Can you save President Kimball?

As a self-proclaimed expert on all things Fallout, the first question on every player‘s mind when meeting President Kimball should be: can I save him?

The answer is yes, if you make the right choices. While complicit in some of the NCR‘s failings, Kimball is still the legitimately-elected leader representing New Vegas‘ best hope for democracy and stability in the region. Letting him get assassinated could devolve the conflict further into chaos.

So for both moral and practical reasons, players invested in determining the future of New Vegas should see Kimball‘s survival as imperative.

As such, I‘m going to fully break down the options at your disposal to keep Kimball breathing and also explore consequences if things go sideways. Strap in, this is going to get wilder than a Deathclaw mating ritual!

Step-by-Step Guide to Saving President Kimball

When you accept the quest from Ranger Grant (Speech check of 50+ recommended to get most XP), you‘ll be faced with both a bomb on Kimball‘s vertibird and a hidden Legion sniper waiting to ambush his speech.

Here‘s how to counter both assassination plans:

Disabling the Vertibird Bomb

• Investigate the bomb first upon meeting Ranger Grant to trigger this objective
• Pass an Explosives skill check (50+ required) to identify bomb components needed
• Or grab plastic explosive, detonator and scrap electronics scattered nearby (Perception 5+ useful)
• With parts gathered, select the disarm bomb dialogue to permanently dismantle threat

This prevents Kimball arriving by air and the explosion killing not just him but also Rangers securing the dam.

Eliminating the Legion Sniper

• Travel to the ridge with sniper rifles overlooking the speech stage
• Sneak skill recommended so you can sneak attack sniper for 2x damage
• Quickly take out sniper when reaching ridge before he kills Kimball
• High damage per shot weapons like the Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle excel here

With no bomb or bullet to worry about, Kimball can give his speech freely with the quest completing successfully!

How Saving Kimball Impacts Reputation & Endings

So you saved Kimball, great job! But actions have consequences, so let‘s analyse reputational impacts with factions and how it influences the ending you get:

As we can see, while saving the president boosts the Courier‘s standing with the NCR – granting access to safehouses and Ranger armour/weapons – it can also draw the ire of Caesar‘s Legion with hit squads as consequence for foiling their assassination plot.

Meanwhile some companions like Boone will approve of keeping his old commander-in-chief safe, others may see Kimball as a duplicious politician unworthy of protection. So choose carefully!

Finally, if Kimball survives he remains a stable yet hawkish leader – flooding the region with NCR troops and keeping a military focus on the Dam. If he dies, the NCR has to divert resources in choosing a chaotic leadership succession – handicapping their army right before the Legion battle. So the president living makes defending Hoover Dam easier.

In summary, saving Kimball has a net positive reputation for NCR which directly translates to a concrete edge when elements clash to decide Vegas‘ destiny. It‘s the safest choice for a good or independent ending. Letting him die risks destabilising the entire region‘s future!

Additional Pro Gamer Tips on the Quest

Before you attempt to save the leader of the New California Republic, make sure you gear up properly at the 188 Trading Post just east. My suggested weapons for eliminating Kimball‘s would-be assassins:

• Sniper Rifle – high damage at long range
• Anti-Materiel Rifle – punishing damage but slow reload
• Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle (unique) – high crit chance

And don‘t forget perks that enhance your sneak attack capabilities for 2x damage on that first lethal sniper shot:

• Better Criticals
• Ninja
• Finesse

Grab all that and you should have no issues ending the Legion threat before it eliminates Kimball. It‘s literally child‘s play at that point!

Oh and one last thing: keep an ear out when first meeting Ranger Grant for him to hum the Elder Scrolls theme song. Consider it my little gift to the Bethesda faithful playing New Vegas! #gaming

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, saving President Kimball keeps New Vegas‘ best shot at democracy alive and ensures a more stable Mojave wasteland.

While aligning with his hawkish NCR views might not appeal to all couriers, allowing his assassination threatens to destabilise everything. So act decisively when confronted with this choice and you‘ll have no regrets as credits roll!

For any fellow gamers seeking expert advice on navigating this turning point quest, I hope the comprehensive detail I provided gives you confidence in keeping Kimball breathing.

The Wasteland is depending on you! No pressure.