1. Baton(Best for Early Game)

Like every Fallout game, Fallout 4 is jam-packed with all kinds of fantastic weapons. In fact, there are so many weapons that it can be difficult to decide which ones are good to use and at which stages of the game. This list will give you the best weapons for the early, mid, and late stages of Fallout 4.

The first weapon on our list is the humble baton. The baton is the very first weapon available in the game, as two can be found on top of containers in Vault 111. Outside of Vault 111, batons can be looted from synths and Gunners. 

The baton is a one-handed, medium-speed melee weapon. At just two pounds, the baton is very light compared to other weapons in its category. Also, the baton can be upgraded to deal energy damage in addition to its base physical damage. The combination of lightweight, medium swing speed, and potential energy damage make this weapon perfect for the early game. 

The baton has a base damage of 11 and an AP cost of 30. It has an attack speed of medium and a value of 15 caps. The "Bloody Mess" and "Big Leagues" perks give the baton significant damage boosts.

2. 10mm Pistol(Best for Early Game)

The next weapon on our list is the 10mm Pistol. The 10mm Pistol can also be found in Vault 111, in the first few minutes of the game. This weapon is one of the most iconic in the Fallout series, featuring prominently in promotional material and concept art.

As far as early-game weapons go, the 10mm Pistol is king. It is lightweight, deals good damage, and is highly customizable. Depending on your playstyle, you can choose between new scopes, receivers, grips, magazine sizes, and more. Although the 10mm pistol has a fast fire rate while semiautomatic, players have the option to upgrade to automatic fire. This will allow you to increase your damage with the "Commando" perk.

The 10mm Pistol fires the 10mm round. It has a base damage of 18, an AP cost of 21, and a value of 45 bottle caps. The 10mm Pistol is enhanced by the "Gunslinger", "Commando", and "Mister Sandman" perks when semi-auto, automatic, and silenced, respectively.

3. Pipe gun(Best for Early Game)

The pipe guns in Fallout 4 are homemade guns most often found in the hands of Raiders, Super Mutants, and Scavengers. They are unique to Fallout 4, having never appeared in any other Fallout titles. The Pipe Gun is, by far, the most customizable weapon in the game. Only two ranks each of the "Gun Nut" and "Science" perks are needed to upgrade this weapon fully. This makes the Pipe gun a high-level weapon for the early game.

Although some other weapons can eventually be modified to use it, the Pipe Gun is the only gun that uses the .38 mm ammo type in its base form. This is very useful in the early game, as  38 mm ammo is the most abundant ammo type in the game and is also the easiest to come by. This makes the Pipe Gun the best choice for taking out low-to-medium-level enemies while on the level grind. 

In its base form, the Pipe Gun has a weight of 2.3 pounds and a value of 20 bottle caps. It has a range of 83, a fire rate of 55, and an accuracy of 57. A number of perks will affect the Pipe Gun depending on which of its many configurations the player chooses. 

4. Minigun(Early Game)

The Minigun is a heavy weapon that can be picked up by the player while doing the beginning quest "When Freedom Calls". It is found in the crashed Vertibird on the roof of the Museum of Freedom. Now sporting a magazine under the weapon instead of the backpack configuration of its predecessors, the Fallout 4 Minigun is likely the first heavy weapon players will find in-game.

The Minigun does not do much damage per shot. It compensates for this by having the game's second fastest fire rate. The insane fife rate makes this weapon a boss killer in the early game and at lower levels. When the Minigun is paired with chems like Jet, the player character becomes virtually unstoppable in the early game. However, as the game progresses and enemies get stronger, it will become harder to kill enemies with this gun. That is because the damage fails to scale as enemies become stronger. 

The Minigun is the only weapon in the game that uses the 5mm round. After pulling the trigger, the barrels will spin for a few seconds before firing. This disadvantage is offset by the lightning-fast fire rate. The Minigun has a fire rate of 272 and can be upgraded to shoot even faster. It has a clip size of 500, an accuracy of 35, and an AP cost of 40. It is enhanced by the perks "Bloody Mess" and "Heavy Gunner". 

