Can Settlers Actually Use Power Armor in Fallout 4? Unraveling the Wasteland’s Armored Enigma

The question of whether you can equip your settlers with power armor in Fallout 4 is a persistent one among players. The short answer is yes, but with significant caveats. You can’t directly assign power armor to settlers in the traditional sense. You can’t go into their inventory and equip it like regular armor. However, if you leave a suit of power armor with a fusion core inside within your settlement, a settler will enter it during an attack to defend the settlement.

This dynamic introduces some fascinating strategic considerations and potential pitfalls. Let’s delve deeper into how settlers interact with power armor, the implications, and how to manage it effectively.

Understanding Settler and Power Armor Interaction

Settlers are programmed to seek out and utilize available resources to defend their homes. This extends to power armor. Here’s a breakdown of the key mechanics:

• Proximity and Availability: Settlers will prioritize power armor that is readily accessible during a raid. Position your suits strategically in areas that are easily reached during an attack.
• Fusion Core Dependency: A fusion core is absolutely essential. Without a core, settlers cannot enter or operate the power armor. This also means strategically removing cores is crucial to prevent unauthorized use.
• Temporary Usage: Once the attack is over, settlers should exit the power armor. However, this isn’t always the case, and sometimes settlers will remain inside indefinitely, which presents management challenges.
• Automatic Piloting: Settlers don’t require any training or specific skills to operate power armor. They will instinctively use its enhanced strength and protection to combat enemies.

Strategic Implications and Potential Problems

Giving settlers access to power armor can significantly bolster your settlement defenses. A heavily armored settler can withstand far more damage and inflict considerable pain on attackers. However, there are several potential downsides to consider:

• Fusion Core Drain: Settlers using power armor drain fusion core power at a steady rate. This can be a significant drain on your resources, especially if you have multiple suits deployed.
• Armor Damage: The power armor your settlers use will sustain damage during combat. Regular maintenance and repair at a power armor station are essential to keep it in good condition.
• Unauthorized Use and Theft: While settlers are generally reliable, there’s always a small risk of a settler getting stuck in the armor or, in rare cases, wandering off with it. Hostile NPCs, such as raiders, can also steal your armor if given the opportunity. Removing the fusion core when not in use is a vital safeguard.
• Getting Stuck: Settlers sometimes get stuck in Power Armor and refuse to get out, so you may have to resort to drastic measures if this occurs, which will also impact their happiness.

Practical Tips for Managing Settler Power Armor

• Strategic Placement: Position power armor near defensive positions, such as guard posts or chokepoints. This ensures that settlers can quickly access it when needed.
• Fusion Core Management: Keep a supply of fully charged fusion cores readily available near the power armor, but also maintain a secure storage area for spare cores. Always remove the core when the armor isn’t actively in use.
• Regular Maintenance: Regularly inspect and repair any power armor used by settlers. Keep a supply of necessary components, like steel and aluminum, to facilitate repairs.
• Limited Distribution: Don’t give every settler access to power armor. A few strategically placed suits are far more effective than spreading your resources thin. Focus on equipping your designated guards or those with the highest combat skills.
• Command and Control: While you can’t directly order a settler to enter power armor, you can indirectly influence their behavior by strategically positioning the armor and managing threats. By removing any other available weapons, settlers are more likely to turn to power armor.
• Using the Creation Kit (PC): If you’re playing on PC, the Creation Kit allows for more advanced customization and control over settler behavior, including their interactions with power armor. This is a complex solution but can provide the greatest degree of control.
• Weapon Choices: While in Power Armor, settlers may prioritize melee attacks, so equip them accordingly.

Power Armor Types: What Should Settlers Use?

The type of power armor you provide to your settlers depends on your resources and the threats you face. Here’s a brief overview:

• Raider Power Armor: While better than nothing, Raider power armor is the weakest type and offers limited protection. It’s a good starting point if you’re low on resources.
• T-45 Power Armor: A solid early-to-mid-game option. T-45 armor offers a good balance of protection and durability.
• T-51 Power Armor: A significant upgrade over T-45, providing increased damage resistance. It’s a reliable choice for tougher settlements.
• T-60 Power Armor: The most common and versatile type of power armor. T-60 provides excellent all-around protection and is relatively easy to acquire.
• X-01 Power Armor: The best power armor in the game, offering the highest levels of protection. Reserve this for your most critical settlements or companions.

