Fallout has been around the block a few times, and every few years we are treated to a brand new entry and a gaggle of new adventures, characters, weapons, and tales to tell. With the newest entry in the series, Fallout 76, slated to release this November, we are soon to be privy to a whole new adventure and all the joys that come with it.
Of course, everyone has their favorite parts of a game and I would absolutely be lying to you if I said that collecting weapons for a wide variety of end-dealing isn’t my favorite. Over the years there have a been a selection of bangers that every vault-dweller should be using to end the wasteland, as well as some pieces of garbage that would better serve as ammo for the Junk Jet.
With that being said, of course, we’re going to be taking a look at the list of weapons that are far too useful for their own good as well as those that I’m pretty sure are better left where they are. Some will always have your back and can help get you out of every situation. Others are far more likely to end only one person and of course, that one person will be you when you attempt to use it.
Look, not every bullet-spitter can be great, and now let’s get into those that are the cream-of-the-crop and those that, well, aren't.
30 Weak: Flare Gun
The Divide is absolutely no joke. That ravaged area of the wasteland is very unforgiving, and the Flare Gun doesn’t really help you all that much. In terms of damage output, the weapon is a joke, the tiny amount of burning damage doesn’t do much, and the only positive of the weapon is that it makes abominations flee if hit. That may sound useful until you realize that abominations are the smallest group of enemies in the game and there are far more effective weapons that are available.
29 Overpowered: Dart Gun
The early stages of the crafting system in the Fallout series only came in the form of 7 custom weapons that can be created from junk and are quite useful. Among them is the incredibly useful Dart Gun, which will not only inflict a great amount of poison damage, but it will immediately cripple the legs of the target. This creates a very slow target and they are very easily ended after. Even Deathclaws are nothing to this beast of a gun as the monster will no longer be able to pursue you faster than you can get away.
28 Weak: Paddle Ball
While the novelty of ending someone with something as simple as a paddle ball is incredible, the practicality of it is something else. In order to get your hands on this weapon, you will have to win tickets at the Nuka-Cade and hope it is in the prize machine. Then you will need to buy the ammo. Finally, you will need to finish the Nuka-World DLC and grab the recipes for a stronger paddle ball from the bottling facility. Its a ton of work for something you're afraid to use for fear of wasting the ammo. Yay.
27 Overpowered: Pulse Gun
While this may seem a similar situation to the flare gun, as it is only effective to one type of enemy, it is far superior in that exact regard. While the flare gun simply frightens abominations and makes them run, the pulse gun will absolutely destroy any robotic opposition you come across! This weapon is a truly unique weapon with only one available in the game and no other variants. This gun’s EMP effect is one of the best lifesavers in the game and you should always have this item in case you run across some robotic foes.
26 Weak: Euclid's C-Finder
When you think of orbital laser cannon, you would think it’s gonna be something epic and powerful and incredibly handy. However, there are so many steps to getting this weapon up and going that it's almost a pain as well as having to go against the NCR. On top of that, you receive only one shot every 24 hours and to use it you will have let the laser charge up while you're aiming at your target. Plus, the toy gun weighs 15 pounds. There are way more efficient weapons you can carry that weigh less than that.
25 Overpowered: Destabilizer
The unique variant of the Alien Disintegrator found in the Mothership Zeta expansion of Fallout 3 certainly packs a punch. It’s not only powerful, but also fully automatic. This rifle will give your enemy no quarter and you will be able to turn them into ash before they even knew what was happening. However, you need to be careful as it is very easy to miss while making your way through the mothership and it will become unavailable after completing the DLC. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled so you don’t miss out on this beast!
24 Weak: Syringer
It is most likely you will receive your first one from Dr. Forsythe following the completion of Hole In The Wall. All the different syringes allow for a large amount of utility to the weapon. But, changing the syringes for quick battle decisions can be a hassle and annoying as you have to empty the gun of the preloaded syringes and reload new ones, or you can load them in a specific order and hope you don’t miss a shot in the sequence and throw everything off.
23 Overpowered: The Humble Cudgel
While this may not be the most powerful weapon you can grab in Fallout: New Vegas, it is by far one of the most useful melee weapons you can get your hands on, and it weighs only 3 pounds. It can strike quickly and efficiently and it takes forever for this handy little pipe to break. It’s a very deceptive tool for protection. It is also pretty easy to get as long as you can handle a pretty good amount of ghouls and fiends.