5. Pipe Revolver(Best for Early Game) 

The Pipe Revolver is a very underrated early-game weapon. It can be looted from raiders at the Museum of Freedom in the first few hours of the game. This gun will likely be the first gun you come across that shoots the .45 ammo type. However, players have the option to customize the receiver to fire .308 or 38-caliber rounds. 

The Pipe Revolver has almost as many customization options as the Pipe Pistol. That makes it the second-most versatile weapon in the game. This weapon is great for stealth builds, as it has great iron sights and scope options. This weapon works great as a rifle or a pistol. However, the damage and low rate of fire make this weapon best for the early game.

The Pipe Revolver has a range of 83, an accuracy of 61, and a value of 25 bottle caps. The clip size and fire rate are 6 and it weighs 4.2 pounds. The Pipe Revolver is enhanced by the "Gunslinger", "Rifleman", and "Bloody Mess" perks, among others.  

6. Le Fusil Terribles(Best for Early to Mid-Game)

Le Fusil Terribles is a unique combat shotgun with the "Violent" legendary effect. The Violent legendary effect causes this shotgun to do an extra 50% limb damage with an increase in recoil as well. Le Fusil can be found in the captain's cabin of the floating raider camp of Libertalia. 

Because of the drastically increased recoil, this weapon is best used at close range. The increased limb damage makes this gun perfect for taking the legs off of feral ghouls and robots. This will slow them down and allow you to finish them off at your leisure. With its high ammo capacity, damage, and ability to cripple enemies at will, Le Fusil Terribles is a great gun to take into a firefight.

Le Fusil Terribles fires shotgun shells, doing a base damage of 62. It weighs 15.7 pounds and has a value of 389 bottle caps. The magazine holds 32 rounds with a fire rate of 20. The accuracy is 41, the range is 71, and it has an AP cost of 35. Overall, this weapon is perfect for the mid-game. 

7. Reba 2 (Best for Early to Mid-Game)

Reba 2 is a unique hunting rifle with the "Exterminator" legendary effect. The "Exterminator" effect causes the rifle to deal 50% more damage to Mirelurks and bugs. This rifle can be found at the Rook Family House in Salem. The weapon is acquired by completing the quest "Gun Run" or by stealing or looting the basement key from Barney Rook.

As you would expect, hunting rifles like the Reba 2 are very accurate at long ranges and do a decent amount of damage. The added "Exterminator" legendary effect gives the player an edge in difficult mid-game quests like "Taking Independence," where the player faces many Mirelurks. Even when not facing Mirelurks, Reba 2 stands out for its long range and superior damage. However, the relatively slow fire rate makes this rifle best used while sneaking, at long range, or against enemies that lack long-range attacks.

Reba 2 fires the .308 ammo type and has a base damage of 37. The player has the option to modify the receiver to fire .38 or 50-caliber rounds with a decrease or increase in damage, respectively. This unique hunting rifle has a range of 131, an accuracy of 71, and a weight of 9.6 pounds. This weapon is valued at 215 bottle caps.

8. Righteous Authority(Best for Early to Mid-Game)

Righteous Authority is a unique laser rifle and the first energy weapon on our list. It is given to the player by Paladin Dance after completing the quest "Call to Arms''. It has the "Lucky" legendary effect. This effect causes critical shots to do double damage and for the critical meter to fill twice as fast. 

Righteous Authority is lightweight, very long-range, and has a high fire rate. Not to mention, it has a killer name as well! Those things alone make it a perfect early-to-midgame weapon. However, the "Lucky" legendary effect makes this gun downright overpowered. On the higher game difficulties, the boost to critical hit damage and critical meter refill time can be the difference between victory and reloading a save. 

Righteous Authority has a range of 203 and a base damage of 26. It fires Fusion cells with a fire rate of 50 and a magazine size of 27. It is very light-weight for a rifle at 5.5 pounds and has a value of 203 bottle caps. Like all in-game laser rifles, the Righteous Authority has no recoil and is highly accurate, with an accuracy level of 76. Equipping this gun with the "Critical Banker" and "Better Criticals" perks will maximize its effectiveness.  

