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Event Build: The Sardonic (FO4)

Tags: #Fallout 4 Build  #Character Build Gunslinger  #Character Build VATS  #Event: Arms & Artifacts 
  • February 12, 2018

    "I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

     

    So this event is to focus on one particular weapon in your build and it's meant to be a micro-build; or capped at Level 30.  I wanted a weapon that would be quickly available in the game, yet have some nice options in the game and give you something to strive for.  After browsing the list of weaponry in the game, the .44 Magnum immediately jumped out and I knew exactly how I would reference my build for this event.  With that, I give to you...

    sar·don·ic            särˈdänik/            adjective           adjective: sardonic             grimly mocking or cynical

    Thugs...I hate 'em.  Always have, always will.  200 years and some change later and I haven't changed my thought process all that much when it comes to 'em.  Especially after that punk with the scar on his face killed my wife and stole my child while I was on ice.  Now that I've defrosted, on the outside, I'm still frosty on the inside...

    I'm in Boston again, but they now call it the Wasteland and that's a pretty fuckin' accurate description.  In all honesty, it hasn't changed a whole lot since the old days although the traffic is a hell of a lot better now.  I do miss Amrheins Restaurant though.  They had the best draft beer in town.   But it's not time for drinking, it's time for setting records straight.  So I'm looking for a gun.  I've already got the cause.  And the best thing is...I don't need to be right.  I don't need to ask permission.  And best of all...I don't need to wear the badge.  So I have just one question for all you thugs in the Wasteland...

    “It’s a question of methods. Everybody wants results, but nobody wants to do what they have to do to get them done.” Sudden Impact

    We start off with Locksmith, capping that at 3/4.  Improve this each time you are able to in order to maximize loot and ammo.  Then focus on Gunslinger, capping that at 4/5 and improving that each time that you can as well for improved damage. 

    After the two primary perks, Look for Sneak (2/5); Gun Nut (3/4); Action Boy (2/3); Bloody Mess (2/4); Mr. Sandman (2/3) and Scrounger (2/4).  Don't wait for Scounger until last as you'll likely need the extra ammo dumps.  We'll also want point to improve our criticals so take Better Criticals (2/3); Critical Banker (2/4); Grim Reaper's Sprint (2/3) and finally Four Leaf Clover (2/4).  Mix these in as they are available.  Lastly would be Lone Wanderer (2/4) for those enhancements.  *It doesn't appear that you can add silencers to .44 pistols in vanilla so that makes Stealth pretty worthless except as a scouting option and to get the first shot or two off.  That's usually enough for this Widowmaker weapon. 

    With these perks our build caps at level 30. 

               

    WEAPONS: Our primary weapon is the focal point of our build, the .44 Magnum pistol.  There are several varieties in the game.  Immediately after arriving in Sanctuary, head to the North East, just across the lake and there is a small pump with a corpse next to it.  Lying near the corpse is a .44 Snub Nose and a box of ammo.  The next one that you can easily (sort of) get to is The Gainer which is a legendary pistol with the Incediary perk.  This is farther to the east in the Vitale Pumphouse.  It's unguarded, but watch out for the Gunner haven nearby.  Of course there is Kellogg's Pistol which can be acquired later during the main quest.  You can also help Nick Valentine complete his search for Eddie Winters and at the conclusion of that quest you can gain the last of the .44 pistols, Eddie's Peace.  All of these weapons do the same damage but should be sought out just for looks and to lay claim to the best .44's in the game. 

    Of course, .44 ammo being what it is, be prepared to use other guns to satisfy your need to spread justice far and wide as you build up your ammo supply.  Keep those .44 shells for dispensing major justice when the need arises.  You'll know when the time is right for some lucky punk to eat a .44 slug, believe me.  I would recommend, if you have the DLC Contraption's Workshop, you can craft your own .44 ammo made up of Copper, Lead and Fertilizer.  This is the only surefire way to gain enough ammo to make the .44 an everyday workhorse for you. 

    Venders that Sell .44 ammo (may be level related): Trudy (Drumlin Diner); Carla; Ronnie Shaw (The Castle); Myrna & Percy (Diamond City); Arturo (Diamond City) and Tinker Tom (Railroad).  They typically sell 3 rounds at a time (again, this can change by level possibly).  Tinker Tom has a larger supply, he had 16 rounds the first time I saw him around level 20. 

    “When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher’s knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn’t out collecting for the Red Cross.” Dirty Harry

    ARMOR: From an armor standpoint my goal was to get Ballistic Weave from the Railroad as quick as possible and then use that on a Three Piece Suit such at Dirty Harry wears.  Up to this point, I kept a suit in my inventory...not a Tuxedo or anything super fancy but always looking to upgrade to something in the grey or tan/brown color scheme.  For actual protection, pre- Ballistic Weave, I relied on leather armor.  I shied away from Raider gear or the heavier metal/Combat armors as too bulky for our Dirty Harry character. 

