Strength — Fallout 76 eGuide | Prima Games eGuides

Modifications: Carry Weight, Melee Weapon Damage
Buffs: Strength Bobblehead, Solar Powered (Endurance), Radicool Perk (Endurance), most Power Armor, Food (mostly steak-related), X-Cell, most Alcohol.

Strength is a measure of your raw physical power. It affects how much you can carry and the damage of all melee attacks. Remember that every item you scavenge has a weight associated with it, so the higher your Strength, the more you can physically carry before becoming over-encumbered. Melee damage is inflicted with weaponry you wield with your hands or that you wear on your hands.

Strength	Max Carry Weight	Additional Melee Damage
1	105	+5%
2	110	+10%
3	115	+15%
4	120	+20%
5	125	+25%
6	105	+30%
7	110	+35%
8	115	+40%
9	120	+50%
10	125	+55%
11	130	+60%
12	105	+65%
13	110	+70%
14	115	+75%
15	120	+80%

Strength-Related Perks: Overview

Strength has the most number of “weapon specialization” perks to consider (Gladiator for one-handed melee, Heavy Gunner for nonexplosive heavy guns, Shotgunner for shotguns, and Slugger for two-handed melee). It is dominated by perks that reduce your item weight (like food, drink, chems, junk items, weapon ammo, armor, Power Armor, melee weapons, and even thrown explosives) and those upping the damage of weapons (as long as those weapons are melee, shotguns, or heavy guns). Expect a Power Armor maneuver perk, extra Carry Weight, and even a bonus to gun-bashing. These are mostly offensive, melee, heavy, shotgun, or weight-offsetting perks.

Strength Perks (30)

The following table shows all 30 Strength Perk Cards, listed by the earliest level you can obtain them.

Perk Name	C	U	R	Level	Ranks	Description
Iron Fist	x			2	1, 2, 3, 4, 5	Punching attacks do +20/40/60/80/100% damage with a 5/10/15/20/25% chance to stagger your opponent.
Traveling Pharmacy	x			3	1, 2, 3	Weights of all Chems (including Stimpaks) are reduced by 30/60/90%.
Bandolier	x			4	1, 2, 3	Ballistic weapon ammo weighs 30/60/90% less.
Gladiator			x	5	1, 2, 3	Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Pack Rat	x			6	1, 2, 3	The weight of all junk items is reduced by 25/50/75%.
Slugger			x	7	1, 2, 3	Your two-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Shotgunner			x	10	1, 2, 3	Your shotguns now do +10/15/20% damage.
Basher			x	11	1, 2	Gun bashing does +25/50% damage with a 5/10% chance to cripple your opponent.
Sturdy Frame		x		13	1, 2	Armor weighs 25/50% less than normal.
Barbarian			x	14	1, 2, 3	Every point of Strength adds +2/3/4 Damage Resist (max 40/60/80). (No Power Armor).
Martial Artist			x	16	1, 2, 3	Your melee weapons weigh 20/40/60% less, and you can swing them 10/20/30% faster.
Scattershot		x		18	1, 2, 3, 4	Shotguns now weigh 20/40/60/80% less and you reload them 10/20/30/40% faster.
Gladiator (Expert)			x	20	1, 2, 3	Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Blocker			x	21	1, 2, 3	Take 15/30/45% less damage from your opponents’ melee attacks.
Shotgunner (Expert)			x	23	1, 2, 3	Your shotguns now do +10/15/20% damage.
Slugger (Expert)			x	24	1, 2, 3	Your two-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Strong Back		x		26	1, 2, 3, 4	Gain +10/20/30/40 to carry weight.
Heavy Gunner			x	30	1, 2, 3	Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/15/20% damage.
Ordnance Express		x		31	1, 2, 3	Thrown explosives weigh 30/60/90% less.
Full Charge	x			33	1, 2	Sprinting in Power Armor consumes half as much/no extra Fusion Core energy.
Incisor			x	34	1, 2, 3	Your melee weapons ignore 25/50/75% of your target’s armor.
Bear Arms		x		35	1, 2, 3, 4	Heavy Guns weigh 20/40/60/80% less.
Lock and Load		x		37	1, 2, 3	Heavy guns reload 10/20/30% faster.
Bullet Shield			x	39	1, 2, 3, 4	Gain 10/20/30/40 Damage Resistance while firing a heavy gun.
Heavy Gunner (Expert)			x	40	1, 2, 3	Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/15/20% damage.
Pain Train		x		41	1, 2, 3	Damage/ Smash/ Devastate and stagger enemies by sprinting into them with Power Armor.
Gladiator (Master)			x	43	1, 2, 3	Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Shotgunner (Master)			x	45	1, 2, 3	Your shotguns now do +10/15/20% damage.
Slugger (Master)			x	48	1, 2, 3	Your two-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.
Heavy Gunner (Master)			x	50	1, 2, 3	Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/15/20% damage.

