In Fallout 4, understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and specific characteristics of each enemy type can significantly enhance your survival and effectiveness in combat. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the key enemies you will encounter:

Raiders
– Characteristics: Raiders are human adversaries often found in various levels of armor—ranging from leather and metal to combat-grade gear. Their unpredictability and use of a variety of weapons make them a constant threat throughout the Commonwealth.
– Weaknesses:
– Armor Type: Focus on using ballistic weapons against those in leather or synth armor, as these types are particularly vulnerable to bullets. For raiders in metal armor, energy weapons are more effective. Combat armor users have a balanced defense so varied strategies may be necessary when facing them.

Super Mutants
– Characteristics: These hulking, mutated creatures possess significant health and formidable melee strength. They are often encountered in groups and can be a significant threat if not dealt with strategically.
– Weaknesses:
– Limb Crippling: Super Mutants are particularly susceptible to limb crippling, which can significantly hinder their combat ability. Target their legs to slow them down or their arms to reduce their melee attacks.
– Radiation: They resist radiation damage but using tactics focused on their physical form can make engagements much more manageable.

Ghouls
– Characteristics: Ranging from relatively sane mutants to mindless, feral creatures, ghouls are resilient to radiation and often appear in large groups.
– Weaknesses:
– Types: Use fire and energy weapons effectively against feral ghouls, as they are particularly vulnerable to these types of damage.
– Limb Crippling: As with Super Mutants, crippling limbs can reduce their threat level significantly—this applies to all ghouls regardless of their mental state.

Synths
– Characteristics: Synths are humanoid robots designed to mimic humans closely, often making them deceptive foes.
– Weaknesses:
– Energy Weapons: These are particularly effective against synths, as ballistic weapons struggle to penetrate their synthetic armor. Prioritizing energy-based attacks can help bring them down quicker.
– Limb Damage: Crippling their limbs can also help in mitigating their threat.

Deathclaws
– Characteristics: These powerful and iconic enemies are incredibly dangerous, featuring sharp claws and immense agility.
– Weaknesses:
– Limb Crippling: Crippling their limbs is essential to reduce their mobility and damage output. Focus on well-aimed shots to their legs, ideally with powerful ballistic or energy weapons.
– Weapons: No specific elemental weaknesses exist, so using high-damage weaponry becomes crucial.

Additional Notes on Robots
– General Resistance: Many robots, including synths, are resistant to ballistic damage but particularly vulnerable to energy attacks.
– Weak Spot: Aim for the torso for maximum effectiveness, and disable limbs, especially for fast-moving threats like Assaultrons and Sentry Bots.

General Combat Tips
– Limb Targeting: This applies universally across enemy types; crippling limbs can make battles significantly easier.
– Awareness Perk: Utilize the Awareness perk from the Perception tree to assess enemy resistances in VATS mode. This can guide your choice of weapon type for each encounter.
– Mobility and Strategy: Remain mobile during combat, particularly when facing mixed groups of enemies. Prioritizing threats like robots will allow for clearer battles.

By understanding each enemy type’s strengths and weaknesses, you can develop tailored strategies that leverage effective weapon choices and exploit vulnerabilities for successful encounters within the dangers of the Commonwealth in Fallout 4.