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7 ways to level up on Fallout 76
Follow our simple and quick levelling guide to easily farm XP.
When you emerge from Vault 76 in Fallout 76, you will be limited in what weapons and armour you can wield based on your current level. So it makes sense for you to want to level up as quickly as possible to be able to get your hands on better equipment.
Luckily, there are a few simple ways to farm XP in the game. Most of them focus on killing huge waves of enemies and completing events, but there are a couple of other tips that you should know about too.
Below, we’ve covered some of the best methods, and have highlighted the most useful perks we’ve come across so far. This will hopefully catch you up to some of the higher-level players on your server and will make completing those endgame quests far less difficult.
1. Avoid quests to focus on other methods
Ditch the quest to level up first
© Bethesda Softworks
Early on, quests can be an easy way of levelling up, but eventually you’ll need to start looking for some other, quicker alternatives. So, if you’re truly interested in hitting those higher levels quickly, it’s worth ditching the main quest for a while to start farming XP.
2. Kill harder enemies for better XP
See ya later, Scorched Wendigo
© Bethesda Softworks
This may seem like common sense to anyone who has ever picked up a controller before, but there is more to this method than just killing different enemy types. Each enemy in the game has several variants or ranks, which will determine how much XP you can get from them once they die. Basic Scorched enemies will net you 13XP, while other types like the Scorched Wanderer and Scorched Conqueror will give you 28XP and 224XP respectively.
Essentially, what you’ll want to do is locate these higher-ranked enemies to farm them for XP. The general rule is the further east you go, the better the quality of enemies you’ll encounter, so it’s a good idea to visit areas like the Toxic Valley or the Savage Divide to find them.
Also, another thing to note is that you don’t need to land the finishing blow on an enemy to earn the XP from killing them, so sometimes it can be best to simply shoot an enemy and lead them to an Army camp or a populated area where turrets or other creatures can take care of them for you.
3. Some events are better than others
Head to the Sons of Dane Compound for the ultimate wave event
© Bethesda Softworks
Participating in events is another way to farm high-level enemies. In particular, you should look out for event types that task you with killing huge waves of enemies. Events like 'Guided Meditation at The Palace of the Winding Path' or 'One Violent Night at the Sons of Dane Compound'. Out of those two, One Violent Night is probably the best option for now, because it lets you choose how long you want to summon waves of enemies before finally attracting the Wendigo you need to kill to finish the event.
Events appear sporadically, so try to keep an eye on your map every now and then to see what springs up. It may also be worth teaming up with other players too if you’re going to take them on, as some events have multiple tasks to complete or areas to defend.
4. Defend your workshops
Talk to the hand...
© Bethesda Softworks
Another type of event that brings in a lot of XP are those where you need to defend a workstation – the areas that you can claim temporarily to harvest raw materials.
Once you claim a workstation, there is a small chance of an event triggering where waves of enemies will attack and try to destroy everything you have built. These events are a great way to farm levels, as you’ll usually earn around 224XP for a successful defence, plus whatever experience you get from the enemies you kill.
5. Collect Leader bobbleheads
Funny place to leave it
© Bethesda Softworks
The Leader bobblehead is a consumable in Fallout 76 that you can use to increase the amount of XP you earn temporarily. It lasts for about an hour, but it will add five percent onto everything you earn. It is a good idea to use one before heading into an event to boost the overall XP you’ll receive.
Finding these bobbleheads is fairly easy. If you unlock the Percepti-bobble perk card and equip it in your Special menu, you will hear directional audio whenever you’re in the proximity of a bobblehead. Then you just need to follow the noise and pick it up.
6. Use the Inspirational perk card
There's no I in team
© Bethesda Softworks
This next tip applies to those who prefer playing in a team. At level two, you will be able to unlock the Inspirational perk card by improving your Charisma. This card grants five percent XP whenever you’re playing with a group and can be upgraded three times to allow for 15 percent overall. So, if you plan on teaming up with others, make sure to equip this card before heading into an event or an area with lots of enemies and you’ll receive a slight increase to all XP earned.
7. Play your cards right
Good game, good game
© Bethesda Softworks
The type of cards you’ll want to unlock will vary depending on what kind of build you’re putting together, but there are a few that are useful regardless of your character type. Some of these include Hard Bargain, a perk that reduces vendor prices dramatically; Strong Back, an ability that gives you +40 more carry weight when upgraded fully; and Travel Agent, a card that lets you travel fast for cheaper.
Some of the cards you should avoid, on the other hand, include Goat Legs and Thru-hiker. Goat Legs reduces fall damage, but becomes redundant if you own a set of power armour, while Thru-Hiker reduces the weight of food items, which is useless as food never ends up sitting in your inventory for too long before spoiling or being eaten.
Try to unlock a mixture of these more practical cards and ones relating specifically to your build. Doing so will make travelling Appalachia far less of a grind and will let you get on with the parts of the game you enjoy the most.
