Fallout 4: Legendary Weapon Effects

Part of what makes defeating a Legendary enemy exciting in Fallout 4 is knowing that the fallen foe will drop a Legendary weapon afterwards. Every Legendary weapon features a random bonus effect that enhances the weapon’s attributes. These special effects also appear on several Unique weapons, such as the Spray ‘n’ Pray or Kellogg’s Pistol. For this guide, we have compiled a list detailing each Legendary weapon effect with a brief description.

List of Legendary Weapon Effects

• Irradiated - Irradiated weapons deal an additional 50 points of radiation damage.
• Enraging - Critical Hits from weapons with this effect will cause the target to Frenzy.
• Bloodied - The lower the player’s health, the higher the damage output of the weapon with this effect.
• Assassin’s - Deals an additional 50% damage against humans.
• Crippling - Crippling weapons deal 50% more limb damage.
• Incendiary - These weapons light targets on fire, dealing an additional 15 points of damage.
• Berserker’s - The lower the player’s damage resistance, the higher the damage output of the weapon with this effect.
• Wounding - Targets hit by a Wounding weapon bleed out for an added 25 points of damage.
• Cavalier’s - Receive 15% reduced damage while sprinting or blocking.
• Ghoul Slayer’s - Deal an additional 50% more damage to Ghouls.
• Mutant Slayer’s - Similar to the Ghoul Slayer effect, Mutant Slayer weapons deal 50% more damage to Super Mutants.
• Explosive - Explosive weapon bullets will explode on impact, dealing area of effect damage of 15 points.
• Penetrating - Penetrating weapons bypass 30% of a target’s protections from damage and energy resistance.
• Freezing - As you can guess, Freezing weapons will freeze targets on Critical Hits, dealing 10 points of Cryo damage.
• Kneecapper - These weapons have a 20% chance to cripple a target’s leg.
• Hunter’s - Deals 50% increased damage to animals.
• Never Ending - These weapons feature an unlimited ammunition capacity.
• Instigating - When targets are at full health, Instigating weapons deal double the damage to these targets.
• Furious - Furious weapons deal increased damage for each consecutive hit on a single target.
• Junkie’s - The more the player is suffering from chem withdrawal effects, the more damage a weapon with this attribute does.
• Exterminator’s - Deals an additional 50% damage when used against Mirelurks and other bugs.
• Lucky Weapon - Weapons with this effect cause Critical Hits to deal double the damage, while the critical meter refills 15% faster.
• Medic’s - Weapons with this effect will heal targets rather than hurt them, making these weapons great for allies.
• Relentless - Action Points are refilled upon landing Critical Hits.
• Automatic - Weapons with this effect feature an automatic fire mode.
• Nocturnal - These weapons deal less damage during the day, but increase in damage further into the night.
• Staggering - These weapons offer a chance to stagger opponents for each hit.
• Plasma Infused - A weapon with this attribute can turn enemies into goo, as well as deal an additional 10 points of energy damage.
• Nimble - Nimble weapons allow the player to move 75% faster while aiming.
• Poisoner’s - Targets hit by these weapons will be poisoned for 10 seconds.
• Troubleshooter’s - Deals an additional 50% damage towards robots.
• Quickdraw - These weapons cost 25% fewer Action Points, making them ideal weapons for V.A.T.S. usage.
• Rapid - These quick weapons have a 15% faster reload speed, and a 25% faster fire rate.
• Sentinel’s - Players who are standing immobile take 15% reduced damage when using Sentinel weapons.
• Violent - Violent weapons have higher recoil, but deal an additional 25% limb damage.
• Powerful - As the name suggests, Powerful weapons are more powerful, and have a 25% increased damage output.
• Stalker’s - These weapons cost more Action Points, but provide increased V.A.T.S. accuracy when not in combat.
• Two Shot - Fires an additional projectile.
• V.A.T.S. Enhanced - Improves V.A.T.S. hit chance, while reducing Action Point cost by 25%.
• V.A.T.S. Enhanced - A variation of the V.A.T.S. enhancement, these weapons can cause V.A.T.S. Action Point cost to reduce by 40%.

Check out USGamer's Fallout 4 Walkthrough and Guide for more Fallout tips and features.