Bandolier

Rarity: Common
Level: 4
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Ballistic weapon ammo weighs 30%/60%/90% less.

Advice: Do you carry around a lot of ammunition (from normal, ranged weapons that don’t fire Energy rounds), and does it weigh a lot? For heavier weapons, the ammunition weight may be problematic, and if you want to negate some (or at the highest rank, almost all) of that weight, then employ this perk. However, some ammunition is extremely light, meaning you may be wise to choose other perks that negate Carry Weight penalties instead. Or just carry less ammo, or choose a weapon with lighter ammunition (unless you’re a master Tinker and part of your plan is to trade bullets for Caps or to keep your teammates filled with ballistic ordnance). Note the Energy weapon ammo version of this perk is called Batteries Included.

Barbarian

Rarity: Rare
Level: 14
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Every point of Strength adds +2/3/4 Damage Resist (max 40/60/80). (No Power Armor).

Advice: Everyone likes free armor, right? Well, depends on your play-style. This might be better suited to a player who enjoys charging into combat and is always receiving damage, compared to a sniper or long-range specialist who rarely receives damage. This bonus to your Damage Resistance is added to your base value, so if you’ve already tooled up in some high-value armor and your Damage Resist is, say, 36, this perk would only grant you 4 additional points at Rank 1. Therefore, you may wish to forgo more difficult-to-find or expensive protection in favor of your naturally tough exterior, or (especially at Rank 3) add a great deal to your defensive posture, providing you have the necessary high Strength. Note that wearing no armor won’t ever get you to the maximum Resistance rating of 40/60/80—that requires a Strength of 20 (which is 5 more than the 15 you can have...unless you add buffs, of course!). Finally, there are many other perks offering Damage Resistance under other circumstances. Add the following to stack or use instead of Barbarian:

- Bodyguards (Charisma perk): up to 36 Damage Resistance with up to three teammates

- Bullet Shield (Strength perk): up to +40 Damage Resistance when firing a heavy gun)

- Refractor (Perception perk): up to +20 Energy Resistance

- Ironclad (Endurance perk): up to +50 Damage and Energy Resistance while wearing armor

- Evasive (Agility perk): Agility Points add Damage and Energy Resistance to +45

- Moving Target: up to +45 Damage and Energy resistance while Sprinting

- Junk Shield (Luck perk): up to 45 Damage and Energy Resistance when carrying more junk.

And that’s before any armor is counted!

Basher

Rarity: Rare
Level: 11
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2
Description: Gun bashing does +25/50% damage with a 5/10% chance to cripple your opponent.

Advice: First, it’s worth learning exactly how to gun-bash, then use it more often, and then time it so you utilize the bash with your weapon’s reload. Try staggering foes with a bash, shooting, then bashing them again so you’re effectively using far less ammunition and pushing back foes that are swarming you. Also try reloading immediately so you aren’t quite as prone to attacks. With this perk you wade in and bash; then the damage and cripple chance is applied. It helps if your weapon has a bayonet or other mod to add some additional damage. However, this usually doesn’t inflict as much damage as a melee weapon, which benefits from a far greater range of perks at hand-to-hand combat range: Indeed, this should be seen as extra insurance for those primarily using ranged weapons, in more confined locations or areas where swarms of foes are expected.

