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Event Build: The King of Boston (FO4)

Tags: #Teineeva  #Fallout 4 Build  #Event:Comic Books  #The Streets of Boston  #Simon Lafoy  #Awesomesauce  #Pistols  #Commando 
  • Member
    February 20, 2017

    Not too long before the bombs fell, a journalist working for the Boston Gazette found out Eddy Winter wasn't the only Crime Lord of the city. No, Eddy had a rival, a well kept secret among the families of Boston, a name few dared to even whisper. After this discovery the poor man got obsessed with finding out the identity of the man who ruled Boston from the shadows. Afraid of further repercussions after their editor in chief was found dead, a crown around his neck, following their choice to publish an article on this supposed King of Boston, the Gazette chose to fire the journalist who had been at its source. Now without a job, the journalist despaired; he still wanted to out the King, but he needed money to live. One can only imagine how happy he was when he saw Hubris comics was looking for writers for their new darker series of comics.

    The journalist used his newfound position at Hubris to spread the evidence he had found that in his mind proved the existance of the crimelord by incorporating them into his stories. He expected a repercussion as soon as he would have published the first edition and made sure to finish the story before hand. In the end the King of Boston never did anything to stop him; not that it was necessary as the day the comic landed in the shelves, a nuclear bomb crashed in the outskirts of the city.

    I'm guessing that if you've read my fallout story: The Streets of Boston here on this site, you probably will have guessed who we're talking about here. If you haven't: go read it! Anyway, I've been asked on multiple occasions if I would ever make a build for good old Simon, and for a long time I refused as Fallout 4's dialogue system kept me from playing Simon, well, as Simon. However as I really liked the Comics event, I thought I might as well suspend my disbelief and try it.

    For the uninitiated, Simon Lafoy as he is known in my story, is Eddy Winter's old rival and a very powerful crime lord in his own right. After he goes mad in his personal Fallout Shelter (210 years of isolation will do that to you), he is liberated onto the now devastated Commonwealth and is now more ambitious than ever. Without Eddy, or the Law who is there to stop him from claiming what had always been his: The Streets of Boston?

    If you're interested in the story I suggest you visit the following link: http://tamrielvault.com/blogs/12269/4384/toc-the-streets-of-boston

    The King of Boston, or Simon Lafoy, is a cruel gangster. Never far from his treacherous revolver or his trusty submachine gun, he is sure to cause an entire apocalypse worth of damage if you stand in his way. Of course he would much rather see you do it for him. Simon is an expert at "convincing" those with a more simple mind they are better off without friends. Lady Killer, Mobster and in general a shrewd and intelligent man, Simon is sure to build himself a new paradise in the commonwealth, at the expense of anyone else.

    For this Character I decided to go with a maxed out Charisma stat to reflect Simon's almost sociopathically perfect social skills; if this man wants something from you, you will want to give it to him, with or without threats. Furthermore all stats with the exception of Strength, Endurance and Intelligence will be average to good. The Low intelligence does in no way mean the character isn't smart; the perks just simply do not reflect the kind of shrewdness Simon possesses and as such (despite my hate for the sound that comes with it) we'll be going with 5 luck to start us off with the Idiot Savant Perk. We will also try to find the stat bobbleheads, although priority will be given to Perception and Luck to avoid spending unnecesary perkpoints to grow these stats.

     

                   

    Intelligence: 4/4 Medic.

    Simon is strangely well versed in the art of medecine, or more precisely human anatonomy, this skill helped him get rid of, or planting, evidence back in the pre-war days. Now it helps him heal himself more easily. Apart from his year in medical school, Simon never had much interest in science, and he never had to. Information was usually but one bribe away.

    This perk has a very low priority and is only accesable once you will have found the intelligence bobblehead. But when you find that, don't hesitate to throw in a few perks.

    Charisma: 3/3 Cap Collector, 3/3 Lady Killer, 1/2 Local Leader, 3/3 Inspirational and 2/3 Intimidation.

