Updated on July 06, 2025 by Benjamin Joe Peed: Fallout 76is a game that allows players to choose their own playstyles. From melee and rifle builds to stealth and tank builds, there are lots of options for players to choose from. When leaving the vault for the first time, it can be overwhelming to know what perks to choose and how to improve the player’s character.
This article is going to go over some of the best builds in the game and break down why they are so good. While it is important for players to put their own spin on their builds, there are some great builds that players can use as a guide/template. It is also important for players to keep in mind that a good build is somewhat subjective. What suits one player may not suit another.
For players who want to create a plan for their character, websites likeFallout Buildsare great places for players to go and create different builds outside the game. It’s also a good place to get some inspiration, as lots of players like to share their builds on the platform.
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Critical Savvy
VATS plays a vital role inFalloutgames. While VATS inFallout 76doesn’t allow the player to slow down time like in other games due to the fact that it’s an online game, the system still works pretty well.
VATS builds work wellfor both full health and Bloodied builds.The idea behind this one is to maximize the damage output by VATS critical shots.When done right, players can inflict thousands of points of damage in a single shot.
Unfortunately, a VATS non-automatic rifle build does have some downsides. Players won’t gain as much XP as they would with an automatic build due to their slow rate of fire. Also, this build doesn’t work well in events like Radiation Rumble due to the sheer volume of enemies.
However, for players who want to pick enemies off one at a time, a VATS stealth build may be the perfect option.
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Class Freak
A Junkie’s Power Armor Build isn’t centered around the perks but around Chems. While most players see addiction as a bad thing inFallout 76,there are those who choose to embrace it.
Using Junkie’s weapons while beingaddicted to various Chemscan be a viable way to take down enemies efficiently.Coupled with the right mutations and a good set of Power Armor and a Junkie’s build can be very effective.
While it’s not as popular as it used to be, there are those who still use a Junkie’s build as their main build. For the most part, players tend to use these types of builds for heavy guns. While a Junkie’s build can be good for other weapon types, it’s heavy guns where this style really shines. The obvious downside of a Junkie’s build is the side effects of various addictions. However, if done right, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
Starched Genes
While not as effective as a tanky Power Armor build, a standard full-health build is what a lot of low and mid-level players tend to use. It is popular due to its flexibility.It can be used with almost every weapon type andmost legendary effects.
A full-health build is good for those who enjoy transitioning from one build to another, as it doesn’t require the player to take a bunch of Radaway or Chems to transition from one build type to another. Simply head to the nearest Punch Card Machine and switch to another loadout.
The downside of this type of build is that it doesn’t really specialize in any one thing. So, players won’t level up very fast, cause crazy high amounts of damage, or have a very high damage resistance. Instead, the player will be average across the board. A standard full-health build is a good choice for those who have not yet decided what type of weapons, armor, mutations, and perks that they want to invest in for the long term.
Full-healthPower Armor buildsare mostly popular among lower-level players. However, there are a few veteran players who enjoy the benefits of having a full-health tank build. Builds like this are mostly used for those who enjoy melee weapons and heavy guns.The core idea of a tank build is to have as much damage resistance as possible.The higher the player’s damage resistance, the less likely they are to die.
While Power Armor can be expensive to repair, by having rank 3 Power Patcher equipped, the player will need to repair their equipment less often. It will also be much cheaper to repair. Despite being a build centered around having high damage resistance, players using a heavy explosive weapon can still cause a decent amount of damage if they equip the Heavy Gunner Perks alongside rank 5 Demolition Expert.
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Night Person
3 (Needs To Be Switched Out In The Daytime For Photosynthetic Or Solar Powered)
Max Intelligence Points
Always Have 15 in Intelligence. Each Perk in Intelligence Boosts Player XP
A power leveling build is ideal for lower-level players.While it may seem like a waste of perk points at first, investing in perks that increase the amount of XP players earn will really benefit the player further down the line.
Some events like Radiation Rumble and Eviction Notice are amazing events to get lots of XP. By having a build that gives more XP to the player, they can find themselves leveling up several times an hour. Like with all builds inFallout 76,a power-leveling build relies on more than just perks. Utilizing mutations like Egg Head and Herd Mentality can help playersearn even more XP. Combine that with lunch boxes, leader bobbleheads, and XP-boosting foods like Cranberry Relish and Brain Bombs, and the player can level up at the speed of light.
The downside of a power-leveling build is that players won’t do as much damage as they would with other builds. But, this build is more of a mid-point build that will allow the player to upgrade to a higher damage build in the future.
Strange in Numbers
Bloodied builds are among the best build types inFallout 76.And, out of all the Bloodied build types,commando builds are at the top of the food chain.While the player will die more often when compared to a full health build, a bloodied build more than makes up for it with high damage and a larger carrying capacity.
Ideally, the player should have a full set of Unyielding Armor and aQuad Railway Rifle. However, any good armor set and automatic rifle will work with this build. This build allows players to cause lots of damage. Also, by utilizing the Adrenaline perk, the damage will increase for every kill made within a certain time frame.
This is a high-risk build. But with high risk comes high rewards. Players will find that they will level up much faster using a bloodied build (with unyielding armor). While Bloodied builds are mainly used by high-level players, low-level players can also create Bloodied builds, provided they have a good weapon and a decent set of armor.
