Our Universal Soldier build is one of the most well-rounded, and the most powerful builds in Fallout 76. It's a typical Ranger-type of build, which can be played as a primary team DPS, but at the same time, it is fully viable for playing solo and deeper map exploration. It utilizes one of the most powerful and reliable types of weapons; non-automatic Rifles, the V.A.T.S. system, and Sneak for bonus damage. Since there aren't many defensive Perks chosen for this build, it's strongly advised to use a Power Armor or play in a team where a Tank character is able to focus the enemy fire on himself.
Below you will find all the recommended Perks for each of the SPECIAL attributes.
You can also check our other builds on FO76 Builds and a beginner's guide to character customization
|
SPECIAL Attributes and Perk Cards
STRENGTH [3 POINTS] |
|
Take 45% less damage from your opponents' melee attacks |
|
Taking a few Points in Strength is necessary. Not only it allows you to use Blocker Perk which grants amazing defense against melee attacks but also increases your maximum Carry Weight. If you get the Power Armor which increases your maximum Strength, you should pick at least one Perk here to reduce the weight of your items. Preferably, Bandolier or Strong Back. |
PERCEPTION [15 POINTS] |
|
Your non-automatic rifles now do +20% damage Your non-automatic rifles now do +20% damage Your non-automatic rifles now do +20% damage V.A.T.S. now targets limbs. Focus fire to gain high accuracy and damage per shot Your rifles ignore 36% armor and have a 9% chance to stagger |
|
Perception is the most important attribute in this build. It increases your damage with non-automatic Rifles and Accuracy in V.A.T.S. 15 Points in Perception is mandatory for this Ranger build |
ENDURANCE [4 POINTS] |
|
Gain a +50% damage bonus for 2 minutes when a player revives you You gain greatly increased benefit from being Well Fed or Well Hydrated |
|
Endurance helps you survive in the harsh environment of Appalachia. It also increases your maximum Health, so at least a few points should be added there. Surprisingly, one of the best DPS bonuses comes from the Endurance's Revenant Perk. However, it works only well when playing in a team |
CHARISMA [6 POINTS] |
|
When you are on a team, gain 15% more XP Run 20% faster when part of a team Positive mutation effects are +25% stronger if teammates are mutated too |
|
Charisma is another important attribute when playing in a team. If you feel like you are in need of more defenses, you can also take the Bodyguards Perk instead of the ones listed |
INTELLIGENCE [5 POINTS] |
|
While below 20% Health, gain 40 Damage Resist, 20% damage and 15% AP regen Your Power Armor breaks 40% more slowly and is cheaper to repair |
|
Intelligence attribute allows you to use the Nerd Rage Perk, which grants very good bonuses. It is situational though and if you feel like you are not triggering the effect often enough you can replace it with some other Intelligence Perk that increases your Power Armor effectiveness (Power Patcher, Power User or Portable Power) |
AGILITY [15 POINTS] |
|
Gain +10% (max 60%) damage for 30s per kill. Duration refreshes with kills Action Points regenerate 45% faster Your ranged sneak attacks deal 2.5x normal damage You are 75% harder to detect while sneaking Sneak to lose enemies, and running no longer affects stealth |
|
Agility is the second most important attribute in this build. It grants higher AP and AP Regeneration which is essential when using V.A.T.S. regularly. Also, Agility increases your Sneak and grants higher Sneak damage bonus |
LUCK [9 POINTS] |
|
Each hit in V.A.T.S. has an excellent chance to fill your Critical meter Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 35% chance to restore all Action Points You will never mutate from rads and Radaway will never cure mutations |
|
Luck greatly increases your DPS via refilling your Critical meter and Action Points. Also, the Starched Genes Perk is very important when you manage to get one of the beneficial mutations listed below |
|
Equipment
ARMOR: Power Armors are a must have for this build. They grant insane damage and energy resistance, increase your carry weight and grant bonus Strength. This build uses nearly no defensive Perks, so Power Armor is essential for keeping you alive WEAPON: Gauss Rifle is the best weapon for this build. It is the best non-automatic Rifle in the game so it should be a natural choice for you. During leveling, you can also use a modded Handmade rifle CHEMS: All the Chems that increases your Perception or damage are very useful. When you need the extra DPS you can consume Bufftats, Psychotats or Orange Mentants |
Mutations
Mutations are very useful, however, they almost always have a negative effect on you. Below you find mutations that are beneficial for this build and does not ruin your gameplay with their downsides
|
|
If you have any suggestions related to this build or you have a suggestion for our future build, let us know in the comments below.
Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Bethseda Softworks LLC.