Crafting is an essential part of survival in Fallout 76. Shortly after taking their first steps out of the Vault, players must learn the basic rules of crafting as they make themselves a weapon and some armor. As players traverse Fallout 76's wasteland, they come across plans to help increase their crafting abilities.
Fallout 76: Best Camp Locations
Here's what the best spots for a camp are in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Fallout 76, and what their pros and cons are.
Soon, they find themselves knowing how to craft high-grade armor and powerful weapons. The downside to having all this knowledge is that players need specific perk cards to build these weapons and armor pieces. While traversing the wasteland, players should be mindful of the perk cards they choose if they want to become a crafting king.
Updated on May 13, 2024, by Benjamin Joe: Several years on, Fallout 76 is still seeing new players pick up their controllers and experience the post-war ruins of Appalachia. The game has seen a major boost in player numbers thanks to the hit Fallout TV series. Because of this, it seems like a good time to update this article.
It's impossible to play Fallout 76 without doing some kind of crafting. Whether it's weapons and armor or base building, all players need to craft in order to play the game. With that in mind, the perks below can help players to craft more efficiently.
12 A Crafting Loadout
Create A Loadout Just For Crafting
There's a feature in the game that allows players to create load-outs and then switch between them whenever they please. This feature can be accessed by using a Punch Card Machine. The Punch Card Machine can be found in various locations, primarily train stations. But more importantly, players can build one at their CAMPS.
By creating a loadout dedicated to crafting, players won't need to switch perk cards in and out whenever they need to craft. If the player makes a special loadout that contains all of the perks listed below, then they will be able to craft items for less.
11 Home Defense
Can Be Useful, But It's Not Crucial
- Rank 1: Craft And Disarm Better Turrets And Traps
- Rank 2: Craft And Disarm Advanced Turrets And Traps
- Rank 3: Craft And Disarm Expert Turrets And Traps
This perk is a fairly niche perk. While it certainly does have its uses, it isn't really a crucial perk to have. Turrets and traps are used for two things in Fallout 76: creating trap bases and protecting player CAMPS.
Turrets aren't really that useful for defending a player's CAMP. In fact, having an ally station at a CAMP is a much better way of keeping it guarded. Also, turrets take up quite a lot of CAMP budget, so it's important to use them wisely. As for trap bases, this is something that some players do to kill other gamers.
This is typically frowned upon, but for those who want to do this, there are lots of ways to build trap bases using things like punji boards and flamethrower traps.
10 Contractor
Build For Less
- Rank 1: Workshop Items Are 25% Cheaper To Make
- Rank 2: Workshop Items Are 50% Cheaper To Make
Contracting can be expensive and time-consuming. Building the perfect base can leave players with very few materials to craft their weapons or armor. However, players won't have to worry about running out of materials when crafting their base with the Contractor perk active.
When maxed out, this perk drops the material cost of all workshop items by up to 50%. This is great for items like turrets that require a lot of different materials. This perk works in CAMPS, shelters, and public workshops. However, it's important to note that this perk does not work on items crafted at workbenches. This perk is only for building.
9 Chemist
Become A Chem Fiend
- Perk: Get Double The Amount Of Crafted Chems
Chems can be important to a player surviving in the wasteland. Some increase attack damage, while others increase a player's damage resistance. There is a long list of chems that players can find and craft, and many players have taken to crafting these chems and selling them at their CAMPS.
Fallout 76: The Best Legendary Perks (& How Long It Takes To Unlock Them)
Getting some legendary perks in Fallout 76 can make all the difference. Here are the best ones available and how players can unlock them.
With the Chemist perk, players get double the number of chems when they craft them. This perk is amazing to use with Super-Duper and can give players a ton of whatever chem they craft.
8 Power Patcher
A Must-Have For Power Armor Users
- Rank 1: Power Armor Breaks 20% Slower And Is Cheaper To Craft And Repair
- Rank 2: Power Armor Breaks 40% Slower And Is Cheaper To Craft And Repair
- Rank 3: Power Armor Breaks 60% Slower And Is Cheaper To Craft And Repair
Power Armor is very popular with all types of players due to the benefits that come with wearing it. It gives players immunity to fall damage and limb damage and increases maximum carry weight. These benefits come from just the chassis. With additional armor, players can gain amazing damage and energy resistance.
Fallout 76: The Best Power Armor
Players can find out which of the 11 Power Armor sets in Fallout 76 is the best in terms of utility, resistance, and modification.
Wouldn't it be nice if these pieces also had better durability? That's where the Power Patcher perk comes in. With this perk, equipped power armor loses its durability much slower than normal. It also makes power armor cheaper to repair. For players who use Power Armor, this perk should always be equipped.
7 Armorer
Craft Better Quality Armor Pieces
- Rank 1: Players Can Craft Advanced Armor Mods
- Rank 2: Crafting Armor Costs Fewer Materials
- Rank 3: Crafter Armor Has Improved Durability
While exploring post-war Appalachia, it is important that players are well protected. Having a good set of armor can literally be a lifesaver. That said, armor tends to be expensive to craft. It also needs to be repaired pretty frequently. Luckily, the Armorer perk makes crafting armor much easier.
