Energy Commando

[GhostX09]

I've teased out a capable Energy Commando build after some perk card and SPECIAL swapping, and I would like to share it. This is setup to be a "full health" build although you can yo-yo your health into a "low health" build. Fallout follows suit where high damage directly translates into survival, so this is a 3x3x2 Commando and Science perk loadout to maximize the +damage%. In essence, the Energy Commando primarily uses the V63 Laser Carbine and Enclave Plasma Rifle flamer. This build does use 4x maximum rank SPECIAL legendary cards (Luck, Intelligence, Strength, and Agility).

Perk Cards
Strength
3x Traveling Pharmacist
3x Blocker

Perception
3x3 Commando
3x Tank Killer
1x Concentrated Fire

Endurance
5x Ironclad
1x Thirst Quencher
1x Vaccinated
1x Adamantine Skeleton
3x Fireproof

Charisma
2x Field Surgeon
2x Suppressor
3x Tenderizer

Intelligence
2x Science
2x Expert Science
2x Master Science
3x Batteries Included
3x Gunsmith

Agility
3x Action Boy
3x White Knight
3x Covert Operative
3x Gun Fu
3x Adrenaline Rush (better optimized card to benefit ratio)

Luck
3x Bloody Mess (raises the damage floor on weapons)
3x Better Critical
3x Critical Savvy
3x Grim Reaper (swappable to Ricochet to increase damage mitigation)

Aside from the mentioned SPECIAL Legendary Perk card choices. I have opted to use Master Infiltrator and Survival Shortcut; however, you will need Ammo Factory ranked up, 2x Ammo Smith, and 3x Super Duper combination to craft energy ammo more efficiently and convert other ammunition into Plasma Cartridges (for example, it takes 17.5k steel to convert into 3k plasma cartridge ammunition). Otherwise, Funky Duds and What's Rad, are situational choices. Electric Absorption is a must have power armor users, it's awesome and it heals you; but for my character, I stay in non-power armor mostly.

Armor Setup:
Secret Service (Buttress, Jetpack, Ultra-Lightweight)
5x Overeaters (+30% damage reduction)
1x Luck, 1x End, 3x Agility (my 2-star choices) until something better is unlocked.
5x Sentinels (75% chance for 15% damage reduction)

Since my character is not mutated yet. The Secret Service under amour is a solid choice; however, I went with Shielded Riding Leathers (+3 Agility, +3 Perception, and +1 Luck) which compliments the VATS aspect of the character. Plus, the character without mutation has 400 AP with a Nuka-Cola candy to work with.

This is my character's build and it's been rewarding and fun to play without mutations. I would probably wait until the new perk card changes drop to revisit mutations since the perk card costs to get the most benefits for less card costs.

[GhostX09]

My choice of V63 Laser Carbine legendary effects were Aristocratic (+50% damage), +50% critical damage and -25% VATS AP cost reduction. Excellent setup and sure, it means that i need to hang onto caps; but it's very do able and it's compliments the full health aspect.

As for my Enclave Plasma Rifle flamer, I simply use Medic on it, and it lets me heal NPC without slotting Friendly Fire; but together does amplify the healing done on NPC allies for those missions when you need to keep them alive.

[insert food here]

My main is a blooded energy commando. I don't use the science perks as they only provide very little damage for 6 perk points. Also don't use bloody mess as i need starched genes and use class freak as well. I can afford heaps of perks as i use 6 Legendary Specials all maxed out. Also have lots of relevant mutations. I play at 19% hp with full set of UNY SS armour but can swap to a full OE SS set and swap around some perks if i feel like being extra tanky.

Mainly use a Quad ultracite laser gun but also use plasma rifles and plasma flamers. Not got the V63 carbine yet. It is a nice change from using fixers and handmade and railways all the time. Big downside is the much higher AP cost in Vats especially for plasma guns but that can be worked around.

I'm going to wait for the upcoming perk changes before adjusting or tweaking anything since so much is going to be changing

[Mooman]

Originally posted by insert food here:

I'm going to wait for the upcoming perk changes before adjusting or tweaking anything since so much is going to be changing

This.

