Best Weapons For Companions, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Fallout 4 offers interesting post-apocalyptic exploration with deep companions and unique weapons like Cryolator and Overseer’s Guardian.
• Spray n’ Pray is a powerful submachine gun with AoE damage, but beware of friendly fire risks.
• Atom’s Judgement and Gatling Laser are impressive choices with unique perks, ideal for companions in the Boston Commonwealth.

Fallout 4 is one of the greatest RPGs released by Bethesda in the last 10 years. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, this title presents players with a post-apocalyptic version of the world that’s not only interesting, but also dangerous to explore. With the concept of a nuclear holocaust being the central aspect of the game, there’s always something new to uncover in the vastness of the Boston Commonwealth.

Similar to other Bethesda titles, Fallout 4 has many companions that players can unlock and choose from. With these NPCs, conversations, combat, and even romance are possible, making the interactions very interesting. While their AI isn’t always the best, they can be helpful when trying to survive a messy situation—that is, if they have the right equipment. Here are some of the best weapons for companions.

8 Overseer’s Guardian

Great For Ammo Economization

• Can be heavily modified
• Great accuracy

Sold as either a long or a short combat rifle, the Overseer’s Guardian comes with a guaranteed Two Shot effect, which allows players to shoot an additional bullet with each shot. And the best part is that two shots come out, but only one is removed from players’ ammo count.

Like other weapons in the game, the Overseer’s Guardian can be heavily modified to improve its stats. Players can change the weapon’s receiver, barrel, stock, magazine, sights, and muzzle to grant it various effects that will make it a much more reliable item for defense in the Boston Commonwealth. When paired with companions with good accuracy, the Overseer’s Guardian is an outstanding choice.

7 Spray n’ Pray

Outstanding AoE, But There’s A Catch

• Great AoE
• The Sole Survivor might be hit by some projectiles if they stand too close to a target

The Spray n’ Pray is a legendary submachine gun that has a formidable explosive effect, that deals 15 points of AoE (Area of Effect) damage upon impact. This weapon is most commonly sold by Cricket, and sometimes (although rarely), by other merchants. The Spray n’ Pray also benefits from the Demolition Expert perk, which helps boost its explosive damage and deal with enemies faster.

However, not everything can be perfect, and even a weapon as great as this one has its drawbacks. While the Spray n’ Pray’s AoE is a great advantage to have against enemies, it also opens up the possibility of friendly damage being dealt to companions, other NPCs, and, of course, the Sole Survivor. While it doesn’t happen often, this means that companions with this weapon could accidentally deal damage to players. So, at the end of the day, it’s a matter of considering whether this weapon’s AoE damage is worth the risk—and many players seem to agree that it is.

6 Cryolator

Great For Freezing Enemies Temporarily

• Enemies can be frozen solid
• This weapon can be modded to fire crystals

Developed by no other than the Overseer from Vault 111, the Cryolator creates a cryogenic spray that can cover short-to-mid range. If players fire this weapon continuously at a target, they will eventually manage to freeze it solid and render it immobile. This is great for situations where players need more time to think, or simply when they’re swarmed by a ton of enemies and need to reduce the hostile count temporarily.

It’s possible to combine the Cryolator with the crystallizing barrel mod, which makes it much more ammo-efficient and helps increase the weapon’s range, which is usually one of its drawbacks. That said, with this mod, the projectile trajectory is affected, and those that actually land on enemies take a while to hit. Nonetheless, the Cryolator remains an amazing choice to pair companions with.

5 Atom’s Judgement

Arguably The Coolest-looking Hammer In The Game

• Made from four damaged Fusion Cores
• Adds Radiation damage

When it comes to neat-looking melee weapons, few are as great as Atom’s Judgement. This massive sledgehammer is designed to have a hammerhead comprised of four damaged Fusion Cores. As players know, Fusion Cores (along with basically everything in the Boston Commonwealth), emit a considerable amount of radiation, so every time players strike an enemy with Atom’s Judgement, some of the glowing green liquid inside the fusion cores leaks out and does Radiation damage.

