Fallout: New Vegas Unarmed Build

[Mooseman9]

Hey there! I'm getting into Fallout: New Vegas again, and I want a good unarmed build. I have looked around a bit on google to see if there were some good builds, and I found one that I thought to be alright. If you spot something that you think I should change, go ahead and say it. Anyways, here's the build that I found. I'm planning to get the Better Criticals Perk as well, and some implants.

Special:

S - 9

P - 5

E - 6

C - 1

I - 5

A - 6

L - 8

Traits:

Good Natured

Built to Destroy

Perks:

2 Bachelor

4 Educated (INT 4)

6 Comprehension (INT 4)

8 Super Slam (STR 6 melee 45)

10 Finesse

12 Piercing strike (unarmed 70)

14 Purifier

16 Silent Running (AGI 6 sneak 50)

18 Paralyzing Palm (unarmed 70)

20 Ninja (melee 80 sneak 80)

22 Grim Reaper

24 Slayer (AGI 7 unarmed 90)

26 Toughness (END 5)

28 Toughness (END 5)

30 Unstoppable (STR 7 melee 90)

Again, I found this off of google, so please, give some criticism on it.

[Hushful]

If you're going for a straight melee build, and unless for some reason you need your Intelligence and Perception that high, i would add another point or two into endurance so you can have a bit more health and not get mowed down by gunfire before you even get close to your target.

[Mooseman9]

Well, I have a high Perception, so when I get the Per Implant, I can get the Better Criticals Perk, which requires 6 Per. Intelligence is a bit high because I need to put more points into Unarmed.

[Adlersch]

You need to rethink your SPECIAL. If you're straight-up Unarmed, you want Endurance. Strength has nothing to do with Unarmed damage, Endurance is actually what dictates Unarmed damage and ability.

Also, if you don't like fighting your way through everything in the world, Intelligence is good for easy puzzle solutions/dialogue options. Charisma less so, and you can always just level up the skills Charisma enhances. Perception is good if you plan to use explosives or energy weapons as maybe a sidearm, but otherwise I'd say scrap it unless you want dialogue options/puzzle solutions. You can always use ED-E to help with spotting faraway enemies.

I keep Agility kind of low generally, then get the trait Small Frame. I combine it with the perk Adamantium Skeleton, and it's just a free SPECIAL point. As for Luck, it's great for gambling and a few quests (Getting into Robco's third floor, doing brain surgery on Caesar without medical knowledge), but otherwise I found little use for it. I found consistent high damage beat out a few crits.

EDIT: Melee =/= Unarmed, by the way. Wanted to make that clear. Strength improves Melee damage, but Melee is with weapons like swords, clubs, knives, etc. Unarmed is power fists, boxing tape, bladed fists, all of that stuff. They are two separate things, despite both being up-close-and-personal fighting.

Second edit: As Hushful said, your Endurance is really low for straight-up Unarmed. Not only will you get mowed down, but as I've stated before, Endurance dictates base Unarmed damage in FO:NV, not Strength.

[Mooseman9]

You need to rethink your SPECIAL. If you're straight-up Unarmed, you want Endurance. Strength has nothing to do with Unarmed damage, Endurance is actually what dictates Unarmed damage and ability.

Also, if you don't like fighting your way through everything in the world, Intelligence is good for easy puzzle solutions/dialogue options. Charisma less so, and you can always just level up the skills Charisma enhances. Perception is good if you plan to use explosives or energy weapons as maybe a sidearm, but otherwise I'd say scrap it unless you want dialogue options/puzzle solutions. You can always use ED-E to help with spotting faraway enemies.

I keep Agility kind of low generally, then get the trait Small Frame. I combine it with the perk Adamantium Skeleton, and it's just a free SPECIAL point. As for Luck, it's great for gambling and a few quests (Getting into Robco's third floor, doing brain surgery on Caesar without medical knowledge), but otherwise I found little use for it. I found consistent high damage beat out a few crits.

EDIT: Melee =/= Unarmed, by the way. Wanted to make that clear. Strength improves Melee damage, but Melee is with weapons like swords, clubs, knives, etc. Unarmed is power fists, boxing tape, bladed fists, all of that stuff. They are two separate things, despite both being up-close-and-personal fighting.

Second edit: As Hushful said, your Endurance is really low for straight-up Unarmed. Not only will you get mowed down, but as I've stated before, Endurance dictates base Unarmed damage in FO:NV, not Strength.

Alright, so I've tested what you guys said, and I have found that beating up the first person I found in the inn, Sunny Smiles, has netted me a death, while only a fourth of her health was down. So thanks Adlersch, I will focus more points on endurance and then post my SPECIAL again.

[Xylord]

Makes a LONG time I didn't play any Fallout, but wasn't there a way to have 10-10-10-10-10-10-10 SPECIALs? Unless it was 9-9-9-9-9-9-9? Anyway, I think one of them is possible, with bobble heads (Or whatever replaces them in NV) or something like that.

