One of the unique features introduced inFallout 4was its settlements and settlement building. By clearing areas and building homes and outposts for the Minutemen, it’s possible to watch as the wasteland of the Commonwealth becomes a thriving community. This goal can be made easier by choosing the right perks to fully get the most out of every settlement and make building them up a breeze.
Players can openFallout 4’s Perk Charteach time they level up to choose new perks, with many having multiple ranks to give better benefits. Perks are divided into categories based on the Sole Survivor’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, with some needing a set score to be unlocked. While there are some great combat-related perks,others are best suited to building settlements, with these 10 being the best to focus on.
11 Must-Have Perks in Fallout 4
There are a total of 70 Perks in Fallout 4 and deciding which to pick can make all the difference for survival. 11 of these are crucial to take.
10Locksmith - Perception Four Needed
Pick Higher Level Locks To Gain Loot
While Locksmith might not seem the most obvious place to start, gaining access to containers is vital to building a settlement. As the Sole Survivor explores the Commonwealth, they will inevitably come acrosslocked containers that could contain much-needed building materials. Locksmith does exactly as it sounds, as the first three ranks allow locks of high difficulty to be picked.
1
Can pick advanced locks
2
Can pick expert locks
3
Can pick master locks
4
Perception 4, Level 41
Bobby pins never break
Rank four of Locksmith is only available after level 41 and doesn’t unlock any extra difficulty buthandily prevents bobby pins from breaking, meaning only one will ever be needed. In addition to unlocking safes and toolboxes,Locksmiths can also help with locked doors, allowing more areas to be explored. With every lock pickable and bobby pin no longer an issue, the only thing standing in the way of looting everything that is not nailed down becomes carrying capacity.
9Hacker - Intelligence Four Needed
Access & Build Terminals For Settlement Defence
Hacker serves a similar purpose inFallout 4to Locksmith by letting high-level terminals be accessed. Hacker requires a minimum Intelligence level of four, with each rank becoming available as the Sole Survivor levels up. Like Locksmith, Hacker is great forgaining access to new areas that could contain valuable resources, but it has some additional benefits.
Can hack advanced terminals and build terminals
Can hack expert terminals
Can hack master terminals
Intelligence 4, Level 33
Never get locked out (cool-down period removed)
For settlement building,Hacker is required to build basic terminals,which can be used to control lights, speakers, switches, traps, and advanced turrets. Terminals can be connected to light boxes to create displays and control spotlights and traps by being on the same power network.Gaijin Dadon YouTube explains brilliantly how to connect and use a terminal to a power network with pylons to control traps and turrets, which will drastically help defend any settlement.
Fallout 4companionslike Nick Valentine and Cait have variants of the Hacker and Locksmith perks, respectively. Asking them to help during early levels is excellent when other perks may be a priority.
8Robotics Expert - Intelligence Eight Needed
Hack & Build Robots To Serve Settlements
Robotics Expert might seem like an odd perk choice when focusing on settlement building, but withAutomatronreally comes in handy. The Intelligence-based perk allows the Sole Survivor to hack the various robots they find in the Commonwealth and issue them with different commands with the various ranks. While this can be very useful in combat with theAutomatronDLC,Robotics Expert is a game-changer for settlements.
Hack robots to power up, down, or self destruct
Hack robots and give orders for attack targets
Intelligence 8, Level 44
Hack robots and give more specific commands
This perk becomes a crafting perk withAutomatron,allowing better robotic companions to be built with the robot workbench. These new robots are great companions, but they can be much better used asprovisioners who can better defend themselves and can be named according to the route they are running. Another alternative is to build an army of sentry bots for settlement defense, although this can impact settlement happiness.
7Gun Nut - Intelligence Three Needed
Craft Weapons For Settlers & Make Better Defenses
Gun Nut is an excellent general perk that allows the Sole Survivor to craft higher-level gun mods. Needing only three Intelligences,the weapon mods this perk unlocks really let a more personal stamp be put on any guns found,which means that all sorts of situations can be covered. However, weapons, specifically modified weapons, can also play an important role in successful settlements.
Base level and rank 1 gun mods
Rank 2 gun mods
Rank 3 gun mods
Intelligence 3, Level 39
Rank 4 gun mods
It is important to arm settlers, not just the ones assigned to security, as this will significantly improve their chances of repelling any attacks. Having good weapons will also prevent any of them from ‘borrowing’ from unsecured containers.
But the most important reason to rank up Gun Nut is forthe advanced turrets available at rank three. Packing more of a punch than the basic turrets and defenses, the heavier turrets can easily see off threats to minimize casualties.
6Armorer - Strength Three Needed
Craft Armor & Armor Factories
Like Gun Nut, Armorer is a good general perk in Fallout 4 to keep any Sole Survivor safe. Crafting better armor and mods will certainly improve any build’s survivability. One of the most important reasons to rank up Armorer is to build armor stores andgain access to the different ranks of ballistic weave, which is essential in Survival Mode. Ballistic Weave can only be gained byjoining the Railroadand completing a couple of Jackpot DIA cache missions.
