiders and extraterrestrial predators first. The ones tough enough to survive will be rewarded with a uniquely named arsenal that performs as good as their fancy name suggests. While most of these weapons are nearly impossible to find, locating these places should help put players in the right direction. Here are some of the rarest Fallout weapons and where to find them.
30 Fallout: New Vegas: Pulse Gun
The pulse gun is a unique weapon found inside the vault 34 armory in Fallout: New Vegas. It's akin to a projectile-based pulse grenade which greatly helps bring down robots and those pesky power-armored enemies. However, it's locked inside a container that requires either a key or a ludicrously high lock-picking skill of 100.
All that random cabinet scrounging will pay off!
Only players with an impulsive tendency to scrounge filing cabinets can come across the key that opens this chest called Col. Blackwell's Key. Here's a hint, it's in an unassuming cabinet within Pearl's Barracks in the Nellis Air Force Base.
29 Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues DLC: Christine's CoS Silencer Rifle
Anyone who has played the Fallout: New Vegas DLC Dead Money knows that Christine is as quiet as a mouse. What some might not know is that she also had a weapon in Old World Blues that fits her stoic demeanor called Christine's CoS Silencer rifle. This rare, lightweight yet powerful silenced sniper, can only be found on the top floor of a decrepit building in Little Yangtze.
Finding this weapon can be quite tricky since it can camouflage itself against a wall. Players can use an ammunition container as a marker though since it's sitting right beside it.
28 Fallout 3: The Tenderizer
The Tenderizer is among the rarest melee weapons in Fallout 3. This sledgehammer dishes out over 10 more damage compared to regular ones. Getting it won't be a walk in the park though.
Players will first have to visit Anchorage Memorial and find a passcode hidden behind a soda dispenser at the top floor of this building. The code could then be used to unlock a terminal which also unlocks a safe containing a “Door Component.” This item is needed to fix a broken door in the lower level where The Tenderizer is stored. Of course, a repair skill of at least 35 is also mandatory.
27 Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta: Atomic Pulverizer
Finding the rare Atomic Pulverizer in Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta isn't easy. Getting access to the room where it's located is even harder. The weapons lab contains this alien blaster which can be located by going through the spacewalk and beyond the mothership's observation deck.
It's extraterrestrial technology on steroids.
However, the terminal that unlocks the lab room requires a significantly high Science skill of at least 75. Going through all that trouble is worth it though since it not only has a higher damage than the average alien atomizer, it also uses up way less AP!
26 Fallout 3: The Break
Who would've guessed that a simple pool stick in Fallout 3 could be considered rare? While The Break might appear like an ordinary pool cue, it's no mere hyper-extended stick. In fact, The Break has the same range of a sledgehammer except it can be swung way faster and deals twice the damage of regular pool cues!
It's actually hidden in plain sight and can be found at the middle pool table in Paradise Falls. Getting it is as simple as nabbing it from the table but it's so easy to miss given its austere and seemingly harmless appearance.
25 Fallout 3: The Shocker
A gauntlet that delivers shock-waves sounds like something out of a Spider-Man comic but this weapon actually exists in Fallout 3 as well. The aptly named The Shocker is a modified power fist that deals double damage to automatons. Traveling through Mason District South's metro tunnels and reaching its lower levels is the fastest way to get to this surprising weapon.
Robots will find it quite surprising.
Players will know right away if they're heading in the right direction since the area where it lies is filled with traps! Well, it isn't called "The Shocker" for nothing.
24 Fallout 3: Stabhappy
Knives aren't exactly practical weapons especially when fighting heavily armed raiders and fully-loaded robots. Except when it comes to the rare Fallout 3 combat knife known as Stabhappy. It deals more damage than regular knives, expends less AP and has an extremely high critical damage rate!
Getting this knife could require some guts since players will have to go through an entire raider encampment to get it. The knife can be looted after dispatching a raider in the kitchen of unmarked location Raid Shack. Knives aren't usually the first thing players look out for making this rare find rather easy to miss.
23 Fallout 3: Zhu-Rong v418 Chinese Pistol
The Fallout 3 Zhu-Rong v418 Chinese Pistol isn't just hard to find, it's also quite difficult to obtain even after players have already found it. This rare pistol is locked in a case inside L.O.B Enterprises' CEO office. The problem is, the CEO office is locked and would require a whopping 100 Lockpick skill level to open.
It's definitely more than just a Chinese knockoff.
The container itself is also locked but it can easily be opened using a key that can be looted in a desk within the office. Fortunately, its unique incendiary firepower is certainly worth the effort.
22 Fallout 3: Board Of Education
Fallout 3's Board of Education is anything but a governing body of a systematic knowledge program. In fact, it's quite literally a board! This rare weapon is basically a plank of wood albeit with nails sticking out of it. It has a high critical rate and substantially higher damage compared to the standard nail board making it the perfect starter weapon, at least until players could find something better.
Although players will first have to clear Clifftop Shacks of its numerous hostile super mutants and centaur inhabitants. The rare nail board can be found hidden underneath a bed inside the northeastern shack.
21 Fallout 3: Miss Launcher
There's an awkward rocket launcher in Fallout 3 called Miss Launcher which basically misses its target on purpose. It weighs less than a regular rocket launcher but packs a lot more damage per second. However, its projectile could barely reach a foot making it function more like a grenade launcher.
