Reaper

## The Reaper

### DUST experience

Fledgling: No Dust experience is needed, but pre-knowledge of the mod is expected.

### Emphasis

Focus on decimating enemies with Melee and running speed boosts

### Traits

* Heavy Handed
* Kamikaze

### Perks

Listed In-Article

This page describes a char build for Fallout: DUST, aimed at overpowering through combat encounters as opposed to masterminding past them.

**This article assumes you *aren't* using the "More Perks" mod. Changes/suggestions brought on by said mod will be bolded.**

## Characteristics

This is a build focused entirely around ending combat as quick as it starts. Enemies' increased perception ranges and alertness make much of DUST's stealth changes very finicky at the best of times. While playing sneakily is possible, there's simply too much going against it for it to be relied on consistently. Hence a combat build like this that assumes the worst at all times. This build can be powerful with the right Perk synergies but it takes damage like paper-mache...more than things in DUST already do. Pray for your limbs.

This Build is best played in the hands of an Insane Survivor due to the bonuses given by King Arthur and The Scurrier.

This Build can Escape the Mojave by any means, though its loadout has " Zion Run" written in bright neon letters.

## Game Settings

### Difficulty

Normal difficulty, with Hardcore enabled.

### Mods used

The following mods were used to test this build:

* Fallout DUST Tunneler Detection Fix
* Fast Travel for DUST (Yes, I'm a weenie)
* DUST Pre-Order Fixer
* DUST Reasonable Needs
* Manan's Tweaks
* More Perks For New Vegas
* Private Property Expired
* NPCs Travel (With accompanying Rebalance Patch)
* Makeshift Mastery

## Starting location

Shack (7) and Safehouse (6) both work well enough. Shack (5) is also viable if you're able to outrun the Tunnelers and Cazadores surrounding the area, but it's generally too hard a sell for me to recommend.

## Character Creation

### S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

* Strength: 8
* Perception: 1
* Endurance: 6
* Charisma: 1
* Intelligence: 10
* Agility: 6
* Luck: 6

### Tag Skills

* Repair
* Medicine
* Survival
* Melee Weapons OR Survival (If Tag! is taken)

### Traits

* Heavy Handed
* Kamikaze OR Makeshift Mastery

## Perks

* Action Boy/Girl
* Burden To Bear
* Chemist
* Educated
* Here and Now
* Jury Rigging
* King Arthur
* Nerves Of Steel
* Ninja
* Purifier
* Slayer
* Strong Back
* Super Slam
* Swift Learner (3)
* Tag!
* The Scurrier
* Travel Light
* Unstoppable Force
* Roughin' It

## Starting Skill Levels

Personal Preferences aside, this is what your initial Skills will probably look like.

* Barter: 9
* Energy Weapons: 11
* Explosives 9
* Guns: 13
* Lockpick 13
* Medicine: 13
* Melee Weapons: 31
* Repair: 31
* Science: 15
* Sneak:13
* Speech: 9
* Survival: 36
* Unarmed: 13

## Progression

If you're starting at Shack (7), a trip to the Ghost Town is in-order. Stock up on booze and make steaks from the hostile Dogs there. Loot the houses for Plungers and Scrap Metal (and Coffee Cups, if you're Zion-bound) and forge some Throwing Spears. Assail the Tribals stationed near the town if you feel confident. If either of them has a Makeshift Crossbow, treasure it like a loved one and turn your Spears to Bolts.

From Safehouse (6), try to lure the Tribals patrolling the edges of the Burned Bulls Camp outward and deal with them and their gear. Alternatively, hoof it to the Jackal checkpoint situated before the Camp and deal with them first. Either way, you want the outer rim of the camp to be cleared, at the very least.

After this point, it's on you how to go about your stats. If you're following the Build - Melee Weapons, Repair, Survival and Unarmed should be your priorities, with tiny splashes into the Guns stat for back-up damage. Educated, Travel Light and Action Boy/Girl should be in your early perk arsenal.

Zion National Park will be your ideal location if you aren't pursuing the Repair ending. Most of the enemies in Zion are up-close swarmers, which The Scurrier allows you to keep up with just fine. Make sure your Melee is at least past the 50 mark before you end up here.

**If you're using the "More Perks" mod, "Swing For the Fence!" and "Fortuitous Warrrior" make decent alternatives/reinforcers while "Runs Like Winds" makes you even faster. "Drink to Last" solves 95% of your water issues as long as you hoard empty bottles and should be the first Perk you ever take.**

## Loadout

Any Melee Weapon will do, but you want to craft/find a Makeshift Scythe as quickly as humanly possible. (Depending on your starting location, Primm, the Burned Bulls Camp or Mo-Tel are the easiest places to find one) If you're crafting one instead, the Ghost Town has most of the ingredients you need inside of what was once Doc Mitchell's house.

**The 3.2 update to Manan's Tweaks removes the ability to repair Makeshift melee weapons on-the-fly, replacing the Lawn Mower Blade (Or Bonesaw, if you have an Axe) you'd get with a Dull one that needs a Whet Stone to sharpen first. The rarity of Whet Stones means alternatives such as the Skull Hammer or Cultist Scepter work almost as well. If you have the Makeshift Mastery mod/perk however, you can ignore this entirely given how easy its associated Repair Kits are to make.**

Barring outside factors, your final weapon list will look something like this:

* Flare Gun
* Makeshift Scythe
* Cultist Scepter (Or other alternative to the Scythe in case it breaks)
* Lucky OR any other Revolver
* Any Sniper Rifle variant OR the Makeshift Crossbow
* Throwing Spears

The Pistol/Revolver's mostly for dealing with Feral Ghouls whose toughened bodies're resistant to Melee. Keep an eye out for a Flare Gun and keep it with you if you're going to Zion.

## Notes

* While this Build is insanely Melee-focused, guns and stealth shouldn't be overlooked. A Pistol (Or a Revolver like Lucky) should be on-hand for head-shotting Ghouls and a Sniper Rifle/Scoped Makeshift Bow is plain universal for scouting out stranded targets. Throwing Spears will also see a lot of your early stealth attempts through.
* The reasons heavy weapons are preferred for this Build over smaller ones like Machetes is simple: Range. Small weapons put you so close to the enemy you can count their pores....and the bullets they'll inevitably buffet you with. Scythes, Fire Axes, Sledgehammers, ETC. allow you to remain at mid-range and weave about with your running speed. This is of course not a fool-proof process, but being able to cut an enemy to ribbons is generally more cost-effective than launching four Junk bullets in an attempt to snipe; especially in foggier areas where rendering distance can become your enemy.
* Even without Guns, you shouldn't shy away from Ammo. Breakdown ammo you don't need at Crafting stations instead of hoarding it. You never know when you can reinforce your back-up gun.
* DUST punishes tanking in-general, so as a rule-of-thumb don't bother with Medium or Heavy Armors. Just because you're prioritizing Melee Weapons doesn't mean you can soak up damage. Be careful.
* If you're going to Zion, don't bother with Roughin' It. There's too few safe spaces to use it and it occupies a slot a better Perk can take.
	+ Inversely, if you're eyeing Camp McCarran, the nominally-useless Ghost Hunting Perk should be considered.