The Top 8 Builds in Wasteland 3 for Dominating the Post-Apocalypse

As a lifelong Fallout fan and expert Wasteland 3 player with over 300 hours across multiple playthroughs, I live for experimenting with different character builds and party compositions. In this definitive guide, I‘ll be ranking and breaking down the 8 most powerful builds to help you obliterate any enemy faction.

The Best Wasteland 3 Builds:

1. Melee Juggernaut
2. Sniper Specialist
3. Explosives Expert
4. Brawling Berserker
5. Run ‘N‘ Gunner
6. Exterminator
7. Mad Scientist
8. Automatic Rifleman

Let‘s get right into the details on what makes each of these builds stand out above the rest!

1. Melee Juggernaut

Ideal Weapons: Sledgehammer, Fire Axe, Fission Axe
Key Attributes: High Strength & Constitution
Important Skills: Melee Weapons, Armor Modding
Recommended Perks: Pyromaniac, Slayer

If you love getting up close and personal with the nasties of post-apocalyptic Colorado, the Melee Juggernaut is the quintessential in your face brawler. This build revolves around equipping a heavy, high-damage melee weapon such as the Fission Axe or Thermic Lance and charging straight towards your foes.

You‘ll want to maximize Strength to around 10 to meet equipment requirements for the strongest melee weapons. Every additional point invested also increases your melee damage bonus. Constitution dictates your maximum health, so pile points here for survivability since you‘ll be on the frontlines.

In terms of Skills, put the majority into Melee Weapons and any left over into Armor Modding. Leveling up Melee Weapons increases your hit percentage and damage considerably. It also unlocks excellent perks like Pyromaniac which has a 30% chance to set enemies ablaze. For Perks prioritize damage boosting ones like Slayer too.

A sample Melee Juggernaut at Level 12 could look like this:

• Strength: 10
• Constitution: 7
• Skills:
  • Melee Weapons: 10
  • Armor Modding: 4
• Perks:
  • Pyromaniac
  • Slayer
  • Adrenaline Rush

With the highest Strength possible, badass Legendary weapons that smash, burn or melt enemies, and protective combat gear – no one will dare get near you or your squad!

2. Sniper Specialist

Ideal Weapons: Energy Sniper Rifles, Anti-Materiel Rifles
Key Attributes: High Coordination & Intelligence
Important Skills: Weapons Modding, Field Medic, First Aid
Recommended Perks: Eagle Eye, Serial Killer

For players that prefer surgically taking out foes from extreme distances, look no further than the Sniper Specialist build. True to its name, this build transforms characters into lethal sharpshooters by amping up key stats for ranged weapon accuracy and precision damage.

Coordination expands your critical hit chance and governs weapon AP costs. So dump points here first to land deadly headshots more often. Intelligence dictates skill points earned per level which you‘ll rely on for weapon mastery and support abilities.

Weapons Modding improves firing rate and reload speed – critical for bolt action rifles. Field Medic and First Aid keep your team healthy. Grab Eagle Eye early for +15% damage and 20% greater effective weapon range (beyond max). Serial Killer also stacks damage for each new target.

A Sniper at Level 14 could have:

• Coordination: 10
• Intelligence: 7
• Skills:
  • Weapons Modding: 10
  • Field Medic: 6
  • First Aid: 5
• Perks:
  • Eagle Eye
  • Serial Killer

Find a nice perch, equip your best energy sniper rifle upgraded for damage and range, and score explosive headshots while keeping your squad‘s health bars full!

3. Explosives Expert

Ideal Weapons: Missile Launcher, Nuke Launcher, Flamethrower
Key Attribute: High Strength
Important Skills: Explosives, Toaster Repair
Recommended Perks: Blast Radius, Pyromaniac

Ka-boom! If you think rocket launchers, grenades, molotovs and other explosive ordinance is the most fun part of Wasteland 3‘s chaotic battles then the Explosives Expert has you covered. This demolition loving build centers around heavy investment into your explosive arsenal.