    FACTIONS: As noted I went with the Railroad short term to get the Weave.  If you don't have the DLC for ammo creation then Tinker Tom is your best source for the .44 ammo.  You need the Minutemen to aquire Ronnie Shaw as an ammo source at the Castle.  Outside of that you are free to pursue your own devices.  Remember, Harry is a hard core cop who lives to stop crime at any cost.  He'll even cross the line if need be.  With that thought, I felt uncomfortable with the Institute or Brotherhood for him but since he'll use any means to meet his end then anything is fair play for him.

    FOLLOWERS: We are taking the Lone Wanderer perk so stick to Dogmeat or go it solo. 

    SETTLEMENTS: We're not going for settlement building here so you may move around at random.  This might be a solid playthrough to find the house in Diamond City to your liking.  It's in the city, where Harry is at home and it's not connected to any other settlements making this a small place to need just a little bit of supplies to decorate up to your liking. 

    DLC: I recommend Contraption's Workshop for the ammo making ability.

    “Go ahead — make my day.” Sudden Impact

    Firstly, the name Sardonic is perfect for the life behind this build, the immortal Dirty Harry.  The list of quotable quotes from the movies is nearly endless and fit The Sardonic well.  Harry was very mocking and cynical in his attitude so definitely carry that into the game for roleplaying purposes.  Use that attitude when talking to people; yes, you may miss out of some conversations...but it will be pretty funny most of the time.  So with that out of the way, let's look at the rest of our gameplay...

    As noted we are using the Gunslinger perk so we will use semi-automatic pistols only.  While we want the .44 as our main weapon, you will likely start with the 10mm from the Vault.  Pipe pistols are convenient all over the Commonwealth.  As noted above, get the .44 Snub Nose as soon as you arrive in Sanctuary.  Until you can begin manufacturing ammo for the weapon using the Contraption Workshops you likely won't have enough ammo to make the .44 your go-to weapon, so save it for the big bosses or when you just NEED to put something down like that pesky Radscorpion you come across in your travels.   That will be one of the primary goals of your playthrough with this character, to get the ammo production started to reach sustainability.  Another option is to utilize the Scrounger perk for extra ammo finds and then sell off ammo for non-.44 weapons (plus maybe the Purified Water cap maker) to raise funds to buy your .44 ammo. 

    We will use stealth, but I decided to go away from that as a primary means of attack.  Harry was never known for his low key approach when barging into a room.  He'd rather shoot first and ask questions later.  So, no, not very stealthy.  We'll tag a few perk points to help scout out areas and get early shots off; but also feel free to dump those two points if you want to.  After the shots start going off stealth is pretty much out the window and we'll focus more on VATs for slow time and getting off shots. 

    At the later levels you will start banking criticals and can get to the point where you can fire off multiple critical shots in one combat scene if needed.  Keep in mind to kite if needed.  Leather armor is nice at early levels and Ballistic Weave will set you up perfectly when you attain it, but you cannot silence the .44 (without mods) so remember it WILL make a big bang and get peoples attention.  But it also does huge damage so it becomes the great equalizer. 

    From a gameplay and roleplay perspective, you are an ex-cop bent to clean the streets of Boston just like in your former life.  No punk is safe from you.  Raiders will learn to fear your name and the sound of your hammer dropping.  The only goal is to protect the public citizens of the Commonwealth from those that would do them harm and turn to a life of crime.  Repent punks....Dirty Harry is gunning for you; and Smith & Wesson will do his talking for him.

  • February 13, 2018

    Hehe, great build there Rajun! Glad to see somebody tackled Dirty Harry. 

  • Member
    February 13, 2018

    I love it when people do movie characters. I think it's a bit harder to make them then builds based on gaming characters. You don't know the full scope of their skills which they didn't use in the movie. Anyway, this reminded me that I shoudln't have watched this movie only once.

  • February 13, 2018

    DeltaFox said:

    I love it when people do movie characters. I think it's a bit harder to make them then builds based on gaming characters. You don't know the full scope of their skills which they didn't use in the movie. Anyway, this reminded me that I shoudln't have watched this movie only once.

    Only once?  You should be flogged immediately.  Now, hit Redbox or Netflix and binge three times before this weekend and you shall be forgiven.  LOL

    Yeah, it was more the weapon but the character is the iconic user of a .44 Magnum.  I had to call him Harry. 

  • Member
    February 13, 2018

    Gotta another vigilante or good guy build. But no worries for me. Le Fusil in the hands of a legendary raider dwarfs your little magnum. ;)

  • Member
    February 13, 2018

    Well I feel like a lucky punk because this build is awesome, excited to have another event build done. Nice job! As a big fan of the .44 magnum I approve this build!

  • February 13, 2018
    Thanks all
  • Member
    February 16, 2018

    The Long-Chapper said:

    Hehe, great build there Rajun! Glad to see somebody tackled Dirty Harry. 

    yeah that's what I was thinking..sort of "no one did this yet?" a damn fine build. Nice work RC!