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Your guide to clearing out the raider camp in Fallout. Learn how to equip yourself and Ian, defeat Garl, and loot essential gear for your journey.

Alright, so you've made it to the raider camp. This is a pretty important spot early on, and if you handle it right, you'll walk away with some sweet gear. First things first, make sure you've got a decent weapon equipped – by now, you should be rocking an SMG or a shotgun. Also, double-check that Ian, your companion, has a gun. The 10mm pistol is usually his go-to, but anything's better than nothing.

When you step inside, don't be shy about opening fire. Just be mindful of Ian; you don't want to accidentally shoot him in the back! The main guy you need to worry about is Garl, the head honcho. Taking him down with the SMG's burst fire is super effective. Once he's down, loot his metal armor. Seriously, this stuff is great for defense this early in the game, and it saves you a bunch of caps you'd otherwise spend at Beth's or Jake's in the Hub.

If you've still got the shotgun from Vault 13, that's a solid alternative for Garl, and it frees up your SMG to give to Ian. After you've cleared out everyone in the main building's large room, you'll free two slaves. That nets you 200 XP, which is always nice. While you're in there, make sure to raid the fridge – you'll often find lockpicks, which are super handy if you don't have any yet.

Grab all the guns, ammo, and stimpacks you can find. You'll definitely use them. Plus, any extra guns you find here can be sold back in the Hub for caps, which you can then use to buy combat armor or some heavier weapons. The extra armor pieces are also great for trading. Once you've got everything, head south towards Junktown to keep moving forward.

One last tip for your companion: consider giving Ian the .44 Desert Eagle and all the ammo you can spare. He's a pretty good shot with it, and it'll make him even more effective.