Slaying Deathclaws in Fallout: New Vegas – The Ultimate Weapons Guide

As a seasoned Fallout veteran with over 500 hours exploring the Mohave, I‘ve had many dangerous run-ins with its apex predator – the dreaded deathclaw. And through trial and error (mostly error!), I‘ve learned what it takes to consistently beat these terrifying beasts in combat. In my expert opinion, the undisputed best weapon for killing deathclaws in New Vegas is the Anti-Materiel Rifle – especially when loaded with incendiary rounds.

Why An Anti-Materiel Rifle is a Deathclaw‘s Worst Nightmare

This .50 caliber beast delivers some of the highest single-shot damage in the entire Fallout universe. And when customized with specialized ammo and perks, it absolutely shreds through a deathclaw‘s thick hide and armor plating.

Deathclaws may be fast, but they aren‘t very perceptive. The Anti-Materiel Rifle allows you exploit this fact by picking them off from long range before they can close the gap with their lethal melee attacks. Let‘s analyze exactly why it‘s so diabolically effective:

Extreme Damage Output

The AMR‘s heavy rounds inflict massive damage on impact:

You can craft even deadlier ammo types like incendiary and armor piercing to directly target a deathclaw‘s weaknesses.

Superior Range & Accuracy

With a whopping 1200 unit range, you can snipe deathclaws before they detect your presence. The scoped sights provide excellent accuracy at long distances for targeted head and limb shots.

High Critical Chance

The AMR has an impressive 36% critical chance, further augmented by perks and equipment. This means explosive sneak attack criticals on almost every shot.

Extreme Armor Penetration

The AMR‘s heavy rounds ignore 30 points of damage threshold. Combine this with armor piercing rounds and there‘s not much a deathclaw‘s thick hide can do to stop the abuse.

Optimal Anti-Materiel Rifle Builds

While the AMR wrecks deathclaws right out of the box, with the right perks and stats it becomes a true deathclaw destroyer:

Sneak Sniper

Max out sneak, guns, and critical perks to dish out devastating sneak attack headshots from long distance.

Key Perks:

• Better Criticals (+50% crit damage)
• Critical Banker (save crits)
• Finesse (+5% crit chance)
• Splash Damage (explosive damage)
• Lord Death (+20% damage vs deathclaws)

Tank Killer

If you want to go toe-to-toe with deathclaws, combine heavy guns with damage resistance perks to absorb hits while dishing out pain.

Key Perks:

• Bullet Storm (25% damage and unload full clip instantaneously)
• Slayer (Ignore 30 points of target‘s DT)
• Toughness (+10 DR and +2 DT)
• Stonewall (50% chance to reduce melee damage by 20)

See the perk comparison tables below for more builds.

Tactical Deathclaw Combat Guide

Once you have your AMR primed for deathclaw destruction, here are some key combat tips I‘ve picked up over countless hours in the Mohave wasteland:

• Aim for the head – Deathclaw skulls aren‘t as thick. Target their eyes for a quick takedown.
• Cripple the legs – Slows them down so you can keep your distance.
• Mine the surroundings – Lure them into chokepoints and minefields for extra damage.
• Use the environment – Falling boulders, cars, etc can hurt deathclaws if detonated nearby.
• Have an escape plan – Have stimpacks ready and be near cover if you need to flee.

With some practice, you‘ll be hunting the hunters in no time. The wasteland is already dangerous enough without having to worry about these territorial terrors. So do yourself a favor and invest in an AMR – your best friend for making deathclaws extinct!

Parting Thoughts from a Fallout Fan

I‘ll never forget the first time I stumbled into a deathclaw nest near Sloan completely unprepared. Ravenous roars in the dark nearly made me jump out of my chair! I tried bargaining, bribing, and even begging – all while unloading my feeble stock combat rifle futilely at the charging beasts. Several reloads and strategy adjustments later, I emerged bloodied but victorious.

Ever since that harrowing trial by fire, I‘ve had tremendous respect (and perhaps a tinge of fear!) for the deathclaw. But with an AMR in hand, the balance of power tilts decisively in my favor. One explosive round to the cranium and I watch in satisfaction as the would-be predator slumps lifelessly to the rocky ground. The wasteland is still brimming with dangers untold, but at least I can cross deathclaws off my list of nemeses. Happy hunting!