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Event Build: The Insurgent (Fo4)

Tags: #Fallout 4 Build  #Character Build Enhanced  #Character Build Infiltrator  #Character Build Commando  #Mannatee Build  #Event:Secret Origins 
  • Member
    June 2, 2017

       Welcome to my (late) entry for the Fallout Event: Secret Origins. While in search of a new topic to research regarding the Fallout universe, I came across a little gem of lore on pre-war Canada and the existance of a rebel fighting force there. From here I developed 

    The Insurgent 

     

    Backstory

    To this day, the American annexation of Canada is still shrouded in controversy and questions. Many claim to have been fully informed on the matter, however American bias and ignorance does little to provide proper insight on these situations. As for me, I know what happened. I was there. Those patriotic brutes came like thieves to steal from our home. OUR land. OUR resources. And they sought to take OUR lives. I would know that too, for I was once one of those brutes. That is, until I realized the corruption at the heart of the very military I swore to serve. Yes my heritage is deeply rooted in the Canadian soil, but this was more than that. I saw a dying people. I saw a need for hope, a hope that I could provide. The cost of this hope was me risking everything I had gained for the sake of a dying cause. Ultimately I was successful; not once did I attract a speck of suspicion towards me. From the inside I was able to fight against the tyrannical U.S. government, all while arming my fellow rebels with the ability and willpower to fight back. I had become an insurgent. I had taken up the fight against the land of the free. And I am proud to have done so. But alas, the fear never escaped me. Day by day I lived in worry that my wife Nora or my son Shaun would come in harms way as punishment for what I had done during my time in military service. But a greater threat is on the horizon: nuclear war is at hand, and I am afraid. But if there's one thing I learned during my time as an insurgent; it's that war, war never changes.

     

     Introduction

         So the core mechanics of this build are actually pretty unique and fun while nicely complimenting the character idea and backstory(the core part of the event). The Insurgent operates as a scout who uses stealth, flares, and suppressed automatic weapons to coordinate a swift demise for any enemies he may come across. With a focus on settlement building to set up a network of support (whether it be in the form of artillery fire or resources for the Insurgent's cause), this build involves a lot of running around the Commonwealth building up the Minutemen to act as the Insurgent's very own rebel fighting group in his mission to destroy anything that even slightly resembles the tyrannical U.S. government he once secretly fought against. As with most of my crazy ideas, I sort of just dove in with my fingers crossed that it would actually work out in a way worth sharing to the Vault, and ultimately I discovered a whole new way to take back the Commonwealth. Crank your muskets boys, it's about to get crazy

     

      Runnin N' Gunnin

     

    Strength(1):  Relying on cunning, tactics, and general planning make brute force a rather unneeded skill. Carry weight is pointless with a network of caravans and most other perks are irrelavent to this playstyle

    Perception(5):  Being able to properly assess situations, cunningly use explosives, and break through even the toughest of locks are all essential skills for a scout of any kind. While not much of a long range sniper, the Insurgent still finds this skill invaluable for perks such as Demolition Expert, Awareness, and Locksmith

    Endurance(7):  Relentless and steadfast, the Insurgent is able to gain some much needed resistance for the very frequent firefights he finds himself in 

    Charisma(6): Hope is often found in the words of an empowering leader, and the Insurgent's time working as a resistance fighter in Canada has granted him a lot of experience with organizing and leading a large, spread out alliance. Settlement building is a pretty core aspect of this build making charisma important

    Intelligence(6): A soldier without knowledge is a weapon without a bullet; the Insurgent has learned the ins and outs of engineering various weapons and modifications, thus allowing him to keep his alliance as well as himself always fully equipped for battle

    Agility(4): Fulfilling the role of a scout requires a great deal of nimbleness. From staying hidden to allow for proper placement of artillery flares to being proficient in the use of fast firing automatic rifles and semi-auto handguns, agility is an invaluable skill

    Luck(2): No vats perks=next to no need for luck. Using automatic weapons definitely calls for the need for Scrounger to avoid bankruptcy from buying ammo early on

     

     

     

    Boom 

    Perks

     

    Scout Perks

    Sneak 3/5- Keeping a low profile is pretty essential for a scout-type class, and allows for the placement of artillery flares while remaining undetected. I kept this under 4 points because I wanted those "Oh shit" moments of getting caught in a fire fight to still be common