    As the King of Boston Simon has always had a big influence on trade, be it before or after the bombs dropped this man has his fingers in just about every trade imagineable, even more so now that the bombs have disposed of morality. His other pass-time is flirting, even for an aging man, Simon has everything he needs to persuade even the most irrational dames.

    We'll only be taking one point in local leader as in my opinion the second rank is superfluous when you're running a drug trade. As for the missing rank for intimidation: Simon generally has no use for raiders or gunners; might as well just let them kill eachother, he'll be there to clean up their mess afterwards.

    Luck: 3/3 Idiot savant, 3/3 Better Criticals, 3/3 Critical Banker, 3/3 Grim Reaper's Sprint.

    Simon doesn't believe in luck, but then again without a hint of luck he wouldn't have survived the Apocalypse and the following 210 years where he got trapped inside of his own vault. Of all the days he could have decided to fuck Imogen Cabbot, he was lucky enough for it to be her last day on the Serum.

     

    Apart from Idiot Savant, the luck perks are mostly for the later levels, but should be increased gradually as you advance through the game. Although, if you come across a Lucky .44 pistol it might be interesting to accelerate that process.

    Agility: 5/5 Gunslinger, 5/5 Commando, 2/3 Moving Target.

    Simon was not the best gunslinger before the war, but then again there weren't as many potential targets running around the Commonwealth then either. With a bit of "practice" (read "near indiscriminate murder") Simon will have honed his skills and as a bonus will have learned how to dodge a few extra bullets.

    As your main weapons the Gunslinger and Commando perks are unquestionably the best weapon perks to get. And the Moving Target perks will be very useful in the time before you get your hands on an armoured suit with ballistic weave. And even then Simon is not all that resistant to direct hits, it's therefore essential you make sure your companion takes the brunt of them.

    Perception: 4/4 Demolition Expert, 3/3 Night Person.

    Unknownst to the writer of the comic that was named after him, the King of Boston lead a double life: during the day he was the head of a large editorial house based out of the boston business district. At night, and behind closed doors, he ruled over the streets of the city with an iron fist.

    The first two ranks of demolition expert are better taken as soon as possible (if simply for the fantastic arc), but the other two ranks can wait until you feel like your submachine gun needs some extra punch.

    Strength and Endurance will not be perked. However if you feel Simon is still a bit to weak for your taste, don't hesitate to throw in some extra endurance points for the extra life.

     

    For a man like Simon, there's only a few important rules to life: one of those being that you should never shirk on good clothing. As a result Simon is never far away from a well pressed suit.

    This character wears a prewar suit (of any variation) as well as a battered fedora out of combat. The boost to charisma from the suit, while not necessary, is pretty fantastic. Furthermore both of these items accept ballistic weave, although without armorer the effect will not be all that great.

    For combat I would say that the Black vest and slacks outfit fits best; can't go dirtying up our suit now can we? This outfit comes with the added bonus of taking ballistic weave as well as increasing your Endurance stat by 2, it's not much but it's a tiny bit of extra health. You never know when that can come in useful.

    An alternative could be the operator's gear from Nuka World. While statwise that is certainly a good way to go, but for me it doesn't fit the character as much: Simon doesn't adapt to the wasteland, no the wasteland adapts to him. No way he's going to wear some of that primitive armour.

    As far as weapons go; Simon has always had a particular affinity for his .44 revolver and his submachine gun. I would recommend you start out with the .44 you can find near Sanctuary (if you find something that looks like a pump at the edge of the lake follow the pipe) and then hold onto your money until you can find Cricket and buy yourself your very own explosive submachine gun: "Spray n' Pray". I can't start to explain how awesome this weapon is.

    Unique alternatives for the .44 you could use are Kellog's gunor ;this is the option I prefer myself: Eddie's Peace, your rival's personal armament. There is no better way to show you're the undisputed king of the wastes than using the weapon of your fallen foe.

    As far as mods go you should be fine as well seeing all these weapons either come with all necessary mods or the missing mods can be easily transfered from other weapons. Ammo shouldn't be much of a problem either; once the traders start stocking the ammo you want, you'll be swimming in bullets soon enough. In the meantime a weapon that uses a more common ammunition like a 10mm or an automatic pipe rifle (god forbid).

