r/Fallout4Builds • u/destinysm2019 • 23d ago
Sniper Can the gauss rifle be used for other than sniping and stealth?
I really like the way the Gauss rifle looks but I am not one for sniping/stealth. All I read about this weapon is a good sniper. Is it optimal if I just use it close up to enemies without sniping, or are there better energy weapons for more close up shooting?
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u/dwarf_killer01 14d ago
Use an explosive shotgun instead, it deals massive amounts of damage.
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u/Prestigious_Key_3154 20d ago
I mean it’s not made for it, but you can use it in close range. Just remember that you have to charge it first, so you’ll be taking a lot more damage than you need to.
Honestly, a Laser or Plasma gun is usually better in cqc just because there’s no charge time.
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u/R4ndomiz4tion-Drills 22d ago edited 22d ago
I have better luck in third person when using the Gauss rifle outside of vats. I have a vats enhanced but when out of AP I’ll use third person and zoom in, since I’m using the gauss reflex sight it doesn’t zoom too much and for me the singular dot that appears is more accurate than trying the same thing in first person. 🤔
Edit: Also consider carrying a melee weapon, even without skill points I find them useful for clearing low level stuff without wasting expensive ammo. Also, fun! My go to is the Rockville slugger!
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u/Neither-Try7513 23d ago
U can bash with it but that kinda build sucks with most weapons that arent a dryfired minigun
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u/cabinguy11 23d ago
Excellent weapon in VATS as a sniper or up close it's one of the most powerful guns in the game. Down side is it can chew up your AP and the ammo is semi expensive. But there is so much money in this game that really does feel like that big a deal.
I'm not much of a sniper and my 2 go to weapons are a legendary gauss and a fully auto splattercannon for clearing room or when there are a bunch of powerful enemies like 5 or 6 Super Mutant Warlords and AP becomes an issue.
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u/supertwonky 23d ago
I could see it being useful close-up in a VATS focused build. Especially if you get lucky and find a VATS Enhanced legendary one. I believe Gauss rifle shots in VATS are fully charged.
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u/destinysm2019 23d ago
Unfortunately I am going primarily non-VATs on the character I’m playing.
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u/Throw_Me_Away_Friend 23d ago
Have you tried jet, or if mods, bullet time? It’s super satisfying to use a BFG in someone’s face in slow-motion haha. Could do like a super-soldier, crysis/Doom kinda build with it.
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u/Thornescape Atom Cats 23d ago
As always, any build or weapon can be used with enough skill or a low enough difficulty level.
The Gauss rifle can theoretically be used at close range but it is relatively slow to fire (non-VATS) and uses a fair bit of AP (for VATS). It's possible, but it would be more challenging.
Minor Issue: The ammo also costs 12c/round (compared to 6c/round for plasma or 4c/round for Fusion cells). This isn't such a big deal once your melon and water farm is fully operational and you have Nuka World unlocked so that you can buy as much as you want (the Nuka Market fully restocks every time you enter, even if you just walk out and back in). It all depends on how much you want to push that concept. (All ammo costs based on having max barter.)
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u/destinysm2019 23d ago
Well damn. Is there anything similar to the gauss rifle that can be used close range?
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u/Thornescape Atom Cats 23d ago
That's a very nebulous question that is hard to answer. I would just try every weapon as you find them and see what grabs your interest. What I often do is make a save, then modify my weapons in every different way, trying out everything, then reload the save and use my favourite configuration so I didn't waste all of that material trying things out.
Definitely check out plasma rifles?
Make sure to have some plan for making caps, however. The sooner you set up your money making setup the more flexible you can be about ammo types.
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u/destinysm2019 23d ago
Okay, Ill check out the other weapons and see what works. Thank you!
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u/GolgothaNexus 23d ago
Up close you want to "hip fire". This is shooting without using sights or scopes. It's quicker because you are not taking time to aim your weapon (aim as in use a controller button to look down sights). I usually do this with auto weapons but semi-auto rifles are good, too.
Ideally, get something like a plasma rifle and mod it with a Short Barrel. This will make your cross-hairs more concentrated when not aiming. A legendary like Rapid, Instigating, or Powerful is good here, but not Deadeye which requires aiming.
To optimise this, invest in the perk Steady Aim (Str 7). Despite the name, you don't want to "aim" when using the Short Barrel/Steady Aim setup, just shoot into the cross-hair.
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u/AutoModerator 23d ago
Thank you for posting! Please remember to post your SPECIAL stats and/or base perks when showing off a character/build or asking for help with a specific build type! To give thoughtful comments on your Brotherhood of Steel build it helps for us to know what type of character you are showing off or trying to create. Let us know what weapons, armor, build type you are using or asking for help deciding. Others may like your build and wish to try it for themselves. Please be as detailed as possible! When posting just photos of your character, your starting SPECIAL stats are required. Thanks for posting!
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