With every DLC, Bethesda has introduced brand new unique weapons intoFallout 4, often themed around the DLC itself.Nuka-Worldis no exception to the rule and came out with a bunch of new, cool, and sometimes a bit niche weapons that inspire players to come up with creative and somewhat silly builds.
Unfortunately, not all weapons are made equal. Some of these unique items are pretty much unusable in combat due to the minimal amount of damage they inflict and only make for situational or funny items. However, other weapons inFallout 4’s Nuka WorldDLC are absolute must-haves and can deal some serious damage.
Updated on July 16, 2025, by Benjamin Joe:Thanks to the release of the Fallout TV show, Fallout games are seeing a huge rise in popularity. The one that is seeing the largest increase in player count is Fallout 4. Because of this, it seems like a good time to update this article. While nothing really has changed regarding the weapons, there is more information that can be added to show gamers all there is to know about each weapon in the DLC. Whether the weapon is fast-firing, powerful, or just plain strange, the weapons in the Nuka World DLC are among the coolest weapons introduced to the game.
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AP Cost
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The paddle ball is a unique ballistic weapon that can be purchased in the Nuka-Cade.The price is 500 Nuka-Cade tickets,although they might not always be available depending on the day. It uses special ammunition, which can also be bought at the arcade for 50 tickets at the sales terminal. With the Project Cobalt schematics, the paddle ball receives a nice upgrade in damage, becoming a Nuka-Cola Quantum ball.
There are other minor upgrades for it as well, although it doesn’t really do any significant damage unless the Project Cobalt schematics are used. Its range is quite small, and all in all, it’s just a very inconvenient weapon that requires a lot of tinkering to turn into something remotely decent.
In all honesty, it’s probably best not to use the paddle ball. Like a few other weapons in the game,it’s a “meme” weapon more than anything. Given that it needs some work to even become decent, players are better off using something else.
Even with the Nuka-Cola Quantum paddle ball upgrade, players will be doing around 50 damage per hit, which is terrible when compared to other weapons on the list. In sum, players should only use this one against weak enemies or when players are hopelessly bored out of their minds and want a challenge.
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Weight
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The Thirst Zapper is first introduced when the Sole Survivor makes their way to the final part of the Gauntlet to face Overboss Colter. Initially, the gun is nothing but a squirt gun, and its ammo can be replenished with Nuka-Cola. Still, its iconic look makes it a must-have for anyone’s collection. This weapon has sincemade an appearance inFallout 76.
As a “gun,” the Thirst Zapper falls under the Gunslinger perk, so it’s possible to make it a somewhat decent weapon, provided it’s modified. The perks needed are Science! And Gun Nut, and the best version, the Quantum Gun, requires the Project Cobalt schematics. At its best,the Thirst Zapper can deal 402 damage,but due to it requiring so much modification and work, it’s not the best.
While the Quantum Gun version of the Thirst Zapper requires extensive upgrading and requires the player to craft their own ammo, it does a lot of damage. 402 per explosive shot is nothing to scoff at, though due to its rather slow reload animation (which is also one of its most charming features), players are probably best off using this against relatively weak enemies.
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Another cool item from the Nuka-Cade is the Acid Soaker.This unique weapon costs over 6000 Nuka-Cade tickets at the exchange terminal.It won’t be available every day, so keep an eye on the prizes regularly until the gun pops up again. Although the gun can’t be modified, it does have its own niche uses.
The acid inside actually has a burning effect on a hit target and reduces its damage resistance. Moreover, players who know the ins and outs of making chems willbe able to create ammo for the gun at chemistry stations.
The Acid Soaker has a decent range, but the damage itself isn’t great. That said, it doesn’t require a ton of tinkering and can be a nice weapon to use first before switching to a better one to dish out serious damage to a target with lower resistance. The ability to reduce a target’s damage resistance can be extremely handy against enemies that have higher damage resistances, whether they’re Deathclaws or Super mutant behemoths.
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Explosives may not be the go-to weapon for most players, but there are a few unique options that can be found inNuka-Worldthat are worth grabbing. The smart frag grenade, in particular, is a cool variant of the traditional frag grenade, as it never deals damage to the person who threw it in the first place.Great for those times when close-range grenades are needed!
The smart frag grenade isn’t hard to find, either. Just head over to the Nuka-Town marketplace and speak with Shelbie Chase. It’s good to keep in mind that these are one-of-a-kind grenades, so once they’re sold out from Shelbie’s inventory, she won’t ever restock them.
Considering that these are some of the best grenades inFallout 4, players can make them work withany build that incorporates grenades and explosives. The only thing to remember is that they come in limited quantities. Close-quarter fights where enemies can’t escape grenades, and players would otherwise risk taking damage, are ideal for these smart frag grenades.
