It's no secret that the Fallout 76's depiction of Post Apocalyptic West Virginia is a dangerous and inhospitable place.

From radiation to diseases and unreliable sources of food and water to keep the player on their toes, they also have to contest for dominance against a bestiary of deadly mutants and abominations that prowl the wasteland and skulk in the dark corners of desolate ruins.

Whether you're an old vet who's been around these parts for a while, or a fresh-faced Vault Dweller finally crawling out of old 76 without a clue what you’re getting yourself into, we all learn that the standard fair we loot off a corpse might be good in the short term, but as we grow in level and wisdom and the challenges get tougher, we're going to need something with a little more punch to ensure we don't wind up some Scorchbeast’s next toothpick.

Ahhhh, shoot here we go again, with our Top 10 weapons in Fallout 76 you should consider for your armory.

11. The Fire Axe

Don't axe stupid question's if you don't want a stupid answer.

Fire Axes were not meant to be used on living people, but in the dangerous world created in the aftermath of the war and nuclear annihilation, anything can be a weapon if you possess an equal measure of passion and desperation. Originally designed for use by emergency services to break down doors or any debris that might block their path, it now serves the stalwart Vault Dweller as suitable personal protection. The Fire Axe becomes usable at level 5 with higher-level versions available every ten levels up to level 45.

Weapon Stats

• Damage: 35/45/55/65/72
• Speed: Slow
• Weight: 3

What makes the Fire Axe awesome:

• Obtained early on in the game, the Fire Axe is favored by melee-combat centered players for its damage output in the pre-Legendary weapon phase of the game.
• With some heavy investment into the Makeshift Warrior perk, it can be upgraded to have spikes that pierce armor and deals more damage.
• With a weight of 3, it’s a heavy hitter that doesn’t take up a whole lot of bag space.

How to get the Fire Axe:

• Two can be found in the Charleston Fire Department, which the player will visit while performing the Firebreather quests for the Responders.
• One can be obtained in the garage of the Hornwright Summer Villa.
• Scorched will sometimes drop them.

Fire Axe! Fallout 76 (Fox's Vault)

10. The Hunting Rifle

You never forget your first love

We kick off this list with a personal mainstay in my arsenal in 76, the trusty Hunting Rifle, which can be found plentifully around Appalachia. If you thought the Pipe Pistols in Fallout 4 grew on trees this is their great grandpappy on the timeline, often favored by Scorched Enemies and Super mutants.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 40/45/50/55/60/65/70 based on level tier.
•     Fire Rate: 3        
•     Range: 132        
•     Accuracy: 65
•     Weight: 6.6

Why makes the Hunting Rifle awesome:

•     Convenient to find, maintain and scavenge. They’re all over the place. You can’t go very far from where the game starts without finding one of these. 
•     Highly moddable and can be converted into a highly damaging sniper rifle that can manage most regular grade monsters you'll find in the game
•     Ammo is plentiful and upgraded tiers at higher levels are fairly inexpensive. I personally like to drop in on low-level Super Mutant dens and “harvest” the seasonal .308 crop for a quick ammo fix if I’m low on ammo crafting material.

How to get the Hunting Rifle:

•     The Hunting Rifle is a favored weapon of Super Mutants and Scorched in the early game, and is a common loot item found throughout the world. The following link will help you get the mods you’ll need to make the Hunting Rifle work for you.

Hunting Rifle and Shotgun Mod Farming (All Things Fallout)

9. The BOS Recon Rifle

A shot in the dark

When you've lived that .308 life for a while, you're going to want to update to something better eventually than stock and modified hunting rifles. The Brotherhood Recon rifle offers higher damage as well as coming stock with a scope that allows you to mark and track your targets if you spot them through it beforehand, allowing you to track your target and get that sweet drop shot position.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 50/56/62/68/75/81/87
•     Fire Rate: 3
•     Range: 186
•     Accuracy: 81
•     Weight: 16.8

What makes the Brotherhood Recon Rifle awesome:

•     Higher damage and superior range to its cousin.
•     It comes fully equipped with mods to make it a formidable long-range weapon.
•     The Recon Scope it comes stock with will ensure you never lose track of your targets while surveying before the attack.

How to Get the Brotherhood Recon Rifle:

•     The Brotherhood Recon Rifle must be crafted by the player using plans obtained from a terminal outside of Fort Defiance that many players might miss. I actually walked past this terminal at least ten times before a fellow player pointed out what I was just skipping past. The terminal, however, requires the Military ID card obtained in the quest "Recruitment Blues" which is picked up at Fort Defiance itself.

