Fallout 4: Best Character Builds for Surviving the Wasteland

Looking for the best character builds in Fallout 4? When it comes to defining your custom character in Fallout 4, you're given a lot of options. You need to consider the rather large perk chart, your equipment, and even your general style of play. Sometimes, it can all become a little confusing, so we've put together nine relatively basic character builds that are easy to develop further using your own ideas. With any luck, these builds will help you hit the ground running when it comes to surviving in the Commonwealth.

The Real Grognak

Description: A melee based monster. The Real Grognak is all about hitting things with the biggest close range weapons that you can find. You'll need a lot of Strength, a lot of protection, and, ideally, a fearless personality.

Preferred weapons: Anything melee.
Preferred armour: The toughest that you can find.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: 9
• Perception: -
• Endurance: 3
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: 2
• Agility: 9
• Luck: -

Key perks

Strength

Big Leagues
Big Leagues is the basis of this build. You'll need all of the melee damage that you can get, plus the bonuses that come courtesy of the perk's later ranks.

Rooted
More melee damage and more damage resistance are always going to be great for this build. Stand firm and hold your ground - while also smashing some skulls.

Endurance

Toughness
Yet more damage resistance. Absolutely no reason not to take Toughness, as you're going to be soaking up a lot of punishment.

Life Giver
Life Giver makes you even harder kill, and the slow health regeneration that its third rank offers will save you a lot of stimpaks in the long run.

Intelligence

Medic
Medic makes stimpaks more effective, and when you're playing a melee character, you're going to get hit often enough to make this perk worth it. Medic's last rank also makes stimpaks work far faster, which can mean the difference between victory and defeat when you're whacking enemies on the front lines.

Agility

Moving Target
Only using melee weapons means that you're going to have to close the distance between you and gun-toting foes on a regular basis. With this in mind, Moving Target is an ideal choice since it lessens the damage that you take while sprinting.

Blitz
Often the easiest way to close the gap between you and your opponent, Blitz is an incredibly useful tool for this build.

Potentially useful perks

Pain Train (Requires 10 Strength)
Pain Train can add an extra option to your melee based arsenal, allowing you to knock down or stagger your foes so that you can get some easy kills.

Solar Powered (Requires 10 Endurance)
Buffs to Strength, Endurance, and health regeneration during the day are obviously all great extras for this character build, but needing a mighty 10 Endurance is asking for a lot of investment.

Bloody Mess (Requires 3 Luck)
More damage never hurts, and with a requirement of only 3 Luck, it may be a perk worth pondering over for this build.

Walking Tank

Description: Always suited out in full power armour and carrying the largest gun that caps can buy, the Walking Tank build focuses on raw damage and survivability. Subtlety is not an option.

Preferred weapons: Miniguns, missle launchers – anything that spews death.
Preferred armour: The best power armour that you can find.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: 5
• Perception: 2
• Endurance: 3
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: 9
• Agility: -
• Luck: -

Key Perks

Strength

Heavy Gunner
The obvious starting choice that maximises the damage that you do with big guns.

Perception

Rifleman
This build needs a backup option as big gun ammunition can be hard to come by. Non-automatic rifles are arguably your best bet, as armaments like sniper rifles, shotguns, and powerful energy rifles deal the most raw damage outside of things like missile launchers.

Endurance

Toughness
What good's a walking tank without maximum damage resistance?

Life Giver
More health is never a bad idea, and health regeneration will help you save your stimpaks for times of need.

Intelligence

Medic
Stomping around in power armour, you're going to be a big target. Medic is a great perk choice since it means you can better rely on stimpaks when you can't find adequate cover.

Nuclear Physicist
You'll need your power armour to last as long as possible with this build, so Nuclear Physicist is an obvious choice.

Potentially useful perks

Demolition Expert (Requires 5 Perception)
With a build that's all about doing big damage without being subtle, Demolition Expert can be a handy addition. More explosions can't be a bad thing, right?

Refractor (Requires 7 Perception)
Taking less damage from energy weapons can be useful to this build since you're often going to get picked off at a distance, but the 7 Perception requirement is quite a big investment.

Quick Hands (Requires 8 Agility)
Miniguns and other heavy armaments can take a long time to reload, so Quick Hands can be a useful perk to have around.

