Fallout 76 lets you pick from five preset starting loadouts, but it’s tough to know which one’s best. There’s also a Battle Ready Dweller option that boosts you to level 20, so it’s important to choose a loadout that resonates with you as well as being effective in combat.
Best Fresh Dweller starting loadout in Fallout 76
If you start from level two instead of 20, your choice loadout is much simpler. The best Fallout 76 starting loadout, hands down, is the Gunslinger for Fresh Dwellers. You get a 10 percent damage bonus to pistols, which is very useful since the 10mm pistol is the only ranged weapon you start with as a Fresh Dweller. The alternative next best choice for the early game is, in my opinion, the First Aid loadout. It gives you 15 percent extra health from Stimpacks, which comes in handy in a pinch.
Ultimately, you still need to scavenge for better weapons and resources yourself, since to start with, you only get a 10mm Pistol, a Combat Knife, and five Fragmentation Grenades as a Fresh Dweller—regardless of the loadout you choose. I certainly don’t recommend the Inspirational loadout if you’re playing Fallout 76 solo, since you need other people on your team to gain the experience bonus from its perk.
Best Battle-Ready Dweller SPECIAL starting loadout in Fallout 76
The best Battle-Ready Dweller loadout is the Commando, because you get a Tactical Automatic Combat Rifle which includes a scope. Your SPECIAL perks are nicely distributed across all the attributes, and the Short Hunting Rifle is a great benefit. You can essentially use this rifle as a strong backup weapon. For early-game enemies and even some of the later ones, you can easily shred through them with the Combat Rifle, so the Commando is a go-to loadout for many.
Alternatively, the Shotgunner loadout can be useful if you want lots of SPECIAL points invested in your Strength trait. You get seven Strength instantly, compared to three with Commando. Shotgunner also has another powerful starting weapon, so if you like being up close and personal, it’s a great pick.
Nonetheless, Commando is the best early all-rounder build with its only main drawback being the fact it quickly eats up your ammo resources. This is where you can employ your backup Hunting Rifle—just make sure to switch often so you don’t run out of ammo on either weapon. Now that you know the best starter loadout in Fallout 76, you can venture out of the Vault in style and make your mark on Appalachia.
