This is a guide on how to make a powerful Gunslinger Cowboy Build in Fallout New Vegas. The level of this build can range from 15 to further. This is a highly customizable build that you can adjust as per your wants and needs.
If you’re going with this build from the very start of the game
For the starting traits of your character, you can either choose Trigger Discipline or Fast Shot. The Trigger Discipline trait allows your gunshots to be 20% more accurate but to the detriment of firing speed. That is, you fire 20% slower. This is a good trait if you’re going for an accurate and precise attack-based build, as I did. If you choose Fast Shot, you will fire your gun 20% faster but the accuracy of your shots will be reduced by 20% as well. This is a great choice if you’re going for a fast and agile build.
But if you’re reading this article after you’ve started your game, it is completely okay and you can still make the build.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attributes to choose
These attributes are very important for any build and you must be intelligent when selecting them. Let’s go through the best S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes for our Cowboy build in Fallout New Vegas.
Strength
In general gameplay, the more Strength you have, the better it’s going to be. That’s because higher Strength allows you to carry more stuff without slowing down, and there’s a Strength requirement for almost every weapon in the game.
For the main weapons we will use in this build, 6 Strength is enough.
Agility
Agility is the skill that governs the number of AP (Action-points) in the game. With more agility, you will reload and holster your guns faster. This is very important for this build because a Gunslinger must be quick and precise with their weapon handling. Action points are very important when it comes to V.A.T.S (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System). V.A.T.S. allows you to stop time and target enemy body parts to precisely hit them. Although, if you have less Agility, the chance of your hits actually damaging the target is low. This is why you need high Agility. You will be using V.A.T.S. very often.
6 Agility or higher is suitable for our build.
Luck
Luck increases the chance for your shots to deal critical damage to your enemies. Critical hits have almost two times their base damage and it’s very useful to kill enemies quickly. Luck also comes in handy when you gamble, because winning is substantially easier with more Luck.
6 Luck or higher is required for our build.
Skills
Let’s now discuss an important part of our build, the Skills you should allocate points in.
Guns
This is the main skill that will affect the accuracy and handling of all firearms. You need 100 Guns for this build and that is the maximum level. This level might sound hard to obtain, but it’s very easy as you will be levelling up fairly quickly if you kill many enemies, and complete challenges and quests.
Weapons
You can use any Gun for this build, in all honesty. But we will stick to the Cowboy-gunslinger theme of the build and choose the guns based on that.
Lucky Revolver
This is a unique .357 revolver that boasts higher stats and a beautiful unique design. I have a guide on the site on how to get this gun very early on in the game. Refer to that, as this gun is kind of the quintessential weapon for our gunslinger.
Mysterious Magnum or .44 Magnum Revolver
The Mysterious Magnum is the unique variant of the .44 Magnum Revolver. It’s one of the best pistols in the game. I will provide a guide on how to get it in the near future. The .44 Magnum is also a viable choice.
Medicine Stick Rifle
You can buy this unique and extremely powerful brush gun at the Gun Runners’ Arsenal outlet on the outskirts of New Vegas. This is the main rifle we will be using for our build.
Lever-Action Shotgun
This is a 20-gauge shotgun which deals good damage. But if you’d not mind going for another choice, you should consider the Dinner Bell shotgun or the Riot Shotgun. The downside of using the Lever-Action Shotgun is its slow reload time and the fact that it doesn’t have a unique variant.
La Longue Carabine
This is a unique Cowboy Repeater rifle with a scope. For this weapon too, a guide on how to obtain will be given in the near future. A downside to using this unique rifle is that it uses .357 rounds. Lucky revolver also uses the same ammo type.
Perks
Let’s look at the main perks you must have active for this build, other than the starting perks.
Cowboy
This is essential. It gives 25% more damage when using any of the aforementioned weapons.
Gunslinger
This perk gives you higher accuracy with V.A.T.S. which you will be using often.
Finesse
+5% Critical hit chance. Scoring critical hits is a good attack choice for this build.
Quick Draw
This perk makes drawing and holstering weapons much faster.
What do you think of the Cowboy Build in Fallout New Vegas? Let us know!