At max rank, players will be able to craft more durable armor with fewer materials. The more durable a piece of armor is, the longer it will last before it breaks. This not only saves the player some valuable resources, but it also means that they won't have to worry about their armor breaking during a crucial fight.
6 Makeshift Warrior
A Must-Have Perk For Melee Players
- Rank 1: Craft Tier 1 Melee Weapons. Melee Weapons Break 10% Slower
- Rank 2: Craft Tier 2 Melee Weapons. Melee Weapons Break 20% Slower
- Rank 3: Craft Tier 3 Melee Weapons. Melee Weapons Break 30% Slower
- Rank 4: Craft Tier 4 Melee Weapons. Melee Weapons Break 40% Slower
- Rank 5: Craft Tier 5 Melee Weapons. Melee Weapons Break 50% Slower
Players who are going for a melee build will benefit from the Makeshift Warrior perk, which actually has two effects. The first effect slows the rate at whichmelee weapons break by up to 50%. This is incredibly useful when wandering the wasteland, as without it, melee weapons tend to break quickly and need repairing often.
Secondly, this perk allows players to craft better melee weapons and better mods. This will help players deal more damage with their enhanced melee abilities.
5 Gunsmith
Guns Break Slower
- Rank 1: Craft Tier 1 Guns. Guns Break 10% Slower
- Rank 2: Craft Tier 2 Guns. Guns Break 20% Slower
- Rank 3: Craft Tier 3 Guns. Guns Break 30% Slower
- Rank 4: Craft Tier 4 Guns. Guns Break 40% Slower
- Rank 5: Craft Tier 5 Guns. Guns Break 50% Slower
Similar to Makeshift Warrior, the Gunsmith perk slows the rate at which guns break by up to 50%. This is especially great for automatic weapons, which lose their durability rapidly.
Just like Makeshift Warrior allows players to craft better melee weapons, this perk allows them to craft better guns and mods. This is often more useful than Makeshift Warrior since it seems more players have a tendency to choose guns instead of melee weapons.
4 Weapon Artisan
Increase Weapon Durability
- Rank 1: Repair Any Weapon To 130% Of Its Normal Condition
- Rank 2: Repair Any Weapon To 160% Of Its Normal Condition
- Rank 3: Repair Any Weapon To 200% Of Its Normal Condition
While it is important to be able to craft weapons that are powerful and all modded out, it is also important to keep those weapons well-maintained. Some players might choose not to craft their weapons and let the RNG gods hand them something good.
No matter where a weapon comes from, though, it will eventually break and need repairing. The Weapon Artisan perk allows players to repair any weapon with up to 200% durability. Even players who aren't using perks like Makeshift Warrior or Gunsmith won't need to worry about durability. Being able to use a weapon for double the amount of time is a huge boost.
3 Fix-It Good
More Durable Power Armor
- Rank 1: Repair Power Armor To 130% Of Its Maximum Condition
- Rank 2: Repair Power Armor To 160% Of Its Maximum Condition
- Rank 3: Repair Power Armor To 200% Of Its Maximum Condition
It's already been established that armor is important for anyone looking to survive in the wastelands of Appalachia. Like weapons, armor's durability will degrade over time. It is important to craft good armor, but it is more important to maintain this armor for future use.
The Fix-It Good perk allows players to repair their armor and power armor up to 200% of its normal durability. This perk is important for the average adventurer, as well as for those who prefer the benefits of power armor.
2 Honorable Mention
Scrapper
- Perk: Obtain More Components When Scrapping Weapons And Armor
While it's not a crafting perk in the traditional sense, Scrapper allows players to gain more materials for the weapons and armor that they scrap. This can be a big help for those with limited resources.
Crafting anything in Fallout 76 can be a costly ordeal, especially if it is a high-level item like top-tier Power Armor. So, being able to get extra materials for scrapping weapons and armor pieces is a helpful bonus that players should take advantage of.
1 Super-Duper
A Chance To Craft More Items
- Rank 1: When Crafting, There's A 10% Chance To Get Double The Results
- Rank 2: When Crafting, There's A 20% Chance To Get Double The Results
- Rank 3: When Crafting, There's A 30% Chance To Get Double The Results
Super Duper is a must-have perk for anyone who is looking to craft just about anything (especially chems and ammo). This perk gives the player a chance to get double of anything they craft, and it works with almost everything, including weapons, armor, and even food.
Using this perk when crafting ammo can get a player a ton of extra bullets for their weapons. When maxed out, the chance of getting double the crafted item is 30%. That doesn't sound like much on the surface, but it seems to activate more often than players would expect.
There is one downside to this perk: it doesn't work when crafting holiday gifts or mole miner pails. But aside from that, it is one of the best perks for crafting in Fallout 76.