Bear Arms

Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 35
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3, 4
Description: Heavy Guns weigh 20/40/60/80% less.

Advice: Your average Gatling laser weighs around 20, while a minigun is a hefty 35, compared to the positively (and far less powerful) pipe gun, with a weight of around 2. Using your inventory to compare the weights of your available weapons, then figuring out how many of a particular weapon type you use, is key to figuring out if it’s worth spending points in this perk. Remember this doesn’t help reduce the ammunition of a heavy gun, which is among the heaviest, but the Bandolier Strength perk does. This is already using up Strength Points you may be wanting for other perks. Of course, if you’re carrying one of every heavy weapon or multiple miniguns, having more room for “ol’ painless and friends” is a good idea. One of the key elements of this perk is the level you can first use it, so it’s worth finding and keeping a variety of heavy guns in your collection but not employing them until you’re at a high enough level.

Blocker

Rarity: Rare
Level: 21
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Take 15%/30%/45% less damage from your opponents’ melee attacks.

Advice: This perk is extremely situational but is extremely well suited to players favoring an up-close-and-personal method for dispatching foes. It’s worth considering with other perks that hinder enemies at close quarters and with mutations, such as Electrically Charged, which zaps enemies as they attack. Perks to consider include the Strength perks Gladiator, Incisor, Martial Artist, and Slugger. Naturally, if your playtest favors enemies never getting anywhere close enough to actually damage you, this is less of a must-have perk. Play around with the stacking capabilities of other perks offering Damage Resistance, such as the Agility perk Evasive, for even less possible damage.

Bullet Shield

Rarity: Rare
Level: 39
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3, 4
Description: Gain 10/20/30/40 Damage Resistance while firing a heavy gun.

Advice: By their very nature, heavy guns are on the cumbersome side, so shrugging off an enemy’s gunfire or mauling while firing your favorite minigun or Gatling laser can help you immeasurably, especially as you’re likely to already have Power Armor with good defense. Think of this as another coat of free armor; either use this perk in place of up to 40 points of additional armor (adding to your weight) or in addition to it so you become a mobile fortress! Note the related perks, such as the Strength perk Bear Arms and Heavy Gunner, the Intelligence perk Stabilized, and the Luck perk One Gun Army. The Strength perk Lock and Load is perhaps the best one to partner; you can withstand an enemy strike while you reload, before finishing them off without even wincing! You should also cross-reference all the Damage Resistance perks (listed in the entry for Barbarian); add some or all of those to your defenses too.

Full Charge

Rarity: Common
Level: 33
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2
Description: Sprinting in Power Armor consumes half as much/no extra Fusion Core energy.

Advice: This perk is excellent for lengthening the time it takes between Fusion Core swapping, though the fact that Fusion Cores can be manufactured at Power Plants means that with some planning, you can gather a good deal of Fusion Cores and never need this perk. Do you want to lose (up to) 2 Strength Perk Points when there may be more offensive perks out there to utilize? Also figure out how often you sprint while wearing this armor; if it’s a lot, consider taking this perk. This perk is advantageous when you explore areas far from a power plant, where you’re concentrating on scavenging, and when you need to free up your Carry Weight and want your Fusion Cores to last as long as possible.

