Best Build for Survival Mode in Fallout 4

Survival Mode in Fallout 4 is the hardest difficulty level you can play the game on. If you’re jumping in, you need to be ready with the best character build. So, here is the best build you can use in Survival Mode.

Fallout 4 in true RPG fashion allows players to experiment with a bunch of builds. The Infiltrator build is arguably one of the strongest builds in the game making heavy use of the gun Deliverer which also happens to be one of the best weapons in Fallout 4.

The Infiltrator also relies heavily on VATS to take down enemies with an emphasis on stealth. That being said here’s how you can make the best build for Survival Mode in Fallout 4.

Contents

• Best SPECIAL stats spread
• Best perks to choose
• The best equipment to use
• Best bobbleheads to pick up

Best SPECIAL stats spread for a Survival Mode build

Survival Mode will have you dealing with buffed-up enemies with increased attack strength and damage resistance so you need to plan your stats accordingly. Since this build has a heavy focus on V.A.T.S., put more emphasis on Agility, Luck, and Perception as all of them combined should give you a lot of value when using V.A.T.S.

• Strength: 3
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: 3
• Charisma: 1
• Intelligence: 3
• Agility: 8
• Luck: 6

Best perks to choose for a Survival Mode build

Now that you have allocated attribute points to each SPECIAL stat, the next step is to choose perks and level up accordingly. Here’s a breakdown of the perks you need to focus on throughout the game:

Perk	SPECIAL attribute rank required	Perk description
Armorer	Strength – 3	Receive access to base level and Rank 1 armor mods.
Awareness	Perception – 3	You can view a target’s specific damage resistances in V.A.T.S.
Penetrator	Perception – 9	Allows you to target an enemy’s body parts hidden behind cover when in V.A.T.S., with a decrease in accuracy.
Concentrated Fire	Perception – 10	In V.A.T.S gain +10% accuracy on every attack on the same body part.
Gun Nut	Intelligence – 3	Get access to base level and Rank 1 gun mods.
Gunslinger	Agility – 1	Non-automatic pistols do 20% more damage.
Sneak	Agility – 3	Become 20% harder to detect while sneaking.
Mister Sandman	Agility – 4	Silenced weapons do an additional 15% sneak attack damage.
Action Boy/Action Girl	Agility – 5	Action Points (AP) regenerate 25% faster.
Ninja	Agility – 7	Ranged sneak attacks do 2.5x normal damage and your melee attacks do 4x normal damage.
Gun Fu	Agility – 10	Deal an additional 25% damage to every new target you hit.
Bloody Mess	Luck – 3	+5% bonus damage
Better Criticals	Luck – 6	Criticals do 50% more damage.
Grim Reaper’s Sprint	Luck – 8	V.A.T.S. kill has a 15% chance to restore all AP.

All of these perks focus on V.A.T.S. kills and sneak attacks which is the essence of this build. Focus as much as you can on these perks.

Penetrator, Concentrated Fire, and Gun Nut are some of the most important perks that you should unlock as soon as possible. These perks will work in tandem with the Deliverer which is a gun essential to this build.

The best equipment to use for a Survival Mode build

The Infiltrator build in Fallout 4 is highly dependent on strategic weapons and armor choices to maximize its effectiveness. Here’s the best equipment you can use for this build:

Primary Weapon – Deliverer:

• The key weapon for the Infiltrator build is the Deliverer, obtained by joining the Railroad faction. To know the full process of obtaining it, click here.
• The Deliverer has a unique special effect that reduces Action Points (AP) cost in VATS and increases VATS hit chance.
• You can even add mods to the Deliverer for increased damage and VATS performance. Do not remove the suppressor as it is integral to maintaining stealth.
• You can get Deliverer mods from Tinker Tom at Railroad HQ if you lack the crafting perks.

Backup Weapons:

• Look for backup weapons with VATS, accuracy, or AP-related bonuses. The Tinker Tom Special is a good example.
• Avoid automatic weapons to retain the benefits of the Gunslinger perk unless you choose the Commando perk instead.
• Always have the suppressor attachments with backup weapons to maintain stealth.

Armor Choices:

• Prioritize lightweight armor early on while your Sneak perk is low, but consider heavier armor as your Sneak improves.
• Avoid using Power Armor as it does not suit the Infiltrator build’s playstyle.
• Seek out Legendary armor pieces with bonuses for improved Sneak or better VATS performance.

Best bobbleheads to pick up for a Survival Mode build

While collecting bobbleheads is not mandatory some bobbleheads will make the build better and stronger. So, here is a rundown of each bobblehead to collect and the effect they have:

Bobblehead	Location	Effect
Unarmed Bobblehead	Atom Cats Garage	+25% critical damage gain with unarmed attacks.
Luck Bobblehead	Spectacle Island	Increases your Luck by 1.
Barter Bobblehead	Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery	Makes prices 5% better.
Intelligence Bobblehead	Boston Public Library	Increases your Intelligence by 1.
Charisma Bobblehead	Parsons State Insane Asylum	Increases your Charisma by 1.
Agility Bobblehead	Wreck of the FMS Northern Star	Increases your Agility by 1.

For a more in-depth guide on where exactly to find these bobbleheads, check out our guide here.

Check out our other Fallout coverage below:

Fallout 4 console commands | 10 best Fallout 4 mods | All Easter Eggs in Fallout series trailer | Fallout Amazon series: Everything we know