Siding with Steel: A Deep Dive into the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4
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So, you’re considering joining the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel (BoS) in Fallout 4? A wise choice, Initiate! Siding with the Brotherhood is more than just donning power armor and brandishing laser rifles. It’s about embracing a specific ideology and reaping the rewards that come with it. In short, if you side with the Brotherhood of Steel, you gain access to advanced weaponry, power armor, a unique base of operations on the Prydwen airship, the respect of its members, and a clearly defined role in reshaping the Commonwealth. But it also means facing the consequences of their ideals, including conflicts with other factions and limitations on personal freedom.
Benefits of Enlisting with the Brotherhood
Joining the Brotherhood unlocks a wealth of content:
- Advanced Weaponry and Technology: The BoS is renowned for its access to cutting-edge technology. You’ll gain access to laser rifles, plasma weapons, and the iconic Gatling laser, along with a steady supply of ammo and upgrades. Completing quests for the BoS provides opportunities to acquire even more powerful gear.
- Power Armor Domination: The Brotherhood and Power Armor go hand-in-hand. You will gain access to T-60 Power Armor sooner and more easily than through other means. Expect to receive multiple suits throughout your playthrough, becoming a walking tank as you complete missions for the Brotherhood. Eventually, if you rise through the ranks, you even get a jetpack.
- The Prydwen: A Flying Fortress: The Prydwen serves as the Brotherhood’s mobile base of operations. It’s a massive airship complete with living quarters, workshops, medical facilities, and a bustling community of Brotherhood soldiers. It offers unique vendors, crafting stations, and a strategic vantage point over the Commonwealth.
- Companionship and Respect: While the Brotherhood is a strict military organization, siding with them earns you the respect and camaraderie of its members. They will acknowledge your contributions in dialogue and offer assistance when needed. Specifically, after completing the main quest line, at the very end, you will get promoted to the rank Sentinel in the Brotherhood of Steel.
- A Clear Mission: The Brotherhood offers a well-defined path and purpose. Your mission is to secure technology, eliminate threats like synths and ghouls, and restore order to the Commonwealth. If you value structure and a clearly defined objective, the Brotherhood is an excellent fit.
- Unique Quests and Experiences: The Brotherhood’s storyline offers unique quests that delve into their history and ideology. You’ll participate in large-scale battles, technological expeditions, and moral dilemmas that shape the fate of the Commonwealth.
- Final Judgement: You can also get Final Judgement if you side with the BoS by having a weapon with high disarm chance and hitting him during the Nuclear Option quest. He might or might not become hostile, especially if you have to hit him a lot.
- Elder Maxson’s Gear: If Maxson is killed by the player during the main questline then he will have a unique Gatling laser weapon on his corpse that can be looted by the player. This is one of the only unique Gatling lasers that players will run into during their playthrough of Fallout 4. When you go to takedown the Prydwen and Maxson shows up in his elder power armor, if you kill him you can get t60 f elder power armor.
- Paladin Danse as a Companion: A man from the Brotherhood of Steel and a capable fighter always seen in his power armor, Paladin Danse is by far the best Fallout 4 companion when it comes to combat. He’s able to tank incredible amounts of damage while dishing some back.
Consequences and Considerations
Choosing the Brotherhood isn’t without its downsides:
- Conflicting Ideologies: The Brotherhood’s isolationist and technologically focused ideology clashes with other factions, particularly the Institute and the Railroad. Siding with the Brotherhood inevitably leads to conflict and the destruction of at least one faction.
- Loss of Companions: Certain companions, like Deacon (Railroad) and possibly others depending on your choices, will disapprove of your alliance with the Brotherhood and may leave your service.
- Moral Ambiguity: The Brotherhood’s methods can be ruthless and morally questionable. Their zealous pursuit of technology and their prejudice against synths raise ethical concerns that you’ll have to grapple with.
- Limited Freedom: The Brotherhood is a hierarchical organization with strict rules and regulations. Your actions will be dictated by orders, and you’ll have less freedom to explore your own objectives.
- Impact on Settlements: While the Brotherhood doesn’t directly interfere with your settlements, their presence and actions can affect the overall atmosphere of the Commonwealth. Some settlers may fear or resent their presence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does siding with the Brotherhood of Steel make the Minutemen hostile?
