Fallout Shelter Best Weapons Guide

Fallout Shelter Best Weapons Guide

Latest posts by Xavier Geitz (see all)

Intro

Fallout Shelter, just like the mainline Fallout games, puts dozens of weapons at the players’ disposal. 139, to be exact. Most weapons are classics from Bethesda’s mainline Fallout games, like combat shotguns, Gauss rifles, railway rifles, and the Junk Jet. There are even a few new weapon additions, like the Relentless raider sword. 

With that many to choose from, how do you know which works best in every combat situation? It’s easier than you might think. Here’s our complete Fallout Shelter Best Weapons guide.

What Makes A Weapon Good In Fallout Shelter?

Fallout shelter inventory
Weapons that have higher numbers do more damage. It’s that simple.

How do you know if a weapon is good in Fallout Shelter? Simple. Does your weapon have big numbers next to its name? Then congratulations; you’ve found a good weapon. 

Fallout Shelter is not Fallout 76 or Fallout 4. It’s not even Fallout 3 or New Vegas. It’s easily the most simplified Fallout game in the franchise in numerous gameplay areas, including the weapons. Shotguns don’t have spread that enables them to hit multiple targets. Assault rifles having a faster rate of fire doesn’t mean they kill enemies faster. You don’t need to worry about energy weapons doing reduced damage against foes in leather armor or ballistic weapons doing reduced damage against enemies in metal armor. 

Combat in Fallout Shelter, except in two scenarios, is a simple numbers game. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you always need to remember when playing it. 

How Do Weapons Work In Fallout Shelter?

Weapons In The Vault

Combat inside the Vault is the simplest in Fallout Shelter. Give your Dwellers the best weapons you have available, and watch their HP and Rad counts. 

Two quirks involving explosive weapons like missile launchers and melee weapons like Grognak’s axe don’t apply in the Vault. They have advantages and disadvantages outside the Vault, but their high raw damage outputs make them excellent for Vault defense. 

Weapons During Quests

Remember those melee and explosive weapons I spoke of in the previous section? You need to keep those in mind if taking Dwellers on a quest. 

Melee weapons’ maximum damage and average damage output numbers rank highly, but you can only use one melee character on an enemy at any given time. Putting three melee characters on a single questing team puts you at a notable disadvantage because you cannot pile on enemies. 

Explosive weapons have the unique quality of dealing AOE damage to enemies during quest combat. Explosive weapons spread their damage to every enemy in the room. That helps chip away at multiple foes at once, which makes it easier on any Dweller facing several enemies. However, you don’t want to use three or even two AOE weapons during a quest, as their combined damage output will be too low and is less than ideal for taking down bosses like alpha deathclaws.

Weapons During Wasteland Encounters

Occasionally, while your Dwellers are out in the Wasteland, you will come across locations they can explore. These locations always have multiple enemies in a room, meaning they’ve got numbers on your Dweller. For this reason, you never want to give Wasteland explorers AOE weapons. They will take too long to clear locations and likely die. 

You also want to avoid giving them single-burst damage weapons like plasma throwers or flamers. Single-burst weapons overkill enemies. Any leftover damage you deal goes to waste and does not transfer to the next opponent. You take longer to kill enemies with these, and that’s not what you want in a 1v4 situation. 

The best weapons for Wasteland explorers are multi-shot weapons like miniguns or Gatling lasers. These weapons automatically switch targets after you kill someone and are the most efficient in the game. 

Best Way To Obtain Weapons: Crafting

fallout shelter weapons
Crafting is the best way to arm your Dwellers with the best weapons later on.

While you can obtain great weapons from quests or lunchboxes, unless you spend a year’s salary on loot boxes, it’s simply not possible to deck out your maximum 200 Dwellers via those methods. The only feasible way to arm your Dwellers is via crafting. 

All crafted weapons in Fallout Shelter have SPECIAL stats that govern them. The higher the governing SPECIAL stats of Dwellers crafting a weapon, the faster they will make it. That means you should train your Dwellers accordingly, depending on your needs.

