When setting foot in the world of Fallout 76, it pays to protect yourself with some weapons and armor to increase your chances of survival. But what should you take first when starting your quest? What weapons are most effective and easy to craft with the limited items available to you? Well, that’s where we come in to lend a helping hand.
Below, you can find a small sample of weapons that you should consider picking up when you next load into Fallout 76 to give you a fighting edge over any NPC or opposing player that looks to pick a fight with you.
Related: Best armor to use in Fallout 76
Best early game weapons in Fallout 76
Hunting Rifle
No matter where you go or who you meet, every player will tell you the same thing: The Hunting Rifle is OP at the start of Fallout 76. It’s accurate, ammo-efficient, and powerful, making it an ideal starting weapon for anyone looking to slog through the early stages of the game. You can also add scopes at a later level once you have some materials to make each mission a breeze.
You can also find a bunch of ammo for the item on enemies as you progress through the story, such as the Scorched, which will keep you stocked up for hours to come.
Pipe-Action Pistol and Pipe Revolver
The Pipe-Action Pistol and the Pipe Revolver are two weapons that can be attained very early in Fallout 76. The weapons can be found in the Wixon Homestead after killing a group of Scorched which should be easy if you picked up the aforementioned Hunting Rifle.
The ammo for the two weapons is abundantly found even in the early game and you could even rebuild them every 10 levels to keep them useful even in the long haul.
Two-handed melee weapons
Any two-handed melee weapon like the Machete is an essential tool for survival if you ever run out of ammo. Combine it with a 10% damage perk card for melee weapons and you’ll be killing most starting game enemies in no time. Just be sure to keep an eye on your health – all of the close-quarters combat is going to have you tanking a lot of hits.