The rare missile launcher could only be stolen from the weapon storage underneath Fort Independence. Players could either pickpocket NPCs for the entrance key or just pick the locks themselves. Either way, they'd have to fight their way inside if they haven't earned the trust of the Outcasts yet.
20 Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues: Dr. Klein's Glove
Finding the rare Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues weapon called Dr. Klein's Glove is like searching for a hidden Easter egg. Considering how many houses there are in Higgs Village, players will be hard-pressed to find something as tiny as a glove. Of course, this is no ordinary rubber glove though.
It puts the power of a mad scientist in one's fingertips.
The glove is tucked away in a cabinet in the first-floor corner of house 101. It might look like an ordinary plastic glove but its high DPS and stat-draining properties make it worth searching for.
19 Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues: Dr. Mobius' Glove
The dark sinister-looking gloves in Old World Blues known as Dr. Mobius' Glove can turn even the most docile wanderer into an instant, scary mastermind. These rubber gloves can deceptively discharge electrical pulses which drain enemies of their Perception skill. A critical hit from these could also send enemies into a frenzy!
Noticing the glove won't be easy due to the fact that it's in a location that will initially have a ginormous robotic scorpion enemy in it. Once the scorpion is dealt with, the glove can be found lying on a table next to a flight of stairs in the middle.
18 Fallout: New Vegas: Annabelle
A rare item in Fallout: New Vegas goes by the name Annabelle. In case anyone's wondering, no this isn't a doll. Annabelle is arguably the best obtainable rocket launcher in the game. Of course, players would first have to take it from the cold, lifeless hands of a nightkin sniper stationed on top of a radio tower in Black Mountain.
This rare weapon deals more damage, is lighter and uses less AP than average bazookas. Its superior performance shouldn't be a surprise, anyone who's brave enough to face a nightkin army alone deserves a worthy reward after all.
17 Fallout 4: Le Fusil Terribles
Le Fusil Terribles is a rare shotgun in Fallout 4. Despite its daunting name, it does more damage than regular shotguns and also inflicts 25% more limb damage. However, it does have a trade-off which is its increased recoil.
The only thing terrible about this gun is its location.
Getting this shotgun means facing an army of raiders in Libertalia. If players are feeling either brave or foolish, they can fight their way through the raider encampment. It doesn't help that this gun is situated inside the captain's cabin either, which is in the topmost area of this raider-infested stronghold.
16 Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta: MPLX Novasurge
Fallout 3's Mothership Zeta has a rare weapon that acts like the nastier counterpart of the normal plasma pistol. The MPLX Novasurge does three times the damage of regular plasma pistols with triple the average critical hit rate. Players hoping to nab this rare handgun should act fast since it's in an area that will no longer be accessible after a certain time.
Players should find and hack a terminal beyond the Research Lab in the mothership to unlock the cargo area. Inside this area is a safe containing both the Novasurge and its ammunition right next to a machine.
15 Fallout 3: Victory Rifle
Some weapons lead people to victory but the Victory Rifle in Fallout 3 literally bears the true essence of the word. With its high critical damage and three times the durability of ordinary sniper rifles, this rifle is certainly made for winners. A rifle of this caliber deserves to be locked and hidden.
Fortunately for players, they can easily pinpoint its location by traveling west from Rockbreaker's Last Gas until they reach a remote clifftop shack aptly named Sniper Shack. The rifle is inside a locker that requires a 100 lockpick skill. Surprised? Well, nothing good comes easily.
14 Fallout 3: Broken Steel: Callahan's Magnum
When a handgun is named after a certain pop-culture icon, fans know it has to be powerful. The rare Callahan's Magnum can only be obtained in Fallout 3 DLC Broken Steel. It's one of the few .44 scoped revolvers and is arguably the most powerful handgun in the game.
This gun can make anyone's day.
It can only be obtainable after choosing to destroy Citadel during the quest “Who Dares Wins.” The gun is locked in a safe against a wall within the Citadel ruins. Either a Science or Lockpick skill of 75 is required to unlock it.
13 Fallout 3: Jack
Jack The Ripper might be a madman in real life but not in Fallout 3. Jack is a rare variant of the uncommon mini-chainsaw weapon the Ripper. Just like its real-life counterpart, Jack is also insane, insanely powerful, that is! Jack does 50% limb damage, has crazily high critical rate and hit-speed.
This rare handsaw can literally eviscerate enemies in seconds with the help of stat bonus and special perks. However, getting Jack requires players to be just as crazy since it can only be found on the body of an Enclave officer deep within Deathclaw Sanctuary.
12 Fallout 3: Burnmaster
With a name like Burnmaster, players can bet that this flamer's the most powerful weapon in its class. While it might be a dream for any wasteland fire starter, it's certainly a nightmare for anyone who has the Pyromaniac perk since it doesn't strengthen the weapon whatsoever. This flamer only benefits those without the said perk.
Finding this rare flamethrower is just as infernal since it requires players to traverse the complex tunnel system of Franklin Metro Utility in Fallout 3. It's not comforting to know that the Burnmaster is lying in a hallway filled with toxic radiation and feral ghouls either.
11 Fallout 3: Fisto!
Wielding the rare power fist weapon known as Fisto! in Fallout 3 comes at a price. Swinging a fist this furious deals more DPS and critical damage than normal power fists. However, it's a lot less durable at the same time.
Players who are willing to accept this trade-off can find it inside the MDPL-13 Power Station which is located northwest of Minefield. Fisto! is sitting right beside a terminal at the top level of the power station. Although players will first have to go through a horde of feral ghouls before getting to it.