The Best Fallout 76 Builds

Fallout 76 is a game that allows for lots of creativity and experimentation, with many different ways to play.

Some players might choose to engage in certain combat scenarios head-on, while others might opt for a more stealthy approach. Or perhaps you don't want to deal with very much combat at all. Pretty much however you'd like to play, Fallout 76 has a particular build for you.

When deciding upon a build, you'll want to customize your perk cards, which are unlocked as you play. One thing that will help you is if you plan your build from the start. You can utilize this nifty Character Build Planner & Calculator to figure out what you need for the particular build you're going for.

In this post, we'll go through some of the very best builds in the game, from snipers to stealth builds for PvP and more. We also referenced specific YouTubers and members of the community to see what their favorite builds are.

These are the best Fallout 76 builds.

Bloodied Melee

Kicking things off is a build that is extremely useful since it doesn't require ammo. The Bloodied Melee build meant more fast-paced interactions, allowing you to run around and take enemies out quickly up close.

  • Strength: 15 (3 Traveling Pharmacy, 3 Barbarian, 3 Blocker, 3 Incisor, 3 Martial 3 Artist)
  • Perception: 6 (3 Exterminator, 3 Glow Sight)
  • Endurance: 1 (1 Radicool)
  • Charisma: 4 (4 Lone Wanderer)
  • Intelligence: 8 (3 Nerd Rage!, 5 Makeshift Warrior)
  • Agility: 11 (3 Dodgy, 2 Action Boy/Girl, 3 Evasive, 3 Moving Target)
  • Luck: 11 (3 Serendipity, 3 Class Freak, 2 Starched Genes, 3 Bloody Mess)

Bloodied Stealth

As recommended by YouTuber THE TR3-B BLACK MANTA CHANNEL, use this build if you're looking to take enemies out quickly and stealthily. It's similar to the melee build from above, though it emphasizes stealth and is made even better if you have the B2525 Fixer, which offers explosive damage.

  • Strength: 2 (2 Blocker)
  • Perception: 15 (3 Tank Killer, 3 Ground Pounder, 3 Commando, 3 Expert Commando, 3 Master Commando)
  • Endurance: 3 (3 Fireproof)
  • Charisma: 6 (3 Suppressor, 3 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 8 (5 Demolition Expert, 3 Nerd Rage!)
  • Agility: 15 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 3 Dodgy, 5 Adrenaline, 3 Sneak, 1 Escape Artist)
  • Luck: 14 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 Grim Reaper's Sprint, 3 Ricochet, 2 Starched Genes, 3 Serendipity)

Heavy Gunner

For this endgame build, as noted by YouTuber SH Games, you'll want to use it as a Heavy Gunner template and adjust accordingly depending on the playstyle. This build will help you deal high amounts of damage while withstanding attacks dealt by enemies. In short, this is a great build for tank players but will take some time to get sorted.

  • Strength: 15 (3 Master Heavy Gunner, 3 Heavy Gunner, 3 Expert Heavy Gunner, 3 Lock and Load, 3 Blocker)
  • Perception: 1 (1 Refractor)
  • Endurance: 3 (3 Fireproof)
  • Charisma: 7 (3 Lone Wanderer, 4 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 14 (3 Nerd Rage!, 3 Stabilized, 5 Demolition Expert, 3 Batteries Included)
  • Agility: 11 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 5 Adrenaline, 3 Dodgy)
  • Luck: 11 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 One Gun Army, 3 Ricochet, 2 Starched Genes)

Stealth Sniper

The great thing about this build is that it allows you to keep full health, and since you'll be taking shots from afar, you don't need to prioritize high damage resistance armor. YouTuber Angry Turtle recommends utilizing the Suppressed Gauss Rifle or the Zz IE Lever (which deals explosive damage). The IE Lever can take out many foes in just one hit.

  • Strength: 3 (3 Traveling Pharmacy)
  • Perception: 15 (3 Rifleman, 3 Ground Pounder, 3 Tank Killer, 3 Expert Rifleman, 2 Master Rifleman, 1 Concentrated Fire)
  • Endurance: 3 (3 Fireproof)
  • Charisma: 9 (3 Inspirational, 1 Bodyguards, 1 Strange in Numbers, 1 Travel Agent, 3 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 13 (5 Demolition Expert, 3 Batteries Included, 5 Gunsmith)
  • Agility: 12 (3 Thru-Hiker, 3 Covert Operative, 3 Sneak, 1 Escape Artist, 1 Gun Fu, 1 Adrenaline)
  • Luck: 11 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 Class Freak, 2 Starched Genes, 3 Good with Salt)

Team Player

Playing Fallout 76 as a solo player is certainly viable and a lot of fun, but there's SPECIAL magic that happens when playing with friends. That's why we recommend the Team Player build, which emphasizes healing — as suggested by YouTuber NeoLux13. Many of the perks with this build are geared towards maximizing healing abilities, such as Philanthropist (3), which restores “much more” of your team's hunger and health.

  • Strength: 3 (3 Traveling Pharmacy)
  • Perception: 12 (3 Master Commando, 3 Commando, 3 Expert Commando, 3 Concentrated Fire)
  • Endurance: 1 (1 Aquaboy)
  • Charisma: 15 (2 E.M.T., 3 Philanthropist, 1 Strange in Numbers, 3 Team Medic, 3 Spiritual Healer, 3 Injector)
  • Intelligence: 3 (3 First Aid)
  • Agility: 7 (3 Covert Operative, 3 Sneak, 1 Escape Artist)
  • Luck: 15 (3 Grim Reaper's Sprint, 3 Psychopath, 3 Four Leaf Clover, 2 Starched Genes, 1 Dry Nurse, 3 Critical Savvy)

V.A.T.S.