Gladiator

Rarity: Rare
Level: 5
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: From a common pitchfork to the lethal Shishkebab, the smaller, lightweight (but initially less-damaging) one-handed melee weapons are an excellent choice, and this perk is likely to be one of the first you’ll have access to, as many use melee weapons as a backup to a pistol after emerging from Vault 76. You must then decide whether to further specialize in one-handed (compared to fist or two-handed) weaponry. The Slugger trio of cards (offering the same bonuses but for two-handed melee weapons) become accessible a few levels higher than Gladiator. Though this causes you to focus less generally on all melee weapons, this can be beneficial; you can then start light modding your pitchfork or machete in addition to partnering the Gladiator cards with the Strength perks Incisor and Martial Artist, the Charisma perk Overly Generous, and the Intelligence perk Makeshift Warrior.

(Master) Gladiator

Rarity: Rare
Level: 43
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: By the time you can utilize this aspect of the Gladiator perk line, you’re likely to be close to maximum Strength and have an armory full of modded and/or Legendary one-handed melee weapons, with little time for other damage-causing ordnance (unless you swap out to a different Strength-focused build, of course). Shrug off those ranged attacks (as it’s assumed your armor is tough due to your tendency to stand and bludgeon or stab) and do some quick math: If you want your one-handed melee weapons to inflict +100% damage, you need Gladiator Rank 3, Expert Gladiator Rank 3, and Master Gladiator Rank 3, for a total of 9 Strength Points. But add in any bonuses that your Strength attribute and weapon gives you, and you’ll see this focus is definitely worthwhile for close-combat professionals or those stealthy types who like to inflict massive damage on unsuspecting foes.

Heavy Gunner

Rarity: Rare
Level: 30
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Aside from the small drawback that this perk does not apply to missile launchers, Fat Man launchers, or other heavyweight weapons that cause explosive, area-of-effect damage, this is an excellent choice for an explorer who wishes to concentrate on upping the devastation caused by miniguns, Gatling lasers, and the infamous Broadsider. As with all perks offering a similar benefit, take time to ascertain how much combat you attempt using these types of weapons and the associated cost (and weight) of making them your primary choice of armament (e.g., if you’re going to be blasting away with a minigun, it might as well be your go-to weapon). Combine this with Strength perks Bear Arms, Bullet Shield, and Lock and Load. Also check out the Intelligence perk Stabilized and the Luck perk One Gun Army.

(Expert) Heavy Gunner

Rarity: Rare
Level: 40
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Much like other weapon-specialization perks, the choice of becoming an Expert in heavy guns (of the non-explosive kind) depends on how many points you’re pouring into Strength. This is particularly true for Heavy Gunner, as the base advice listed three Strength perks: Bear Arms (four ranks), Bullet Shield (four ranks), and Lock and Load (three ranks). With all the associated points costs (e.g., if you want the highest ranks on all three partner perks, that’s 11 Strength Points without even adding Heavy Gunner!), you need to choose what type of damage your heavy guns are going to inflict—the pure “extra damage” of these three perks or the different bonuses of the associated perks. Also remember if you want your heavy guns to inflict +40% more damage, you’ll need to play your Heavy Gunner Rank 3 and Expert Heavy Gunner Rank 3 together. Each costs 3 Strength Points to use (so six in total), leaving you little room for other Strength perks.

Iron Fist

Rarity: Common
Level: 2
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Description: Punching attacks do +20%/40%/60%/80%/100% damage with a 5%/10%/15%/20%/25% chance to stagger your opponent.

Advice: Fist weapons, including boxing gloves, power fists, and the fabled Deathclaw Gauntlet, aren’t particularly numerous, but they are entertaining. Since this becomes available at such a low level, searching out a fist weapon should be a priority for those interested in both damaging and possibly staggering their enemies (after which you can continue the punching punishment or switch to a gun to finish off a staggered foe). Remember that fist weapons are melee weapons, so partner perks like the Strength perk Blocker and, more importantly, Incisor; the Intelligence perk Makeshift Warrior; and the Agility perk Ninja. Finally, note that some weapons (e.g., boxing glove, knuckles, or the infamous Power Fist) are only craftable on Weapons Workbenches with this perk active.

Lock and Load

Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 37
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Heavy guns reload 10%/20%/30% faster.