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Special Effect
When Thrown, The Grenade Explodes Into Smaller Grenades, Which Then Explode
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Another type of grenade that’s slightly better and more versatile is the frag grenade MIRV. These grenades look deceptively tame when inspected, but the real kick comes from the fact that when thrown, they explode into multiple tiny grenades that rack up quite a bit of damage.
These grenades are extremely rare and very difficult to get hold of. In fact, they can only be looted from thethree raider leaders living in Nuka-Town. For the Operators, it’s specifically Mags Black that needs to be looted, and then Nisha from the Disciples and Mason of the Pack. Another reason to actually do Open Season.
Like the previous grenade type, these are hard to come by, so players will want to save them for any endgame gameplay that features a ton of enemies. The reason it works well for crowds is because of its explosion into tiny, multiple grenades. Any explosive build will benefit from these as an addition to their arsenal.
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One of the parks that needs to be dealt with is Safari Adventure, and upon entering, the Sole Survivor will become friends with Cito, a survivor living among gorillas. After helping him get rid of the Gatorclaws infesting the park, he’ll offer a unique melee weapon: Cito’s Shiny Slugger.
This unique baseball bat basically refills the player’s AP when a critical strike is hit.It’s a pretty decent bat and does 123 damage while consuming 35 AP. Still, melee weapons aren’t necessarily the go-to option for many players, which is why it’s not the best of the best.
Melee builds can be incredibly powerful inFallout 4and have also become quite popular over the years due to them being initially quite niche. If players choose to go this route and play through the entire gamewith melee weapons only, then this weapon should be part of their arsenal. In fact, Cito’s Shiny Slugger can easily become a player’s main melee weapon of choice due to its decent damage.
Ignores 30% Of The Targets Damage and Energy Resistance
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Value
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Another cool but somewhat useless melee weapon is found in Kiddie Kingdom. This sword is Oswald’s weapon, andit can be looted off of him if he iskilled by the player.He’ll also give it to the player if he’s persuaded to leave or if Rachel’s holotape found in Bradberton is given to him. The sword does 16 base damage, but what makes it a bit more special is the simple fact that it nullifies 30% of the enemy’s damage and energy resistance.
For pure melee builds and hybrid builds, the Sword of Wonders can easily become a secondary weapon that can be used to debuff enemies thanks to its ability to lower the enemy’s damage and energy resistance. As a primary melee weapon, however, its base damage isn’t that great, so players who want a simple playstyle with a single melee weapon that fits every scenario might find this annoying to use.
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The best in the melee category is the Throatslicer. The blade is inspired by the style of the Disciples gang. It’s fairly easy to find at the Nuka-Town marketplace.It’s sold by the trader Katelyn Alden.The Throatslicer does 70 base damage and with the effect of causing a target to bleed after, it receives an additional 25 damage boost.
Considering the impressive damage the Throatslicer does with one hit, with the additional bleed damage boost, it’s a fantastic option for melee builds. Players can even use this as their primary melee weapon, which can be usedvery fast against most enemies.
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The Fat Man is one of the most iconic weapons in the game. Basically, it is its own little nuke launcher. It’s a must-have. Luckily, a pretty cool version of it is found inNuka-World.Complete the Cappy quest in a Haystack and choose to let Bradberton die at the end.The man will reward the player with this special Nuka-Nuke Launcher, as well as a bunch of Nuka-Nukes. To make more Nuka-nukes, schematics are needed, as well as a mini-nuke and Nuka-Cola Quantum. Damage-wise, it does almost 800 damage.
Builds that rely on explosives will need to get their hands on the Nuka-Nuke Launcher. Now, the downside to this is having to craft additional Nuka-nukes for the weapon, so players will need to scavenge for mini-nukes and Nuka-Cola Quantum.
However, the payoff is a massive explosion of a whopping 800 damage, which is more than double the damage caused by the original Fat Man mini-nuke launcher. For big burst damage, this is what players need to get, as it’s perfect against strong enemies or enemy groups.
Special Effects
Critical Shots Deal Double Damage | Critical Meter Fills 15% Faster
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Accuracy
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Another variant of a well-known weapon, Hub’s Alien Blaster, is based on the traditional alien blaster. Critical hits have doubled damage, and the critical strike meter fills 15% quicker. It can be modified with the Science! perk as well to get some extra damage.
In order to get it, head over to the Hubologist’s camp southwest of the Galactic Zone and speak to Dara.Finish the questTrip to the Stars, and she’ll give the player not only the gun but also some additional ammo. With a base damage of 50, this is an excellent gun, although it does need to be modded to accept fusion cells as ammo.
Hub’s Alien Blaster is just as good and useful as the original Alien Blaster. Players specializing in fusion weapons and centering their build around energy weapons, in general, will see great use from this, though only against humanoid enemies like raiders and ghouls. Pair it up with a build that specializes in dealing critical strikes, and this blaster can downright snipe enemies in combat.