Best Rifle in the game- Brotherhood Recon Rifle (FNHUSA57)

8. All-Rise

The court is now in session

Ammo runs out. Guns may break. This is the honest truth in the Wasteland. In those moments when the clip is empty, you need a sturdy melee weapon to fend off impending doom. All Rise is a unique Super Sledge weapon two-handed weapon whose level is dependant on the players at the time they complete the quest "Mayor for a Day" in Watoga, a location largely known to be suicide for players trying to enter alone anywhere under level 40.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 160
•     Speed: Slow
•     Weight: 8

What makes All Rise awesome:

•     All Rise comes with the handy dandy 90% reduced carry weight bonus whereas the average Super Sledge clocks in at around a 20 carry weight, which is great for freeing up space for extra weapons and salvage along the way.
•     It's damage output is sufficient enough to tackle larger targets that normally would shrug off most basic melee damage. Coupled with good defense, All Rise is a formidable all-purpose slugger.
•     Makes clearing trash mobs like basic Scorched and Ghouls a breeze (especially if you waited till 50 to snag it)

How to Get All Rise:

•     All Rise is a quest reward for completing the mission "Mayor for a Day" in Watoga at the Watoga Municipal Center.

Mayor for a Day- All Rise Legendary (Matt HQC)

7. The Tesla Rifle

For home defense, and jump-starting your car.

The Tesla Rifle is like what would happen if you strapped a small electric generator to a shotgun. The Tesla fires an electric burst that can jump from the target to any other enemies in close proximity to deal damage to the entire lot, giving it excellent AOE (Area of Effect) potential in close quarters situations. Which is going to happen, trust me.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 66/78
•     Fire Rate: 20
•     Range: 228
•     Accuracy: 72
•     Weight: 10.4

What makes the Tesla Rifle awesome:

•     Getting crowded with enemies is a bad day, especially in hallways or stairwells. Gettings tuck in a corner can be a gruesome and ignoble demise. The Tesla Rifle can handle multiple enemies that get in your way.
•     Useful in late-game scenarios like the Vault 94 raids where enemies just come out of the woodworks to ruin your day, or during Scorchbeast Queen battles where every manner of monstrosity gets invited to the party. 
•     Comes in a vast array of legendary variants, including the much-beloved Exploding effect that coupled with it's AOE attack, proves it to be an absolute room clearer.

How to Get the Tesla Rifle: 

•     The Tesla rifle can drop from legendary enemies, and plans for it can be purchased from Phoenix, a vendor bot in Watoga Shopping Plaza.

Best Crowd Control Weapon- Legendary Weapon Suppressors Fire Rate Tesla (Jon the Chief)

6. The Fixer

Problem solved.

A good rifle is a beautiful thing in many situations. Rate of fire, magazine size, and solid DPS can solve a lot of problems in the Wasteland. The Fixer joins us as a Legendary that isn't actually a Legendary. While lacking the star of it's much sought after brethren, the Fixer still graces us with an improved stealth bonus when equipped and allowing us to sneak at a quicker pace, allowing us to line up the stealth shot for that sweet, sweet bonus stealth damage.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 33/38/43/48
•     Fire Rate: 33
•     Range: 90
•     Accuracy 79
•     Weight: 13.75

What makes the Fixer awesome:

•     There's a fine line between the precision of a good solid sniper shot, and loading a mess of hellfire of a .50 cal machine gun, the Fixer walks that fine line in between where one shot won't do, but a hundred shots are too much.
•     Never underestimate the value of a good sneak attack bonus. As an opener, it can leave your opponent at a major disadvantage, or put them down outright.
•     The weapon also appears in loot with a variety of Legendary effects.

How to Get the Fixer: 

•     The Fixer is a quest reward for completing "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", a part of Fallout 76's Wild Appalachia content.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Quest- Sheepsquatch DLC (Spectrumoe)

5. The Perfect Storm submachine gun

A ready legendary without grinding boss mobs

There is often a tossup between raw damage and weapon's unique abilities. The Perfect Storm won't one-hit a Scorchbeast, but what it lacks in an initial punch, it makes up for in its ability to set your enemies ablaze with purifying fire. Often a must-have for early to mid-game with the proper perks, some say you should wait till level 50 to grab this little number to get the most potential out of it as it's damage level is equated to the players level upon acquisition. 

Weapon Stats:

• Damage: 14/19/24/29/34
•     Fire Rate: 91
•     Range: 120
• `    Accuracy: 60
•     Weight: 4.5

What makes the Perfect Storm awesome:

•     Unique weapon effects don't often come guaranteed in Fallout 76. A lot of the time you're grinding Legendaries to attain a specific effect. The Perfect Storm is right there, you just have to go get it.
•     The incendiary damage inflicted makes it optimal for taking on softer, unarmored foes that like to try and rush you, and is handy in interior locations like when a swarm of ghouls comes running at you through the halls of an abandoned building.
•     Damage Over Time effects pays off, dealing additional damage which saves you time and health depending on the enemy you're unloading on. 

How to Get the Perfect Storm:

•     The Perfect Storm is a reward for completing the question "Cold Case" which starts in Wave Willard's Water Park.