Advice: As heavy guns are among the slowest weapons to reload, taking this perk makes perfect sense, as long as your combat routine involves utilizing heavy guns to their fullest extent, rather than wading in with a heavy gun, using it until it needs reloading, and then switching to a different weapon to finish the job. If your heavy gun needs a reload multiple times during a fight, then you should take this perk. However, balance these benefits with perks like the Strength perk Heavy Gunner; though you can have both, you might simply need to increase your damage rating to remove most clusters of threats (using a heavy gun that doesn’t launch area-of-effect projectiles), rather than reloading a bit more quickly. Check other related perks, such as the Luck perk One Gun Army; then test out your stagger and cripple chances using a fast-firing weapon like the minigun. Again, does this do the job without the need to reload? If it doesn’t, take this perk.

Martial Artist

Rarity: Rare
Level: 16
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your melee weapons weigh 20%/40%/60% less, and you can swing them 10%/20%/30% faster.

Advice: This affects a large number of potent melee weapons used with one or both hands and is a must-have for a character build that focuses on this type of close-combat carnage. The relatively low level that this becomes available at, and the double benefit (lighter and faster) helps you gather more of these weapons and utilize them with more flexibility and ferocity. In fact, you may wish to grab two identical weapons, break one down into component parts, keep the other intact, and see what the weight disparity is; you may find the intact weapon is now lighter than its component parts (unless of course, you also have the Pack Rat perk active)! Martial Artist lends itself to stealth-based combat, especially when partnered with the Strength perks Incisor, Gladiator, and Slugger; the Intelligence perk Makeshift Warrior; and the Agility perk Ninja.

Ordnance Express

Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 31
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Thrown explosives weigh 30%/60%/90% less.

Advice: Usually, a grenade weighs between one-half and one point, which isn’t particularly light compared to most ammunition but still isn’t overly heavy, unless you’re carrying a whole load of grenades (and mines). This is obviously incredibly useful for those whose play style employs grenades to soften up enemies, cause distractions, or defeat clusters of foes in a single explosion, or those who like to lay mine traps for trespassers. For grenade-focused explorers, partner this with the Perception perks Fire in the Hole and Grenadier, and the Intelligence perk Demolition Expert. But if grenades aren’t your main focus, you may wish to spend your points on a perk that benefits your Carry Weight, such as the Strength perk Strong Back, which gives you +10, 20, or 30 to your Carry Weight for the same point cost; this translates to 20, 40, or 60 extra 0.5-point weight grenades: Calculate which is more beneficial to you.

Pack Rat

Rarity: Common
Level: 6
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: The weight of all junk items is reduced by 25%/50%/75%.

Advice: This is exceptionally useful throughout your exploration, allowing you to carry a great deal more items that appear in the Junk menu of your Pip-Boy, which includes base components too. You don’t need to return to your Stash Box as often, and you can investigate multiple new areas, as you aren’t as worried about becoming over-encumbered during explorations of larger locations. However, don’t become overconfident, as you can still die and leave your loot behind! However, as you progress, other perks that give a more general bonus to your Carry Weight (e.g., the Strength perk Strong Back) may be a better choice, as Pack Rat applies only to junk. Also check out which junk is the heaviest (and perhaps priciest), and carry that for you or your team. If you’re teaming up, use this perk to become the player who carries everything before sharing it at the end of the adventure. Also think about partnering this with the Luck perk Junk Shield to give you some extra defense.

(Expert) Shotgunner

Rarity: Rare
Level: 12
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your shotguns now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Like even more mayhem and damage for your shotguns? Then add even more to the damage they inflict. There isn’t some subtle nuance to this perk; it simply makes your enemies melt into pellet-marked goo after a burst from your terrible boomstick! Just remember you’re throwing your lot in by spending so many points on stacking this and the Shotgunner perk: So if you want your shotguns to inflict +40% more damage, you’ll need to play your Shotgunner Rank 3 and Expert Shotgunner Rank 3 together. Each costs 3 Strength Points to use (so 6 in total), leaving you little room for other Strength perks, but if you positively must spray shotgun death on foes, place all these cards together!