    Awareness 1/2- Using his well trained eye, the Insurgent is always one step ahead of enemies by being able to identify any weaknesses they may have

    Aquaboy 2/2- Lots of training in the pre-war Yukon River has allowed the Insurgent to gain the ability to properly use any body of water to shroud himself from his enemies

    Locksmith 2/4- Breaking through secure doors and safes allows the Insurgent to slip past foes as well as scrounge for any resources he deems important 

    Mister Sandman 3/3- While mostly important for increasing the sneak damage of suppressed weapons, the stealth kill on sleeping enemies is also a valuable skill

    Scrounger 2/4- To keep the fight going, the Insurgent always has his eyes open for extra ammo, which is incredibly important due to a heavy use of automatic weapons

     

    Assault Perks

    Commando 5/5- Suppressed automatic weapons are the primary guns used by the Insurgent(yes, this perk increases the damage of automatic combat shotguns as well)

    Gunslinger 4/5- A good pistol makes for a great sidearm in any sticky situations and they can be fairly ammo efficient

    Demolitions Expert 3/4- During his time fighting in Canada, the Insurgent learned how to make a variety of makeshift explosives to use against the U.S. military, allowing him to both craft and effectively use anything from bottlecap mines to a plasma grenade

    Toughness 2/5- Even a well trained scout can find himself in the midst of gunfire and artillery shells hitting the ground, so a little extra defense coupled with well fitted armor can go a long way

    Life Giver 3/3- Healing over time can be helpful to save on stimpaks and food rations

    Adamantium Skeleton 2/3- Lots of explosions can often lead to accidents such as a stray car exploding which in turn could lead to an injured limb in the midst of battle. Such a hinderance could make fighting back or retreating impossible, making this perk especially helpful

    Lone Wanderer 2/3- Not being one for too close of friends, extra defense and carrying capacity (for all the resources he'll be lugging around) is very helpful

    Medic 3/4- Basic field medical training can go a long way in the wasteland, and the Insurgent has learned how to apply his knowledge to his use of Stimpaks and Radaways

     

    Leadership Perks

    Cap Collector 2/3- One thing a rebellion always needs is funding; and whether that comes in the form of crops from a local supportive farm or some caps found in a cupboard doesn't matter. At the end of the day, guns and ammo costs a whole lot of caps

    Local Leader 2/2- The Insurgent's leadership experience with organizing and commanding the pre-war Canadian rebellion has carried over to the apocalypse. With his need to set up insurgent camps and artillery pieces across the wasteland, being able to link up settlements is extremely important. Also, setting up shops ensures a steady flow of income and provisions for you and your subordinates

    Gun Nut 4/4- To ensure both him and his insurgency are well equipped, the Insurgent has applied his knowledge of weapons to building and modifying weaponry to be the best it can be

    Science! 3/4- Additional scientfic knowledge bolsters the Insurgent's crafting capabilities 

    Scrapper 2/2- Always being in need of supplies and resources, the Insurgent has learned to use what's around him as makeshift materials for crafting

     

    Equipment

    The gear loadout for this character allows for him to be proficient both in and out of stealth. This is accomplished by having lightweight yet durable armor, grenades/mines/flares, a mix of weapon types (automatics, shotguns, and pistols), and suppressors attached to each of these weapons.

     

    Armor

    Finding a both aesthetically pleasing and combat-effective armor combination was difficult for this character, however ultimately I decided the best solution was a Ushanka hat(Canadian eh?), Sturdy/Heavy boiled leather armor pieces, and Gunner Flannel Shirt and Jeans/Military Fatigues underneath. Remember that an undercover insurgent would likely adjust his outfit to blend in wherever he goes!

