Summary
There are many different ways to play throughFallout: New Vegas. A player can hop in and be a barrel-chested brawler wielding a fire hydrant sledgehammer, a smooth talker with mountains of charm, or a deadly marksman with pinpoint accuracy. The possibilities are almost limitless and are viable in the game’s Hardcore Mode too. Players will need to be more careful and precise, however, when playing throughFallout: New Vegas' toughest difficulty. Thankfully, there are more than enough interestingFallout: New Vegasbuildsthat players can make in their playthroughs that may prove to be very useful as they travel through the Mojave Wasteland.
Given how brilliantly Obsidian Entertainment crafted this game to make it accessible for players no matter whatFallout: New Vegasbuildthey pursue, it’s easy to see why so many people love this game to bits and can’t get enough of the Mojave and its many secrets. The world ofNew Vegascan be brutal at times, but players who maximize their build and know precisely how to approach certain combat encounters will be more than pleased with the wealth of options at their behest.
Updated on Jul 17, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Fallout: New Vegas is considered by many to be one of the greatest Fallout games ever made, and it’s easy to see why this game has garnered such an impressive reputation. Combining the best of modern Fallout’s open-world goodness with the rich role-playing elements of the first two games led to the creation of a game where players can get lost for hours on end as they explore one of the deepest RPGs ever made. The Mojave Wasteland is one of the most engrossing open-world environments in the series, and the massive success of the Fallout TV adaptation means that more people will be interested in checking out this amazing video game to see why fans still can’t stop praising New Vegas for being a near-perfect Fallout game, which is hefty praise indeed. Those new fans are going to need some solid builds to guide the Courier on their journey, and as such, a couple more have been added to this list.
18Lockpicking Master
Opening Locked Doors And Containers Is Easy As Pie
Looting is one of the most consistent gameplay loops in theFalloutgames, with players being incentivized to search each and every corner of the open world to find something new and unique that can help them in their travels. Some may argue that the loot creep in the modernFalloutgames isn’t balanced, but this is no excuse for players who find themselves lacking important supplies if they haven’t been diligent while exploring the world.
As players explore the Mojave, they’ll find many locked doors and containers that can be a pain to open. While quest-critical doors can still be opened in other ways, the optional avenues that the game presents are the ones that contain the most loot for players to find. Players who invest heavily in the Lockpicking skill will be able to find powerful weapons, excellent armor, and other such items that do a great job of increasing their chances of survival in the Mojave.
17Self-Sufficient Repairman
Repair And Craft Items Without Issue
A lot of people would scoff at the idea of increasing theirRepair skillinNew Vegas. After all, weapons arrive at such a breakneck pace that it’s better to get rid of jammed weapons and focus on something else rather than spending the resources to fix them. With this mentality, the Courier can’t be helped if they’re in the middle of an intense firefight, only for their best weapon to reach critical condition just before a fearsome foe threatens to end their life.
In these instances, it’s easy to see why increasing the Repair skill to make the most of the weapon repair kits is worthwhile, ensuring that players economize the use of this resource and keep their weapons in tip-top shape. GivenNew Vegas' amazing role-playing elements, a high Repair skill can help players out in a number of different avenues too, including through certain dialogue options and quest opportunities.
16A Master Of Trade
Great For Selling High And Buying Low
Most people consider Barter to be one of the worst skills in the entire game. While it does have some unique skill checks of its own, there are so many caps that players will get while going throughNew Vegasnormally that trying to get the best price for their goods won’t be a pressing concern after a point.
However, any person replaying this game may get a kick out of making Barter a major skill to focus on inFallout: New Vegas. It’s a great way to pass some unique skill checks while also getting a ton of money early on in the game that they can invest in powerful weaponry,making their trek through the Mojave somewhat easier.
15Hacking Maestro
Perfect For Players Who Want To Hack Every Door, Security Bot, And Terminal
Hacking is easily one of the most annoying aspects of modernFalloutgames, with players having to pick out a phrase on a screen that is possibly the password of the terminal in question. It can be positively agonizing at times to perform this minigame over and over again… but there’s no denying that hacking is one of the easiest ways to gain access to caps, high-level loot, secret areas, and everything else along the same lines.
So, most people wouldn’t be surprised to know that the Science skill isone of the most important stats that players can invest some points in.New Vegashas many points where a high Science skill can let players hack more complex terminals. While this does mean that players will have to interact with a cumbersome minigame over and over again, it’s still far from the worst way players can experienceNew Vegas.
