Summary
WhileFallout 76’s skill/perk system is a bit different from its predecessors, the fundamental S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats are still there. Starting with S, which stands for Strength, each letter in the acronym represents a different statistic.
The Strength stat in Fallout 76 affects how much you can carry, and the damage of your melee attacks. There are 32 total perk cards available in the Strength category of Fallout 76, and while many of these perk cards are only useful with a particular build in mind, some of them do have some universal appeal.
10Master/Expert/Damage Buffs
Increases Relevant Weapon Damage Each By 20 Percent At Max Rank
These damage increasing perk cards include Shotguns, Melee Weapons, and Heavy Weapons, and each of these is going to be paramount if your build revolves around using any of them. While you might not always need to have all three bonuses maxed out, which takes up nine of your perk points for Strength, you will almost certainly be using a sizeable amount of them.
These perk cards might not be fancy or particularly exciting, but they make a stark difference between your weapons being exceptionally effective, and your weapons being the equivalent of slapping your enemies with a pool noodle.
9Blocker
Reduces Incoming Melee Damage By 45%
Blocker is one of the rare perk cards in Fallout that has universal appeal; most combat situations in Fallout 76 are going to involve someone or something trying to beat you to death with some kind of melee attack. Blocker reduces incoming melee damage by 45 percent, making everything that tries to melee you about half as effective.
This is one of thebest perk cardsin the game, and is going to make a dramatic difference in your survivability, especially when it comes to fights with large packs of ghouls or other groups of mobs that exclusively use melee.
8Incisor
Your Melee Attacks Ignore 75 Percent Of Your Target’s Armor
A bit of an uno-reverse card version of Blocker, the Max Rank of Incisor ensures that your melee and unarmed attacks ignore 75 percent of your targets' armor.
While this is not necessarily going to be a 75 percent increase in the damage that you deal, it is still going to be a substantial buff to your melee attacks, especially against some ofthe toughest enemiesthat are often equipped with quite a lot of armor.
For a melee build, this is a pretty non-negotioable perk card to include.
7Martial Artist
Melee Weapons Weigh 60 Percent Less And You Swing Them 30 Percent Faster
Martial Artist at Max Rank will decrease melee weapon weight by 60 percent, and help you to swing them 30 percent faster. That is effectively a damage buff if you view your damage through a damage-per-second lens, as it basically increases your rate of fire.
This is another perk card that’s going to be included in quite a few different melee-focused builds, primarily for the damage-boosting effects. That being said, there’s also some real convenience when it comes to the reduced weapon weight as well, especially if you happen to be carrying a few different weapons around.
6Pack Rat
All Junk Items Weigh 75 Percent Less
Everybody has found themselves in that situation where there’s something they want to pick up, but they picked up too much junk along the way, and now they’ve got decisions to make.
Pack Rat is going to ensure that decision doesn’t have to come for a bit longer, and is an essential perk if you have a problem when it comes to picking up things you’ll probably, eventually, definitely need.
5Lock And Load
For someone running Heavy Weapons, Lock and Load is a very nice convenience perk, increasing Heavy Weapon reload speed by 30 percent. This is one of those perk cards that isn’t strictly necessary, but sometimes quality-of-life perk cards can make a huge difference.
While it might not be necessary for certain weapons, other weapons take an unfortunate amount of time to reload, and this is going to make them a lot more enjoyable to use.
All Chems And Stimpacks Weigh 90 Percent Less
This is another non-essential but very convenient perk, reducing the carry weight of all Chems, including Stimpacks, by 90 percent. There is a backpack mod that has the exact same effect, and if you’re looking for the extra Strength perk points, you can save yourself on this perk by equipping that mod.
But, if you have something else you’d like for your backpack, this can make a surprising difference, especially if you use a lot of different Chems.
3Ordnance Express
All Explosives Weigh 90 Percent Less
For anyone with an affinity for turning one thing into a lot of smaller things, Ordnance Express is going to be a big help. This perk card decreases the carry weight of explosives by 90 percent at Max Rank, which is going to give you a tremendous amount of extra backpack space for other things.
Or, if you’re so inclined, it’s going to give you a tremendous amount more backpack space for more explosives.
2Bear Arms
All Heavy Weapons Weigh 90 Percent Less
One of the better quality-of-life perk cards in the game, Bear Arms is a godsend for anyone using Heavy Weapons. While they are some of thebest weapons in the game, Heavy Weapons are aptly named. Bear Arms makes them significantly less so, reducing their weight by 90 percent.
This is going to make an exponential difference if you’re running more than one Heavy Weapon, and give you a ridiculous amount more inventory space for other things.
1Iron Fist
Punching Attacks Do 20 Percent Extra Damage
If you’re running an unarmed melee build, Iron Fist can be of critical use, increasing the damage of punching attacks. For most players, this perk card isn’t going to be anything to take a second look at, considering the extremely specific type of attack that it buffs.
But, for those very fun unarmed melee builds that require an incredible amount of min-maxing to get mileage out of, Iron Fist can be a real life-changer.
