Do my followers need ammo?

[Pak0tac]

I made a test where i gave a follower an automatic rifle, and i noticed he wont use it.
So then i gave him ammo for that rifle, and he did used it, and he even ran out of ammo.
Question is, why does he require ammo for my rifle, but he himself using he own weapon with unlimited ammo? or am i doing something wrong here?

Also, if i stash weapons at one of my sattelments, witll the colnists use those weapons? even if they dont have ammo for them?

[The Communist Banana]

your followers use ammo and your settlers will not use those weapons

[Mr. Kitty Saves The World]

Companions have special 'companion ammo', which is infinite, but can only be used for their default weapon. Not even weapons that use the same ammo type will take it.
Nick Valentine, for example, has a Pipe Revolver as his default weapon. I tried giving him a proper .44, but he wouldn't use it, and kept reverting back to his standard pistol. After I gave him ammo, he used the .44, but his stock of ammo went down over time as he used it up.

So yes, companions need ammo if you want them to use something other than their default weapon, and I'm not sure if Settlers will even take alternative guns at all. I gave some at Sanctuary Laser Muskets after taking their Pipe guns and .38 ammo, and they've utterly disappeared from their inventories, while they've magically spawned more ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Pipe guns.

[Park_Ranger]

Originally posted by Mr. Kitty Saves The World:

So yes, companions need ammo if you want them to use something other than their default weapon,

Yes that's how I understand it.

Originally posted by Mr. Kitty Saves The World:

Settlers will even take alternative guns at all. I gave some at Sanctuary Laser Muskets after taking their Pipe guns and .38 ammo, and they've utterly disappeared from their inventories, while they've magically spawned more ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Pipe guns.

Settlers tend to pick weapons up and use them, they don't seem to need to be supplied with ammo. (More noticable in some settlements than others)

For example, flame throwers seem to be popular at The Slog, and another settlement I don't remember which, it was miniguns.

[ForevaNoob Wonemorturn]

This is where I just cheat...

[lil J]

Settlers need ammo in their inventory to use a gun, but you have to give it to him, select it and press t for equip. But he will have infinite ammo. Companions howerever need guns and the ammo they fire in constant supply, unless you use mods.

[Ziptop]

Companions need ammo and will use it up while they are with you.
(Not sure if their ammo stock becomes infinite when they are not an active companion)

Settlers only appear to need one round, but I normally give them a magazine full. However I think I may have noticed settlers that leave the build area of their workshop/settlement deplete their ammo stock.
(The Finch family chased a hostile mob during a settlement attack. This took them into agro range of the Super Mutants at the Satelite array. So they started a war with the mutants. They appeared to use their ammo during this attack.)

[SeriousCCIE]

I constantly provide ammo to my companions. I also have found they will pick up and equip superior weapons found on corposes, and take the ammo for that weapon.

They do not seem to replenish their ammo from the battlefield, and instead will switch to the next weapon I have provided them, and use that and its ammo if possible.

They will resort to the melee weapon I gave them when they run out of ammo, if I gave them one and its superior to their default weapon.

Whatever I am doing, I can't quite think of a time I saw anyone use their regular weapon because I've always given them something else and the ammo to use it. Everyone but Codsworth and the nannybot prior to memory migration.

[snbitzer]

As far as I know, companions are bound by the same ammo restrictions as the player. This goes for all weapon types, including grenades. While I'm on the subject, be mindful when equipping your companions with explosives as these can hurt/kill you if used improperly. *shakes fist at Piper*

Settlers are kind of tricky. If they have one bullet in their inventory, that equates to an infinite amount. This works for normal ballistic & energy ammo (.38, .44, fusion cells, plasma, etc) as well as grenades. Explosive ammo (missiles, mini nukes) are not infinite. I have not tested every possibility, but I believe this is the general consensus.

Oh, and settlers have a habit of grabbing your entire ammo stock out of the workbench when grabbing weapons during an attack. I once needed to interrogate all of my settlers to find one that had 500 .45 rounds on him. lol

[mainer]

If you're into modding your game, I highly recommend "Better Companions" by Techprince available on the Nexus (don't know if it's on Bethesda.net mod site as I never go there).

This mod enables you to set a specific weapon for long range/medium range/short range, and it works flawlessly, as your companion (not Dogmeat/Codsworth/or Currie before you change her) will change weapons depending upon the situation/distance. You can also select if you want ammo to be infinite for those weapons or not. You can also set companion distance, which can be useful if they always run in front of you. A very stable and updated mod.

I haven't tested it with grenades/missle launchers/or fatmans, so I'm unsure of the results there, but I never give my companions grenades anyway

As far as companions doing damage to you, there is a perk (can't remember off the top of my head the name of it) that eliminates their damage to you, and your damage to them. I take this perk as soon as I can.

[Ziptop]

I never store ammo. Its weightless.
Never give companions anything explosive or fiery....

Or Stealthboys. Pack Mule Piper used a stealthboy fighting a dog! She never gets to carry the valuable stuff again.
She also threw a grenade and blew up a whole bunch of abandoned cars....they went off like a chain reaction. But as it also fixed our little sting wing issue at the time I forgave her the singed hair.

[Ziptop]

Originally posted by dransaw:

If you're into modding your game, I highly recommend "Better Companions" by Techprince available on the Nexus (don't know if it's on Bethesda.net mod site as I never go there).

This mod enables you to set a specific weapon for long range/medium range/short range, and it works flawlessly, as your companion (not Dogmeat/Codsworth/or Currie before you change her) will change weapons depending upon the situation/distance. You can also select if you want ammo to be infinite for those weapons or not. You can also set companion distance, which can be useful if they always run in front of you. A very stable and updated mod.

That sounds cool. I might check it out. My go to companion/settler weapon is a fully upgraded advanced assault rifle - with suppressor for companions. Good rate of fire and stopping power. Best results I have had with companions in terms of firepower usefulness. They can actually steal kills!

[ForevaNoob Wonemorturn]

T works for everything. Mandatory.

[Mr. Kitty Saves The World]

Originally posted by vulcan78:

Originally posted by Mr. Kitty Saves The World:

Companions have special 'companion ammo', which is infinite, but can only be used for their default weapon. Not even weapons that use the same ammo type will take it.
Nick Valentine, for example, has a Pipe Revolver as his default weapon. I tried giving him a proper .44, but he wouldn't use it, and kept reverting back to his standard pistol. After I gave him ammo, he used the .44, but his stock of ammo went down over time as he used it up.

So yes, companions need ammo if you want them to use something other than their default weapon, and I'm not sure if Settlers will even take alternative guns at all. I gave some at Sanctuary Laser Muskets after taking their Pipe guns and .38 ammo, and they've utterly disappeared from their inventories, while they've magically spawned more ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Pipe guns.

You have to equip the weapon you give your followers for them to use it by pressing T in the item exchange menu. This works 100%. The only reason they revert to their default weapon is if they run out of ammo.

I did equip the items on them. I didn't just dump them in their inventories and leave it at that.

[exb0xthreesixty]

settlers can be given 1 5mm ammo to give them infinite ammo for any gun but not companions

[wtiger27]

Originally posted by exb0xthreesixty:

settlers can be given 1 5mm ammo to give them infinite ammo for any gun but not companions

Companions who are not a active companion for the SS, can also only need one round of ammo for each weapon you assign them to use. Just like settlers.