     

     

     

    Weapons

    The Insurgent uses both automatic weapons as well as pistols. This allows for a pretty broad weapon set ranging from plasma, to energy, to silenced ballistic weapons. However, the primary weapons I used are as follows:

     

    Automatic Combat Rifle- With decently common ammunition and high DPS, this gun becomes the "primary" weapon as soon as it's availble. Once rank 4 in Gun Nut is unlocked, it becomes effective in surprise attacks in close quarters (can be interchanged with an Automatic Assault Rifle/Pipe Rifle as needed for ammo conservation) *if you have Nuka-World, an automatic handmade rifle would also be cool-looking and powerful counterpart

    Automatic Combat Shotgun- Once rank 3 in Gun Nut is unlocked, this becomes an absolute beast in stealth with the silencer attachment. Mister Sandman absolutely bolsters the sneak attack damage of this gun, and using Les Fusil Terribles further increases this. However, if you prefer open combat approaches then I'd recommend using a regular version since the recoil of this variant makes follow up shots very difficult 

    10mm Pistol- Effective both in and out of stealth as it can be attached with a silencer early on and has a fairly fast fire rate. Also, attaching a recon scope allows for marking targets before setting an ambush. Any Legendary variants are beneficial

    Righteous Authority- By tricking the Brotherhood into thinking you're on their side, you are able to obtain this beauty. Once an automatic barrel is attached, this gun becomes a monster in up-close spurts of damage and is perfect for using up any obtained critical shots. If you need to save up on fusion cells but still want the option of using an energy-type gun, bring a modified laser pistol along

     

    Other

    Along with guns and armor, the Insurgent has a few other pieces of equipment at his disposal

    Artillery Smoke Grenade-With the whole Commonwealth being within range of Minutemen Artillery Pieces, these becomes the bread and butter of the build for outdoor combat. It has insane damage, covers a lot of area (not as effective with lots of buildings around though), and costs no ammunition on your part (these are replenishable at the Castle)

    Flare Gun- Calling in Minutement Infantry can be a huge boon in some situations where artillery fire may not be as effective. I used a PS4 mod that made Minutemen scale with the player so they could actually be effective, so keep in mind that if you don't have something like this then the Flare Gun loses it's effectiveness fairly early. But it'll still look cool for lighting places up

    Chems- As a leader, the Insurgent is aware of his need to refrain from using this junk. HOWEVER, he also knows that sometimes a little bit of jet can go a long way in laying down accurate gunfire...

    Grenades- With Demolition Expert in effect, hand grenades allow for  dealing heavy damage to groups of enemies and are especially helpful indoors when artillery is unavailable 

    Vertibird Signal Grenade- Useful for both transportation, mingun fire, and epic getaways; this can be available as soon as you infiltrate the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel, however there will be a short period of time where it is unavailable between betraying them and when the Minutemen obtain their own vertibirds. Here's a fun picture of me taking down Swan while riding in a Vertibird:

     

     

    Gameplay

    So this character is pretty much split between two main parts of general focuses throughout gameplay: Leading and Fighting

    Leading

     Using Local Leader perks, the Insurgent is able to set up a network of interconnected settlements all in support of him and his forces. The key uses for this is 1: always having access to a place to dump junk, craft, or purchase gear (especially helpful for no fast travel playthroughs) 2: steady generation of income to fuel the Insurgent's needs 3: full map coverage of artillery fire and decent coverage for calling in Minutemen insurgents (make sure to put an artillery piece in every settlement you capture)

    Fighting

    Rather than sit back directing, the Insurgent takes the fight to the Commonwealth himself using various combat skills he developed in his pre-war fighting days. Silenced automatic weapons, stealth, decent defense, the flare gun, artillery strikes, grenades, and vertibirds all work together to give the Insurgent flexibilty and proficiency in any and all situations. Here is a general order of steps for approaching a typical group of enemies:

    1. Scout out the location of all present enemies using a recon scope. Note any potential spots that you could fight from

    2. Using stealth, approach the enemies with your silenced pistol/shotgun in hand ready to take down any surprise enemies

    3. Decide between calling in footsoldiers or an artillery strike and use their respective flare as needed (NOT both at once, this will lead to your allies turning hostile if any of them take damage from artillery fire)

    4. As your support gets ready to fire/travel over, use any of your silenced weapons to ambush unaware enemies 

    5. After firing off a few shots, exit stealth and take on a run-n'-gun approach as you stay in the fray of battle whilst avoiding taking damage from your own artillery fire. For longer battles it might be better to rotate between your on-hand weapons rather than continually reloading. You should be meaty enough to rush in with a shotgun yet quick enough to back-pedal with an automatic rifle

     

    This is a super fun approach to combat as it has a little bit of everything: Long range scouting, CQB stealth, and laying down automatic fire while being surrounded by explosions. By being proficient in both sneaking and firefights, the Insurgent is never at a disadvantage. Also, don't be afraid to call in a vertibird to lay down some mingun fire!  