Strength 3
Base Level and rank 1 armor mods, plus build the armor forge
Rank 2 armor mods
Rank 3 armor mods
Strength 3, Level 39
Rank 4 armor mods
However, Armorer is also useful for improving settlements, as with only one rank, the Contraptions Workshop armor forge can be built.Jewelsmithon YouTube goes into detail about how to set up an armor forge and what types of armor it can produce.This can be an excellent hands-off method to mass-produce armor for settlersto increase a settlement’s chances during an attack, just like Gun Nut.
5Medic - Intelligence Two Needed
Increase Healing & Build Clinics
Medic might not seem like it immediately applies to settlement building, but anyone who plans to build up large towns will be glad they grabbed at least one ranks. Generally, Medic is another great perk, especially in Survival Mode, as itincreases how much health is recovered from Stimpaks. It also helps with radiation by making Radaway much more effective in removing radiation damage, which increases with each rank.
Intelligence 2
Build clinics (with Local Leader), Stimpaks restore 40% of health, Radaway removes 40% Radiation
Stimpaks restore 60& health, Radaway removes 60% Radiation
Stimpaks restore 80% health, Radaway removes 80% Radiation
Intelligence 2, Level 49
Stimpaks restores full health, Radaway removes all Radiation
In terms of settlement building,medic rank one is required alongside rank two for local leader to unlock first aid and clinic stores. These stores will sell chems and medical aid as well as raise the happiness of settlements while they are manned. The surgery center version of this store can also be used to recruitFallout 4’s unique settlerDoc Anderson who will upgrade it to a level four medical shop.
4Science! - Intelligence Six Needed
Better Weapon Mods, Better Power Generators, & Better Water Production
Science! is a really useful perk inFallout 4, particularly for settlement building. As well as giving access to more advanced weapon mods, especially for energy weapons, the Science! Perk unlocks several improvements for settlements that really affect towns that can be built. The perk is arequirement for many of the more advanced defense systems,such as laser turrets, but also for vital resources.
Base level and rank 1 mods
Rank 2 mods
Rank 3 mods
Intelligence 6, Level 41
Rank 4 mods
Science! is required to build better generators, such asrank one for the large generator or rank four for the silent fusion reactorthat provides 100 units of power. On YouTube,norespawnsshows a great way to build a small out-of-the-way structure to house a single reactor that can power an entire settlement. Science! will also allow for bigger and better water purifiers to meet settlers' most basic needs.
The fusion reactor was added with theWasteland WorkshopDLC and other items, such as cages to trap various beasts.
3Cap Collector - Charisma One Needed
Buying & Selling Prices Are Better Plus Invest In Stores
One of the things the Sole Survivor will need a lot of when rebuilding the Commonwealth is caps. Caps are the primary currency in theFalloutuniverse, and plenty is needed to cover the cost of building all thesettlements inFallout 4. The perk Cap Collector helps with this byproviding a discount when buying from merchants and a bonus when sellingto them. This lets the Sole Survivor make the most out of every single cap and every item they sell.
10% discount when buying and 10% bonus when selling
20% discount when buying and 20% bonus when selling
Charisma 1, Level 41
Invest 500 caps in a store
Obviously, this helps the most when buying shipments of materials from various merchants. These shipments let certain crafting materials, such as adhesive, concrete, and rubber, be bought in bulk to speed up the building process. At higher ranks,Cap Collector lets stores be invested in to raise their buy capacityand works with Local Leaders to create trade emporiums.
It is best to plan out a build for a settlement-focused playthrough to determine which S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats to concentrate on.
2Scrapper - Intelligence Five Needed
Get More Materials When Scrapping Items
Another thing needed to rebuild the Commonwealth is plenty of scraps. Every single item in a settlement will need resources to create it, and that’s where the Scrapper perk comes in handy. This perk reallymakes scrapping weapons and armor rather than selling them worth it, as it increases the odds of getting some of the harder-to-find components from them.
Get uncommon components when scrapping
Get rare components when scrapping
Intelligence 5, Level 40
Double components gained from scrapping
At rank one, Scrapper will help with gaining uncommon components such as aluminum and copper, which are needed for weapon mods and electrical items. The second rank of Scrapper aids with recovering rare components such as circuitry and fiber optics, both of which are necessary for more advanced settlement defenses. Finally, the third rank willdouble all components yielded from scrapping an item, allowing resources to be stretched further.
1Local Leader - Charisma Six Needed
Create Supply Lines & Build Stores
Finally, the most important perk inFallout 4when focusing on settlement building is Local Leader. This perk is vital as it is required tounlock the numerous crafting stations and stores built at settlements. Stores are great ways to stock up on items quickly, they also add caps to the workbench for the Sole Survivor to collect, and certain stores will also give settlements happiness boosts.
Set up supply lines between settlements
Charisma 6, Level 14
Build stores and workstations
Local Leader also gives the Sole Survivor the ability toset up supply lines between settlements. Supply lines are instrumental when rebuilding the Commonwealth, as they link all the workshops in the supply line together, meaning that materials from one can be used to craft in another location. Excess food and drink will also be distributed, allowing settlements like Graygarden to feed other struggling settlements.