9. Alien Blaster Pistol(Best for Early to Mid-Game)

The Alien Blaster Pistol is a unique energy weapon. It is the only pistol of its kind in the game. This blaster pistol can only be found at the unmarked alien crash site location. The alien crash site can be found north of Vault 81. There, the player will find a crashed landing ship. After tracking, defeating, and looting the alien, the player will acquire this blaster along with a few hundred unique Alien Blaster rounds.

The player will have to modify the blaster to take Fusion cells, as Alien Blaster Rounds cannot be purchased or found in the Commonwealth. This blaster is unique in that it behaves similarly to a shotgun. This is because it shoots an expanding ball of energy that deals massive damage at close range. Due to its low AP cost, this weapon is great for filling your critical meter and using in V.A.T.S.

The Alien Blaster has a damage of 50 and a clip size of 42. It has a range of 119, an accuracy of 79, and an AP cost of 20. The blaster is very light, with a weight of 2.5 and a value of 1551 bottle caps. 

10. Gatling Laser (Best for Early to Mid-Game)

The Gatling Laser is an energy weapon that uses Fusion cores as ammo. These guns can be found all over the Commonwealth and are sold by Brotherhood Scribe Proctor Teagan on the flagship Prydwen. Based on stats and damage, the Gatling Laser is considered the best heavy weapon in Fallout 4.

Many Fallout 4 players avoid the Gatling Laser because it uses Fusion cores for ammunition. Fusion cores are expensive and are also used as fuel for Power Armor. Most players choose to power their power armor and never give the Gatling Laser a chance. However, this is a big mistake. For the amount of damage you do and the number of shots you are able to take from one Fusion Core, no ammo is cheaper than Fusion Cores for the Gatling Laser. With the proper perks active, fusion cores have a price of around 240 bottle caps per core. With 500 shots per core, that is less than 2 shots per bottle cap. With the "Nuclear Physicist" perk, that number drops even lower. Unlike the Minigun, the Gatling Laser has high damage per shot. In addition to the high damage, the Gatling Laser has the highest firing rate in the game. This means that even high-level enemies can't stand up to this gun for long.

The Gatling Laser deals 15 damage and fires at a rate of 272. Its magazine size is 500 and cannot be increased. It is on the heavy side, with a weight of 19.3 pounds. The value is 256 bottle caps, with a range of 256. The perk "Heavy Gunner" will increase the damage dealt by this gun.  

11. Pickman's Blade (Best for Mid-Game)

The Pickman's Blade is a unique Combat knife with the "Wounding" legendary effect. The "Wounding" legendary effect causes targets to bleed for an extra 25 points of damage after the initial attack. This blade is obtained by the player after completing the quest "Pickman's Gift". 

Pickman's Blade is a unique melee weapon in that it has two damage-increasing effects active upon acquisition. In addition to the "Wounding" legendary effect, it comes pre-equipped with the "Stealth Blade" mod that does additional bleeding damage. Altogether, this adds up to over 36 points of bleeding damage that stacks with every hit on your target. This is in addition to the damage from the initial strike. This weapon is deadly, lightweight, and extremely fast. 

The Pickman's blade weighs one pound and has an attack speed of fast. It is worth 143 bottle caps and has an AP cost of 20. The perks "Pack Alpha,"  "Bladed Bravado", and "Bloody Mess" enhance this weapon.   

12. Grognak's Axe (Best for Mid-Game) 

Grognak's Axe is a two-handed, double-bladed melee weapon that can be found in a display case behind the front desk of Hubris Comics. Unlike most other weapons in the game, the player is unable to rename or upgrade this axe. Grognak's Axe is one of the few weapons the companion Strong can use.

Grognak's Axe is a great melee weapon to use in the mid-game. It is a medium-speed weapon. This means that, despite being larger, taking more damage, and staggering enemies, Grognak's axe is still as fast as a Chinese officer's sword. Another massive advantage to this weapon is that the AP cost is low for a two-handed weapon. 

Grognak's Axe weighs 10 pounds and has an AP cost of 20. It does 25 base damage and has a value of 100 bottle caps. Its damage is increased with the "Big Leagues" and "Bloody Mess" perks.  