The V.A.T.S. system has been in Fallout for a while, and it makes its return in Fallout 76 — though it works differently since this is an online-only game. V.A.T.S. allows you to pinpoint specific limbs with much more accuracy, and according to YouTuber Knight Knowledge, this is the build you want to use for that particular mechanic. You'll find that this build grants you higher accuracy and action points, perfect for using V.A.T.S. more effectively.

  • Strength: 2 (2 Bandolier)
  • Perception: 11 (1 Master Commando, 3 Tank Killer, 1 Expert Commando, 3 Concentrated Fire, 1 Expert Picklock, 1 Picklock, 1 Master Picklock)
  • Endurance: 4 (2 Chem Resistant, 2 Cola Nut)
  • Charisma: 3 (1 Travel Agent, 2 Lone Wanderer)
  • Intelligence: 8 (2 First Aid, 1 Batteries Included, 5 Gunsmith)
  • Agility: 13 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 3 Evasive, 2 Gun Fu, 3 White Knight, 2 Adrenaline)
  • Luck: 15 (3 Grim Reaper's Sprint, 1 Better Criticals, 3 Four Leaf Clover, 3 Class Freak, 2 Starched Genes, 3 Critical Savvy)

Merchant

A build we like to use focuses on trading. This particular trading build is great for carrying lots of items, maximizing the amount of resources gained from crafting, and saving/earning you more money. Ultimately, you'll want to use this specific build if you're someone who likes to trade and earn money often.

  • Strength: 15 (3 Pack Rat, 3 Traveling Pharmacy, 2 Sturdy Frame, 4 Strong Back, 3 Ordinance Express)
  • Perception: 1 (1 Green Thumb)
  • Endurance: 1 (1 Good Doggy)
  • Charisma: 4 (3 Hard Bargain, 1 Travel Agent)
  • Intelligence: 15 (5 Gunsmith, 1 Armorer, 2 Science, 2 Science Expert, 1 Science Master, 3 Power Smith, 1 Chemist)
  • Agility: 8 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 3 Thru-Hiker, 2 Ammosmith)
  • Luck: 9 (3 Scrounger, 3 Pharma Farma, 3 Can Do!)

Explosive

Perhaps you're a player looking to take a more…explosive approach. If so, we highly recommend this explosive build, as suggested by YouTuber Vlad Armstrong. When using this build, you'll want to prioritize V.A.T.S, as explosives deal more damage than they would otherwise. Using explosives is a great way to deal high splash damage, as well, so utilize this build if you plan on taking on several enemies at once.

  • Strength: 12 (3 Blocker, 3 Ordinance Express, 3 Pain Train, 3 Traveling Pharmacy)
  • Perception: 4 (2 Grenadier, 2 Awareness)
  • Endurance: 6 (3 Lifegiver, 3 Fireproof)
  • Charisma: 4 (1 Suppressor, 3 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 11 (3 First Aid, 5 Demolition Expert, 3 Stabilized)
  • Agility: 14 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 5 Adrenaline, 3 Dodgy, 3 Thru-Hiker)
  • Luck: 15 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 Ricochet, 1 Luck of the Draw, 3 Class Freak, 2 Starched Genes, 3 Quick Hands)

High Health

For an endgame high health build, we recommend this setup, as suggested by YouTuber Damazingamin. The great thing about this build is that it's viable in PvP and PvE and ideal for players who want to steer away from using Bloodied. This is more of a slow-paced build that works for players looking to be more deliberate with their shots.

  • Strength: 2 (2 Traveling Pharmacy)
  • Perception: 12 (3 Master Commando, 3 Tank Killer, 3 Commando, 3 Expert Commando)
  • Endurance: 10 (4 Ironclad, 3 Adamantium Skeleton, 3 Fireproof)
  • Charisma: 6 (2 Field Surgeon, 1 Strange in Numbers, 3 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 6 (3 First Aid, 3 Demolition Expert)
  • Agility: 15 (3 Action Boy/Girl, 3 Evasive, 2 Born Survivor, 3 Sneak, 1 Escape Artist, 3 Dodgy)
  • Luck: 11 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 Serendipity, 3 Class Freak, 2 Starched Genes)

Pvp

While most players will start out prioritizing PvE scenarios in Fallout 76, eventually, you'll want to try out PvP. As suggested by YouTuber TYR, this build also works in PvE situations but mainly prioritizes PvP, focusing on heavy weaponry. The main point of this build is that it features high DPS while improving effectiveness in Power Armor. This build is also meant for players looking to hold lots of consumables, as you'll need them before, after, and during fights with other players.

  • Strength: 12 (3 Traveling Pharmacy, 3 Master Heavy Gunner, 3 Heavy Gunner, 3 Expert Heavy Gunner)
  • Perception: 1 (1 Reactor)
  • Endurance: 11 (4 Lifegiver, 2 Cola Nut, 3 Fireproof, 2 Rejuvenated)
  • Charisma: 9 (3 Suppressor, 2 Field Surgeon, 1 Strange in Numbers, 3 Tenderizer)
  • Intelligence: 6 (3 Nerd Rage!, 3 Stabilized)
  • Agility: 9 (3 Thru-Hiker, 2 Born Survivor, 1 Secret Agent, 3 Dodgy)
  • Luck: 8 (3 Bloody Mess, 3 One Gun Army, 2 Starched Genes)

With all of that in mind, you should now be prepared for all sorts of playstyles in Fallout 76. Do keep in mind that there are many other highly effective builds out there, but these are some of the more popular ones you'll want to try.

Joseph loves Nintendo and horror games. When he's not writing about video games he can usually be found petting his cats and listening to some Progressive Metal. He thinks Meshuggah is tight.