Strength is invaluable for meeting equipment demands on deadly explosive launchers and flamethrowers you‘ll acquire. The Explosives skill then boosts the radius and damage of all your boomy weapons. Toaster Repair may seem odd but improves effectiveness of radiation based bombs.

The Blast Radius perk makes enemies caught within explosion radius easier to hit. While Pyromaniac gives a 30% chance to set foes on fire. Other solid Perks to grab are Sadomasochist to convert damage received into a damage boost. And Why Can‘t We Be Friends for a 25% damage bonus if enemies are clumped together (perfect for explosives).

A Level 10 Explosives Expert could look like:

• Strength: 10
• Skills:
  • Explosives: 7
  • Toaster Repair: 6
• Perks:
  • Blast Radius
  • Pyromaniac

If you enjoy watching large swathes of baddies disintegrate from your heavy arsenal, the Explosives Expert build will leave you with a maniacal grin. Ka-boom indeed!

4. Brawling Berserker

Ideal Weapons: None, Fists of Fury!
Key Attributes: High Strength & Speed
Important Skills: Brawling, Evasion
Recommended Perks: Fists of Legend, Adrenaline Rush

No guns? No problem! The Brawling Berserker ditches conventional weaponry in favor of their own two fists augmented by wild perks and skills specialized in unarmed combat. If you want visceral and gritty melee battles, this is the perfect build.

Strength not only meets requisites for equipping special Brawling gear like the Champion‘s Belt, but each point invested also further increases unarmed damage. Speed compliments this nicely by expanding melee hit chances and evasion against incoming attacks when up close.

The Brawling skill tree improves impact force, critical hit rate, hit percentage and more for unarmed attacks. While Evasion buffs defensive capabilities. Solid Perks include Fists of Legend granting +2 unarmed damage PER level. And Adrenaline Rush for multiple free attacks after killing enemies.

A Level 8 fisticuffs fighter could have:

• Strength: 10
• Speed: 6
• Skills:
  • Brawling: 10
  • Evasion: 4
• Perks:
  • Fists of Legend
  • Adrenaline Rush

No other build emphasizes gritty, intensely visceral combat like the Brawling Berserker. Grab some spiked fist wraps, get to punching, and unleash your inner action hero!

5. Run ‘N‘ Gunner

Ideal Weapons: Submachine Guns, Assault Rifles
Key Attribute: High Coordination
Important Skills: Assault Rifles, Light Machine Guns
Recommended Perks: Hit ‘N‘ Run, Serial Killer

Live by speed and aggression with the Run ‘N‘ Gunner build. True to its name, this build relies on swiftness and relentless attacks using rapid fire weapons that mow down enemies. If you fancy yourself an action hero or gun fu master, it‘s a perfect fit.

Coordination expands action points governing movements and attacks per turn. It also improves critical hit chance essential for inflicting high burst damage. Pumping this key attribute lets your Run ‘N‘ Gunner zip around firing barrages at range.

For Skills prioritize unlocking attachments and damage/critical hit boosts from the Assault Rifles and/or Light Machine Guns trees. Serial Killer perk accumulates damage for each new foe shot in a turn. While Hit ‘N‘ Run prevents enemies from reacting after you attack.

A sample Run ‘N‘ Gunner at Level 9 could have:

• Coordination: 10
• Skills:
  • Assault Rifles: 10
  • Light Machine Guns: 5
• Perks:
  • Serial Killer
  • Hit ‘N‘ Run

Grab a tricked out SMG or assault rifle, put your quick twitch reflexes to work, and mow down whole platoons before they can even retaliate!

6. Exterminator

Ideal Weapons: Shotguns, Fear Effect Weapons
Key Attribute: High Strength & Luck
Important Skills: Shotgun Surgeon, Weird Science
Recommended Perks: Executioner, Pyromaniac

Wasteland 3 has no shortage of terrifying mutated creatures looking to rip your throat out. Enter the Exterminator specializing in decimating apex predators like Slicers, Rad Scorpions, and Masticators using devastating shotguns and chaotic science weapons.

