Survivors Tactics & Overview v5.0

SURVIVORS TACTICS AND OVERVIEW

v5.0

Now I'm sure I'll miss something here, because Survivors are... huge. Don't hesitate to comment.

Which is something they're SPECIAL at - they have almost thirty models available, with the other factions clocking in at 12-14. Over half of them are Unique as well, giving them access to a wide variety of nasty tricks. They also have a good variety of both cheap and expensive models, making force building flexible and hard to predict, with lots of access to Expertise tests.

Each model with the Survivor keyword (so no Minutemen or Vault Dweller!) also starts with one point of ablative Strong Armor, with Uniques having two - more damage mitigation is good, and according to the AI book each token is worth 6 Caps apiece! However, Strong Armor does NOT stack from multiple sources, and any tokens are discarded after the model takes an attack, regardless of whether it did anything. This means that Sole Survivors in Power Armor effectively have no tokens at all.

However, what Survivors are bad at...

Many of their models are frail and not that great at combat, with middling health stats, medium to low armor, and a severe over-reliance on Rifles/Pistols with few good choices for close combat or Heavy Weapons. Also, that flexibility can be a problem. If you don't know what your own models are capable of doing, of if they overlap too far in roles, you can end up doing nothing well and everything badly. They also seem to have some very staple models which are good, but also predictable and can be marked for early removal to prevent you from winning a given scenario.

COMMON

DOG

Dogs are... an interesting choice. On the one hand, they're in a faction with very limited access to close combat models, and have a decent (if not great!) weapon for doing so that can actually inflict a number of solid status effects. Also, a 10" charge (without needing LOS!) is never going to go amiss; that's a HUGE range of effect. On top of that, if you have a Heroic Sole Survivor, one Dog can ALSO become Heroic. Being able to spend AP on Moves and Charges also comes in handy.

 

The problem comes from Dogmeat - all three versions only cost a few Caps more for better stats, especially AGI. Scoutmeat and Guardmeat, in particular, bring things to the table that a normal dog doesn't have, and they get more from becoming Heroic - particularly Guardmeat with the extra HP.

 

Where they could have a strong role is as a SSL's feral army of canines, allowing him to use his Lone Wanderer Perk freely. But that's a choice you should make.

EYEBOT

Eyebots are little friends who basically give an extra source of LOS to models in their Presence. Helpful in built-up areas, especially for close combat types who want to charge around corners. Everyone else? Ehh, not so much, and while 8" Presence is nice, it's not enormous. They do lay down some adorable pewpewpew with their li'l Eyebot Laser, for a nice cheap source of Energy damage.

Are they worth it? Well, if you're using a tag team of Strong and Cait in a built-up area to let them charge around corners, sure. Anytime else? Leave them at home.

FREE TECH

Over the Vault Dwellers, FTs get +2" Movement, +1 physical ARM, +2 INT for Computer tests, -1 for Lockpick tests, +5 (!!) for Search tests, can't be locked out of terminals, and lose the ability to Quick Action Expertise, all for only +1 Cap. Yes, VDs can fight a tiny bit better, but your objective runners shouldn't be fighting unless the battle's won or things have gone tits-up. As with the Super Mutants, keep them cheap and cheerful with a Bolt-Action Pipe Pistol and Baseball Bat so they're not helpless, with maybe a quick Locksmith Perk to make them way better at both objectives.

MINUTEMAN

Minuteman are direct upgrades to Settler firebases, but ARE more expensive at +17 Caps. They give other Minuteman models within their Presence +2 Rifle skill - which is amazing. They can also Ready another Unready Minuteman model within their Presence, which is also amazing - Activation control is solid. However, neither of these affect other keyword MinuteMEN; beware of favorable rules interpretation, and remember that they don't get the Survivors ablative armor tokens!

Canonically, their Laser Muskets also make them solid - though you can in theory give those to any model with access to Advanced Items now, they're good users of them with good Rifles to compensate for the lack of Greens at long range.

