What happens if you kill the synths at Bunker Hill

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The Bloody Battle of Bunker Hill: Synthicide and its Consequences in Fallout 4

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So, you’re standing at Bunker Hill, guns blazing, caught in the crossfire between the Institute, the Railroad, and a handful of escaped synths. You’re wondering, “What happens if I just… kill them all?” Let’s get straight to it.

The immediate consequence of killing all the synths at Bunker Hill is that you’ll anger both the Institute and the Railroad. However, the specific reactions and long-term consequences hinge on your allegiance and the choices you make immediately after the battle.

If you are allied with the Institute: Father will be disappointed and may chastise you, but the Institute will generally remain friendly. Your relationship will take a hit, and it might affect some future dialogue options or quest outcomes. The Courser will turn hostile.
If you are allied with the Railroad: They will become hostile. Desdemona and the other Railroad members will see your actions as a betrayal of everything they stand for. This effectively ends your relationship with the Railroad, locking you out of their questline and any future support they could offer.
If you are neutral: Both factions will disapprove, though the Institute may be more understanding if you prioritize the destruction of synths. You’ll need to make a choice on who to side with after the battle, as not choosing will lock you out of certain quests.

The key takeaway is that the Battle of Bunker Hill is a pivotal moment. The game will judge you based on your actions, and your choices will have a ripple effect throughout the rest of your playthrough. Killing the synths simplifies the immediate encounter but closes many doors.

Understanding the Factions and Their Motivations

Before diving deeper, it’s crucial to understand what each faction wants from the Bunker Hill situation:

The Institute: They want their synths back. They view them as property and a vital component of their experiments. Their primary objective is retrieval, not necessarily destruction.
The Railroad: They want to liberate the synths, believing they are sentient beings deserving of freedom. They aim to get the synths to safe havens where they can start new lives.
The Minutemen: If you are involved with the Minutemen, you’ll be largely concerned with the safety of the settlers at Bunker Hill. They are less invested in the ideological conflict surrounding the synths and more focused on the practical concerns of protecting the innocent.

Deeper Dive into the Consequences

The initial reaction from the factions is just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s a breakdown of the long-term impacts of your decision to kill the synths:

Questline Disruption: Siding against the Railroad effectively ends their questline for you. You won’t be able to access quests like “Underground Undercover” or “End of the Line.” Siding against the Institute, while not immediately hostile, can lead to being exiled.
Companion Relationships: Certain companions will be severely affected by your choice. Deacon, a staunch supporter of the Railroad, will likely despise you if you slaughter the synths. X6-88, the Institute’s companion, will approve of the action. Strong, the supermutant, may like it since he sees synths as weak.
Moral Implications: The game presents the synth question as a moral grey area. Killing them all, while seemingly efficient, represents a definitive stance against synth rights. This can affect your roleplaying experience and how you perceive your character’s actions.
Future Interactions: NPCs throughout the Commonwealth may react differently to you based on your reputation. If you are known as a synth killer, some characters may be wary or hostile towards you.

Alternative Approaches

Instead of resorting to outright slaughter, consider these alternative approaches:

Side with the Institute: Allow the Courser to retrieve the synths. This will maintain your relationship with the Institute but will anger the Railroad.
Side with the Railroad: Help the synths escape. This will maintain your relationship with the Railroad but will anger the Institute.
Attempt a Compromise: While difficult, there might be dialogue options that allow you to minimize casualties or negotiate a solution. This requires careful navigation of the conversation choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Bunker Hill Decision

Here are some frequently asked questions related to killing the synths at Bunker Hill, offering further insights and clarifications:

Does killing the Coursers at Bunker Hill make the Institute hostile? Killing the Courser will make him hostile, but not necessarily the Institute as a whole, at least not immediately. However, it will negatively impact your relationship with them.
What happens if I let the synths go at Bunker Hill? If you let the synths go, the Railroad will be pleased, and the Institute will be displeased. The extent of their displeasure depends on your current allegiance.
Can I salvage my relationship with the Railroad after killing the synths? It’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fully salvage your relationship with the Railroad after killing the synths at Bunker Hill. They consider it a grave betrayal.
Does killing the synths at Bunker Hill affect my Minutemen questline? Not directly. However, your overall reputation and actions can influence how settlers perceive you, which might indirectly impact Minutemen quests.
Is there a way to complete Bunker Hill without making any enemies? Unfortunately, no. The Battle of Bunker Hill is designed to force you to choose between factions. There’s no way to please everyone.
What are the rewards for siding with the Institute at Bunker Hill? Siding with the Institute reinforces your relationship with them and grants access to further Institute quests. There might be a small reward from Father, such as caps or items.
What are the rewards for siding with the Railroad at Bunker Hill? Siding with the Railroad strengthens your bond with them and unlocks further Railroad quests. You might also receive a reward from Desdemona.
How does my Charisma stat affect the outcome of Bunker Hill? A high Charisma stat can unlock additional dialogue options that might allow you to de-escalate the situation or negotiate a better outcome, but it won’t completely prevent conflict.
Does the order in which I kill the synths matter? No, the order does not affect any faction changes.
Will Sturges hate me if I kill the synths at Bunker Hill? It is very unlikely. Strugess may be a synth, but he is not aligned with any faction, and is ignorant about being a synth himself.
Does killing the synths affect my ability to get X6-88 as a companion? Yes. If you remain friends with the Institute after killing the synths, you’ll have access to X6-88 as a companion.
Is it possible to warn the Railroad about the Institute’s plan before Bunker Hill? No, this is not possible.
If you are friendly with the institute, does killing the courser make them hostile? When initiating this quest, P.A.M.’s dialogue will differ depending on whether or not the Institute has been destroyed. When the Institute is friendly to the Sole Survivor, killing the courser does not make them hostile, although it is still considered to be a murder and will be registered as such in the crime stats.
Does synth retention make the Railroad hostile? As long as you don’t side with the Institute during Bunker Hill (by not letting the Courser take the Synths there), you should be alright.
Can you keep X6-88 after destroying the institute? If completing The Nuclear Option by siding with the Railroad and without having been banished from the Institute, X6-88 will continue to be available as a companion.

Conclusion: Choose Wisely

The Battle of Bunker Hill is a microcosm of the larger conflict in Fallout 4. It forces you to confront difficult moral questions about identity, freedom, and the value of life – even artificial life. There is no easy answer, and the consequences of your choices will resonate throughout your entire playthrough. Think carefully about your character, your values, and the future you want to build in the Commonwealth before pulling the trigger. The Games Learning Society has done extensive research on the educational value of games and the ethical decision-making they can promote. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.