Perfect Storm- Unique Incendiary SMG Quest Guide (FudgeMuppet)

4. The Voice of Set

Big things come in small packages

Fallout 4 had the Silver Shroud. Fallout 76 has his companion, the Mistress of Mystery, and gives us a chance to walk in her heels along with her iconic arsenal. More of a utility item than a primary means of dispatching your foe. The Voice of Set is a unique pistol that deals bonus damage to robots, helping you soften up robotic enemies, like Protectrons, and Assaultrons- especially handy in places like Watoga where the robots have gone a little kill-crazy lately.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 60
•     Fire Rate: 6
•     Range: 84
•     Accuracy: 68    
•     Weight: 4.4

What makes the Voice of Set awesome:

•     Along with its melee counterpart, the Blade of Bastet, The Voice of Set is one of the few weapons in the game that can be "recrafted" into its higher-level tiers at a weapons workbench. 
•     Robots can be sturdy opponents, especially Assaultrons and Sentries. Having something in your back pocket to get past their defenses will benefit you in the long run.
•     Like it's brother Bastet, the Voice of Set receives a double bonus to its damage and a chance to stun the mechanical menace when paired with the Eye of Ra, assuming you are willing to...dress for the occasion.

How to Get the Voice of Set:

•     The Voice of Set is acquired during the course of the Mistress of Mystery questline, during the quest "Prototypical Problems".

How to get the Voice of Set- Exceptional .44 Pistol (JAKEL33T)

3. The Blade of Bastet

The kind of knife you do bring to a gunfight

While it's no All Rise, the Blade of Bastet is a solid mid-game melee weapon, offering up increased armor penetration making it handy against Super Mutants and occasionally other players. It also helps to prove your point to ghouls and Scorched alike, making it a good all-around Before-Level-50 weapon. It’s also quicker than All Rise where DPS is concerned.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 48
•     Speed: Medium
•     Weight: 3    

What makes the Blade of Bastet awesome:

•     Lightweight, decent damage dealing one-handed melee weapon is a good thing to have when you’re out of ammo or your gun breaks and there are still things coming at you that want to eat your face.
•     Like the Voice of Set, the Blade of Bastet can be upgraded to it's higher tiers, sacrificing itself upon your weapons workbench to create it's more powerful forms (kinda makes you wish they offered that for a lot of the unique weapons in this game huh?)
•     Also like it's .44 equipped friend, the Blade of Bastet gets an impressive bonus to Armor Penetration to a solid 100% when paired with the Eye of Ra item, again assuming the player is willing to dress for the occasion.

How to Get the Blade of Bastet:

•     The Blade of Bastet is acquired during the Mistress of Mystery quest line at Riverside Manor, during the quest "Forging a Legend".

How to Unlock the Blade of Bastet (Stonely)

2. The Power Fist

Put out the fire? Well, if you in-fist.

Originally intended for use by construction crews before the war to aid in demolition tasks, the Power Fist is a pneumatic gauntlet that when thrust forward in a punch, launches a metal pad outward, added to the force delivered on the punch. Alas, you cannot equip a Power Fist while wearing Power Armor in Fallout 76.

Weapon Stats:

• Damage: 91
• Speed: Medium
• Weight: 4

What makes the Power Fist awesome:

• The weapon shines for those who utilize Unarmed Melee perks, turning it into a savage close-quarters combat weapon.
• Even without being specced to be One-Punch Man, it’s speed and damage will aid any player with a need to reach out and touch their enemies.

How to Get the Power Fist:

• One of the surest locations to find one is on a desk at the very top of the bizarre vine tower that is Tanagra Town.

Fallout 76 Rare Weapon Guide- Power Fist (FreakEasy)

1. The Dragon

Boom. Headshot.

A rare and unique variant of the Black Powder Rifle, the Dragon is a quad-barreled rifle that fires four powerful projectiles at once, each doing at a minimum 200 damage, equating to a whopping 800 damage output should you have your quarry dead to rights. It is much sought after and coveted as THE most powerful firearm in Fallout 76.

Weapon Stats:

•     Damage: 200/217 per barrel
•     Fire Rate: 1
•     Range: 419
•     Accuracy: 71
•     Weight: 6

What makes the Dragon awesome:

•     Insane damage output. Should all four shots hit their intended target, they won't be standing afterward.
•     Great endgame weapon, when you're going to be going up against harder and tougher opponents, being able to put them down quickly and precisely will mean the difference between life and death. How do you like me now, Deathclaws?
•     The Ammunition only costs 5 steel and 5 lead, and with a weight of six, pairs nicely with All Rise as a solid, albeit slow to burn loadout for the games tougher content.

How to Get the Dragon:

•     Remember. The Wasteland does not give up her treasures easily. The Dragon can appear in vendors at the Free States Vendor at the Whitespring, or appear as a random or rare drop. It is said that one can be acquired with certainty deep in the Uncanny Caverns.

Fallout 76 The Dragon Weapon Guide (Camelworks)

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