MR HANDY

Mr. Handies are... adorable, but awful. They're quite durable, and their weapons are strong, with the flamethrower having an AOE and lots of special effects. they're also Robots with a solid Search test and good Movement, which has advantages if you hit Radiation terrain. But they're also bad with those weapons - at 45% chance of hitting. For just a few points more, Codsworth is a lot better - more on him later.

SCAVENGER

...Don't. For +7 Caps over the FT the Scavenger gains +1 STR, +1 HP, and +2 Lockpick - but loses 2" of movement, any ability to Computer test, and -1 Search. They just aren't worth it.

 

Unlike ETs, they do have access to the Advanced Items table, which does include some doozies, but so does the Vault Dweller for a lot cheaper. 

SETTLER

Settlers are the Survivor bread-and-butter: okay at Shooting and Search tests, quite cheap, and not much else. Don't give them close combat weapons - they're at a STR level where it's better to take the penalty for shooting close. As far as equipping them, there are basically three ways: Assault Rifles, Combat Rifles, and Hunting Rifles.

 

ARs have the sole virtue of being dirt cheap at 8 Caps for a weapon with 14" of range and a Black at all ranges; this means your Settlers cost less than 50 Caps for (basically) another activation. Quantity is its own quality.

Setting up a long-range firebase with several Combat Rifles at only 56 Caps each is a safe way to use these, and it's hard to go wrong - concentrated fire can easily remove problem models with a 20" range, and Accuracy + AP dice is solid at longer ranges.

The Hunting Rifle strategy is basically long range sniping - with a total of 22" range, they can cover most of the board, and with two Greens at long range they're gonna hit what they shoot at. Costing 60 Caps apiece, these are the priciest, but still cheaper than Minutemen.

Overall, good models, with arguments for both them and Minutemen. As a side note, this is what I love to see in a game - models that all have a reason to exist!

VAULT DWELLER

What the Vault Dweller has is using decent INT for both Lockpick and Computer tests, using Expertise as a Quick Action, being dirt-cheap, and snazzy style. What they lack is pretty much everything else. Oddly, their best combat option is melee, using a weapon with lots of Accuracy dice like a Baton. They also can trigger the Vault Sec Guard's immunity to Battle Cry while being an objective runner, but... I don't think they're a great choice when compared to the Free Tech, even if they can take Flashlights from the Advanced Item list to up their low Search.

VAULT SECURITY OFFICER

Where Settlers are cheap ranged, VSOs are cheap melee. With a Baton they only cost 50 Caps, and with their Specialty + the Baton's 2 Accuracies they'll be hitting for reliable damage. They aren't too tough (better than many Survivors with 5 HP and 2 physical ARM), but their ability to resist Battle Cry will make some Super Mutant players very sad... Just make sure to buy them in pairs and use them as meatshields.

UNIQUES

ARCADE GANNON

Arcade Gannon + Codsworth can provide a disgusting amount of passive heals, either standing together or spread out so their bubbles can reach further. Unlike his Enclave incarnation, he lacks access to Power Armor. Or you can leave Codsworth at Sanctuary and bring him along. There's a key difference between his and Codsworth's healing, however: Codsworth's is a token that can be removed during any nearby model's activation to heal, whereas Arcade's healing only takes place during his own activation, making it much less easy to use.

 

I'm honestly a little skeptical of his use. While his middling Pistols is helped by a Laser/Plasma Pistol's Green, he's overshadowed as an objective runner by the SST -  even if he's significantly cheaper, he's also a fair bit softer and lacks Lockpick or decent Search. He is, basically, just a healbot, and Codsworth does it a lot better.  

BOONE
In a faction that leans heavily on shooting, Boone stands out. He maxes out his to-hit chance with a long Range Hunting Rifle shot, and is reliable at using it close in. While his Hold Breath ability might be less unique in a faction where Ronnie Shaw can give it to anyone, it can also stack with her ability, and Criticals is never a bad ability with how often he'll be hitting. His 'downside' is not relevant at all. 

