Summary
Fallout 76is built upon the same S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system that every other Fallout game is built upon, though the way you apply perks to your character is a bit different. Fallout 76 introduced perk cards, and how many perk cards you can have equipped for any given stat depends on how many points you’ve put into that trait.
The Perception trait in Fallout 76 affects your awareness of nearby enemies, how well you can detect stealthy movement, and your V.A.T.S weapon accuracy. V.A.T.S. is a bit different in Fallout 76 than in previous entries due to the fact that it doesn’t essentially stop time like it has before, but that doesn’t mean V.A.T.S., or Perception, is worthless. These are the best Perception cards to use.
Increases All Relevant Weapon Damage Each By 20 Percent At Max Rank
Damage buff perks are some of thebest perk cards in the game. For the Perception perks, these include the Archer, Commando, and Rifleman perk cards, which buff Bows/Crossbows, Automatic Rifles, and Non-Automatic Rifles, respectively.
If you’re running a build capitalizing on any of these weapons, you’re going to end up using most or all of these relevant damage buffs for your weapon(s).
9Concentrated Fire
V.A.T.S. Can Target Limbs, And Continued Fire On One Limb Increases Accuracy And Damage Per Shot
For any build that’s using V.A.T.S., concentrated Fire allows you to target limbs while doing so, as well as increases accuracy and damage when firing at the same limb over and over again.
Almost any build utilizing V.A.T.S. is going to make use of Concentrated Fire, and for good reason. Without this, for example, there’s no way to headshot an enemy while in V.A.T.S.
8Grenadier
Explosives Detonate With Double The Blast Radius
Grenadier doubles the radius of all of your explosives, meaning you’re quite literally going to be getting a lot more bang for your buck.
A build making heavy use of explosives would have a hard time justifying not fitting this into their build, since it’s both going to make the job of ensuring your explosives hit an enemy easier, it’s also going to ensure that each explosion hits more enemies.
7Tank Killer
Rifles And Pistols Ignore 36 Percent Of Armor And Have A Nine Percent Chance To Stagger
Tank Killer allows your Rifles and Pistols to ignore 36 percent of your target’s armor, and has a nine percent chance to stagger them. The stagger chance isn’t particularly revolutionary here, but on an automatic weapon, it shines a little bit more than it does on a semiautomatic.
What really sets this perk card apart is how much of your target’s armor it ignores; it’s a pretty hefty increase in damage on targets with a lot of armor.
6Bow Before Me
Bows And Crossbows Ignore 36 Percent Of Armor And Have A Nine Percent Chance To Stagger
Bow Before Me, at Max Rank, makes your Bows and Crossbows ignore 36 percent of your targets' armor, and gives you a nine percent chance to stagger them. The stagger chance here is even less useful than it is in the Tank Killer perk, but that big of a chunk of your enemy’s armor is a very valuable addition to some of thebest bow/crossbow builds.
Considering bows/crossbows have a higher damage-per-shot than a lot of other weapons, this means that ignoring that much of your target’s armor is going to be a significant damage increase.
5Ground Pounder
Ground Pounder allows you to reload your Rifles 30 percent faster, and improves your Rifle’s hip fire accuracy.
The accuracy buff is nothing particularly special, but the reload increase can make a humongous difference when it comes to damage output, especially on weapons with a low magazine size. Less time spent reloading is more time spent shooting, after all.
4Exterminator
Attacks Ignore 75 Percent Of Any Insect’s Armor
Exterminator is a highly specific perk card, enabling you to ignore 75 percent of the armor of any insect. This might not seem like a big deal at all until you consider the fact that Mirelurks are, in fact, insects.
Slot this perk card in when facing off against the big bad Mirelurks like the Mirelurk Queen, and you’re going to have a much happier time. Equally important is that the Mirelurks are going to be having a significantly worse time.
3Glow Sight
Deal 60 Percent Extra Damage To Glowing Enemies
Similar to the Exterminator perk card helping specifically with insects, Glow Sight is a perk you’ll want to swap in very specifically when fighting Glowing Enemies.
These enemies can be surprisingly difficult to take down; Glow Sight will increase your damage against them by 60 percent, making them a much less formidable enemy.
2Fire In The Hole
Thrown Items Can Be Thrown 50 Percent Further And Display A Throwing Arc
Fire in the Hole is a perk that those running a build utilizing explosives are going to want to consider. This perk gives you a throwing arc when tossing something, but more important than that, allows you to throw things 50 percent further.
This can be especially beneficial when combined with the Grenadier perk, which gives your explosives a blast radius that you might otherwise accidentally find yourself inside.
1Skeet Shooter
Shotguns Have Improved Accuracy And Spread
While not an absolutely necessary perk for a Shotgun build, Skeet Shooter does vastly increase the accuracy and spread of your Shotgun.
This will give you a little more wiggle room when it comes to range, and certain playstyles are going to find this a boon, particularlyShotgun buildsthat don’t necessarily revolve around being inside swinging distance of enemies.
