Highlights
- Energy Weapons in Fallout: New Vegas is powerful and distinctive, offering unique visual designs and enhanced abilities.
- The Q-35 Matter Modulator, Tesla-Beaton Prototype, and Holorifle are some of the best Energy Weapons to acquire in the game.
- The Alien Blaster is an exclusive weapon for players with the Wild Wasteland perk, and the Pew-Pew is a reward for completing a challenging quest.
Bullets, bombs, blades - yeah, they’re all effective in their own right when it comes to tackling Fallout: New Vegas and its respective plug-ins as well. There are always going to be plenty of targets to vaporize into dust in this title, so lovers of Energy Weapons will feel right at home here.
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The cool thing about Fallout: New Vegas is that there, too, are some seriously powerful Energy Weapons to acquire, including ones that make Fallout 3’s top dogs look weak in comparison in certain ways. Distinctive visual designs that look slightly different from the originals are also prevalent here as well, which is always a nice touch. But this isn’t about looks, it’s about which of these are some of the very best.
Updated on May 16, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Fallout: New Vegas is considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever made and a personal favorite for many Fallout fans who can't get enough of the deep roleplaying mechanics present in this title. There's a reason why fans were in an uproar about the supposed lore changes made in the Fallout TV show, with the ending of this series making it clear that New Vegas will play a major role in the next season. Players who want to boss their enemies in Fallout: New Vegas, can choose to specialize in Energy Weapons, with some of these firearms being ridiculously powerful.
1 AER14 Prototype
Location: In A Blocked-off Stairwell In Vault 22 Between Levels 4 And 5
- Uses two microfusion cells per shot and sports a green laser beam.
- Base Damage: 35
A unique weapon found in Vault 22, the AER14 Prototype is a dual-shot version of the laser rifle that uses two microfusion cells in one shot, doubling its damage. This makes it worth checking out over regular laser rifles that fans may have become bored of, with the unique color of this weapon's beam helping it stand out too.
As long as players are smart about conserving their ammo using this weapon, they'll find the AER14 Prototype to be one of the best weapons they can use to annihilate their enemies. It can burn through enemy health bars and turn them into unflattering piles of ash in no time.
2 Arc Welder
Location: Multiple Locations In The Divide, An Area Added In The Lonesome Road DLC
- Shoots a constant stream of lightning that deals heavy damage over time.
- Base Damage: 9
The DLCs of Fallout: New Vegas feature some of the best content in the game that fans will be hopelessly absorbed by in no time. Even Lonesome Road, an expansion that feels more linear compared to the other parts of New Vegas, feels unique in its own way as it compels players to figure out the enduring mystery at the heart of this tale.
During their adventures in this desolate land, players will find an arc welder carried by most enemies and present in numerous locations. This weapon requires a steady aim to wield, with players firing a constant stream of energy from this game that slowly but surely reduces an enemy's health until they're down for the count, making it one of the more entertaining weapons in New Vegas.
3 Elijah's Jury-Rigged Tesla Cannon
Location: Present Near Elijah's Watch In Big MT
- Holds more ammunition and boasts less spread than a regular Tesla Cannon.
- Base Damage: 85 (+2 for 2 seconds)
The Tesla Cannon is one of the most destructive energy weapons players can use in the game, and they'll need a lot of points invested in this stat to make the most of this weapon. The regular Tesla Cannon hits like a truck, but players who want a version of this weapon that's less unwieldy will love a unique variation of this beast.
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Elijah's Jury-Rigged Tesla Cannon is a great take on this weapon that boasts more ammo and less spread in its shots. The downside is that the damage isn't as high as a regular version of this weapon, but this is a drawback most players are willing to live with as long as it lets them go to town on tough enemies with multiple shots from this explosive energy weapon.
4 Elijah’s Advanced LAER
Location: In Big MT, Atop the Signal Hills Transmitter and Inside the Little Yangtze Watchtower
- A special laser rifle variant, this modified version fires faster, despite its drawbacks.
- Base Damage: 65
The LAER from the beloved Old World Blues DLC is a decent weapon in itself, being light, accurate, and hitting fairly hard, but delivering weak critical hits and firing a bit slowly. Elijah’s Advanced LAER - two of which can be found in Big MT atop the Signal Hills transmitter and inside the Little Yangtze watchtower, makes a few twists of its own.
It’s a lot punchier and fires significantly faster, yet its clip size is smaller, and it degrades much faster. Slapping attachments on it, much like with normal LAERs, is a viable option and most definitely recommended. Nevertheless, it’s best used in tandem with Weapon Repair Kits, or with certain companions. In fact, handing it over to Veronica or Arcade Gannon is a swell idea as they’re skilled with Energy Weapons, and it won’t degrade over time!
5 Q-35 Matter Modulator
Location: REPCONN Headquarters Main Floor
- Though weaker than the average Plasma Rifle, it comes with many other benefits.
- Base Damage: 40
Plundering the REPCONN headquarters main floor with either high enough Lockpick or Science skills, or just printing out a security card from the badge processing terminal located on the building’s 2nd floor, will reveal the mighty Q-35 Matter Modulator. This is a unique version of the Plasma Rifle with benefits galore.