His main competition for sniping is Preston Garvey, who trades being more expensive (138 Caps equipped versus Boone's 120), 2" of range, and lower chance to hit (75% versus 85% at Long range) for being able to shoot into melee combat and buffing nearby Minutemen. Honestly? I think they're both good. I'd prefer to spring for Preston, but Boone's a valid choice too - and you can always pick up Aligned Sights for Boone so he isn't hitting friendlies. 

BURNED MAN
A Light Burning in The Darkness is good. The Burned Man... isn't. Despite coming with ALBITD, he actually quite bad at using it with only PER 5 - ALBITD is better off in the hands of someone with decent Pistols. Deceptively, what he IS good at is Melee; AGI 7 and 9 HP behind 3/3/1 is pretty good for Survivors, and effectively having a free Power Fist with Superior Materials as his melee weapon is not terrible.

 

But that leaves him competing with Cait and Strong in his price range, and at only a few Caps more Lily and Marcus. These do not come off favorably to him, even if he does come with some inherent ranged ability. I'm not saying he's BAD, as getting a Custom Grip for ALBITD can aid his mediocre Pistols. But at this point in Survivors, I'd pick Cait, Lily, or SSL as my Melee models.

CAIT

Cait is a melee monster that uses her AGI of 7, which gives her a solid 65% chance of hitting. She also has Lockpick and Locksmith, which gives +2 to Lockpicks in her Green Presence - not a bad trait, as it bumps her up to 9! But what really defines her are Chems - she comes with one Chem of her choice and gets a free use of it. However, she ALWAYS has to use Chems if there aren't any active, meaning that she will usually waste the first turn of it when it's strongest. Fury and Overdrive are the strongest choices, as their best effects last to the final turn.

She's a solid choice for any of the better Legendary-style melee weapons; the Relentless Chinese Officer's Sword allowing AP on Melee is solid (and the Critical effect combines well with Overdrive!) or the Incendiary Baton for the 25% of setting a target on fire with amazing accuracy backed up by her native AGI. Because she's that rare commodity for the Survivors - a melee-based model - it's also worthwhile to look at Perks, Mods, and Gear to increase her durability and killingsmanship. 

CASS
Cass should probably stay in that bar. Mosey along, pardner. 

What, I need to say more? OK, I will. While she is reasonably cheap, her low defensive stats and middling PER - along with the puzzling lack of Green dice on shotguns - make it hard to pick her up as a straight combatant. Shotgun Surgeon isn't BAD - no added die is bad! - but a Green would help her out far more. Her awful objective running ability rules out giving her a DB Shotgun to enhance the single shot it gets while still moving for the goals. Lastly, she isn't helped by the not wonderful Shotguns available. Her best option is the Plasma Infused Combat Shotgun, as she adds the Yellow to Long Range, if you have to take her - but IMHO your Caps are better spent on anyone else.

CODSWORTH

Codsworth's statline improves on the Mr. Handy, raising AGI to 6 for better combat capability, Energy ARM to 2, and PER 8 for better Search. But the real kicker is Purified Water, which lets him heal 1 damage per turn from a nearby friendly model. He's acceptable in combat close-in, hard to take out, immune to radiation, and heals - a solid pick!

 

COURIER
The Courier is a pinch-hitter; in his other factions this is a solid value add. In Survivors? He has better Armor (but lower HP) than the SS and SST, his combat and objective running skills are all equal to or lower than other models, and even having Lucky isn't all that special since there are other models in faction with the same ability. 

However, he does put all those together in one package, and the Companion Perk allows him to buff a friend effectively - though be careful, as this can lead to effectively crippling the Courier if the other model goes down, and it does have a range.

 

Adding Tech and Military Fatigues increases his LUC and AGI respectively, and he can use either Rifles, Pistols, or Melee as needed - though he'd still prefer weapons with Greens as 6 isn't wonderful. 

 

Honestly? I don't intend on using him, as I still prefer the Persistent Pair of SSL + SST. (Tenacious Twosome?) But he's versatile enough that he won't disappoint you on the table (often), no matter what you ask him to do. 

