There’s a lot of debate about which of the legendary weapon effects inFallout 76are the best for all-around use. It ultimately comes down to personal preference for what legendary weapon effects are best for each individual endgame activity, as it can vary from weapon to weapon and enemy to enemy. Consequently, many players prefer to use custom-made legendary weapons that suit their individual build, instead of using some of the unique weapons inFallout 76that come with predetermined and unchangeable legendary weapon effects.

For the most part, unique weapons typically can’t compete with the existingendgame meta inFallout 76of custom-made weapons. With the recently added Gleaming Depths raid being the new hardest content in the game, there was hope that the unique weapon rewards from this activity would break this pattern by offering some insanely powerful weapons. Unfortunately, though, the unique weapons from the new raid have met the same fate as the majority of existing unique weapons, proving the sad truth that unique weapons are generally too niche to be able to compete with custom-made weapons.

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Fallout 76’s Unique Weapons Are Best Used in the Early Game

Unique weapons inFallout 76can be identified by their specific names, and sometimes their weapon skins that differ from the base weapon’s name and appearance. These can be earned from various activities, including story quests, Public Events, Daily Ops, Seasonal Scoreboards, and the new Gleaming Depths raid. Normally, thelegendary weapon effects inFallout 76that are on unique weapons can’t be changed, so players are limited to using whatever legendary weapon effects are already on the weapon.

Aside from a few exceptions, like the Nuka-Launcher and the Resolve Breaker, the vast majority of the unique weapons inFallout 76with predetermined legendary effects typically can’t compete with the current meta. Instead of using these curated weapons, it seems that most players would rather use legendary weapons that are custom-made for their specific builds. Consequently, while unique weapons can be useful for overcoming the early-game difficulty curve, once playersreach the max level inFallout 76, it’s generally better to craft or trade for custom-made legendary weapons.

Fallout 76’s Gleaming Depths Raid Weapons Can’t Quite Compete With the Existing Meta

Unique weapons not being able to compete with the current meta has been the case for quite a while now. However, with thenew Gleaming Depths Raid inFallout 76being the hardest endgame content to date, there was hope that the unique weapon rewards from this activity would finally break this pattern and give the current meta some much-needed competition. Unfortunately, though, even the unique weapons fromFallout 76’s new Raid aren’t able to outshine the existing meta. Considering that the new hardest content in the game wasn’t able to dethrone the existing meta, this reveals the sad truth that the majority of unique weapons inFallout 76will likely never accomplish this.

This is also the case when it comes to unique armor, as armor sets like the Garb of Mysteries and theChinese Stealth Armor inFallout 76are outshined by custom-made armor sets once players reach the endgame.

Fallout 76’s Unique Weapons Are too Niche for Their Own Good

Since the best legendary weapon effects inFallout 76ultimately come down to personal preference, not having the option to customize the majority of unique weapons’ legendary effects arguably makes these weapons too niche for their own good. This is truly a shame, considering that unique weapons often have exclusive weapon skins and other quirks that distinguish them from their respective base weapon. Ultimately, the majority of unique weapons tend to make for better collector’s items inFallout 76than viable endgame weapons.

Fallout 76

WHERE TO PLAY

Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.