When you create a new character in Fallout 76, you’re given the choice between a Battle Ready Dweller and a Fresh Dweller. Before you head into the wasteland, my guide will cover which one of these options is best for your playthrough.
Fallout 76: Should You Choose a Battle Ready or Fresh Dweller?
New players should always choose the Fresh Dweller option, and veteran players can comfortably pick the Battle Ready path. Having a battle-ready character will simply launch them to level 20 with all the perks they would have along the way and some weapons to ensure they have a fighting chance. If you’ve already experienced Fallout 76 past level 25, then you should certainly skip those levels. Players who are new in 2024, though, should take the opportunity to explore Appalachia before moving on to the late-game content in the game.
Most of the open world scales, so even as a Fresh Dweller, you can explore as you would in most Bethesda games. Sure, some areas will have dangerous enemies that could sit above level 30. I ran into a few of them below level 10. In most cases, they are still easy to kill, or you can typically move past them and reach your destination.
The main point is that it’s important for new players to learn how the questing, building, and scavenging systems all work in tandem. In the grand scheme of Fallout 76, reaching level 20 is fairly easy and is only just the start of the late-game content. Expeditions themselves won’t be available until at least level 25 and you still need to have some better gear than what you received from the Vault.
So, if you’re a veteran of Appalachia, go ahead and skip the early game as a Battle Ready Dweller. If you are brand new or haven’t played since the game was released years ago, take your time and use those first 20 levels to learn the game.
Fallout 76 is available now on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.
