Deathclaw ( Fallout 4 ) Deathclaws are extremely dangerous creatures found in the Commonwealth , on the Island and in Nuka - World . Characteristics . Deathclaws are tough and formidable melee combatants . Their appearance is also more detailed compared to their " Fallout 3 " and " " predecessors ; they have darker , scaled skin , longer horns ( which seem to curve more downward rather than upward ) , shorter claws and a more draconic / reptilian head and face . Close inspection of their feet will reveal what appears to be a single enlarged toe claw on each foot , similar to prehistoric . The Massachusetts deathclaws are more physically dynamic ; showing abilities such as running on all fours when in combat or climbing obstacles , behaviors never seen in the deathclaws of previous titles . Deathclaws can be found anywhere in the Commonwealth , but appear more frequently in the Glowing Sea . When observed from a distance , deathclaws can be seen to throw dirt over what could possibly be egg clutches . They ' re also known to perch atop hills , rock outcroppings , and boulders surveying the landscape . Biology . Deathclaws are the results of a pre - War experiment that involved creating a mutation of the , along with several other species , to use as weapons on the battlefield . They are strong , agile predators that will attack the player character on sight . Their long , sharp claws are capable of inflicting great , oftentimes deadly amounts of damage ( hence their name ) . Gameplay attributes . Deathclaws have a very high amount of health for creatures of their level and are incredibly resistant to most damage types , particularly energy damage . Their versatile combat style makes them a hefty opponent even if they are lower level . When aggravated , they will initiate combat by roaring and stomping the ground , causing a shockwave . While they predominantly use their namesake claws for dealing damage , they may also headbutt their foes to stagger them . Their power attack comes in the form of a wide - swinging claw slash which deals significant damage . If one is available , they have also been noted to use both hands to throw cars at an opponent who is out of melee distance . Deathclaws have the ability to instantly kill the Sole Survivor or other humanoids , either by grabbing and smashing them into the ground , or decapitation with its claws . This maneuver only occurs when the Sole Survivor has low enough health , although this is relative - higher percentages of health at low level can still result in the instant - kill attack , but at higher levels it may not occur until the player has very low health . Other times , the deathclaw may pick up the player and slam them into the ground forcibly , causing moderate damage . The instant kill can also be nullified by wearing any type of power armor . Instead , the deathclaw will grab the Sole Survivor and stagger them , draining their AP completely . A deathclaw will also toss sand into the air to provide a brief distraction . The deathclaws have a substantial level of natural armor and are resistant to damage on their dark , scaled parts , leaving the belly as a weak spot which takes increased damage . However , due to their hunched posture , this is difficult to hit . Although the Penetrator perk allows the Sole Survivor to hit the deathclaw anywhere while using the Vault - Tec Assisted Targeting System , this works by shooting through the deathclaw like it is a solid object . They can dodge gunshots and zigzag while charging the shooter , making them even harder to hit . If one of their legs become crippled , broken bone will be seen stabbing out of the skin , and they will move incredibly slowly . With both legs crippled it is unable to move at all . It is also possible to shoot off the end of their tail . Their model size makes them ungainly in uneven ground , which can be used against them . Their inability to climb or jump ( aside from scripted events such as in Concord ) renders their close - combat style useless if attacked from high enough ground , and if they are unable to travel certain terrain such as jumping up on a rock , they will flee until their target is on level ground again . Many of their attacks can also be avoided by keeping a constant pace , which allows the player to simply outrun their claw strikes . Variants . The variants that can be encountered are based on level . Different variations become increasingly more common with higher levels . For example , where one might expect to encounter a normal deathclaw , they might encounter an alpha deathclaw once they pass a certain level . The higher the player ' s level , the more chance of the next difficulty of deathclaw to spawn in its place . Scripted encounters , such as on top of Haymarket Mall and at Lynn Woods , have a higher chance of spawning a next - stage deathclaw than randomly encountered wasteland ones . Deathclaw . Normal deathclaws , defaulted to level 22 , are highly dangerous for those poorly leveled and still present a challenge at higher levels . Deathclaws will charge the target while defending their weak belly with their head , making it difficult to land a shot to the weak spot even in V . A . T . S . Alpha deathclaw . An Alpha deathclaw can be encountered by flipping the breaker at the top of the tower in Lynn Woods and the roof of Haymarket Mall ( two may spawn on the roof ) . They may also be encountered in the Glowing Sea and west of Natick Banks . Alpha deathclaws have horns that spread foward and up , while a regular deathclaw is forward and down . Alpha deathclaws also have rust - colored skin . Glowing deathclaw . The glowing deathclaw is a highly irradiated version of the standard deathclaw . A green light emits from the skin between their scales , and they inflict radiation damage on top of their massive ballistic damage . They can start spawning in as low as level 25 , replacing several of the randomly encountered varieties including those above Haymarket Mall and Robotics Pioneer Park . Quantum deathclaw . For unknown reasons Quantum deathclaws were cut from " Nuka - World " . These deathclaws were mutated in the same way the Nukalurks were . They resemble glowing deathclaws , but with a blue - purple glow instead of green . Deathclaw matriarch . Matriarchs , as the name implies are the female leaders of the species . They have less health than an alpha , but more than a normal deathclaw . Their horns curve out and down , compared to the alpha ' s forward and up . They start to appear when the player is around level 35 , and will replace some randomly encountered deathclaws in the wasteland . Savage deathclaw . A scripted savage deathclaw may be found in the Museum of Witchcraft . This event is leveled and part of a side mission . The Sole Survivor can choose to fight but can also run away or sneak through it . If the player has a high enough level , they may encounter savage deathclaws in random encounters , such as within the Glowing Sea or near Natick Banks . A savage deathclaw is probably a deathclaw matriarch with a broken horn . This can be proven by both of them having the same color of skin , the yellow lines on their body and the spread out horn . Albino deathclaw . The albino deathclaw is a pale version of the deathclaw , with more health , that can be encountered after reaching level 71 . This deathclaw type ' s high health can make it a worthy adversary and it will only lose 1 / 4 of its health from a shot from the Mysterious Stranger . Chameleon deathclaw . The chameleon deathclaw will begin to spawn at Level 81 . Its default color is a slightly more sandy tone of a regular deathclaw , but when aggravated , it will display vibrant colors depending on its movements in battle . It flickers between stone gray , acid green , red , orange and teal . When killed , its body retains the last color it was displaying . Mythic deathclaw . Mythic deathclaws are the highest non - legendary tier of all deathclaw variants and can be encountered starting from level 91 . On rare occasions , they can be encountered from level 75 . These level with the player , so they are immune to the Wasteland Whisperer perk . Locations . Deathclaws can be encountered anywhere in the Commonwealth , but some locations are more frequent deathclaw hunting grounds than others . Below is a list of possible deathclaw locations . Appearances . Deathclaws appear in " Fallout 4 " and its two add - ons , " Far Harbor " and " Nuka - World " . Behind the scenes . The deathclaw model was made by Jonah Lobe .