You have till December to play this way then it all changes. Looking at what you have, it'll (potential) change a lot.

My suggestion is to ignore commando and go heavy weapons (.50 cal or LMG) and heavy armour (Service will be classified as heavy).

Heavy weapons will be VATS capable so even without the AA from the stabilised perk will still get good damage via crits. They have large magazines, so no need for quad. They have excellent ammo return via contextual sources. They have range and fire rate.

Heavy armour will have reflected damage via the retuned ricochet and bullet shield perks. You'll get extra 'free' dps and survivability. PA can also work but has the added fusion cores cost.

The days of commando being top of the pile are coming to an end. They'll still have a stealth advantage but that is only good in solo play.

[GhostX09]

Originally posted by insert food here:

My main is a blooded energy commando. I don't use the science perks as they only provide very little damage for 6 perk points. Also don't use bloody mess as i need starched genes and use class freak as well. I can afford heaps of perks as i use 6 Legendary Specials all maxed out. Also have lots of relevant mutations. I play at 19% hp with full set of UNY SS armour but can swap to a full OE SS set and swap around some perks if i feel like being extra tanky.

Mainly use a Quad ultracite laser gun but also use plasma rifles and plasma flamers. Not got the V63 carbine yet. It is a nice change from using fixers and handmade and railways all the time. Big downside is the much higher AP cost in Vats especially for plasma guns but that can be worked around.

I'm going to wait for the upcoming perk changes before adjusting or tweaking anything since so much is going to be changing

The 6 perk points translates into +30% more damage and Bloody raises again by +15%. The V63 Carbine rests at 75% base damage and increases by +25% more damage, as the heat builds. Collectively, the difference between Aristocratic and Bloodied 1-star is +45% damage which is translates into ~22 points of damage. However, this translates into saving yourself one or two shots against your enemy. The ROF of the V63 Carbine, or Lasergun, is much higher than ballistic rifles and these extra one or two shots are not noticed when you burst fire your gun.

When the new perk card changes arrive the build would not change significantly. I would probably downgrade White Knight by one point and slot Evasive perk card. Same with Grim Reaper to slot Ricochet. These two changes would improve damage avoidance without significant impacts on the character build.

Overall, I have kept pace killing enemies while teamed with other players that were running Bloodied commandos. In boss fights, I can stream constant damage longer while scoring critical hit numbers without VATS. Swap into Ricochet, and you can ignore most adds of the fight. Survival Shortcut survival syringe always keeps your Overeaters at maximum +6% damage reduction and you are constantly standing still while shooting, so the Sentinels kicks in. These legendary effects reduces my survival needs to slot perk cards to compensate for relying on the procs for having low health.

[lockwoodx]

Ditch the energy and get yourself an Anchorage Ace. It has the most snappy sights in the game and feels so amazing to use. It speeds up your entire playstyle.

[GhostX09]

Originally posted by JG Wentsworth:

Ditch the energy and get yourself an Anchorage Ace. It has the most snappy sights in the game and feels so amazing to use. It speeds up your entire playstyle.

When the new combat changes drop the Anchorage Ace will lose it's uniqueness. However, that's the beauty of this build. I could switch to a non-energy weapon, as needed, and I do not need to switch the cards around. I mean, I could i.e. Science perks but you're not going to get any more advantage to slot Nerd Rage (low health).

I will correct myself also here, the only difference in damage between bloody and aristocratic is 10 points, which is not going to be game changing in terms of the number of shots to kill. When you get into the % to point increase, it's roughly 2% per 1 point increase. And when you add the 25% at full heat build up then you're only 20% offset difference to bloody. And, that is the 10 point difference that I mention. You could increase it with Nerd Rage and the Adrenaline Mutation for the min-max math gurus; but the build operates smoothly and good.

Without mutations, the build has 24 agility, which passively improves your sneaking. Add in mutations, Bird Bones, the +2 gym buff, and food, and you do not truly need Sneak cards. Plus, you lose 'hidden' status during events, so I rather save the card space and keep Covert Ops slotted, to save myself shuffling cards that end up being moot.