14Skilled Thief
Players Can Get A Ton Of Valuable Loot Through A Bit Of Theft
Thievery is frowned upon in any video game, butthe penalty for the same inNew Vegasis a bit too harsh for most people’s liking. There is a set Karma penalty whenever the Courier steals anything, regardless of the value attached to said item. As a result, compulsive hoarders will find their reputation tanking after stealing a few odd knick-knacks here and there in a settlement, which makes no sense whatsoever.
As a result, players who want to enjoy a positive Karma playthrough are dissuaded from thievery. However, if a person wants to become a master thief, then they can achieve the same by investing a lot of points in the Sneak stat. Not only will this help them be as stealthy as possible without drawing any unwanted attention, but pickpocketing also becomes a breeze.
13Heavy Endurance
Tanking Attacks And High Stamina Are Great For Obvious Reasons
The “E” in the SPECIAL statistics system of theFalloutgames stands for Endurance. The Endurance stat encompasses a lot of skills and perks inFallout: New Vegas. The Endurance stat affects the number of hit points a player has as well as the strength of their radiation resistance.
It will be extremely helpful to increase this stat for a build in the game’s Hardcore Mode. Perks based on this stat that players should pick include Strong Back and Long Haul which increase a player’s carrying capacity and Toughness which adds an additional 10% to a player’s damage resistance.
12Hand-To-Hand Combat
Up Close And Personal
There are many different ways to handle a violent confrontation. Using one’s bare hands is a viable option inFallout: New Vegas’s Hardcore Mode. However, it is important to note that an unarmed combat build is a bit riskier than other builds given that players must approach closely to their enemies. The aforementioned Endurance stat has an effect on a player’s Unarmed skill. High Endurance and high Unarmed skills are good places to start. Acquiring a ballistic fist is also important for this build.
Talking to thevarious NPCsthat can teach the player a few unarmed takedowns will greatly improve one’s chances of successfully playing this build. The Ballistic Fist is a weapon that players may want to have in their arsenal when running this build which is available at different merchants around the Mojave. Some of Caesar’s Legion Praetorian Guards wield Ballistic Fists.
11Melee Combat
Slice, Smash, And Pierce Enemies With Unique Close-Range Weapons
Similar to an unarmed combat build, a melee combat build forces the player to get up close and personal with their enemies. Unlike an unarmed combat build, there are more tools at a player’s disposal with a melee combat build. As expected, to increase one’s skill with melee weapons, improving the Strength stat of the SPECIAL system and the aptly named Melee Weapons skill is the way to go.Melee weaponsthat allow players to keep their distance are the safest option with this Hardcore Mode build.
These weapons include but are not limited to sledgehammers, shishkebabs, and fire axes. Some of the best choices for weapons for this build include but are not limited to the “Oh, Baby!,” which is a unique variant of the Super Sledge and can be found in Charleston Cave. The Chainsaw is another valid option that is available from a few merchants but is most commonly found on the leader of the Fiends, Motor-Runner, in Vault 3. “Knock Knock” is a unique variant of the fire axe which works very well with a melee combat build and can be found in the bathrooms of the Camp Searchlight fire station.
10Explosives Expert
Blast Enemies To Smithereens
Explosives are a great way to keep your distance in the Hardcore Mode ofFallout: New Vegas. The Explosives skill is affected by the Perception stat of the SPECIAL system. Just like the other skills and stats, players should increase these at the beginning to increase the success of this build. Grenade rifles, missile launchers, and mini-nuke launchers are the best weapons for this build.
The Mercenary’s grenade rifle that’s available in the Courier’s StashDLC is greatfor this build because it is offered right at the beginning of the game. Another option is Annabelle which is a unique variant of the rocket launcher. A nightkin at the top of Black Mountain possesses Annabelle. While Fat Mans which are mini-nuke launchers are only available through the Gun Runner’s Arsenal DLC, they are one of the best choices when running an explosives expert build.
9Big Iron On His Hip
The Best Way To Take Out From A Relatively Safe Distance
If getting up close and personal when engaging in fights inFallout: New Vegasisn’t a player’s cup of tea, then there is another option: guns. Arguably the most common way to playNew Vegasand its Hardcore Mode, using firearms opens many doors for Hardcore Mode builds. The Agility stat of the SPECIAL system affects the usefulness of guns, specifically the draw and holster speed, the reload speed, and the overall Guns skill.
High Agility, high Guns skill, and small firearms will make a player the quickest gunslinger in the MojaveWasteland, not giving their enemies a chance to react. Weapons like the 12.7mm submachine gun, Sleepytyme, and the 5.56mm pistol are all great weapons to purchase and use for this build and are available through the Gun Runner’s Arsenal DLC. Some unique guns are also viable like the All-American which is located in the armory of Vault 34.