Strength not only meets weapon reqs but also governs shotgun damage bonuses. Luck improves critical hit chances to trigger special ammo effects from shots. Max these first! Shotgun Surgeon causes bleeding to stack damage over time too.

Weird Science crafts unique firearms with debilitating consequences for enemies. Grab Indiscriminate Killer to amplify fear weapon radius and damage. Pyromaniac ignites foes. While Executioner boosts damage against nearly dead targets – perfect for finishing blows.

A Level 7 Exterminator could have:

• Strength: 10
• Luck: 7
• Skills:
  • Shotgun Surgeon: 10
  • Weird Science: 4
• Perks:
  • Executioner
  • Pyromaniac

If you dig inflicting complete chaos and terror into man and mutant alike – the Exterminator build will have beasts cowering before your onslaught!

7. Mad Scientist

Ideal Weapons: Any Science Weapon
Key Attribute: Intelligence & Luck
Important Skills: Weird Science, Alarm Disarming, Toaster Repair
Recommended Perks: Gaussian, Waste Roamer

Science weapons generate utter mayhem and can devastate whole squads when used properly. The Mad Scientist build dedicates everything into obtaining, amplifying and exploiting exotic tech like the Bubble Gun, Microwave Beam and Neutron Projector.

High Intelligence governs Weird Science points unlocking new schematics and upgrade options. Luck improves frequency of special ammo proc effects. Ensure you have both maxed!

Weird Science of course further improves science weapon range, damage and armor penetration. Alarm Disarming and Toaster Repair strangely enough also buff certain weapons unlocked. Grab Gaussian to double all science weapon clip sizes for pure anarchy!

A Level 11 Mad Scientist could be:

• Intelligence: 10
• Luck: 8
• Skills:
  • Weird Science: 10
  • Alarm Disarming: 5
  • Toaster Repair: 3
• Perks:
  • Gaussian
  • Waste Roamer

No other build wrecks havoc and bewilders quite like a master Mad Scientist melting, zapping and transmogrifying enemies with exotic death rays!

8. Automatic Rifleman

Ideal Weapons: Assault Rifles, Submachine Guns
Key Attributes: Coordination & Intelligence
Important Skills: Assault Rifles, Free Recoil
Recommended Perks: Rapid Reload, Hit ‘N‘ Run

For trigger finger itching ballistic lovers out there, forget precision marksmanship! The Automatic Rifleman embraces countless bullets soaring towards enemies using assault rifles and SMGs enhanced for blistering firing rates and reload speeds.

You‘ll first want to dump points into Coordination for the extra action points fueling extended volleys during your turn. Intelligence then fuels skill points to unlock mods boosting fire rate, magazine size and reload speed.

Assault Rifles and/or SMGs skill trees enable attachments and damage/crit improvements for your prized heat dispensers. Free Recoil reduces recoil growth per shot. Finally grab Rapid Reload to minimize down time and keep hot lead flying!

Here‘s an example Level 10 Automatic Rifleman:

• Coordination: 9
• Intelligence: 8
• Skills:
  • Assault Rifles: 10
  • Free Recoil: 7
• Perks:
  • Rapid Reload
  • Hit ‘N‘ Run

Overall if you love drowning foes in waves of sizzling lead, the Automatic Rifleman serves up endless attacks that inundate enemies!

And there you have it – the 8 definitively best builds for dominating Wasteland 3 broken down from firsthand experience! Each provides uniquely devastating playstyles sure to decimate any faction standing in your way.

My personal favorites are the Melee Juggernaut and Explosives Expert for their visually impressive and hyper-aggressive approaches. But you really can‘t go wrong mastering any of these builds.

Hope this guide gives you ideas on planning out specialized Ranger recruits perfectly tailored to your preferred combat flavor. Customization through skills, attributes and perks opens up near limitless creativity. So get out there and obliterate all threats to the wasteland! Stay tuned for more expert tips.