DOGMEAT

For 13 Caps over a standard Dog, Dogmeat gains... +1 AGI. This isn't bad, actually, as it's his HP stat and his attacking stat. He also gets +1 PER and INT; the PER is particularly relevant as it means he can do Search tests with amazing proficiency when near any Sole Survivor. 

But. Scoutmeat only costs 3 Caps more and has the solid Observer ability, and while Guardmeat has -1 PER/AGI, he can also throw himself in the way of attacks and has 3/3/- armor instead of 2/2/-.

DOGMEAT (GUARD DOG)

Guardmeat has several good points. He can take a hit for a friendly model once between his activations (not per turn!), which is good - he's also heavily armored, so he stands a good chance to soak some of it. He also can get Criticals, which Dog Bite charges fast and adds more damage. That said, he only has AGI 5 instead of 6 like the other Dogmeats, which reduces his HP and his attack rate from 63% to 54% - this isn't good. He also has Green instead of Blue for Charge range, which isn't great.

I think he's good, but he has a different role - mostly taking hits for soft targets like Mama Murphy or Nick Valentine, while still being able to melee well or trigger SS's Dog Handler. Heroic also helps his role as ablative armor - 1 more HP, as well as LUC 2 to use in soaking really bad hits, even if he already has Criticals.

DOGMEAT (SCOUT)

The doggo in goggos is pretty good for what you pay and offers things that Guardmeat doesn't. He has Leap, making built up areas less safe for enemies, and the same Observer ability as the Eyebot. His stats are solid too, with Dog Bite having a high chance to hit and do bad things.

But is he good? Well, yes; he's a direct upgrade over Dogmeat for only a few Caps more, but if you don't have a SS (particularly a Heroic one) you're probably better off with an Eyebot instead. 

ED-E
ED-E is a straight upgrade to the Eyebot and you should use it in every list where you'd prefer an Eyebot. With an excellent PER 8 covering Search and Pistols, an absolutely baller unique gun in its Tesla Cannon, and a reduction to the PER penalty for finding Stealthed models, it is absolutely worth all 67 of its Caps - doubly so if your local meta has a lot of those Stealth models like Coursers or Nightkin.

HANCOCK

Hancock is cheap, but solid. His On Three Aura specifically states TURN, meaning that the next friendly model after him gets +2 to their first Skill Test, which is quite versatile. His Presence also gives added dice for Stranger card tests, and lets friendlies inside it use AP on Move/Charges! Do note that he only has a Red Presence, however, which is not spectacular if not small.

By himself, though? His weapon skills are mediocre (45% chance of successful Shooting tests), so don't expect too much out of him without a weapon that has at least one Green on it. With access to Advanced and High Tech items, though, his options are fairly wide open - but because you're bringing him mostly for his auras, I say stick with the ol' reliable Wattz 1k or AEP7 Laser Pistol. 

 

LILY BOWEN

Blue Meemaw is amazing. Prowl fits perfectly with her melee-based stat spread, with Unpredictable (if it triggers) as a bonus instead of a necessity, and at a solid price point. She also doesn't lack for durability with 8 HP and 2/2/x Armor, and Prowl protecting her on those first turns as she positions herself.

 

She can use either the Blade of the East or her trademark Vertibird Blade with equal ease, and either as a counter-charger or a frontline brawler ahead of a firing line enhanced by Ronnie Shaw's Sharpshoot she will absolutely return value for her Caps. Just don't buy an Assault Carbine; the gun is bad and she should listen to Leo when on the battlefield. Leg Guards also combines well with Unpredictable, allowing her a chance to spend the AP for more damage, even if it overlaps with the Quick Action (Move) Unpredictable already grants. 

LORENZO CABOT

The madman from the basement, placed on the battlefield. I... like him, but he's weird. he's got a decent stat spread, though on the pathetic side for his combat skills - however, he has high END and amazing INT for Lockpick and Search tests. Lucky is never amiss either, especially with 7 points of it to spend - so you can buff his terrible Pistols as need be. 