     

    Combat for this build will be an elegant but simple Gun and run kind of playstyle. No convoluted grenades or syringues, just a revolver and an explosive shotgun. Oh and of course; a silver tongue.

    Try to approach combat by inciting the first available human enemy you come across, this will initiate combat no matter wether it succeeded or not so keep your revolver handy; VATS is the fastest and safest way to deal with the fucks that decide they're too good for you.

    Another good use of the intimidation perk is to use it against groups of enemies where you know most foes are in cover; incite that one friend that gets out of his hiding spot to drive the others out and then make sure to catch the stragglers with a burst of the good old Submachine gun.

    Our weapon of prediliction: Spray n' Pray is probably among the more awesome fixed legendaries out there. The destructive power of this submachine gun is just not to be scoffed at. As to watching everything in your path explode into bits? Very satisfying. Sadly this also affects your own character so make sure to never use this weapon in close range encounters and try using your revolver instead as the explosive damage boosted by Demolitions expert becomes quite deadly quite fast.

    While damage wise you are nearly unbeatable, you should take care of not getting shot; suits and ties are pretty and clearly make the man you are but they won't keep you from getting shot. Seeing everything out there wants to shoot you, make sure to either use cover as much as possible or try to shoot first. I'm a big fan of option two.

    As to our approach on the economy of Neo-Boston, know you'll be swimming in caps rather soon. Since investing is the best way to get rid of money in the late game (and for this build even in the early game after you've secured ammunition) don't hesitate to use the cash flow to set up your own personal Drug empire. Go out and get settlements to help you produce the fertiliser you'll need and make sure to keep them all connected to a chemistry station. Jet is where the real money is made.

     

     

    Companions:

     

    Simon Lafoy has always relied on close allies just like any good Maffioso. Try gathering your lieutenants as soon as possible as they will play key-roles in your organisation.

    Nick Valentine: This old synth is but an echo of a disgraced cop who in his desperate search for vengeance made a deal with the devil. Now Simon Lafoy has returned to make sure good Ol'Nicky Valentine pays his dues. Bring on Nick Valentine as you search for your old rival Eddie Winter and help him exact revenge. After you're done make sure to keep Nick in your employ; It is time for the devil to collect his due.

    Cait: Every crew needs a psycho, a person ready to smash some bones and get rid of those who oppose the King. This person is Cait. While the beauty of this Irish lass might detract from that twinkle of psychopathy in her eyes, Simon saw an opportunity and hired her on as an enforcer. Cait likes violence and explosions. Make sure she gets to see plenty.

    Piper Wright: Public image is important, it always has been and it will never not be. Even if the world has gone to shit. Piper Wright is a journalist ripe for corruption despite her grandiose ideals. Her clear obsession with the institute can be easily used against her. Working with Piper is going to be very difficult as it is adamant she does not get wind of your true operations until she's too deep to leave. But she's the perfect companion to take out when you start building relations with the local settlements and those idiots over in Diamond City.

    John Hancock: The jovial mayor of Goodneighbour thouroughly impressed Simon with his dominion over the relatively anarchistic city state hidden deep within the ruins of old Boston. Hancock and Simon understand each ther better than one might imagine as they both understand the value of image, retribution and most importantly setting examples. While they don't to agree on everything, Simon likes to keep Hancock around if only for his insights into the criminal underworld of post-war Boston.

    Quests:

    While most fetch and clear missions you'll be given by traders and settlements are clearly beneath you, they are a great way to garner some goodwill from the rabble. Let them live their lives the way they want for now. Once they finally come to the realisation that you're gonna change their way of life, it will be too late. These small quests are a great way to make money in the early game and help emulate the sociopathic second life Simon lived before the war.

    As far as factions go: play them all and then destroy them before they become too strong. I would recommend using the insitute to get rid of the Railroad before getting yourself kicked from the institute. Then use the minutemen to blow up the CIT and rip the Prydwen from the skies. Technically you are now the King of Boston but why stop there? Only those without ambition stop when it is healthy to do so. If you have the Nuka-World DLC this is the perfect time to hire yourself some raiders and burn the minutemen ideals to the ground (I suggest exiling Preston to Spectacle island or to put him in some stockades).