13. Kellogg's Pistol (Best for Mid-Game)

Kellogg's Pistol is a unique .44 magnum handgun. This pistol can only be gained by looting it off of the corpse of Conrad Kellogg after the quest "Reunions". The gun has the "Relentless" legendary effect. The "Relentless" legendary effect causes action points to be refilled after a critical hit. Making Kellogg's Pistol a less game-breaking version of Fallout 3's infamous perk "Grim Reaper's Sprint".  

Kellogg's Pistol is the stronger of the two weapons that fire .44 magnum rounds in the base game of Fallout 4. It deals high damage and is very accurate, even at long ranges. However, where this gun excels is in its legendary effect. The previously mentioned "Relentless" legendary effect turns this gun into a must-have by essentially allowing you to refill your VATS meter at will. With perks like "Critical Banker" and "Better Criticals" active, your player will be able to turn the tables in even the most sticky situations.

Kellogg's Pistol weighs 4.3 pounds and has a clip size and fire rate of 6. It deals 48 damage and has a range of 119. The gun has an accuracy of 70 and a value of 449 bottle caps. To maximize damage and effectiveness, Kellogg's Pistol should be combined with the "Bloody Mess", "Critical Banker", "Better Criticals", and the "Gunslinger" perks. 

14 Kremvh's Tooth (Best for Mid-game)

In the Dunwich Borers, deep underwater, you will find Kremvh's Tooth atop an altar to a strange dark god. It is a machete with the unique "Sacrificial Blade" modification. This modification adds poison and bleeding damage in addition to upgrading the machetes base damage as well. The "Sacrificial Blade" modification will also alter the shape of the blade. However, this shape alteration is purely aesthetic. 

Kremvh's Tooth stands out as a special weapon because instead of having a legendary effect, it comes with a unique modification. Once the player acquires Kremvh's Tooth, they can add the "Sacrificial Blade" modification to any machete in the wasteland. What this means is that the player can add the "Sacrificial Blade" mod to a machete that already has a legendary effect! When paired with legendary effects like "Furious", which increases damage to a target with every consecutive hit, and "Penetrating", which ignores 30% of a target's energy and damage resistance, "Sacrificial Blade" turns the machete into one of the top melee weapons in the game. 

Kremvh's Tooth takes a base damage of 28. It has an AP cost of 30. It has a value of 59 bottle caps. It also weighs 2 pounds. It is enhanced by the "Bloody Mess" and "Big Leagues" perks, among others.

15. Spray and Pray (Best for Mid-Game)

Next on our list is a hidden gem of a weapon called the Spray and Pray. The Spray and Pray is a unique submachine gun. It is purchased from the  Weapons Dealer named Cricket. Cricket can often be found in Bunkerhill or outside of Diamond City. It has the "Explosive" legendary effect causing each bullet to deal an extra 15 points of explosive damage. 

 In general, submachine guns are pretty useless in Fallout 4. This is due to the fact that they have the lowest stats of almost all guns that use the .45-caliber ammo type. This is not the case for the Spray and Pray. Due to its legendary effect, the Spray and Pray deals massive damage, staggers enemies, and does "area of effect" damage, allowing the player to target multiple enemies at once.

Spray and Pray has a base damage of 34, a clip size of 100, and a fire rate of 127. It has a range of 77, an accuracy of 69, and an AP cost of 43. The value is 1084 bottle caps, and it has a weight of 19 pounds. The Spray and Pray is enhanced by the "Commando" perk. The "Demolition Expert" perk is a must-have as it can increase the explosive damage of the gun by 100%!

16. Reckoning (Best for Late Game)

The Reckoning is a unique ripper with the "Sentinel's" legendary effect. It can be purchased from the wandering merchant, Smiling Larry. Smiling Larry can be recruited to work in the player characters' settlements at the weapons emporium.

The "Sentinel's" legendary effect causes the player to take 15% less damage while standing still. Your player is now a tank while dealing copious amounts of damage with the most powerful melee weapon in the game. The Reckoning is a chainsaw that does damage to your enemies for as long as you hold down the trigger. Giving the Reckoning some of the highest DPS (damage-per-second) of any weapon in the game

The Reckoning has an attack speed of very fast and a base damage of 8. The AP cost is 40 and it weighs 6 pounds. The value is 750 bottle caps. The perks "Big Leagues" and "Bloody Mess" will enhance the damage dealt to enemies when attacking. 

