Grim Marksman- a VATS Rifle Build

Fallout 4 Grim Marksman

A VATS Rifle built to decimate your enemies.
Built for damage, but not a glass cannon. Very lucky and agile, but not
that intelligent - Idiot savant picks up the leveling pace nicely.
Thank you to The_Internuncio on reddit for vats stats on the weapons,
it really helped to decide the weapons for this build.

Introduction

This build is specifically for VATS. Weapon, perk, and SPECIAL choices reflect that. Priorities were damage, and AP with some damage mitigation. Luck perks are just too good to overlook, so this build is focused on agility and luck. Perception would have been nice as it increases the accuracy in VATS, but it can be boosted late game. This means that this build will work best at short, and mid ranges from your targets. Not a sniper build.

Nice thing about this build is if you want to use it for pistols, just substitute "Rifleman" for "Gunslinger". Favorites for pistols: Deliverer, Kellog's pistol.

This build is not built around any role playing, but to damage output.
If you want a companion other than Dogmeat, don't get the lone wanderer perk. Substitute it out using the recommended "further leveling" perks.

SPECIAL

Beginning Special Stats
S3 P2 E1 C3 I2 + 1 (SPECIAL book) A10 L7

Some stats will be boosted later, but this is the best for starting out.

Weapons and armor

Preferred Weapons and mods
Recoil Compensated Railway Rifle (Mods: Standard Receiver, Short Barrel, Reflex Sight)
Overseer's Gaurdian (Mods:.308 Receiver, Short Light Barrel, Short Stock, Reflex Sight)

Armor: Light armor. Be sure to use mods that enhance your AP.

Weapons were chosen to balance number of shots in VATS and damage.
Really like adding +1 Luck and Gun fu after level 50 - the damage to multiple targets is huge.

PERKS

2 Toughness
3 Armorer
4 Rifleman
5 Lone Wanderer
6 End +1
7 Gun Nut
8 Action Girl/Boy
9 Idiot Savant
10 Rifleman
11 Lu +1
12 Grim Reaper's Sprint
13 Armorer
14 Gun Nut
15 End +1
16 Toughness
17 Lone Wanderer
18 Rifleman
19 Action Girl/Boy
20 End +1
21 Grim Reaper's Sprint
22 Idiot Savant
23 Bloody Mess
24 End +1
25 Armorer
26 Gun Nut
27 Bloody Mess
28 Critical Banker
29 Critical Banker
30 Better Criticals
31 Rifleman
32 Bloody Mess
33 Better Criticals
34 Idiot Savant
35 Lu +1
36 Four Leaf Clover
37 Four Leaf Clover
38 Action Girl/Boy
39 Armorer
40 Lone Wanderer
41 Gun Nut
42 Better Criticals
43 Critical Banker
44 Four Leaf Clover
45 *Save Perk Point*
46 Rifleman
47 Grim Reaper's Sprint
48 Bloody Mess
49 Four Leaf Clover
50 Lone Wanderer, Critical Banker

Further Leveling suggestions in no particular order:
+1 Lu and Gun fu, Black Widow if female, Perception
(If leveling all the way get concentrated fire). Sneak, Ninja,
Switch to pistols and add gunslinger.

[psalmist]

You can always add more Per. These choices were made to be able to get optimal perks. If PERS had any decent perks except concentrated fire, a more accurate and tanky build would be more possible. As I'm sure your aware, Fallout 4 disperses the perks in diverse skill trees, or a more perfect build would be possible. Toughness right away, and a slow building of endurance seemed to work best. I have played with this many times, it really does seem to work best for me. This however is neither a tank or sniper build.

[Runs With Scissors]

I would prefer having at least 1 more point in PER, that way with the bobblehead you can get lockpicking.

Also only 1 END in the beginning is rough at higher difficulties

[psalmist]

Well, I did explain that a bit: "Perception would have been nice as it increases the accuracy in VATS, but it can be boosted late game. This means that this build will work best at short, and mid ranges from your targets. Not a sniper build."

[Bastion]

just a thouhgt, you may want to increase your base perceptions a little because it increases base accuracy in vats, and since this its a vats build it might be worth the invest ment.

[Soggy Rum Ham]

This is essentially the build I'm working on right now (lvl 26). Rifleman is such a strong perk. Single shot rifles are so powerful and save a ton of ammunition over the autos. I took Scrounger ASAP though. I always need more 308