Yes, it’s weaker than the standard model, yet the list of upsides is extensive. It uses far less ammo, fires faster projectiles, won’t degrade as quickly, can be used more in V.A.T.S. as it requires less AP per shot, is slightly lighter and deals more critical damage. All of these things outweigh its one downside so much, so there’s really no reason to skip over getting it.
6 Tesla-Beaton Prototype
Location: Old Nuclear Test Site, Near a Crashed Vertibird
7 
- This experimental Tesla Cannon hits harder but degrades faster.
- Base Damage: 90 (+25 for 2 seconds)
Near the Old Nuclear Test Site is a crashed Enclave Vertibird, which is well worth plundering to acquire its treasure: the Tesla-Beaton Prototype. As its name suggests, it’s an experimental model, and one with a yellow glow instead of a blue one.
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More importantly, it degrades significantly faster, meaning it’s a nightmare to keep repaired unless Raul is a companion or repair kits are on hand. However, it hits harder, and it drains slightly more health as well. Its critical damage is higher, and there’s less spread, too. So long as it’s not overused, it will certainly level the playing field in a pinch.
8 Sonic Emitter
Location: Big MT, Given to the Player After Meeting the Think Tank Residents
- Certain attachments can turn this weapon into an extremely useful sidearm.
- Base Damage: 30 with 'Revelation' attachment, 65 + 100 from explosion with 'Robo-Scorpion' attachment
From the Old World Blues DLC comes the Sonic Emitter, capable of removing force fields. Of course, that’s not all. In combat, it can prove to be very useful when given certain attachments. For sheer firepower, the ‘Robo-Scorpion’ attachment is excellent against robots and power armor, and critical hits emit an explosion for 100 points of damage!
On the other hand, the base attachment, ‘Revelation’, critical hits will paralyze a foe for 10 seconds. Paired up with the right perks (try ‘Finesse’ to increase the odds of it happening) and other such items like an NCR Beret, it will be an excellent choice to use in tandem with other weapons. Try zapping a Deathclaw with it before it’s stunned, and then punch its defenseless body to death!
9 Alien Blaster
Location: North of Horowitz Farmstead, Near a Crashed UFO (Must Have 'Wild Wasteland' perk)
- An otherworldly sidearm; it always delivers critical hits with its irreplaceable ammo.
- Base Damage: 75
The interesting thing about the Alien Blaster this time is that it’s exclusively available to those with the Wild Wasteland perk. Those without it get a different, though still powerful, weapon in its place. With the perk selected at the beginning of the game, it can be collected north of Horowitz Farmstead after tussling with aliens.
This weapon functions similarly as it did in Fallout 3. Namely, it always delivers critical hits. Ammo is limited, as there are no other places to acquire it aside from what’s on the corpse of its owner once the alien captain is defeated. Regardless, it is devastating to use in combat. Pair it up with the ‘Better Criticals’ perk, and it’ll deliver significantly more damage, regardless of one’s Luck.
10 YCS/186
Location: Mercenary Camp (Cannot Have 'Wild Wasteland' perk)
- This Gauss Rifle is an upgrade over the original, though slightly heavier.
- Base Damage: 140
The Gauss Rifle is a superb long-range weapon that hits like a speeding truck and can knock over foes. Meanwhile, the mighty YCS/186 basically does the same thing, yet better. It’s stronger, uses slightly fewer microfusion cells per shot, and can cripple limbs instantly. Very nice. It’s just a little heavier than its original counterpart, though that’s hardly an issue.
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What is an issue, however, is the fact that it cannot be acquired with the Wild Wasteland perk in this Obsidian Entertainment game, as it will not spawn. Without said goofy perk enabled at the beginning of a playthrough, if one were to travel east of Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch, it can be found at the Mercenary Camp wielded by a hostile enemy. Still, it’s a powerful weapon, and one well worth sweeping up.
11 Pew-Pew
Location: Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters
- It may only fire two shots before reloading, yet it’s significantly more powerful than the average Laser Pistol.
- Base Damage: 75
Pew Pew may have a silly name, yet it’s a hint as to how the weapon functions. For context, completing that blasted fetch quest involves grabbing 50 of those pesky Sunset Sarsaparilla star bottle caps and delivering them to the robot cowboy Festus in the company’s HQ.
It’s a painfully sluggish quest, no doubt about that. The reward is totally worth it, however. This unique Laser Pistol variant only fires two shots before reloading, while gobbling up 5 energy cells per shot. The fact that it’s more than 7 times more powerful than its base variant, not to mention significantly more punishing with critical hits, makes it a stellar side-arm.
12 Holorifle
Location: Sierra Madre Villa (Acquired After Starting the Dead Money DLC)
- This weapon hits hard, drains health, and can be upgraded with spare parts.
- Base Damage: 80 (+15 for 3 seconds)
The very first weapon offered to the player upon starting the challenging Dead Money DLC is the Holorifle, a unique pump-action weapon that fires unique projectiles that strike a target and continuously drain their hit points for a period of time. In its raw state, it’s a mighty weapon indeed. After all, it only uses one microfusion cell per shot, and its scope makes it great for medium-range combat.
To make it even more competent are a handful of upgrades. While the reinforced components barely make an impact due to a botch in their coding, there are still useful additions to reduce its spread and bolster its damage. Paired with alternate ammo types, this unique weapon is a gem.