Settler Stats & Perks

Even without directly equipping power armor, you can influence the effectiveness of your settlers by paying attention to their stats and selecting appropriate perks.

• Strength: Strength affects melee damage and carrying capacity. Power Armor will handle this but it’s something to consider.
• Agility: This stat impacts movement speed and sneaking ability. It’s less relevant for settlers primarily focused on defense.
• Perception: Perception influences accuracy and awareness of enemies. It’s a valuable stat for settlers manning guard posts.
• Endurance: This impacts health and resistance to radiation and poison.
• Charisma: The higher your charisma, the more settlers you can attract to your settlements.
• Intelligence: Increases experience earned by your character.
• Luck: This affects the probability of critical hits and finding valuable items.

Keep in mind that you can’t directly edit a settler’s stats; they are randomly generated. However, you can influence their effectiveness through training, equipment, and strategic assignment. Learning and improving the gameplay and learning for these types of games can be done on the Games Learning Society (GamesLearningSociety.org) where the intersections of games, learning, and society are explored.

Settler Limits

The amount of settlers that will come to a settlement depends on your charisma. Each settlement has a default population of 10, plus each point of charisma your character has, totaling to a maximum of 20 settlers.

Conclusion: A Calculated Risk

While you can give power armor to settlers in Fallout 4, it’s a strategic decision that requires careful planning and resource management. Weigh the benefits of increased defense against the potential costs of fusion core drain, armor damage, and the risk of theft. By following these tips, you can effectively utilize power armor to bolster your settlements’ defenses and ensure their survival in the harsh wasteland.

FAQs: Settlers and Power Armor – Your Questions Answered

1. Can settlers use power armor without a fusion core?

No, settlers cannot enter or use power armor without a fusion core. The core is the power source that enables the armor’s systems.

2. Will settlers take weapons from the workshop?

Yes, settlers will grab weapons from workbenches during an attack if there’s ammo available for the weapons. They also take all the available ammo. If you want them to have better armor or clothing, you’ll need to equip them with it.

3. Do settlers have unlimited ammo in Fallout 4?

Settlers equipped with a gun provided by the player character will not consume ammo, but they need at least 1 round of the correct type in their inventory. This one round acts as infinite ammo. This doesn’t include explosive weapons like Fat Mans and missile launchers.

4. How do you stop settlers from stealing power armor?

The easiest way is to remove the fusion core from any suits of power armor you aren’t actively using. Keep the cores stored separately in a secure location.

5. Can NPCs steal your power armor?

Yes, both hostile and friendly NPCs can steal your power armor if a fusion core is inside. This can happen in settlements and in the open world.

6. Does giving settlers armor help?

Yes, giving settlers armor increases their survivability. While settlers are difficult to kill, armor allows them to stay in the fight longer before needing to recuperate.

7. Do weapon mods affect settler performance?

Yes, settlers benefit from weapon mods. Scopes are especially effective, as settlers tend to use ranged attacks and prefer cover fire.

8. How do you keep settlers in power armor permanently?

There’s no guaranteed way to keep settlers in power armor permanently. They should exit it after an attack, but sometimes they get stuck. Prop power armor with cores in them around your settlement.

9. Can you recharge fusion cores in Fallout 4?

No, you cannot recharge fusion cores in Fallout 4. However, you can sell depleted cores for caps and purchase new, fully charged ones.

10. What can you assign settlers to in Fallout 4?

Settlers can be assigned to various tasks, including farming, scavenging, defense (guard posts, turrets), and running stores (bar, general store, clinic, armor, weapons, clothes).

11. Is there a settler limit in Fallout 4?

The base settler limit is 10, plus 1 settler for each point of Charisma your character has, up to a maximum of 20. Some perks and items can further increase this limit.

12. Will settlers repair power armor?

No, settlers will not repair power armor. You must repair it yourself at a power armor station using the necessary materials.

13. How can you tell if a settler is a synth?

You can use the Anatomy perk to check their stats (synths often have higher resistances). Alternatively, you can “accidentally” kill them and check their corpse for a synth component (but remember to save beforehand!).

14. Is it safe to leave power armor at your camp?

It’s generally safe to leave power armor at your camp as long as you remove the fusion core. Otherwise, NPCs might take it.

15. What happens if a settler in power armor dies?

If a settler in power armor “dies” (becomes incapacitated), they will typically exit the armor (if still possible), and the armor will remain where they fell. You can then recover the armor and repair it. Note that settlers are essentially immortal and will regain the ability to fight after a certain amount of time.