[Hushful]

It was all 9's and the perk was called "almost perfect" or something close to that, then with the bobble heads you could get straight tens. So you're right not once, but twice! Awww, yea...

[Xylord]

It was all 9's and the perk was called "almost perfect" or something close to that, then with the bobble heads you could get straight tens. So you're right not once, but twice! Awww, yea...

Well, there I go. If I remember well, you can get all 9's on the second to last level, so you gotta keep yourself from getting the collectibles until then, because I think you'd waste them if you took them before.

[Hushful]

Yep, same thing goes for the "Intensive Training" perk if you took any ranks in it before then. It just totally overwrites it. Honestly though, with power armor, weapons from the last two DLCs and the right SPECIAL setup you can make yourself damn near invincible anyway.

[Mooseman9]

Hmmm, I'm trying to think of a name, anyone got any? He is African American, has a wild handlebar mustache, Tunnel Snakes-like hair, and is an overall badass. Names would be greatly appreciated.

[Hushful]

Titty-sprinkles! No? Umm, how about Carl or Brosephus?

[Mooseman9]

Titty-sprinkles! No? Umm, how about Carl or Brosephus?

Avagantamos, the eater of nipples?

[Hushful]

Avagantamos, the eater of nipples?

DONE! Sold! Pack that bitch up and ship him out because you're stuck with that name now.

[Mooseman9]

Alright, so now my SPECIAL is:

S - 6

P - 5

E - 9

C - 1

I - 5

A - 6

L - 8

Now, I think that is a good Unarmed build, but more feedback would still be appreciated.

[Hushful]

I'd roll with that one, and either get Boone or ED-E as a companion so they can soften them up before you pummel them.

[Adlersch]

I'd roll with that one, and either get Boone or ED-E as a companion so they can soften them up before you pummel them.

Pssh, you kidding? Vanilla-wise, I'd get both. ED-E and Boone were my all-time favorite companions (Boone kicked so much ass. So much.), not to mention they each had a deep background story/quest.

Boone's was especially awesome, since you couldn't discover it if you were a dickbag and it puts perspective on everything he does - plus how much closer he gets to your character in terms of friendship really gives life to the character. I'd wager he's my favorite in-game NPC of all time.

...Anyways, yeah. ED-E, Boone, can't go wrong with either, can't go wrong with both.

[Cheap Shot]

ED-E is my floaty bro.

I've always wanted to roll with a powerfist and try "unarmed" but I'm a terrible video game hoarder and can't leave my dirty virtual motel room without 150 pounds of gear. I'm carrying two different sniper rifles and a chainsaw right now for gods sakes.

[FFGF]

Rex and Lilly are my followers.

Rex is awesome with detection, then Lilly charges in with her melee and smashes whatever is there. Op Followers are Op.

[Adlersch]

ED-E is my floaty bro.

I've always wanted to roll with a powerfist and try "unarmed" but I'm a terrible video game hoarder and can't leave my dirty virtual motel room without 150 pounds of gear. I'm carrying two different sniper rifles and a chainsaw right now for gods sakes.

I have the holorifle from Dead Money, a Riot Shotgun, one of those Canine Guns from Old World Blues, and the unique rocket launcher whose name escapes me - just in case.

I must say, I'm prepared for nearly any situation but despite having 100 unarmed (Everything's 100 except barter, at 75) I never use it. Guns, Rifles, and 'splosives!

[Cheap Shot]

My favourite sniper rifle right now is the Gobi. It's really light and steady and has good distance. Not as powerful as some others but when you hit the head it doesn't really matter that much. The other one I've got is that really big one that packs a punch modded to hell. I was using it to shoot off legs for some bounty missions. I should probably leave it at home now that I'm done them. I have problems with redundancy. I cant decide between two sometimes. For instance I'm carrying both a fully modded chainsaw and katana and they're both pretty fun.

I really like the design of the powerfist but guns are too much fun and pretty much the solution to every fight. Honestly I think I could do the whole game with just the chainsaw an the gobi, but I'm thinking of picking up a riot shotgun to cover my range bases.

[Adlersch]

The only reason I picked up a riot shotgun at all is because it's close-range and it is a conventional firearm. I picked up the perk that makes enemies explode as if they were plasma grenades upon death if killed with an energy weapon. This still damages my character and companions, so after a few deaths I grabbed a riot shotgun for up-close encounter safety (Not to mention I love the style of the gun... That aside, however).

Besides, with my holorifle fully modded and my style of play (Sniper = Sneak attack criticals every shot), the perk became so overpowered over a distance of >10 meters that one shot would take out a really large swath of enemies.

[Mooseman9]

Well, I have been playing around with the build, and so far it has been going pretty well. Regular fists work pretty well, but I like the Brass Knuckles, they really help for when I just want to deal with the enemy quickly.

[Hushful]

Get the golden gloves from in the Lucky 38, those things are amazing.

[Mooseman9]

Get the golden gloves from in the Lucky 38, those things are amazing.

Alright then, I'll go there later, right now it's back to reading Kitty Jail and other threads...