(Master) Shotgunner

Rarity: Rare
Level: 45
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your shotguns now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Want to melt through enemies with buckshot like butter? Then think about adding even more damage to your shotgun total: Just be sure you need all these ranks, and you can afford all this point expenditure; it’s going to cost you nine points for a 60% damage bonus for each shot fired (Shotgunner Rank 3, Expert Shotgunner Rank 3, and Master Shotgunner Rank 3), so check other Strength cards to see if you need to broaden your focus. If not, it’s time to gun down anything! Also be mindful that your shotgun may be killing foes too quickly if you’re employing lots of stacked damage modifiers, meaning all this extra damage may only be needed for big-ticket behemoths like Scorchbeasts!

Slugger

Rarity: Rare
Level: 7
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your two-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Before you commit to using two-handing melee weapons, take a glance at the “Weapons” chapter to see the variety and damage you can cause with them. Then expect an extremely impressive damage bonus, which has additional bonuses for each point of Strength attribute you have. The similar Gladiator perk (which allows one-handed melee weapons to inflict additional damage) becomes available at a few levels less than this, so consider that too. Once you’re committed, think about partnering the Slugger cards with the Strength perks Incisor and Martial Artist, the Charisma perk Overly Generous, and the Intelligence perk Makeshift Warrior. Finally, note that some weapons (such as the baseball bat, golf club, pool cue, sledgehammer, super sledge, and war drum) are only craftable on Weapons Workbenches with this perk active.

(Master) Slugger

Rarity: Rare
Level: 48
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3
Description: Your two-handed melee weapons now do +10/15/20% damage.

Advice: Okay, it’s all getting a bit out of hand and “bludgeony” at this point, right? You need to really be keen on using a Legendary, modded two-handed melee weapon, possibly forsaking all other Strength perks in order to receive some truly deranged damage bonuses! Who cares if you’re getting peppered at long ranges, right? It’s assumed you’re using armor and charging in to batter enemies to a pulp. And if you want your two-handed melee weapons to inflict +60% damage, you need Slugger Rank 3, Expert Slugger Rank 3, and Master Slugger Rank 3, for a total of nine Strength Points. But add in any bonuses that your Strength Attribute and weapon give you, and you know this is as entertaining as it is worthwhile!

Strong Back

Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 26
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2, 3, 4
Description: Gain +10/20/30/40 to carry weight.

Advice: If you like to go longer between Stash Box visits, want to accrue a huge number of items and objects during a lengthy scavenge, go beyond the normal limits of your Strength Carry Weight bonus, or enjoy employing heavy weapons and armor but still want a good amount of weight left for collecting, then pick this. If you’re finding you have to drop items or return to Stash Boxes more frequently than you’d like, take this perk. And if you enjoy complex math, you could always figure out the average weight you’re saving by employing perks like Traveling Pharmacy based on the number of chems you carry, compared to the extra Carry Weight you get with this perk and which perk offers better value. Remember, Strong Back allows 10 to 40 extra Carry Weight at any time, though!

Sturdy Frame

Rarity: Uncommon
Level: 13
Ranks:
Points: 1, 2
Description: Armor weighs 25%/50% less than normal.

Advice: Depending on how heavy your armor is (with pieces of Power Armor and metal armor weighing more than, say, leather), this becomes a rather useful way to lessen your Carry Weight. Remember this includes armor you aren’t wearing, so if you like to craft armor or run around with multiple suits of armor, this perk is a must-have. If you like to stick to one type of armor and keep any spare sets in your Stash Box, this is less useful, as unlike perks that lessen weight for item types you collect a huge number of (e.g., junk or chems), you don’t usually have as many armor pieces in your inventory. Partner this with the Intelligence perk Armorer, the Endurance perk Iron Clad, and the Agility perk White Knight.