How to complete the Echoes of the Past quest in Fallout 4

The April 2024 update for Fallout 4 has introduced several new quests, including a mission called Echoes of the Past that revolves around the infamous Enclave faction that had not previously made an appearance in Fallout 4. 

We’re going to be walking you through the Echoes of the Past quest so you know what to expect and what kind of rewards you will get for completing it. 

Fallout 4 Echoes of the Past quest walkthrough

Head to the map marker near The Slog

The game will automatically add Echoes of the Past to your quest list when the update has been applied. Navigate to your quests list on the Pip-Boy and select Echoes of the Past to make it your active mission. A marker will appear on the map near a settlement called The Slog, so head over there to start investigating a series of missing caravans. 

Once you get to the map marker, you should see some blood splattered on the ground. Interact with the blood and you’ll be prompted to follow a blood trail to find the Enclave camp. In my game, I didn’t see the blood trail, but a marker appeared on my map telling me where the camp was anyway, so even if you can’t find the blood, you should still be able to get to the camp. 

Prepare yourself for a fight with the Enclave when you get to the camp. One of them is wearing Hellfire armor, so it’s not going to be easy. Once you take them down, you’ll be able to loot the armor for yourself, as well as the Enclave’s weapons. 

Access the terminal

When the soldiers have been defeated, you’ll be prompted to access a terminal in the camp to learn more about the Enclave. When you are in the terminal, scroll down to the Orders option and click on it to receive the information that you need. 

The Enclave colonel you’re looking for is hiding out in the Glowing Sea, so you’ll need to make sure that you’re stocked up on RadX, RadAway, and decent weapons before you make the journey out there. 

If you aren’t already wearing Power Armor, I would highly suggest putting it on for this mission, as the Glowing Sea is unforgiving. Not only are the enemies jacked up, but you’ll also become irradiated before you know it, so Power Armor is the best way to avoid constantly dying. 

Go to the Glowing Sea

It’s optional to start your search at the edge of the Glowing Sea, but if you haven’t been there before, then I would advise going to the optional marker and starting there. Check out the image on the map above to know exactly where to go.

The quickest way to get there is to fast-travel to the Scrap Palace first, but if you haven’t unlocked that area, or any of the surrounding areas, the largest settlement that is closest is Diamond City. 

Track the Enclave Homing Beacon

Once in the Glowing Sea, your Pip-Boy will pick up a signal from an Enclave Homing Beacon that will lead you to the colonel. It’s quite a way from the edge, but if you keep heading north and following the signal via the pop-ups from your Pip-Boy, it shouldn’t be too difficult of a journey. 

The building you are looking for is called Atlantic Offices, and it is almost as far as you can go on the Commonwealth map in a southwestern direction. Be careful on your way there, as you might encounter Radscorpions, Glowing Radroaches, and even Deathclaws. If you have already completed the Best of Three quest where you obtain the Tesla Cannon, I would advise using this as your main weapon here as the fights are incredibly tough. 

Head into the Atlantic Offices and take out all the Enclave soldiers. As long as you have the Echoes of the Past quest still tracked on your Pip-Boy, it will guide you through the building and to the Enclave Colonel. Watch out for traps, turrets, and heavily armed soldiers on your way to him. 

The Enclave Colonel is an easy fight, as he has no armor and a basic plasma weapon. Take him out and then loot his body to get the password for his terminal. Make sure to loot the other goodies off him too. 

Use the Colonel’s terminal

The terminal you need to access is right around the corner from the room that the colonel was in, though you don’t have to worry about not finding it, as it will be marked on the HUD.

Access it and you will have a few choices. To continue the quest, scroll down to End Lockdown and click on it. You can also add some miscellaneous quests to your quest list by navigating to Encampment Distribution and clicking on each of the choices. This will mark the Southern, Eastern, and Western Enclave camps on your map, giving you the option of heading there and taking out the soldiers.

Once you are done, the quest will tell you to leave the building, but there is a big fight waiting for you outside, so make sure that you are prepared before you leave. 

Shoot down the Enclave Vertibird and defeat the last Enclave soldiers

When you leave, you will see an Enclave Vertibird and an Enclave Assault squad armed with Heavy Incinerators. Trust me when I say that having the Tesla Cannon is lifesaving in this situation. Take out every soldier in the area and shoot down the Vertibird and you will have completed the Echoes of the Past mission. 

All Rewards from the Echoes of the Past quest in Fallout 4

You get 399 XP for completing Echoes of the Past, but the best rewards are the ones that you can loot during the mission. The Enclave’s weapons and armor are more than worth the effort of taking on this quest, especially the heavier weapons like the Incinerator.

This is also a fun mission to embark on if you are invested in the lore of Fallout, as the Enclave has always played a significant part in the overall narrative, so their absence was definitely missed when the game was first released in 2015. For those wanting some cool new gear, or anyone looking for more fleshed-out Enclave-related content, then this a must-complete mission.