No. No faction asks you to destroy the Minutemen. The Minutemen only become enemies with other factions if you attack them, or you side with a rival faction.
2. What happens to Synth Shaun if I side with the Brotherhood?
If you told him to come with you then he will be at the headquarters of whichever faction you used to destroy the Institute. So if you sided with the Brotherhood he is on the Prydwen – he stands just outside Elder Maxson’s quarters.
3. How does the Brotherhood of Steel ending affect the overall story?
The Brotherhood ending focuses on eradicating the Institute and eliminating the synth threat. This brings a certain level of order to the Commonwealth but at the cost of individual freedom and potentially valuable scientific advancements. The fate of the Commonwealth is left in the hands of the Brotherhood, who will police technology and maintain a strong military presence.
4. Can I join all the factions before committing to the Brotherhood?
Yes. You can join every faction in the game without badly impacting your endgame; there’s a rather obvious point down the road where the stories diverge. You can explore each faction’s questline to get a feel for their goals and ideologies before making a final decision.
5. What companions disapprove of the Brotherhood of Steel?
Piper Wright also has an open dislike for the Brotherhood of Steel due to their self-serving nature, technology hoarding, anti-synth policies, and in her eyes, lousy fashion sense. She despises any pro-Brotherhood choices the Sole Survivor takes. Deacon (from the Railroad) will leave if you choose to side with the Institute or the Brotherhood.
6. Is there a “best” ending in Fallout 4?
The notion of a “best” ending is subjective and depends on your personal values. The Minutemen ending is often considered the most peaceful, while the Brotherhood ending provides order and security at the cost of freedom and scientific progress. Ultimately, the best ending is the one that aligns with your own moral compass. As others have stated, the best ending is with the Minutemen. However, if Bethesda had given us more choices, the best ending SHOULD have been the Institute in support of the Minutemen.
7. Is Sturges a synth?
Yes, Sturges is indeed a synth. One clue to this is his extensive knowledge of the pre-war world (read “implanted personality).
8. What is the most evil faction in Fallout 4?
Maxson’s BoS is probably the most evil. Institute is closely in 2nd place. The only reason I think BoS is worse, is because they have the means to make the Commonwealth a better place, but they choose to hoard technology.
9. What is the peaceful ending in Fallout 4?
The only way to achieve a “peaceful” victory is to (somewhat paradoxically) destroy the Institute. Any other outcome will result in at least one of the factions permanently turning against you.
10. Is Father the real Shaun in Fallout 4?
Shaun was then raised by the Institute as one of their own, His DNA was used to complete the synths, gaining him the nickname Father.
11. Should I tell Avery she’s a synth?
She doesn’t know she’s a synth, but you can tell her. The idea is DiMA replaced the original Avery with someone programmed to be more sympathetic towards Acadia, to help keep Acadia safe from Far Harbor. The same thing happens to Confessor Tektus if you keep DiMA’s secret and go for the peaceful ending.
12. Does the fallout end happy?
The Fallout follows survivor Vada (Jenna Ortega), and her struggle to overcome her trauma. Ultimately, The Fallout ends with a tragic reminder that such emotional wounds can never truly be overcome when acts of mass violence remain so common.
13. What is the hardest thing to fight in Fallout 4?
Enraged Fog Crawlers are by far the toughest non-Legendary opponent in Fallout 4. Other hard encounters are the Gunners Plaza, Venomous Anglers and Mythic Deathclaws.
14. Is Elder Maxson in Fallout 3?
Arthur Maxson appears in Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, and Fallout Shelter Online.
15. What are the consequences of killing Elder Maxson?
Killing Maxson makes the Brotherhood of Steel hostile towards you, and it will impact the outcome of the main storyline depending on which point of the game you killed him.
Conclusion
Siding with the Brotherhood of Steel is a significant decision in Fallout 4, offering both significant benefits and serious consequences. Their advanced technology, powerful weaponry, and structured organization are appealing, but their ideological rigidity and potential for moral compromises must be carefully considered. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and your decision will shape the future of the Commonwealth. Understanding the full implications of your choice will help you enjoy the game’s nuanced narrative to the fullest. It is important to understand the learning aspects of games as well, for example, by visiting Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.