Fallout 4: All Legendary Weapon Perks (Effects)

Learn all powerful guns in Fallout 4 with our comprehensive Legendary Weapon Perks (Effects) and unique weapons lists.

In games like Fallout 4, weapons are crucial to your character’s strength and survival in the post-apocalyptic world. Legendary weapons, in particular, are highly sought after due to their unique and powerful effects. While some of these weapons, also called “unique weapons”, have specific names and obtaining methods, such as purchasing from vendors or quest rewards, most legendary weapons spawn randomly with different legendary effects (perks) each time. It’s worth noting that while legendary weapons cannot be scrapped, they can be modified to fit your needs.

The exact mechanics of legendary enemy spawns and the likelihood of obtaining legendary weapons or gear in Fallout 4 remain somewhat mysterious. However, it is known that the difficulty level and the number of legendary enemies you have defeated, which can be tracked in your Pip-Boy statistics menu, significantly influence the process. This guide lists and discusses all legendary effects in Fallout 4, including unique weapon perks.

How to Get Legendary Weapons

You can exploit the game’s spawning mechanics to maximize your chances of obtaining weapons with legendary effects (perks). The game first decides if the next group of enemies will spawn a legendary enemy with a potential legendary perk (effect) applied to the weapon or armor. Next, the exact item is randomized, and at the end, the exact perk the weapon or armor will have. As a result, if you know when precisely those decision points are, you can easily farm legendary perks in Fallout 4. Players discovered two such spots, which we described in detail in our Fallout 4: How to Farm Legendary Perks guide.

Here are two effective spots to farm Legendary Weapon Perks (Effects):

1. Nuka World Method (requires Nuka World DLC):
   • This method involves farming legendary enemies in the Nuka World DLC area.
2. National Guard Building Method (base game):
   • For players without the Nuka World DLC, the National Guard building in the base game offers a reliable farming location.

Legendary Weapon Perks (Effects) List in Fallout 4

There are 49 different legendary effects (perks) can be applied randomly to weapons in Fallout 4. Below are all of them

Assassin’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): +50% damage against humans.
• Benefit: Ideal for players who frequently encounter human enemies, enhancing combat effectiveness against raiders and other human adversaries.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Partystarter, Pint-Sized Slasher knife

Berserker’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Increases damage the lower the character’s Damage Resistance (up to 200% at 0 resistance). And less damage at higher resistance (50% at 81-100 DR, and 25% at 101 or more DR).
• Benefit: Suits risk-takers who avoid wearing heavy armor and rely on high damage output.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed

Blazing (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Blocking has a 25% chance to set attackers on fire for 50 damage.
• Benefit: Useful for melee-focused characters who frequently block attacks, adding a fire damage component.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee

Bloodied

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Increases damage the lower the user’s health (up to +95% at 5% HP).
• Benefit: Great for high-risk, high-reward playstyles where players stay at low health to maximize damage.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed
• Unique Weapon: Survivor’s Special

Cavalier’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Reduces damage by 15% while blocking or sprinting.
• Benefit: Ideal for melee and unarmed characters who need to mitigate damage while closing distance or defending.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed

Charged (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 10% chance to deal 100 Electrical damage on a successful block.
• Benefit: Adds an electrical damage component to defensive maneuvers, useful for melee characters.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee

Crippling

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Deals 50% more limb damage.
• Benefit: Effective for players aiming to incapacitate enemies quickly by targeting limbs.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Eddie’s Peace, Wastelander’s Friend, The Last Minute

Deadeye (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Time slows down for a moment while aiming.
• Benefit: Enhances precision for snipers and players using ranged weapons, providing a brief tactical advantage.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons

Defiant (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): The final shot in the magazine deals double damage.
• Benefit: Best for weapons with small magazines or players who can time their shots effectively.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons

Duelist’s (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 25% chance to disarm attackers on a successful block.
• Benefit: Useful for melee fighters to disarm enemies, reducing incoming damage.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed

Enraging

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Critical hits cause the target to frenzy.
• Benefit: Creates chaos among enemy ranks, making them attack each other.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Good Intentions

Explosive

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Bullets explode on impact, dealing 15 points of area-of-effect damage.
• Benefit: Highly effective for crowd control and dealing damage to multiple enemies.
• Found on (weapon type): Ballistic weapons
• Unique Weapon: Spray n’ Pray, Kiloton Radium Rifle

Exterminator’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50% more damage against mirelurks and bugs.
• Benefit: Specializes in handling common wasteland creatures, making it useful for specific quests and regions.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Reba II

Freezing

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Deals 10 points cryo damage and can freeze targets on critical hits.
• Benefit: Slows or immobilizes enemies, providing crowd control and tactical advantages.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Frigid (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 20% chance to freeze the enemy when blocking attacks.
• Benefit: Adds a freezing component to defensive play, useful for melee characters.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed

Furious

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Damage increased by 15% after each consecutive hit on the same target.
• Benefit: Ideal for sustained engagements, maximizing damage output on single targets.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed
• Unique Weapon: The Problem Solver, Splattercannon, Furious power fist

Ghoul Slayer’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50% more damage against ghouls.
• Benefit: Perfect for areas populated by ghouls, enhancing combat efficiency.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Hitman’s (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 10% more damage when looking down sights.
• Benefit: Benefits ranged weapons users who frequently aim down sights.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons

Hunter’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50% more damage against animals.
• Benefit: Useful for dealing with wildlife and mutant creatures.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Incendiary

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Sets the target on fire for 15 Fire damage over 3 seconds.
• Benefit: Adds fire damage, useful for sustained damage over time.
• Found on (weapon type): Ballistic weapons
• Unique Weapon: Ashmaker, The Gainer

Instigating

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Double damage is done if the target is in full health.
• Benefit: Best for snipers and initial strikes, maximizing damage on the first shot.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Old Faithful, Sentinel’s Plasmacaster, Admiral’s Friend

Irradiated

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50 points of additional radiation damage.
• Benefit: Effective against human enemies, adding a radiation component.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Junkie’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 15% more damage for each addiction the character has.
• Benefit: Rewards players who manage multiple addictions, significantly boosting damage.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Kneecapper

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 20% chance to cripple the target’s legs.
• Benefit: Useful for slowing down or incapacitating enemies.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Big Jim, Sergeant Ash

Lucky

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Critical shots do double damage, and the critical meter fills 15% faster.
• Benefit: Enhances critical hit performance, ideal for V.A.T.S. users.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Righteous Authority, Hub’s Alien Blaster

Medic’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Heals target instead of hurting them
• Benefit: Good for Companions or quests where you need to keep someone alive.
• Found on (weapon type): Mods Only

Mutant Slayer’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50% more damage against super mutants.
• Benefit: Great for areas dominated by super mutants, improving combat efficiency.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Virgil’s rifle

Never Ending

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Sets ammo capacity to the amount one is carrying.
• Benefit: Eliminates the need to reload, useful for continuous fire.
• Found on (weapon type): Guns
• Unique Weapon: Prototype UP77 “Limitless Potential”, Wazer Wifle, Aeternus

Nimble

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Provides 75% faster movement while aiming.
• Benefit: Enhances mobility for ranged combatants, making them harder to hit.
• Found on (weapon type): Guns
• Unique Weapon: Death From Above

Nocturnal

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does increasing damage as night progresses and less during the day.
• Benefit: Optimal for players who prefer to operate at night.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Penetrating

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Ignores 30% of the target’s Damage and Energy Resistance.
• Benefit: Effective against heavily armored enemies, ensuring consistent damage output.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Radical Conversion, Fencebuster, Defender’s Harpoon Gun, Sword of Wonders

Plasma Infused

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Adds 10 points of energy damage and can turn enemies into goo.
• Benefit: Adds energy damage, useful against a variety of enemy types.
• Found on (weapon type): Ballistic weapons

Poisoner’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Poisons the target for 10 seconds (3 points poison damage per second).
• Benefit: Adds poison damage, useful for dealing sustained damage.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Powerful / Mighty

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Provides 25% more damage.
• Benefit: Straightforward damage increase, suitable for all combat styles.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Quickdraw

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Costs 25% fewer Action Points.
• Benefit: Ideal for V.A.T.S. users, allowing more frequent attacks.
• Found on (weapon type): All

Rapid

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 25% faster fire rate, 15% faster reload.
• Benefit: Enhances overall combat efficiency, useful for all ranged weapons.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons
• Unique Weapon: Experiment 18-A, Final Judgment, Protectron’s Gaze

Relentless

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Refills Action Points on a critical hit.
• Benefit: Great for V.A.T.S. users, sustaining combat momentum.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Kellogg’s pistol, Butcher’s Hook, Cito’s Shiny Slugger

Resilient (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): +150 Damage Resistance while reloading.
• Benefit: Provides protection during vulnerable moments, useful for all playstyles.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons
• Unique Weapon: Skipper’s Last Stand

Resolute (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Slows time momentarily as the last round is chambered.
• Benefit: Adds a tactical advantage during reloads, useful for ranged combatants.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons

Sentinel’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Take 15% less damage while standing and not moving.
• Benefit: Provides damage mitigation for stationary combat.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed
• Unique Weapon: Reckoning

Staggering

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Chance to stagger on hit.
• Benefit: Effective for crowd control and disrupting enemies.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Justice, The Harvester

Stalker’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): If not yet in combat, 100% increased V.A.T.S. accuracy but costs 50% more AP.
• Benefit: Maximizes first strike accuracy, useful for snipers and ambushers.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons
• Unique Weapon: Tinker Tom Special

Steadfast (Far Harbor)

• Legendary Perk (Effect): +50 Damage Resistance while aiming.
• Benefit: Adds protection while aiming, useful for ranged weapons users.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons

Troubleshooter’s

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Does 50% more damage against robots.
• Benefit: Specialized for dealing with robotic enemies.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: General Chao’s Revenge, Outcast, Gen-4 10mm pistol

Two Shot

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Fires an additional projectile but has +25% more recoil.
• Benefit: Doubles damage output, useful for high-damage strategies despite increased recoil.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons
• Unique Weapon: Big Boy, Old Reliable, Overseer’s Guardian

VATS Enhanced

• Legendary Perk (Effect): 40% less Action Point cost
• Benefit: Increases frequency of V.A.T.S. use, ideal for frequent V.A.T.S. users.
• Found on (weapon type): Melee, Unarmed
• Unique Weapon: Rockville Slugger, The Fish Catcher

VATS Enhanced

• Legendary Perk (Effect): +33% V.A.T.S. hit chance, 25% less Action Point cost.
• Benefit: Enhances V.A.T.S. performance, ideal for frequent V.A.T.S. users.
• Found on (weapon type): Ranged weapons
• Unique Weapon: Deliverer

Violent

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Deals +25% damage and limb damage, but has +200% more recoil.
• Benefit: Increases damage and limb damage, beneficial for high-damage playstyles despite the high recoil.
• Found on (weapon type): Ballistic weapons
• Unique Weapon: Le Fusil Terribles

Wounding

• Legendary Perk (Effect): Targets bleed for 25 points of additional damage over 5 seconds.
• Benefit: Adds bleed damage, useful for dealing sustained damage over time.
• Found on (weapon type): All
• Unique Weapon: Pickman’s Blade, Bloodletter, Throatslicer

Unique (Legendary) Weapons in Fallout 4

Unique weapons also have legendary perks; some of those legendary effects are only available on those named guns and cannot be obtained by random spawn. The most common ways to get them are through quest rewards, vendors, or specific chests scattered around the Fallout 4 world. All those weapons can also be obtained by console cheats.

Atom’s Judgement (Far Harbor)

• Effect: +100 Radiation damage.
• Benefit: Deals significant radiation damage on top of physical damage, useful against enemies that are not radiation-resistant.
• Unique Weapon: Atom’s Judgement

Automatic

• Effect: Automatic fire mode.
• Benefit: Converts a weapon to automatic fire, increasing rate of fire and potentially damage output over time.
• Unique Weapon: Automatic laser musket

Charging (Automatron)

• Effect: Irradiates user. Can be charged up to 5 times.
• Benefit: Allows the weapon to charge up for more powerful attacks, at the cost of irradiating the user.
• Unique Weapon: Salvaged Assaultron head

Grognak’s Axe

• Effect: Hits cause more stagger, and targets take bleed damage.
• Benefit: Increases stagger effect on enemies and adds damage over time through bleeding.
• Unique Weapon: Grognak’s axe

Lucky Eddy (Far Harbor)

• Effect: +2 Luck.
• Benefit: Boosts the player’s Luck stat, improving critical hit rates and other Luck-based outcomes.
• Unique Weapon: Lucky Eddy

Lightning (Automatron)

• Effect: Fires an electrical charge that arcs between targets.
• Benefit: Allows the weapon to hit multiple enemies with one shot by chaining electrical damage.
• Unique Weapon: Tesla rifle

Lorenzo’s Artifact Gun

• Effect: Removes area of effect damage and direct hit radiation poisoning; adds direct hit explosive damage and a push effect.
• Benefit: Changes the weapon’s damage profile to explosive and adds a knockback effect, useful for crowd control.
• Unique Weapon: Lorenzo’s Artifact gun

M4 Carbine (Far Harbor)

• Effect: Lighter weight, changed ammo type to 5.56, +25% fire rate, -15% reload time.
• Benefit: Improved handling with lighter weight, faster firing rate, and quicker reloads.
• Unique Weapon: December’s Child

Kremvh’s Tooth

• Effect: Exceptional damage, deals poison and bleeding damage.
• Benefit: High base damage combined with poison and bleed effects, causing additional damage over time.
• Unique Weapon: Kremvh’s Tooth

Shem Drowne Sword

• Effect: Deals radiation damage.
• Benefit: Adds radiation damage to each hit, effective against non-radiation resistant enemies.
• Unique Weapon: Shem Drowne sword

Striker (Far Harbor)

• Effect 1: Shoots modified bowling balls.
• Effect 2: 50% chance to cripple the target’s leg.
• Benefit: Unique ammo type with high damage and knockback effect. Reduces enemy mobility, making them easier to handle.
• Unique Weapon: The Striker

World Series Logo

• Effect: Chance to send targets flying.
• Benefit: Adds a fun and practical knockback effect, potentially removing enemies from the fight temporarily.
• Unique Weapon: 2076 World Series baseball bat

Zeta Gun

• Effect: Halves area of effect damage and removes direct hit radiation poisoning.
• Benefit: Balances the weapon by reducing splash damage and removing radiation effects, focusing more on direct damage.
• Unique Weapon: Zeta gun

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