All weapons in Fallout Shelter also require specific junk components to craft, meaning you should spend your junk wisely. You can use junk to craft pipe rifles and kitchen knives, but I wouldn’t recommend it. 

But enough with the preamble; let’s get down to the best weapons in Fallout Shelter. I’ll be going over their rarity, overall damage range, average damage output, governing SPECIAL stat, and junk requirements. Let’s get into it.

Gauss Rifle

fall out shelter gauss rifle
The Gauss rifle is the second-best Rare weapon in Fallout Shelter. Image Source: Fallout Shelter Wiki
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Damage Range: 16-17
  • Average Damage Output: 16.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Perception
  • Junk Requirements: 5 alarm clocks, 3 microscopes, 2 shovels

The Gauss rifle is a powerhouse in Fallout 3 and 4. While not nearly as strong as its mainline counterparts, Fallout Shelter’s Gauss rifle is still noteworthy. 

It takes a while before you have enough Dwellers to craft Legendary weapons and longer still to get the Legendary recipes and junk needed to make them. You’ll have to make due for a while with Rares, and the Gauss rifle is the second-best Rare weapon in Fallout Shelter. It’s only slightly weaker than the next entry on the list. 

Plasma Rifle

fall out shelter plasma rifle
The plasma rifle is the best Rare weapon in Fallout Shelter. Image Source: Fallout Shelter Wiki
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Damage Range: 17-18
  • Average Damage Output: 17.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Perception
  • Junk Requirements: 3 alarm clocks, 3 microscopes, 3 globes

While only slightly stronger than the Gauss rifle, the plasma rifle is the most powerful Rare weapon in the game, with a respectable 17.5 average damage output. Since Gauss rifles and plasma rifles share two required components, prioritize using them on plasma rifles whenever possible. 

Virgil’s Rifle

FO shelter virgils rifle
Virgil’s rifle is the best energy rifle in Fallout. Image Source: Fallout Shelter WikiShelter.
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 19-26
  • Average Damage Output: 22.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Intelligence
  • Junk Requirements: 4 microscopes, 3 gold watches, 3 military circuit boards

We’re only at number eight on the list and already in Legendary weapon territory. While you can afford to have a little fun with your weapon loadouts at the Rare level (Who doesn’t love a combat shotgun, am I right?), that luxury ends here. Do NOT waste Legendary junk. This stuff is hard to come by. 

The first Legendary weapon that should catch your eye is Virgil’s rifle. It’s identical to the one Virgil rewards you in Fallout 4 and is the best energy rifle in Fallout Shelter. At 22.5 average damage and 26 max damage, we’re starting to enter big Vault boy territory.

Lead Belcher

Fall out shelter lead belcher
The Lead Belcher is a unique minigun and one of the best multi-shot weapons. Image Source: Fallout Shelter Wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 19-26
  • Average Damage Output: 21.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 4 shovels, 3 gold watches, 2 military duct tape

The Lead Belcher isn’t the first person to burp; it’s a unique minigun and the strongest one in Fallout Shelter. 

As mentioned in the Weapons During Wasteland Encounters section, multi-shot weapons are best for Wasteland exploration. With a damage average of 21.5, the Lead Belcher is rock-solid. 

The Lead Belcher is inferior to all Gatling lasers except the rusty variant but has a notable positive: Gatling lasers and miniguns share no junk requirements. If you need some multi-shot armaments and can’t make any Gatling lasers, the Lead Belcher has you covered. 

Amplified Gatling Laser

The Amplified Gatling laser is one of Fallout Shelter’s best weapons. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 21-25
  • Average Damage Output: 23
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 5 microscopes, 3 military circuit boards, 2 Giddyup Buttercup

The Amplified Gatling laser is the second strongest Gatling laser in Fallout Shelter. It has a lower max hit than the Lead Belcher but a better average damage output of 23. And since they don’t share junk components, you can crank out copies of them both without worry. 