His two unique points are his Artifact Gun and his telekinesis. He can take an action to nudge a model 2", though the target can test STR to negate this movement - since this can be friendly or enemy, you can (in theory) nudge an ally out of engagement with an enemy more easily than trying to move enemies around, but if the game's VPs rely on a model being engaged with an object this can be clutch. He can also move grenades that land too close to him away from him, which is handy.

His Artifact Gun is... janky, but the good kind of jank? A pistol with 14" of range, as well as having a Blue die to possibly cause an AOE damage or Stun - as I said, he won't be hitting much with it without his Luck tokens, but at short range it does get a Green die as well. In another odd quirk, it targets Radiation resistance, and if they're normally immune to Rad damage they have 0 defense. 

At only 80 Caps, he does quite a lot in a fairly priced package.

MAMA MURPHY

Mama Murphy is solid. No, she can't fight her way out of a paper bag. But her ability to shape the battlefield as a force multiplier is baller. Always set up after an opponent? YSHPLZTHKU, information is ammunition. Glancing at a couple Searchable/Investigation Markers, or peeking at the Boost hand, is useful in other game modes, but not so much in Battle Mode, sadly.

 

Her Foresight can be spent during her turn to either make a Reaction happen before a Trigger action or cancel out an X auto-failure result - no, they can't take the same action twice, but it gives activation advantage. Oh, and she lets you peek at the top card of an Event deck.

 

Now, let's be honest. There's only a 5% of a crit failure over the course of a game, but the Reaction happening before a trigger action is clutch if used correctly. Charging an enemy when they round a corner and declare a charge? Or just moving out of their charge range?

 

Without Chems active, she gets two Foresight points - but with Chems, she gets four. Last, she starts with two Chems of her choice for free. 

 

But the downside: She can't fight. She has mediocre Search and Computer skills. She's also quite slow (hey, she's an old lady!) The rest of the team has to pull her weight for her otherwise.

 

And sorry to disappoint my fellow munchkins, but combining Daytripper with the Beloved Leader card and hand out Luck tokens all day with her massive LUC 6 doesn't work... mostly. Read the Luck rules: Tokens are only handed out during game setup, and the +3 Luck tokens shown on Daytripper is all she gets until she sucks down a second dose. Still, paying 16 points for 6 Luck tokens anywhere you need it over the course of 6 turns isn't the worst idea; though there's a lot of good Leader cards competing for the slot it adds even more to Mama Murphy's utility, should you choose to use her. 

MARCUS
Where Lily can sneak around and find the right spot to charge in on early turns, Marcus waits for them to attack first, making him an excellent counter-charger. His Concern ability is easily triggered as well, improving his already solid Marcus Punch. 

It's hard to say what enhancements he should be given; he comes solid right out of the box. About the only way to make him better would be Leg Guards; more movement can let him charge and swing more often.

NICK VALENTINE

So, the bad: He's terrible at fighting, though he does have Immune: Battle Cry. His two combat skills have a 40% of landing, meaning he needs accuracy dice (Laser Pistol is his best bet here). He's also not very tough. He's decent at objectives with high Search and Computers, with... existing... Lockpick, but the kicker is -

He has Lucky, LUC 7, AND can let friendlies in his Green Presence use his Luck tokens! While they aren't a sure thing (and there should be a mini-article on THAT!), it's an informed modifier - you can use it after you see the result. He can also use Expertise as a Quick Action, and let his allies do so as well.

Nicky is a force multiplier like Mama Murphy. He's not quite as good as she is in that regard, but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative and don't care so much about setting up after the enemy, just passing out Luck tokens, he's not gonna lead you wrong.

NUKA-GIRL

Nuka-Girl is IMHO great but expensive. Her stats are solid, including an above-average Movement, 8 HP, and PER 7 for shooting her Thirst-Zapper Cola. Her two downsides... exist but don't detract. First, TZC is Slow Firing, which makes her DPS fairly low; second is that she has low physical ARM - but that's balanced out by Lucky and one of her Specialties, which lets her make an AGI test once per battle to dodge all damage from an attack. Her second ability lets her become Ready if a model in her Presence becomes Ready, which can help with double activations if you need to kill something quick.