The Sniper

Description: The Sniper is all about killing things from a distance and staying hidden. It's not all-out stealth, but there is an emphasis on getting the jump on your enemies by making use of good vantage points.

Preferred weapons: Any rifle with good range, and perhaps a scope.
Preferred armour: Something that offers good protection, but power armour can make you too obvious.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: 8
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: 7
• Luck: 7

Key Perks

Perception

Rifleman
The basis of this build. You'll need Rifleman to maximise the damage of your rifles.

Sniper
Get a good scoped rifle and Sniper is a fantastic perk to have. A 25 per cent accuracy bonus in V.A.T.S. when shooting for the head is too good to pass up, especially when you want to do as much damage as possible with each shot.

Agility

Sneak
You'll need Sneak to have the best chance of getting the jump on your unsuspecting foes. The final rank also gives you the ability to disappear from sight, allowing you to retreat and find another vantage point.

Ninja
More damage from sneak attacks certainly doesn't hurt, and it'll allow you to make the most of that very first shot.

Luck

Better Criticals
A simple way to do more damage when you need it most. Works well with high damage weapons like sniper rifles.

Critical Banker
Being able to save your criticals for the shots that need them can be a lifesaver, especially if alerted enemies are closing in on your position.

Potentially useful perks

Concentrated Fire (Requires 10 Perception)
Accuracy counts for a lot if you're a sniper, so receiving a bonus chance to hit with every shot can be a big help.

Medic (Requires 2 Intelligence)
Always a solid additional choice for any build, Medic can be useful to a wounded sniper, especially if you're using the Sneak perk to disappear from sight in order to treat your injuries.

Grim Reaper's Sprint (Requires 8 Luck)
This one really depends on whether you're using V.A.T.S. enough to warrant it. The chance of restoring all of your action points on a kill can, in theory, allow you to tear through whole groups of foes.

Freak of Nature

Description: Freak of Nature is all about survivability, and using anything that you can get your hands on to extend the duration of your often strange existence.

Preferred weapons: Whatever you're comfortable with using.
Preferred armour: Whatever offers the best protection.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: -
• Endurance: 10
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: -
• Luck: 10

Key perks

Endurance

Toughness
Survival is all about protecting yourself from the things that are made to kill you, so Toughness is an obvious choice. You'll probably need the damage resistance if people see you acting like some kind of feral creature, too.

Lead Belly
Usually not an especially useful perk, Lead Belly comes into its own with this build thanks to the additional survivability that it offers. Chomp down those nuclear goodies.

Life Giver
Additional health and health regeneration makes Life Giver an obvious choice for this build.

Chem Resistant
Enjoying the benefits of chems without worrying about addiction will make surviving a lot easier in certain circumstances.

Aquaboy
What kind of survivalist would you be if you can't even breathe underwater?

Cannibal
This is where things get creepy for this build. Cannibal helps you keep your health topped up by feeding on the flesh of your victims, which can be surprisingly effective during prolonged battles.

Ghoulish
Quite a specialised perk, Ghoulish is still useful for this build, especially since you'll be able to abuse rads to restore your health.

Solar Powered
Health regeneration during the day is the main reason to take this perk.

Luck

Ricochet
The cherry on top of this rather ridiculous build. Ricochet can save your mutated bum when the going gets rough.

Potentially useful perks

Iron Fist (Requires 1 Strength)
If you want to be even more of a weirdo, why not run around punching deathclaws into submission?

Lone Wanderer (Requires 3 Charisma)
Given your strange ways, companions may not be too friendly towards you – but who needs friends when you can go it alone and drink from irradiated puddles? Lone Wanderer's damage resistance bonuses can be a nice addition to this build.

Medic (Requires 2 Intelligence)
Seeing as this build is all about survivability, Medic could be a solid addition. At least, if there aren't any nearby corpses to feed on.

Idiot Savant (Requires 5 Luck)
Another weird perk that may suit this build if you're interested in some extra experience points. Remember, though: you'll need to keep your intelligence at rock bottom to make the most of it.

People Person

Description: The People Person build relies on other citizens of the Commonwealth in order to be as effective as possible. Charm just about anyone and have your companions help you in combat.