Fire Hydrant Bat

fall out shelter fire hydrant bat
The fire hydrant bat is the best melee weapon in Fallout Shelter and fifth best weapon overall. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 19-31
  • Average Damage Output: 25
  • Governing SPECIAL: Intelligence
  • Junk Requirements: 3 chemistry flasks, 3 military duct tape, 3 shovels

Coming in at number five is the iconic weapon of the super mutant behemoth, the fire hydrant bat. 

While it was always terrifying and a marvel to see, the super mutant behemoth’s fire hydrant bat never made sense since no place in America has fire hydrants that big unless Ant-Man played a prank on firefighters before the world ended. 

It possesses a damage range of 19-31, with an average damage output of 25. While its lowest possible damage is on the high end of mid-tier, the fire hydrant bat’s maximum possible damage is the most single-target damage of any weapon in the game. You heard that right, folks; in a world where you can fire miniature nukes at someone’s face, a fire hydrant on a stick rules above them all. 

Like all melee weapons, the fire hydrant bat suffers from limited usage during questing combat, and you should only use 1 per questing team. 

Guided Fat Man

fall out shelter mirv
The MIRV is the best AOE weapon in Fallout Shelter and bronze overall. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 22-26
  • Average Damage Output: 22
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 5 shovels, 3 military duct tape, 2 chemistry flasks

The Fat Man is an iconic weapon in the Fallout series. It’s a shoulder-fired catapult launcher that shoots football-shaped mini nukes at people. What’s not to love?

The Guide Fat Man is the strongest variant of the Fat Man in Fallout Shelter outside of unique variants and fourth-best weapon overall. It possesses an excellent damage range of 22-26 with an average damage output of 24. 

But like the fire hydrant bat, you ideally don’t want to use more than one AOE weapon at a time. You can, but there are more effective weapon loadouts than running triple Fat Men.

MIRV

FO shelter mirv
The MIRV is the best AOE weapon in Fallout Shelter and bronze overall. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 22-27
  • Average Damage Output: 24.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 3 chemistry flasks, 3 military duct tape, 3 shovels

What could be better than a shoulder-fired catapult launcher that shoots one mini nuke at people? That’s easy; a shoulder-fire catapult launcher that shoots multiple mini nukes at people. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the MIRV.  

The MIRV is Fallout Shelter’s unique Fat Man. It is marginally better than the Guided Fat Man, with a damage range of 22-27 and average damage output of 24.5. It is the best AOE weapon in the game and third overall. 

Unfortunately, unlike its mainline game counterpart, Fallout Shelter’s MIRV doesn’t actually fire multiple mini nukes. That’s understandable, as the MIRV would be completely broken if it did.

Dragon’s Maw

fall out shelter dragons maw
The unique plasma thrower Dragon’s Maw is the second best weapon in Fallout Shelter. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 22-29
  • Average Damage Output: 25.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 3 chemistry flasks, 3 globes, 3 military circuit boards

Do you know what’s worse than a weapon that shoots out a burst of fire that turns you into a pile of bones? A weapon that shoots out a burst of plasma that turns you into a pile of goo. Introducing the second-best weapon in Fallout Shelter, the Dragon’s Maw. 

The Dragon’s Maw is Fallout Shelter’s unique plasma thrower. A plasma thrower is what you get when you combine the functionality of a flamethrower with plasma. The Dragon’s Maw possesses a damage range of 22-29 with an average damage output of 25.5. That’s slightly above the fire hydrant bat, giving the Dragon’s Maw the most single-target damage in the game. 

The Dragon’s Maw’s only problem is it’s an overkill weapon and wastes DPS. The Dragon’s Maw fires a burst of plasma at a single enemy. Any Vault Dweller wielding a Dragon’s Maw will not switch to another enemy after their first target dies. 

If an enemy has 7 HP remaining and your Dragon’s Maw deals 27 damage that attack round, you will waste 20 points of damage. So while the Dragon’s Maw deals more damage than any other weapon, in some scenarios, fights will be slower because their wielders are wasting time finishing their attack animation on an already defeated enemy. They will then waste even more time running around for several seconds before attacking another.