But really, the reason you're taking her is because she has Lucky and Critical - without paying through the nose for Heroic! - and LUC 5 which is on the high end. TZC also has an AOE Critical Effect, and with her access to Advanced Items she can also buy an Army Helmet to compensate for her low Physical armor.

PIPER

She's a solid objective runner - yes, her skills are less than the Free Tech, SST, or Sturges, but she also has abilities to meddle with the enemy. Her Distracting lets her give a -2 token to an enemy in her Presence, which can be a -10-15% to all their tests... and it doesn't go away til Piper's next activation. Activate her early one turn, than late the next turn, and it could stick on a bad guy for two activations! Newshound also uses her Green Presence to give Search Tests +2, which is good.

Equipping her is tricky. While she has access to a LOT of stuff, including High Tech Items and even Power Armor, keeping her cheap and cheerful is a better bet than going overboard. Yes, you COULD stick her in T60 Armor with a Super Sledge, but other models do it better for much cheaper. Stick to a Laser Pistol IMHO. 

PRESTON GARVEY

For everyone who got PO'ed at Garvey bugging you every five minutes to help settlements, don't auto-bench him - he's actually quite good, whether as part of a Minuteman brick or just helping out some Survivors. He's quite tough stat-wise with 7 HP and 3/3/1 ARM, and while his main offense in Rifles is at PER 6, and he is expensive at 124 Caps, he has other abilities that make him worthwhile.

First, Lucky. While you can't trust luck all the time, it's better to have it than to not have it. With only a LUC of 4, though, he'll have to be cautious about using it.

Morale gives all Minuteman models in his Presence +1 HP. Since one of their weak points is durability, and by default they only have 4 HP which doesn't let them endure three attacks with any reliability, this is solid.

The next two three items go hand-in-hand. He has a Specialty in the Laser Musket, raising his PER to 8; He gets a Long Barrel for his Laser Musket, which gives +4" to the gun's range (including a change to Black short range!); and he never hits friendlies who are engaged in close combat. This makes him a solid sniper, well suited to standing behind a defensive line of VSOs or Cait/Strong while peppering shots into the melee.

Finally, Battle Cry! Off his CHA 7! Very few non-Super Mutants have Battle Cry, and its ability to move models around and enhance damage is not to be missed - though he should only charge as a last resort. He also gives models in his enormous Black Presence (is that racist?) the ability to resist Battle Cry with his CHA 7 as well, which will make Super Mutant players more cautious about using it.

 

While you should staple a Laser Musket to his card, don't neglect giving him a melee weapon either; a Board is cheap and effective. He also is a solid choice for a Leader card with an Aura and that... Black Presence. If you want to go expensive, he's only 2 STR away from getting the bonus... Black die for melee, which could come from a Power Armor Frame or a T-45, making that Battle Cry even more potent. If you're running sole Minutemen, he can also ignore the Laser Musket and use PA to cover his team with some Heavy Weapons. 

RAUL
I want to like Raul. He's got a solid Pistols along with being able to spend AP on Quick Actiosn with them, Old Vaquero is an interesting rule, and he's not all that soft defensively. But when compared to any number of other models available that can objective run and fight better than he (Courier, SST, Sturges, Piper), the only thing that makes him stand out is immunity to Radiation, which isn't all THAT important. 

 

Sorry Raul, but sometimes old vaqueros should retire.

REX
Robo Doggo is an interesting add to the Dogmeat trio, but ultimately I think he's worse than any of them. Which explains his cost of 80 Caps, but even beyond that he's inferior. Show Me is a quite useless ability for Survivors, as the SS all have Black already. Knock Down is nice, to be sure, but with only Melee 5 he's not going to hit reliably enough to use it. 

I love that mini, but I'd probably use it as a Scoutmeat or Guardmeat.

RONNIE SHAW

Holy s***, Ronnie Shaw, you cast-iron b****. First off, she has good combat stats - solid defenses, and 7 for Pistols/Rifles/Close Combat/Throwing. Tactician is... honestly a wash; I'd rather be first on the second and fourth turns instead of the first and third. But Sharpshoot? Letting models in her (enormous) Presence ignore an item of cover is a good ability, especially if you're playing with a proper amount of terrain in the first place.

