Summary
WhenFallout 4came out in 2015, one of its biggest selling points was the arsenal of weapons players could acquire, customize, and upgrade. The post-apocalyptic RPG’s robust weapon enhancement system introduces a massive list ofmods for every single weaponin the game, from simple lead pipes to hyper-advanced laser rifles.
But even with this massive suite of upgrades, not every weapon is created equal. There are perks players can seek to enhance their effectiveness with energy weapons, buta build based around lasersdoes require thorough knowledge of thebest energy weaponsavailable inFallout 4.
9Flamer
A Flamethrower That Dishes Out Prolonged Energy Damage
The Flamer, a traditional flamethrower-style heavy weapon, is a series mainstay. TheFallout 4version comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. As one might expect, the Flamer can churn out a lot of damage very quickly, bathing enemies in fire that will consume their health bar very swiftly.
Unfortunately, it also suffers from a remarkably short range, something that has earned it a fair amount of ire from theFallout 4community. The Long Barrel mod can mitigate this, but it unfortunately clashes with the weapon’s nozzle upgrades, which give it increased damage in exchange for lower reach. Still, even an unmodified flamer can be an excellent choice for short-range encounters, especially against aggressive melee creatures like Mirelurks. Though the Flamer is described as a heavy weapon, the damage it deals is energy-based.
8Tesla Rifle
Fires Electricity That Can Hit Multiple Foes
The Tesla Rifle is a unique weapon introduced inFallout 4’sAutomatronDLC. As the name suggests, this gun harnesses the power of electricity with destructive results. Each time the Tesla Rifle is fired, it launches an electric charge that arcs between multiple targets, damaging each one of them.
Against groups of enemies, like raider camps or swarms of feral ghouls, the Tesla Rifle is a powerhouse. It offers the highest damage-per-shot of any weapon using fusion cells as ammo, and it can even be upgraded in a wide variety of ways. Players who want to churn out more electricity can give it an auto-fire mode or charge up slower blasts of much more brutal electricity.
7Cryolator
Can Cause Enemies To Freeze When Shot
The Cryolator is one of the first weapons aFallout 4player will ever see, though it likely won’t be one of the first they acquire. This experimental weapon is trapped behind a master-level lock in Vault 111, where the player begins their journey. It is an ice-based weapon that uses a unique form of ammo called Cryo Cells.
The damage output of the Cryolator alone makes it worth picking up afterthe player has leveled up. However, being a cryogenic weapon, it also boasts the unique ability to freeze targets in place, making them unable to move or attack. This makes it an ideal weapon for controlling the battlefield. As a trade-off, however, it can churn through ammo very quickly. Additionally, larger and more hearty enemies can’t be frozen at all. Though the Cryolator is a unique weapon, it deals energy-based damage.
6Experiment 18-A
Can Be Reloaded And Fired Significantly Faster
Plasma weapons have a number of advantages over their laser-based counterparts. They deal more damage per shot, with a mix of ballistic and energy damage in each round. They’re also generally lighter than laser weapons, making them easier to pack with the rest of a player’s arsenal.
Arguably the best plasma weapon in the game is Experiment 18-A. This unique rifle can be purchased from the Synth Requisition Officer in the Institute and comes prefigured as an automatic weapon. This pairs nicely with its unique perk, which grants it a 25% faster fire rate and a 15% faster reload. It’s a pricey gun, but it’s also a real powerhouse on the battlefield.
5Hub’s Alien Blaster
Doubles The Damage Of Critical Hits
The Alien Blaster is a unique weapon that can be looted from an alien hiding in a cave. It’s a powerful weapon, but it comes with some drawbacks, particularly the scarcity of the Alien Blaster Rounds needed to use it. Hub’s Alien Blaster, which can be found in theNuka WorldDLC, is a better option.
Hub’s Alien Blaster comes with a legendary perk that grants it 2x critical hit damage and fills the critical hit bar 15% quicker with each shot. While the shots fired from an alien blaster are notoriously slow, they’re still ideal for close-range fights and can even make shooting grenades out of the air inV.A.T.S. significantly easier. Furthermore, as with the basic Alien Blaster, there’s a weapon mod that switches the gun’s ammo type to fusion rounds, giving it continued viability long after the alien ammunition is consumed.
4Righteous Authority
This unique laser rifle is one of the best options out there for players who want a reliable energy-based rifle to add to their collection. It comes packed with the Lucky perk, filling the critical hit bar 15% faster and dealing twice as much critical hit damage when it pays off. It can be acquired from Paladin Danse during his quest Call to Arms, which is necessary tojoin the Brotherhood of Steel.
The versatility of laser guns means that this firearm’s potent crit effect can be used on just about any form of gun the player wants to make. A slow, high-damage rifle can bear it just as easily as a rapid-fire machine gun. This high degree of customization and creativity makes Righteous Authority an excellent choice for any player who favors laser guns.
3Wazer Wifle
Offers Unlimited Ammo And Does Not Need To Be Reloaded
Thisunique laser riflecomes with the devastatingly powerful Never Ending perk, which, as the name suggests, means it never runs out of ammo. This lets the gun be fired infinitely without ever needing to be reloaded. In drawn-out firefights or long excursions where chances to obtain more ammo are limited, this perk can be an absolute godsend.
The one downside to the Wazer Wifle is how hard it is to obtain. The gun is a reward for doing three unmarked quests for the synth version of Shaun, and these quests are only available after the main story has concluded. This does limit opportunities to use the Wazer Wifle, but its powerhouse of a perk still makes it a very tempting reward.
2Final Judgment
Comes With A Huge Damage Boost
Final Judgment is a potent Gatling Laser wielded by Elder Maxson, leader of the Brotherhood of Steel during the events ofFallout 4. The only way to acquire it is by bringing the Brotherhood down and claiming it from his body. This firearm alone is almost enough to make such a feat worthwhile.
This weapon bears the Rapid legendary perk, which ups its fire rate by 25% and speeds up reload speeds by 15%. Since the Gatling Laser is already one of the fastest-firing weapons in the game, this makes it an absolute powerhouse. With the right damage mods and perks, its low per-shot damage can easily be overcome, letting Final Judgment live up to its name against eventhe toughest foes.
1Aeternus
Provides Players With Unlimited Ammo
The biggest downside to the Gatling Laser is its ammo. Gatling Lasers run on fusion cores; plugging one into the weapon will grant about 500 shots before the battery is spent. Since these cores are alsoneeded for power ammo, this makes the Gatling Laser a bit of a risky investment, especially if a player is firing it and wearing power armor at the same time.
The Aeternus, which is exclusive to theNuka-WorldDLC, solves this problem. It boasts the Never Ending perk, meaning players can plug one fusion core into the weapon and keep firing forever. An infinite barrage of lasers from the barrel of this gun can cut down most threats in the Wasteland, making this powerhouse an absolute must for any energy-centric player build.
