There are lots of little things you need to know to create an effective pistol build, such as which SPECIAL stats to invest in and what armor to wear. If you like pistols and want to know how to build a character exclusively around them, then you're in the right place because you'll find an in-depth guide on pistol builds below.
fallout new vegas pistol build
Pistol builds are versatile, and you can play them in a variety of ways. You can incorporate stealth into your playstyle if you want, but it's not necessary to create a powerful character since it's easy to aim with a pistol in the heat of combat. However, stealth will give you a boost to damage because of sneak attacks.
The gear you'll need for a pistol build isn't complex, simply a pistol and a sturdy set of armor. However, there's some gear that easily outperforms others, so here's everything you should bring with you to a fight.
The Stealth Suit Mk II is very useful while wielding pistols for a variety of reasons. First, it's a medium armor piece, which is the ideal armor type for a pistol build since it's not too heavy, but still provides decent protection. Second, the Stealth Suit Mk II increases your stealth speed by 20 percent and your Sneak skill by 15 points simply for wearing it.
There are lots of stats you need to know about to build a powerful pistol build, including skills, perks, and traits, among others. Here's every stat you need to adjust while using pistols as your primary weapon type.
You'll have the chance to select three skills after creating your character. Each of the selected skills will gain 15 points, which is quite the boost. Additionally, you earn ten skill points to allocate every time you earn a level, plus an extra point per every point of Intelligence you have. Each skill can reach up to 100. The most powerful skills you can use for a pistol build may vary slightly depending on your preferences, but overall they'll usually be the same. Guns or Energy Weapons are the first two skills you should prioritize since they increase your damage with pistols.
Perks are a powerful tool you can use to improve your build further. You earn a perk every two levels you gain, so there's a lot of room to improve your character with them. A lot of perks are universally useful regardless of your build, but not all of them. There aren't many perks that fit a pistol build exclusively, but there are quite a few that are uniquely useful for this weapon type.
Traits offer a trade-off, a beneficial effect at the cost of a negative effect as well. You can choose two perks at the beginning of New Vegas, but you can also decide not to select any traits or only take one. There are two perks that fit a pistol build perfectly.
The Optics Enhancer, Reflex Booster, and Probability Calculator are all good options for a pistol build. These implants raise your Perception, Agility, and Luck by a single point instantly, while each costs 4,000 Caps to install. If you plan to use stealth, then the M-5 Implant is also a good consideration since it increases your stealth speed by 20 percent. You can install the M-5 Implant at a cost of 10,000 Caps at The Sink in the Old World Blues DLC.
Companions can aid your character in combat and make your overall experience much easier. Raul Tejada is by far the best companion for a pistol build since he wields a .44 Magnum Revolver. As such, Raul can become your cowboy sidekick. You can recruit Raul as a companion by rescuing him from Black Mountain, which is on the map above.
High Agility, high Guns skill, and small firearms will make a player the quickest gunslinger in the Mojave Wasteland, not giving their enemies a chance to react. Weapons like 12.7mm submachine gun, Sleepytyme, and the 5.56mm pistol are all great weapons to purchase and use for this build and are available through the Gun Runner's Arsenal DLC. Some unique guns are also viable like the All-American which is located in the armory of Vault 34. 2ff7e9595c