However, she is expensive, and if you're in an open area - or if there's so much cover that your ranged models never get clear shots - then you're paying a premium for her that could go to two Minuteman with Laser Muskets instead, which have the same shooting skill but twice the shots. I like her, but she's situational. Weirdly, she has access to Power Armor too, but I'm not sure why.

SOLE SURVIVOR

This little lady can do anything with the right gear - and she has some of the best access to said gear. Yes, she also has great skills, which you already know if you own the game, but it's her weapon list that is her REAL edge.

She's so versatile - go 'cheap' with an Alien Blaster and a Baton; go expensive with Power Armor, a Deathclaw Gauntlet, and a Gatling Laser or Missile Launcher; go sniper with a Gauss Rifle; you almost can't go wrong, as long as you stick to good weapons. However, I'm going to say this straight up: She is the ONLY one who should get the Gauss Rifle out of all the SS models - the SSL and SST may have access, but their Rifles are low enough that they're wasting points.

Oddly, despite having decent objective runner skills, that isn't what she's best at - it's killing things, plain and simple. Think of it as a secondary thing she can do once everything's dead.

SOLE SURVIVOR DAY ONE

SSD1 has a lot of options for fairly cheap. She's quite tough with high ARM and 6 HP, has Dog Handler for free, and can objective run fairly well with both Computer and Lockpick skills.

Where she kinda falls down is combat ability - her best combat skill is Throwing, and while she has a large range of weapons she should stick to guns that include Accuracies to improve her below-average PER 5. The Combat or Hunting Rifles, or the Laser Pistol, are probably her best options. While she does have access to Power Armor, she needs at LEAST a T-60 to hit STR 7 for the bonus die and/or a decent chance of hitting with a Heavy Weapon. She's also cheap enough, and well armored enough natively, that upgrading her PER with Clothes is a reasonable option.

SOLE SURVIVOR LONER

SSL has the same weapon access as the SS, but a radically different stat spread; namely, his STR is so high he doesn't need power armor to equip Heavy Weapons AND gets the bonus +Damage die with melee weapons. Equipping even a cheapo Power Armor frame makes him monstrous with both options as well. Other guns... not so much. As with all SS models, he has Dog Handler, but the real defining trait is that he gets Lone Wanderer for free.

This has upsides and downsides. For one, LW costs 33 Caps, which means he gets it at a sharp discount, and it makes him nearly impossible to kill. But the downside is pretty steep in that it's only active when the only friendlies within his Presence are animals, and he, like Preston, has a gargantuan Black Presence. Also, because he comes with a Perk, he can't buy any other Perks. This might not be so bad in other factions, but the Survivors have so many cheap models that it's hard to keep active.

Is he bad because of it? I say no. Going super-cheap with a Huge Club and an Alien Blaster, going medium weight with a Power Armor Frame, Huge Club, and Gatling Laser, going heavyweight with T-45 and a Super Sledge, or going super heavyweight with T-45, Missile Launcher, and Super Sledge are all valid options at the price.

Where he's probably busted is as a Creature Controller... but that's a separate article.

Since he has the Partner Specialty, he can be included in a force with one other Sole Survivor. Awwh, the best universe possible, where the survivors both live and look for their son together...

SOLE SURVIVOR TECH

SST is THE ultimate objective runner, taking everything good about the Free Tech and turning it up to 11, and only a few Caps more expensive than the SSD1. He has Red movement, great Computer and Search tests, okay Lockpick tests, but unlike the other SS's only really has one weapon option: pistols. He also has Dog Handler, and gives everyone more Computer skill in his Presence.

Despite coming with the X-01 Armor, SST isn't all that great in it. Far better to give it to one of the other SS's along with a heavy weapon, and use the SSD1 or SSL to represent the SST. He also has Partner, and is probably a better choice for it than the SSL as he's cheaper and can do things that the SSL or SS can't.

