Obsidian built New Vegas in about eighteen months on Fallout 3's engine, and it is still the reference point for reactive RPG writing. You play a courier shot in the head over a package, then decide whether the Mojave belongs to the NCR, Caesar's Legion, Mr. House or nobody at all. Thirteen skills, a perk on every even level, and a cap of 50 once all four story DLCs are installed.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| That Gun | S | Levels 5 to 20, and any run that wants real damage before the Strip opens up. | A . |
| Anti-Materiel Rifle | A | Clearing Quarry Junction, Deathclaw promontory and any sniper build past level 20. | A . |
| This Machine | A | Mid to late Guns builds that want single-target damage without a bolt-action's reload downtime. | A . |
| Ratslayer | B | Early stealth builds. It is reachable at level one if you can survive the trip to Broc Flower Cave. | A unique varmint rifle in Broc Flower Cave that arrives with a night vision scope, a silencer and a much faster reload than the base weapon. |
| Ballistic Fist | B | Unarmed builds from the mid game onward. Two-Step Goodbye from Gun Runners' Arsenal is the unique version. | A shotgun bolted to a power fist and the top-end Unarmed weapon in the base game. |
S-Tier: That Gun
A .223 revolver sold by Cliff Briscoe in the Dino Bite gift shop in Novac, and one of the best early purchases in the game. It fires 5.56mm rounds at high damage with only a modest Guns requirement.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Levels 5 to 20, and any run that wants real damage before the Strip opens up. |
| Key Mechanic | SPECIAL and skill points |
| Recommended Build | Cowboy gunslinger |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using That Gun: Pairs naturally with Cowboy gunslinger thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Anti-Materiel Rifle
A .50 MG bolt action that deletes almost anything in one aimed shot, Deathclaws included with the right ammunition. Rounds are heavy and expensive, which makes it a genuine logistics decision in Hardcore mode.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Clearing Quarry Junction, Deathclaw promontory and any sniper build past level 20. |
| Key Mechanic | Perks every two levels |
| Recommended Build | Energy weapons specialist |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Anti-Materiel Rifle: Pairs naturally with Energy weapons specialist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: This Machine
A .308 semi-automatic rifle, an M1 Garand in all but name, handed over for the Dealing with Contreras quest at Camp McCarran. High damage per shot with a fast follow-up and no scope to fuss with.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Mid to late Guns builds that want single-target damage without a bolt-action's reload downtime. |
| Key Mechanic | Faction reputation |
| Recommended Build | Unarmed brawler |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using This Machine: Pairs naturally with Unarmed brawler thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Ratslayer
A unique varmint rifle in Broc Flower Cave that arrives with a night vision scope, a silencer and a much faster reload than the base weapon. It eats cheap 5.56mm ammunition.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Early stealth builds. It is reachable at level one if you can survive the trip to Broc Flower Cave. |
| Key Mechanic | V.A.T.S. and weapon condition |
| Recommended Build | Sneak sniper |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Ratslayer: Pairs naturally with Sneak sniper thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Ballistic Fist
A shotgun bolted to a power fist and the top-end Unarmed weapon in the base game. Backed by Piercing Strike and the unarmed perk chain it kills most humanoids in one or two hits.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Unarmed builds from the mid game onward. Two-Step Goodbye from Gun Runners' Arsenal is the unique version. |
| Key Mechanic | Hardcore mode |
| Recommended Build | Speech and Barter diplomat |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Ballistic Fist: Pairs naturally with Speech and Barter diplomat thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Goodsprings
- Anti-Materiel Rifle → Your first real upgrade, available early
- This Machine → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- That Gun → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Intelligence controls skill points at 10 plus half your Intelligence per level, so the gap between Intelligence 4 and Intelligence 8 is roughly a hundred skill points over a full run. Take it high at creation or buy the implant early.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Fallout: New Vegas Guides
- Fallout: New Vegas Fallout: New Vegas Overview
- Fallout: New Vegas Best Builds
- Fallout: New Vegas Tier List
- Fallout: New Vegas Walkthrough
- Fallout: New Vegas Beginner's Guide
- Fallout: New Vegas Tips & Tricks
- Fallout: New Vegas Combat Guide
- Fallout: New Vegas Boss Guide
- Fallout: New Vegas Maps & Locations
- Fallout: New Vegas Crafting Guide
- Fallout: New Vegas Classes & Characters
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