22 Weak: Submachine Gun
There are several automatic weapons to choose from in Fallout 4, so why would you ever choose to take the one that is so weak. Of course, you could purchase the Spray N’ Pray from cricket, but aside from that the weapon class is incredibly weak, and you will run through the ammo type incredibly fast. You could use an automatic combat rifle or assault rifle and deal way more damage. Plus the submachine gun has very little modification capabilities.
21 Overpowered: Gauss Rifle
It was so worth it when you finally opened the treasure vault after the completion of Operation: Anchorage and you were able to finally get your hands on the weapons and tech found within. One of which is the gauss rifle which can decimate your opponent from a far distance with one very powerful shot. Which can be so powerful it blows the enemy to bits right away. You will have to be careful with your shots as you have to reload after every shot.
20 Weak: Tesla Rifle
Truly unique and utter garbage. You get the weapon from defeating the Rust Devil leader during the story of the Automatron DLC and while it has a unique look, all of the possible barrel modifications don't seem to help make this weapon viable. The arc of electricity that the rifle fires off can’t really be relied upon to do away with your enemies. Whether it's automatic, charged, or semi-automatic, they all just don't do what you need them to do.
19 Overpowered: Alien Blaster
The alien blaster can be depended on in every game it appears in. It has an incredibly high damage output while weighing very little. It can end a Deathclaw in only a few shots. The only downside of this weapon is its limited ammo supply with only a few rounds found with the gun in each entry. However, this can be solved in Fallout 4 by modifying the weapon to take Fusion Cells instead, but it will drop the weapons damage significantly, so be prepared for that.
18 Weak: Rolling Pin
A rolling pin. A ROLLING PIN?!?!? Whose idea was this for a melee weapon? Who wants to run around hitting someone over the head with a baking tool when they could use a small chainsaw or an actual sword? It's weak, sad-looking, and far from useful in any combat situation that involves any real enemy and any real kind of combat! It’s a sad excuse for a weapon and it would amaze me to find out if anyone actually used it.
17 Overpowered: Auto Axe
How could this not be your Fallout 3 melee weapon of choice? All you have to do is hold down the attack button and sit back and watch the ax blades spin and rip away. There are four different variants of the weapon with the Mauler being the strongest and it can easily dispatch with any foe in a very short time. You just have to be willing to get in close and expose yourself to damage. This weapons also attack incredibly quickly.
16 Weak: Salvaged Assualtron Head
I feel the easiest weapon to compare this one to is the laser musket, which essentially does the exact same thing albeit without filling the user with rads. It has no way of upgrading the gun, it makes it a very difficult gun to find an instance in which it is the best choice to use over other laser-based weapons or pistol style guns. But I guess that this is a good use for an assaultron, at least, since they're very annoying enemies.
15 Overpowered: Callahan's Magnum
Here we have the apex handcannon of Fallout 3. It is by far the most powerful handgun in the game and is only available after the completion of the main story as well as the Broken Steel DLC. It can practically melt your opponent's defenses and it uses .44 rounds which are moderately common. Getting the gun is easy, but the decision you have to make to get it isn’t quite as easy. You will have to choose to destroy the Citadel and then grab it from a safe in the smoldering crater. Is it worth it for pure indomitable power?
14 Weak: Pulse Mines
Of course, you can always depend on explosives, whether they’re frag, plasma, or cryo. However, one type of explosive always seems to fall short of the others. The pulse mines are only useful against robots and they have little effect on any other type of enemy. Also, you can use other types of mines with an average effect on all enemies as opposed to something that specializes in only one enemy type.
13 Overpowered: Splattercannon
This dandy little rifle can be purchased in the Nuka-World Market and once this beast is in your hand there nothing you can’t end. The handmade rifles are already a powerful class of weapon; now add in the furious legendary weapon effect and you have a powerful rifle that can gradually become stronger with each hit. So as long as you are able to hit the target your aiming for, then this is the weapon for you. It’s almost ridiculous, if I’m being real.
12 Weak: Acid Soaker
A handgun that spits acid instead of bullets? That sounds awesome! It must really deal out the damage, right? Nope. It does little damage and you can’t purchase the acid ammo anywhere; you have to craft it yourself at a chemistry bench with Adhesive (2), Glass (8), and of course Acid (20). All of that will net you one single shot for the gun, so you will need to make every single shot count. Or you could just use something else.
11 Overpowered: Admiral's Friend
Heavy weapons are pretty divisive among Fallout players. You either love them or hate them. They weigh a ton and can deal a huge amount of damage if you can build your character right. This weapon is one that deals a lot of damage even for a heavy weapon. On top of that, it has the instigating legendary effect, making your first shot at an enemy probably a final shot if they have full health, as it will deal double damage. Plus it can skewer parts to walls, which is pretty funny, I guess.