Best Starting Stats / Builds | Fallout 4

Starting builds are important in Fallout 4. Any mistakes you make in investing your points can be corrected, but it’s a slow process.
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Which SPECIAL stats you put points into will depend on your preference. In previous games, you could also complete the whole thing without putting any points into skills or perks.

Check out our list of unique / rare weapons in Fallout 4 with special bonuses.


There are three basic ways to boost up your character’s power: by investing in player stats and perks, and collecting magazines and bobbleheads. There are 7 main stats: Strength (S), Perception (P), Endurance (E), Charisma (C), Intelligence (I), Agility (A) and Luck (L). Investing points in these stats unlocks up to 10 levels of perks you can also invest into. These perks have their own upgrade progression, making them stronger with each level.

General info

  1. If you want 10 points on a SPECIAL stat, invest only 8 in it while creating your character – you’ll be able to raise it later using a bobblehead and the You’re SPECIAL skill book.
  2. There is no good or bad build, in general. Maximizing the power of your build comes out of your own play style. If you like ranged combat, investing points in Strength is a bad choice. If you want to maximize role play, you’ll want to invest points in Charisma. If you are an explorer with a focus on surviving the harsh environment, you’ll want to invest points in Endurance and Perception. If you want to level up fast, you’ll want to invest points into Intelligence, and so on.
  3. Here is the basic and most common understanding of all seven stats:
    • Strength: Increases inventory space and helps a melee character’s damage output.
    • Perception: Increases environmental awareness and weapon accuracy in V.A.T.S. Mainly good because of its perks.
    • Endurance: Increases total health and damage resistances.
    • Charisma: Allows for special conversation options. Role play stat.
    • Intelligence: Increases total exp gained.
    • Agility: Gives more AP in V.A.T.S.
    • Luck: Increases critical chance.
  4. No matter which build you choose, you should always pick the perk at Perception lvl 3 (Awareness).
  5. You start with 21 points to distribute into your SPECIAL stats. No stat can go lower than 1, so when you’re done 28 points will be invested in all.

Character Based Starting Builds

These builds don’t rely on specific weapons – you can use them with any weapon without being in any kind of disadvantage because of it.
Don’t forget to collect MAGAZINES and BOBBLEHEADS!

Leveling Build (faster exp)

S: [6]; P: [4]; E: [2]; C: [1]; I: [8]; A: [3]; L: [4];
Best companion: Nick Valentine (good close combat skills, opens doors and terminals)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: Optimized for high experience gain and mobility. Decent inventory space and survivability, more AP, more sprinting.
  2. Perks: Strong Back (STR 6, 2 points), Locksmith (PER 4), Hacker (INT 4), Scrapper (INT 5, 2 points)
  1. There might not be so many radiation weapons at the start of the game.
  2. Lack of Charisma and other stats result in longer quests, more shots needed to bring down enemies, etc…

Utility / Crafting Build (armor, weapon mods)

S: [4]; P: [4]; E: [3]; C: [6]; I: [6]; A: [1]; L: [4];
Best companion: None (with Lone Wanderer perk) or Preston Garvey (more damage and resistance when fighting groups)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: Jack of all trades, master of none. Focusing on gaining all important crafting, mod and utility perks.
  2. Perks: Armorer (STR 3), Blacksmith (STR 4), Strong Back (STR 5), Locksmith (PER 5), Lone Wandered (CHA 3, 3 points), Local Leader (CHA 6, 2 points), Scrapper (INT 5, 2 points), Science (INT 6), Mysterious Stranger (LCK 4)
  1. Low health / damage resistance
  2. Low AP
  3. No companion

Good Guy / Bad Guy (Karma)

S: [5]; P: [4]; E: [1]; C: [8]; I: [5]; A: [1]; L: [4];
Best companion: Piper (more XP from conversations)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: Quests will be easier to complete with higher rewards, feeling that you are not missing anything from the story.
  2. Perks: Strong Back (STR 5, 2 points), Local Leader (CHA 6), Party Boy (CHA 7, 3 points), Inspiration (CHA 8, 3 points), Scrapper (INT 5), Mysterious Stranger (LCK 4)
  1. Charisma bobblehead is hard to get (locked behind quest chain).
  2. Low number of action points
  3. Low health

Weapon Based Starting Builds

These builds rely on certain weapons. Unlike the non-weapon builds, these have low intelligence, making leveling slower but killing faster.

General

S: [8]; P: [6]; E: [2]; C: [1]; I: [2]; A: [5]; L: [4];
Best companion: Nick Valentine (can open up locks and terminal, good at close range combat)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: Loads of inventory space, strong melee combat, decent survivabity and movement, more XP at night.
  2. Perks: Strong Back (STR 6, 2 points), Night Person (PER 6)
  1. Due to the lack of charisma, you’ll suffer in conversations and have to do a lot of leg work.
  2. Same thing with low intelligence and endurance – less exp and less sprinting, hp…

Heavy melee build (STR/END)

S: [8]; P: [3]; E: [8]; C: [1]; I: [2]; A: [1]; L: [5];
Best companion: Strong (good melee aid) or Preston Garvey (more damage against groups)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: Great inventory space, focus on melee damage, less damage received. You can replace Luck with Agility and go for the rank 9 perk later on. It gives a significantly greater melee distance. Great for heavy weapons, unarmed, melee and weapon bashing. Thanks to high endurance also great for exploring – can breathe underwater, less radiation poisoning.
  2. Perks:Big Leagues (STR 2) or Basher (STR 8), Strong Back (STR 6), Rooted (STR 9), almost all perks from Endurance (especially the last 3)
  1. You won’t be able to pick advanced locks and hack advanced terminals (INT 4 and PER 4 required).
  2. Less accurate with ranged weapons, lowest number of AP available.

Stealth / Long Range Build

S: [1]; P: [8]; E: [2]; C: [1]; I: [1]; A: [7]; L: [8];
Best companion: Deacon (more sneak attack damage) or MacCready (better headshot chance) or Hancock (faster crits when irradiated)

ProsCons
  1. Stats: High accuracy, easier to spot enemies, great burst power and damage with long range weapons.
  2. Perks: Sniper (PER 8), Penetrator (PER 9, 2 points), Sneak (AGL 3, 5 points), all Luck perks above and including rank 4
  1. Lowest inventory space, easier to get killed in melee combat.
  2. For max power use with weapons optimized for accuracy.

Perks List

These are only the basic levels (without upgrades). For the complete list of perks check out our Perks List Guide.
Also, BOBBLEHEADS increase S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats or upgrade perks and MAGAZINES unlock and upgrade unique perks that are otherwise inaccessible!

best starting builds perk chart
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Author Lokesh profile picture
Lokesh still remembers Purra, the cat from Aion, and how finding her and helping other players by spreading the information made him feel proud. Presenting precise and clear guidelines that readers can easily comprehend is the goal he strives for. That being the case, please excuse the numerous lists and tables in his articles.

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