Strength Perks: Character Creation

Explore Fallout 4's Strength perks for character creation. Learn about Iron Fist, Big Leagues, Armorer, Blacksmith, and Heavy Gunner to optimize your build.

This guide covers the Strength perks available during character creation in Fallout 4, detailing their effects and usefulness.

Iron Fist

Iron Fist increases unarmed weapon damage by 20% per rank, up to 100% at rank five. At rank five, it also grants a chance to paralyze foes in VATS. While effective in previous Fallout games, the threats in Fallout 4 are less HP-dense and damage-resistant, making paralysis less crucial. Unarmed weapons are generally slower outside of VATS and consume significant AP in VATS, further reducing the paralysis effect's utility. To maximize unarmed effectiveness, investing in Iron Fist, Blitz (9 Agility), and Ninja (7 Agility) is recommended for a sneak build. However, compared to guns/sneak builds, unarmed weapons are rarer, slower, and often deal less damage, making guns a potentially more rewarding investment long-term.

Grade: ****

Big Leagues

Big Leagues functions similarly to Iron Fist but for melee weapons. At rank five, it offers the ability to cripple or behead foes, which is arguably more impactful than Iron Fist's paralysis. Like unarmed weapons, melee weapons are generally slower and lower-damage than guns until rarer variants like the Ripper and Super Sledge are found. Melee weapons offer more diversity in damage and speed compared to unarmed weapons but still require significant investment (Ninja, Blitz) for practicality, primarily within stealth builds.

Grade: *****

Armorer

The Armorer perk allows customization of all armor types, from underclothes to Power Armor, though some high-end mods may require the "Science!" perk. Essential for long-term benefits, it enables the creation of lighter, more protective armor, or armor with specific damage resistances. A key feature is the ability to add "Ballistic Weave" mods to standard clothing, providing substantial physical and energy resistance. Rank four allows "Ballistic Weave Mk5," offering 110 defense, comparable to Heavy Combat Armor with Polymer mods. This perk is crucial for achieving high defense without Power Armor, significantly improving survivability. Investing in Armorer also allows for "Ultra-Light" mods, boosting Action Points and aiding stealth, which enhances combat effectiveness.

Grade: ******

Blacksmith

Blacksmith is the crafting perk for melee and unarmed weapons. It is generally considered less impactful than crafting perks like Science!, Gun Nut, and Armorer due to lower returns. Most melee weapons have fewer mod options (one to three) compared to guns (which can have twice as many scopes alone). However, players who favor melee combat can invest in this perk to maximize their weapon's damage potential.

Grade: ****

Heavy Gunner

Heavy Gunner increases the damage of specific heavy weapons: Minigun, Gatling Laser, Flamer, Missile Launcher, and Fat Man. The Missile Launcher and Fat Man also benefit from the Demolition Expert perk for increased damage. The effectiveness of Heavy Gunner is directly tied to the power of the weapons it affects. The Minigun and Gatling Laser are rapid-firing, ammo-consuming weapons that can quickly defeat strong enemies with proper modifications. The Flamer is a shorter-range, direct-fire weapon offering fire and area-of-effect damage. The Missile Launcher and Fat Man are slow-firing, long-range explosive weapons with scarce ammo that deal immense damage; the Fat Man is particularly potent.