    Other quests you might want to do (apart from getting your companions) are:

    -Diamond City Blues: This is the perfect quest for anyone playing a maffioso like Simon Lafoy. There's intrigue, caps, affairs, drugs and murder. What's not to like?

    -The Silver Shroud: Simon couldn't care less for the Silver Shroud, but that doesn't mean he won't use the imago of this super hero from the days of old. Let it be known that the Silver Shroud descends upon anyone who opposes Simon Lafoy.

    -The Secret of Cabot House: While for the purposes of this build the Cabot serum wasn't of nay importance, it is a great way to get through the Glowing Sea without hazmat suit or Power armour. Furthermore the serum plays an important role in "The Streets of Boston" as it is what kept Simon alive these last 210 or so years. Keeping a good stock of the stuff is never bad.

    Well, there it is. The first and final Simon Lafoy Build. I hope you guys enjoy it. I elected not to add a proper roleplay section for this build as I think the best way to get a feel for the character is to go and read my text (here's another link). If you're not that much into reading, just try and go through the first few chapters, they aren't too long and should give a great image of the character I'm trying to portray here, even if I think that with the context I've given in the build itself it should be perfectly possible to understand what character we're going for here.

    Furthermore I would like to thank the hosts of the Fallout CB group for hosting this awesome event and getting me to put some proper work into a build that had been requested to me more often than I would like to admit. Thanks for helping me out with the WiP Motty and goddamn Noodles that's some great art you made for this event.

    And last but not least I would like to thank the people who read "The Streets of Boston". If the text had never gained traction I doubt I would have made this build to begin with.

     

  • February 20, 2017

    Spray'n'Pray, gangsta vibe, cool artwork, Simon Lafoy...the King has come! 

  • Member
    February 20, 2017
    Boom! Awesome work. Glad to see the story develop into a build. I can def see getting deep into an RP play through with this. I wonder, did you consider using the Vault tec dlc to setup mafioso HQ underground? Or would that not be consistent?
  • Member
    February 20, 2017

    Nice work, and a very attractive and readable presentation.

    Liked 

  • Member
    February 20, 2017

    Clever presentation here, very creative stuff. Silver-tongued, shotty-toting and revolver-packing monarch. Don't make me add to my blog list! Nice one Tein! "Sociopathically perfect" is my phrase of the day :)

  • Member
    February 23, 2017

    Mottyskills said: Boom! Awesome work. Glad to see the story develop into a build. I can def see getting deep into an RP play through with this. I wonder, did you consider using the Vault tec dlc to setup mafioso HQ underground? Or would that not be consistent?

    It would definitively work and if you have the DLC and the patience to fill up that enourmous cavern I would most certainly suggest you do. There's some great opportunities there; hell you could have ghouls slaving away in the uranium mines or build some kind of gigantic maffia themed vault, the possibilities are infinite as long as you don't need sunlight.

    Phil said:

    Clever presentation here, very creative stuff. Silver-tongued, shotty-toting and revolver-packing monarch. Don't make me add to my blog list! Nice one Tein! "Sociopathically perfect" is my phrase of the day :)

    What do you mean by: "Don't make me add to my blog list!"? Are you suggesting SoB (either Streets of Boston or Son of a Bitch depending on who you ask) isn't on your list yet? Shame on you Phil. :D

    And yes, sociopathically perfect is a great phrase of the day :)

  • Member
    February 23, 2017

    This. THIS is a masterpiece. I love everything about it, I think it's especially cool that you turned your story into a build. Just plain awesome. 

  • February 25, 2017

    MaddMannatee said:

    This. THIS is a masterpiece. I love everything about it, I think it's especially cool that you turned your story into a build. Just plain awesome. 

    Ditto. 

    I just bow to the King. I adored Simon in SoB and when I finally, perhaps, maybe get FO 4, this be one of the builds I play. 

  • November 16, 2017

    This is pretty good, man. It makes me think of the Black Mass and Untouchables.