Preferred weapons: Anything that you feel comfortable using.
Preferred armour: Anything that you feel comfortable wearing.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: -
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: 10
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: -
• Luck: 4

Key perks

Charisma

Lady Killer/Black Widow
Having an advantage over the opposite sex can help in multiple situations, whether you're trying to convince someone in dialogue or you're engaged in a gunfight with a group of raiders.

Inspirational
An obvious choice for this build. Inspirational enhances the effectiveness of your companions, allowing them to better protect you, their precious partner.

Intimidation
It doesn't matter if you're forcing enemies to surrender or coaxing innocent settlers to do your bidding – Intimidation has lots of interesting uses, and is perfect for this build.

Luck

Mysterious Stranger
He may be a stranger, but he's still here to help your cause. Alongside you and a buddy, your threesome can do some big damage with this perk - as long as it actually triggers.

Potentially useful perks

Attack Dog (Requires 4 Charisma)
Dogmeat may not be a person, but he can be a valuable ally. Attack Dog makes him better than ever in combat, so if you use him a lot, this build can definitely benefit from it in combination with Inspirational.

Local Leader (Requires 6 Charisma)
Depends entirely on whether or not you make use of settlements, but the gist of Local Leader certainly matches the overall theme of this build.

The Invisible Man/Woman

Description: This one's pretty self-explanatory. The Invisible Man/Woman is a pure stealth build, maximising your ability to remain hidden at all costs while either silently eliminating your foes or avoiding them altogether.

Preferred weapons: Silenced guns.
Preferred armour: Anything that isn't power armour.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: 4
• Agility: 7
• Luck: -

Key perks

Perception

Pickpocket
Pickpocket is a great perk to have up your sleeve if you're particularly good at sneaking. Later ranks allow you to steal equipment straight off your target, which is both hilarious and easily exploitable.

Rifleman
With a pure stealth build, you'll want maximum damage in order to take out your foes as quickly as possible. This usually means some sort of silenced rifle.

Locksmith
Unlocking doors and consequently creating shortcuts is perfect for this build, especially if you're sneaking around your enemies or setting up an ambush.

Intelligence

Gun Nut
If you want some of the best silencer modifications in the business, you may have to craft your own. Gun Nut will help you do just that.

Hacker
By hacking terminals, you can turn spotlights off and force sentry robots to attack their masters. Playing stealthily opens up a lot of options when it comes to causing havoc while you sneak out of harm's way.

Agility

Sneak
The most obvious perk for a stealth based character, Sneak makes you harder to detect with each rank.

Mister Sandman
Increasing the damage of your silenced weapons is a no-brainer with this build, and you never know when you might come across a sleeping enemy that you can kill instantly.

Ninja
Increased sneak attack damage is another obvious choice for this build.

Potentially useful perks

Sniper (Requires 8 Perception)
Largely depends on whether you like to be stealthy at range, or at shorter distances. Sniper can be helpful if you're often looking for headshots.

Gunslinger (Requires 1 Agility)
Possible replacement for Rifleman if you prefer silenced pistols and sneaking at a closer range.

Fastest Gun in the Commonwealth

Description: With a keen trigger finger and good use of V.A.T.S., the Fastest Gun in the Commonwealth build is perfect for wannabe cowboys — just don't expect many Commonwealth inhabitants to challenge you to a fair duel.

Preferred weapons: Non-automatic pistols.
Preferred armour: Anything that you feel comfortable wearing.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: 10
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: 10
• Luck: 7

Key perks

Perception

Concentrated Fire
The accuracy bonus on successful V.A.T.S. shots is nice, but we're really here for the increased damage that's granted by the last rank. Pistols are the best guns when it comes to disarming your foes, so Concentrated Fire can be an ideal choice.

Agility

Gunslinger
The perk that this build is based upon. Maximises the damage you can do with non-automatic pistols and grants your some great bonuses. Pistols generally take up the least amount of action points in V.A.T.S., too.

Action Boy
Regaining your action points at a quicker pace is exactly what you need with this build, particularly when it comes to making use of Concentrated Fire.

Quick Hands
Less time sent reloading means more time pumping lead into your opponent.

Gun-Fu
Perfect for groups of enemies and a quick trigger finger. The extra damage can help immensely when you're surrounded.