In terms of mods, this weapon can use the same as any other weapon in the super sledge category. The only drawback of this weapon is that when used against enemies resistant to Radiation, such as ghouls, there will be no damage modifiers and players will have to rely on the physical damage stats of Atom’s Judgement instead. That said, it’s still an incredible weapon, and a solid choice to pair with companions when going for a long-range-close-range combination.

4 Gatling Laser

It’s Not Great That It Uses Fusion Cores As Ammo, But The Expense Is Worth It

• This weapon uses Fusion Cores as ammo
• Can be heavily modded

The Gatling Laser consists of four rotating AER9 rifle barrels that can fire laser pulses through a pair of lenses. Naturally, a weapon this massive requires to be wielded two-handed, as otherwise it would be too heavy to carry and control effectively. The Gatling Laser uses Fusion Cores as ammo, which can be a bit inconvenient considering how hard they are to come by sometimes. However, every shot is worth its weight in Radiation.

Like many other weapons in the game, the Gatling Laser’s receiver, barrel, sights, and muzzle can be modified to grant it additional perks and damage points in order to make it more efficient at dealing with various enemies. Companions are ideal wielders of this weapon, as it allows them to provide support from a distance.

3 Plasma Gun

A High-tech Deadly Weapon That Causes Serious Burns

• A high-tech weapon that causes serious burns
• The Plasma Gun can be hotwired

The concept of Plasma Guns might sound straight out of a Sci-Fi film for many players who obtain it in Fallout 4; however, for the people in The Institute, it’s a familiar weapon that, while not extremely common, isn’t a thing of myth either. This weapon fires superheated bolts of plasma powered by microfusion cells, heavy energy cells, plasma cores, or plasma cartridges.

Among the modifications that can be made to this gun, it’s possible to hotwire the bolt chamber to speed up the bolt formation process. Plasma weapons cause serious burns on soft targets and melt hard ones, making them very effective and versatile when it comes to dealing with various types of enemies in the Boston Commonwealth.

2 Missile Launcher

A Mighty Weapon Of Mass Destruction

• A massive weapon of ultimate destruction
• Players must take their precautions before firing this weapon

Few weapons in the Boston Commonwealth are as terrifyingly powerful and efficient at dealing with large groups of smaller enemies or dispatching larger ones quickly than the Missile Launcher. Like the Fat Man, this weapon is considered both a heavy weapon and an explosive weapon. Moreover, this weapon’s aptitude for mass destruction can be boosted by a ton of different Perks that make it even more deadly than it already is at its base stats.

Perks like Heavy Gunner and Demolition Expert are great to pair with the Missile Launcher, as they maximize the damage output of the weapon. And if that wasn’t enough, when equipped with the targeting computer modification, players can lock onto a target and fire a projectile that tracks it until it lands, resulting in a fiery and glorious explosion showcasing the Missile Launcher’s obscene power.

1 Super Sledge

Wonderful Design, Massive Damage Output

• Physical Damage is outstanding
• This weapon requires a ton of AP to wield

One of the most interesting and neat aspects of the Super Sledge is how it works. This weapon has a miniature rocket on the back part of the hammerhead, which helps thrust it forward to deliver an extremely strong blow that can deal vicious amounts of damage. Unlike other weapons that are typically weaker, the Super Sledge can almost always deal with common enemies, such as feral ghouls, raiders, and humans in a couple of swings, making it great for crowd control when the Sole Survivor is outnumbered.

That said, not everything about it is great, as it consumes a ton of AP, which means that, even at higher Agility levels, it’s still only possible for players to deliver a couple of swings before running out. However, even with this disadvantage, the Super Sledge is great to pair with companions, as players can shoot at enemies from a distance while their trusted allies swing viciously at any opposing forces.