17. Sentinels Plasma Caster (Best for Late Game)

Now for the only plasma gun that made our list. The Sentinels Plasma Caster is a unique plasma gun with the "Instigating" legendary effect. "Instigating" causes your player to do double damage when attacking enemies at full health. It is sold by Teagan aboard the Prydwen after completing the quest "A New Dawn". 

Like all plasma guns, Sentinel’s Plasma Caster does both ballistic and energy damage. At higher levels, many enemies will have resistances to energy or ballistic damage. With this plasma gun, you will not have to switch weapons to deliver the damage necessary to eliminate tough targets. Keeping your weapon in hand can save you precious seconds that could be the difference between victory and reloading a save in the late stages of the game. The "Instigating" effect makes this one of the most effective weapons for sniper and sneaking builds.

The Sentinel’s Plasma Caster does 24 points of energy and 24 points of ballistic damage with every shot. It weighs 4.8 pounds and has an AP cost of 34. It fires plasma cartridges, has a clip size of 30, and a fire rate of 33. The range is 119, and the accuracy is 148. The value is 148 bottle caps. 

18. The Last Minute (Best for Late Game) 

The Last Minute is a unique gauss rifle with the "Crippling" legendary effect. This effect causes the player to deal 50% more limb damage with this rifle. The weapon can be purchased in the Castle from Ronnie Shaw after the quest "Old Guns". The Last Minute, along with other gauss rifles, is the only weapon in the game that uses 2mm EC ammo. 

The Last Minute is, simply put, the hardest-hitting rifle in the game. Unmodified, it starts at 192 damage and only goes up from there. With this weapon, players have the option to charge shots for an extreme increase in damage. The extra 50% limb damage is just icing on the cake. Using this weapon will significantly level the playing field between powerful enemies and your player character in modes like very hard and survival. 

The Last Minute has a clip size of 7 and a fire rate of 66. It has an incredible range of 203 and good accuracy at 112. It is pretty heavy at 21.6 pounds. At 6,500 bottle caps, The Last Minute is expensive. However, this rifle is well worth the price.

19. The Deliverer(Best for the late game)

The Deliverer is a pistol that the player will acquire while completing the Railroad quest "Tradecraft". It comes pre-equipped with a suppressor and a short barrel. It fires 10mm ammo and has the "V.A.T.S Enhanced" legendary effect. With this effect, the player will receive a greater chance to hit their target in V.A.T.S and a 25% deduction in AP costs during V.A.T.S as well. 

The Deliverer is the most powerful gun that uses the 10mm ammunition type. It outclasses the 10mm Pistol in every way. This gun has very little recoil and an exceedingly fast fire rate. It also looks great. The sleek and streamlined look is in sharp contrast to the more bulky and blocky 10mm Pistol. There are no scope or iron sight upgrades available for this weapon. This gun is best suited for medium to close range shooting.

20. Overseer's Guardian(Best for Late Game) 

Last but certainly not least we come to the Overseer's Guardian. The Overseer's Guardian is a unique combat rifle with the "Two Shot" legendary effect.  The player will be able to shoot two bullets instead of one for every trigger pull. The extra bullet will not decrease the number of ammo in the player's inventory. This rifle can be purchased in Vault 81 from Alexis Combes. 

The Overseer's Guardian is one of the most powerful rifles in the base game of Fallout 4. There are one or two weapons that do more damage than this rifle. However, Overseer's Guardian makes up for it with its amazing fire rate. This gun is extremely versatile with options to switch between .45, .308, and .38 ammunition types. With the "Two Shot" legendary effect, any ammo is deadly when using this gun. Of all the rifles that the player can use, this one provides the most bang for your buck. 

The Overseer's Guardian has a base damage of 55 per round. Meaning that unmodified, the Overseer's Guardian will deal 110 points of damage. This number can triple with the right perks and weapon mods equipped. It has a clipsize of 20, a fire rate of 90, and weighs 15.7 pounds. Its range is 119, its accuracy is 70, and it has an AP cost of 25. This gun is a steal at 1230 bottle caps. 

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