Vengeance

fall out shelter vengeance
Fallout 3’s unique Gatling laser is Fallout Shelter’s best weapon. Image Source: Fallout Shelter wiki
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Damage Range: 22-29
  • Average Damage Output: 25.5
  • Governing SPECIAL: Strength
  • Junk Requirements: 5 microscopes, 3 military circuit boards, 2 Giddyup Buttercups

The best weapon in Fallout Shelter is the unique Gatling laser, Vengeance.

Anyone who has played Fallout 3’s main questline will remember Fawkes showing up at Raven Rock and annihilating Enclave members with his Gatling laser. It’s one of the most powerful weapons in the Fallout franchise. 

As the strongest incarnation of the Gatling laser, it lives up to its reputation. It possesses a damage range of 21-26, with an average damage output of 23.5. The Dragon’s Maw and the Overcharged Plasma Thrower both possess higher overall damage outputs than Vengeance. Regardless, Vengeance is a better overall weapon than both of them. Why?

Remember that flaw in the Dragon’s Maw about wasted damage output? Vengeance doesn’t have that problem. 

Vengeance fires a burst of laser shots at an enemy. When an enemy dies, your Vault Dweller will automatically switch to a new target, mid-attack animation. As a result, Vengeance wielders don’t waste damage output like Dragon’s Maw wielders do. Vengeance’s superior efficiency outweighs its slightly lower damage output. 

What Is The Best Team Weapon Setup?

fall out shelter quest combat
Questing combat is slightly different from Vault combat are requires a bit more strategy.

As mentioned previously, one AOE weapon is ideal for dealing chip damage to every enemy in a room. Back up your AOE weapon with two single-target weapons, either Dragon’s Maw or Vengeance. Due to its efficiency, The ideal setup would be two Vengeance and one MIRV. 

FAQs

Question: Should I Spend Money on Lunchboxes Hunting for Legendary Weapons?

Answer: NO. Not only are the odds not in your favor, but it doesn’t make sense logistically speaking. You can have up to 200 people in your Vault and send Vault Dwellers on three quests at a time. Each party contains three Vault Dwellers. You’re going to need way more than one MIRV or Vengeance. Legendary weapon recipes are the key to thriving in Fallout Shelter’s endgame, and you can’t get those in lunchboxes. 

Question: What’s your Favorite Weapon in Fallout Shelter?

Answer: My favorite weapon is the Institute rifle. It’s far from the best weapon in the game, but Vault Dwellers do a cool rolling animation when they use it. Style points matter to me.

Question: What is the Most Useful SPECIAL Stat for Crafting Weapons?

Answer: Based on this list, the majority of the best weapons in the game use require high Strength to craft effectively. 

Conclusion

Fallout Shelter fails to do a lot of weapon types justice. Every ballistic pistol in Fallout Shelter ranges from bad to really bad. All rifles range from low mid-tier to mid-mid-tier. The combat shotgun is the only shotgun that’s decent. Most melee weapons get screwed over by having terrible minimum damage outputs despite generally having great maximum damage outputs. 

But hey, at least the Legendary melee weapons like the fire hydrant axe and Grognak’s axe are good. The plasma thrower is a largely overlooked weapon type in Fallout 4, so seeing it shine in Fallout Shelter is a nice change of pace. The MIRV is an inevitable powerhouse in any game it appears in, as is Vengeance. 

I’m generally not one for hardcore min-maxing and doing everything at peak efficiency. If you want to have fun and use pipe rifles instead of Gatling lasers, so be it. But Fallout Shelter isn’t the sort of game where you can afford to use less than the best. Deathclaws and radscorpions will rip you to shreds, even at max level. You need to kill them as quickly as possible. And that means using the best weapons possible. Now that you know what those are, you’re better equipped for handling the Wasteland, Overseer. Get back to work. 

 

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