Luck

Critical Banker
A solid perk choice for this build, as it lets you keep your big damage for when you need it. Combined with Gun-Fu, Critical Banker becomes an effective way to make sure that you're not overwhelmed.

Potentially useful perks

Bloody Mess (Requires 3 Luck)
The extra damage may be needed depending on what type of pistol you're using.

Grim Reaper's Sprint (Requires 8 Luck)
Depends on how often you're using V.A.T.S. with this build, and the chance factor does make it a little unreliable, but it's still a strong optional perk.

Run and Gunner

Description: Want to play Fallout 4 like it's a first-person shooter? This character build is based around that exact play style - grenades and copious amounts of sprinting included.

Preferred weapons: Automatic weapons, ideally, although it depends on what you're comfortable with.
Preferred armour: Anything that offers decent protection.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: 7
• Perception: 5
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: 8
• Luck: -

Key perks

Strength

Steady Aim
Bonus accuracy while firing from the hip is of great benefit to a build that doesn't rely on V.A.T.S., especially when it comes to taking on enemies at close range.

Perception

Demolition Expert
Every first-person shooter has some explosives that you can lob, so why not make the most of grenades with Demolition Expert?

Agility

Commando
A perfect fit for this build, Commando brings out the full potential of any automatic weapon.

Moving Target
Since you won't be using your action points for V.A.T.S., Moving Target is ideal for this build. Sprint out of dangerous areas, or leg it behind some cover - all while enjoying the additional protection against incoming damage.

Quick Hands
Quick Hands is a simple perk that's a particularly good fit for this build since there won't be much downtime during combat.

Potentially useful perks

Basher (Requires 8 Strength)
Basher can be something of a last resort, especially for a build that doesn't make use of V.A.T.S.

Toughness (Requires 1 Endurance)
Eternally useful, Toughness is a decent enough option for this build since you'll probably be running through a lot of bullets.

Life Giver (Requires 3 Endurance)
Regenerating your lost health is somewhat typical of modern shooters, so Life Giver seems like a nice fit for this build.

Bloody Mess (Requires 3 Luck)
Another perk that you can't really go wrong with, even the smallest damage increase can help when you're using guns that have naturally low damage but a high rate of fire.

Death Incarnate

Description: In the right hands, Death Incarnate is easily one of the most powerful builds that the game has to offer. It relies on V.A.T.S. and devastating critical damage.

Preferred weapons: Rifles are perhaps your best bet, but other gun types can also work.
Preferred armour: Anything that you're comfortable with.

Necessary S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics

• Strength: -
• Perception: 10
• Endurance: -
• Charisma: -
• Intelligence: -
• Agility: 10
• Luck: 9

Key perks

Perception

Rifleman
We're going with Rifleman here purely because of the raw damage associated with things like sniper rifles and modified laser rifles.

Concentrated Fire
Concentrated Fire works well in combination with Four Leaf Clover. The accuracy bonus can make a lot of difference against relatively distant targets.

Agility

Action Boy
You can't argue with better action point regeneration for a build that puts V.A.T.S. through its paces.

Gun-Fu
Gun-Fu is useful to this build purely for the extra damage. It clicks nicely with Grim Reaper's Sprint.

Luck

Better Criticals
This is the beginning of the end for your enemies. Better Criticals gives your critical hits a significant damage boost.

Critical Banker
Why have just one critical when you can have three? Critical Banker combines with Better Criticals effortlessly.

Grim Reaper's Sprint
Now we're talking. A chance at getting all of your action points back after a kill is too tempting to pass up for this build, and with Better Criticals and Critical Banker, you're going to be getting a lot of kills.

Four Leaf Clover
Here it is: the perk that we've all been waiting for. Combine Better Criticals, Critical Banker, and Grim Reaper's Sprint together with Four Leaf Clover, and you have the potential to get consistent, ridiculously deadly critical hits while in V.A.T.S., tearing even the most monstrous of enemies to pieces.

Potentially useful perks

Sniper (Requires 8 Perception)
Sniper could come in handy if you're using a scoped weapon and want that extra headshot accuracy.

Bloody Mess (Requires 3 Luck)
You know why this is here by now. More damage is never a bad thing.

Did you find our guide covering the best character builds in Fallout 4 useful? Share your own builds in the comments below and check out our Fallout 4 guide for more information.