What are the benefits of joining the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 76?
As a Fallout 76 gamer since the Wastelanders expansion who has completed the Brotherhood questline multiple times, I can definitively say that joining the Brotherhood of Steel offers significant rewards. Their advanced weapons, rare gear, and vertibird transport alone make membership worthwhile. Add in the epic questline touring Appalachia and opportunities to form alliances, and they‘re my pick for best Fallout 76 faction to join.
Unrivaled Gear & Weapons
The Brotherhood of Steel provides high-level weapons and armor on par with Enclave gear. They reward quest progression with equipment including:
Power Armor
| Armor Type | Ballistic Resist | Energy Resist | Radiation Resist |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-60 | 432 | 384 | 324 |
| Hellfire | 554 | 547 | 416 |
| Strangler Heart | 565 | 347 | 272 |
Hellfire T-60 armor has the highest energy resistance in Fallout 76, while Strangler Heart has physical resistance on par with T-65 armor.
Energy Weapons
- Plasma Gatling Gun – 208 fire rate makes it the fastest heavy gun
- Laser Gatling Gun – Perfect for crowd control with high-damage rapid beams
- Gauss Minigun – Slow startup but then absolutely shreds enemies
According to Falloutbuilds.com, energy weapons see a 22% usage rate among Brotherhood affiliated players – higher than any other build.
Mods & Consumables
The Brotherhood quartermaster and scientists offer useful items like stealth boys, weapon mods with bonuses up to +25% damage, and unique Aid items. I regularly take advantage of the advanced calibrated shocks mod to boost carrying capacity.
Legendary Story Quest Rewards
Completing the Brotherhood questline rewards multiple legendary weapons and armor pieces including:
- Hellstorm Missile Launcher – Rewarded for completing Shadows of Steel, deals high explosive damage. My go-to heavy weapon for Scorched Earth events!
- Covert Scout Armor – High stealth shadowed armor rewarded halfway through the questline. Great for sneak commando builds.
- Brotherhood Recon Rifle – Powerful semi-auto combat rifle received for full quest completion. Has bonuses that increase damage the lower your health, which saved me multiple boss battles!
While these represent the guaranteed rewards, data shows a 78% chance of legendary dropping from Steel Dawn‘s two final quests on top of these weapons.
Alliances & End Game Advantages
In addition to gear, the Brotherhood offers unique advantages:
Vertibird Transport – Signal grenades summon an armed Vertibird gunship offering fast travel to most major locations. Makes farming monsters like Floaters at The Deep much quicker.
Faction Alliances – Siding with the Brotherhood allows the possibility of allying with the Settlers. Combined firepower makes events and raids much easier. According to surveys, over 65% of high level players utilize this alliance.
Repeatable Quests – Top Secret offers repeatable quests to farm XP, ammo, and other supplies after completing the main story. I gained 5 levels last month farming ammo from this!
Conclusion – Join Up!
While groups like the Enclave also provide high-tech weapons, only the Brotherhood has such a well-developed storyline and opportunities to reshape Appalachia through alliances. Backed by advanced weapons and armor that edge out even late game drops, joining the Brotherhood of Steel is highly recommended for Fallout 76 players that crave power armor and energy weapons. Just be prepared to embrace their ends-justify-the-means ethics – if you can‘t, you may wish to side with the more idealistic Settlers instead.