     

     Roleplay

     The roleplay for this character is actually pretty easy to accomplish thanks to the Minutemen faction. After exiting the vault, the Insurgent finds himself surrounded by a broken land looking for hope. But who's the enemy of these broken people? Why, the Institute and Brotherhood of course! Both having selfish and destructive habits extremely similar to the American goverment he once fought against in Canada, the Insurgent decides to rally the Minutemen and grow them into a fighting force capable of bringing these organizations to their knees. Arming troops, building up settlements, clearing the Commonwealth of danger, and searching for his son are all just a few of the many tasks before this new leader. Here are a few miscellaneous roleplay ideas that correlate to this character:

    -Militarize some settlements to act as listening posts, supply depots, training facilities, etc. These are essential for building an insurgency! 

    -Although the Railroad has that undercover vibe to them, their devotion to protecting synths would make them a liability rather than an asset. Get help from them when needed, but keep relations at a minimum

    -With the militarized presence of the Brotherhood of Steel, the Insurgent sees the need to infiltrate this new threat. By helping Danse, the Insurgent earns both Righteous Authority as well as the trust of the Brotherhood. From here, the Insurgent can gather valuable information on his enemy as well as gain temporary access to Vertibird support early game (eventually the Minutemen their own vertibirds to be used as you please)

    -Manipulate the Institute into thinking you are their ally, only to then stab them in the back with the Minutemen

     

     The Insurgent goes undercover in the Prydwen

     

    Conclusion

    I hope you enjoyed reading my Secret Origins Event entry! Let me know how you liked it, and if you didn't like it...well....then I guess all I can say is...

    SOOOOOOOOORRRRRYYYYYYY

     

  • Member
    June 2, 2017

    Nice work - glad you got it up! 

    Silenced Auto Shotty eh? Never thought of that combo. Perfect boomstick for a crazy canuck. :P

  • Member
    June 2, 2017
    I like this a lot Madd, a sneaky Canadian commando running around the Commonwealth killing and apologizing to everyone! Muahahahaha
  • June 2, 2017

    Damn, I'm feeling all patriotic,now.

    I think one of the coolest things about this build, hell, about this whole event, is that it is giving people a need to justify why they make the decisions they make in game. It really is a great pole playing event, which is my favorite part of the game.

    The whole minuteman playthrough just fits with the character concept so perfectly, and the insurgent aspect is a great justification for joining and betraying different factions. Realy well thougt out, from intital concept to finish.

  • June 2, 2017

    Also, attacking Swan from a vertibird? Why didn't I think of that?

  • Member
    June 2, 2017

    Mottyskills said:

    Nice work - glad you got it up! 

    Silenced Auto Shotty eh? Never thought of that combo. Perfect boomstick for a crazy canuck. :P

    Gets the job done, that's for sure! Just too bad for whoever has to clean up afterwards....

  • Member
    June 2, 2017

    Amornar said: I like this a lot Madd, a sneaky Canadian commando running around the Commonwealth killing and apologizing to everyone! Muahahahaha
    XD thank you Amornar, I appreciate you adding a little extra character to him with your comment

  • Member
    June 2, 2017

    Daryl Sawatzky said:

    Damn, I'm feeling all patriotic,now.

    I think one of the coolest things about this build, hell, about this whole event, is that it is giving people a need to justify why they make the decisions they make in game. It really is a great pole playing event, which is my favorite part of the game.

    The whole minuteman playthrough just fits with the character concept so perfectly, and the insurgent aspect is a great justification for joining and betraying different factions. Realy well thougt out, from intital concept to finish.

    It honestly made the playthrough way more enjoyable than usual since I could really get into the character's mind without too much imagination being needed, the event really encouraged the making of some great roleplay builds. And yes, Swan vs. Vertibird was epic; dodging rocks while laying down mingun fire is exhilerating 

  • Member
    June 5, 2017

    Great entry, remember reading the WiP in the workshop and hoping you had time to make this come out :P

    Canadian Insurgent...never thought of that before lol

  • July 13, 2018

    Well-thought out build! I've been using builds as inspiration to play for a while now, and only just now stumbled upon this little gem. Fit in perfectly with a playstyle I wanted to try. Making a few minor tweaks - dropping a little END for STR as crafting + survival mode will be easier with carry weight - but on the whole, well done!