STRONG

Strong's problem is that with Marcus and Lily now available, he's not the best Super Mutant for the job. However, he is cheaper than either of those options, even if given a Super Sledge or Huge Club - but he's softer than either, so has to be used with care.

STURGES

Sturges is another solid objective runner, with two major advantages over all the others: He's actually good in combat, and he uses his Int 8 for all THREE Expertise checks. He's reasonably durable, too, with a specialty in the .44 Revolver that lets him shoot with a success that matches his melee abilities. A downside is that IS slower than the main competition he has as objective runners.

Handyman also gives models in his Green Presence +2 Lockpick - handy, because a fair few models DO have Lockpicking available but not at high levels (Nicky). But the real good stuff is his Modder specialty that lets you draw three weapon mods, keep two, and equip them to any of your models. Mods can get pretty great, but with 24 as of Wave 3, it's unpredictable, so try to have a mix of all four weapon types in your force so you don't end up with a fistful of Mods that do nothing.

Equipping him is basic: Pipe Wrench, .44 Revolver, and a Power Armor Frame so if he needs to knock heads he's got the STR to do it properly.  

 

VERONICA
Vero is a very much melee focused objective runner - an excellent contrast to the others available, who trades a lower skill (6s across the board) in exchange for being able to defend herself close in with her Scribe Counter ability. Also, she has access to Power Armor at a lower price point than either the SST or SS - in fact, she's the cheapest model in the Survivors who can wear a tin suit, which alone gives her value.

You can equip her cheaply with just a Power Fist or COS, or go all the way in with T-60 Power Armor to make her both more durable, hit STR 7 for the bonus Black, and more likely to trigger her Scribe Counter.

X6-88 COURSER

X6-88 is at base more expensive then an SS with Power Armor Frame and a Gatling Laser, and equipped can run up to three Minuteman with Laser Muskets. So, what does he offer for that premium?

Three words: Permanent Stealth Boy.

First, the stats. He's solid at attacking with Pistols and Rifles using AGI 7, and has... access... to Computers and Lockpick with INT 5. His Search is good with PER 7, and while his HP is high at 7, his armor is somewhat low - though he does give +1 Energy ARM to models in his Green Presence. He's a solid all-rounder; decent at objective running, decent at combat, durable.

But a permanent Stealth Boy? Holy balls. A model has to make a -4 PER test just to attack or notice his Triggers. If they succeed, they don't have any penalty and treat it as a normal action, but if they fail... nothing happens. With most models in the game, that means they have a 75% of whiffing - the penalty drops them to 1 PER, which means they only succeed on cogs or !. Even the best models in the game still have a 60% of whiffing entirely - nothing has higher than PER 8 thus far.

It's not invulnerable, though, and for his price trying to pin him down in close combat with cheap units is entirely valid. Dogs are a solid option with high PER and at a reasonable price point now - hm, dogs being used to track robots that look like humans? Where have I heard that before? 

 

The Gauss Rifle is unmistakably strong, and he has the Rifles skill to use it well. He and a SS paired up can erase almost anything working in tandem. But doing so may mean skimping on points for objective runners or close combat; in that case, a cheaper Combat Rifle or even Plasma Rifle will do quite well in his hands.

CHANGELOG

v5.0 Added new models from Wave 5 and revised Strong's entry to reflect how he's the 'budget option' compared to Lily & Marcus.

 

v1.2 Changed everything to alphabetical order. Clarified the rules for Strong Armor tokens. Made changes to the Settler's (discussed Laser Rifle vs. Combat rifle), Scavenger's (mentioned Bottlecap Mines), Vault Security Officer's (mentioned Mines), Dogmeat's (discussed Heroic Sole Survivors), and Sturges (mentioned the possibility of Buffout for CC capability).

v1.3 Revamped Sole Survivor and X6-88 with more information about the Gauss Rifle.

v1.4 - cleared up a few things involving Piper, Strong, and Preston Garvey.

 

v4.0 Added Lorenzo and did revamps to most of the models, ESPECIALLY Mama Murphy who is good but I realize that I sounded a little too... gushy... at the end.