Summary

Fallout: Londonis one of the most ambitious and impressive modding projects around, totally converting the base game ofFallout 4into something entirely new. For all intent and purpose,Fallout: Londonis practically a new game in the series made by fans, set across the pond where things all work a little differently. Tube Tickets are the currency rather than the famed Bottle Caps used in the US, there aren’t any Super Mutants, and factions like the Brotherhood of Steel have given way to the likes of the Knights of Camelot.

Although Ghouls exist inFallout: London,they are nicknamed Commuters.

Because of the many new lore-based changes inFallout: Londonthere are also plenty of new weapons never seen before in the series. Of course, there are re-skins of weapons that everyone knows and loves, like the 9mm Pistol, but there are now medieval-style maces, halberds from the Beef Eaters, and flintlock-era weapons that take an age to reload. With all the weapons added from different eras in human history,it should be no surprise that the bow makes its way intoFallout: London.

Fallout London: How To Get All Companions

You can recruit six out of seven companions in Fallout: London, either through main or side quests, allowing you to gain a traveling partner.

Fallout: London Lets Players Become Stealth Archers

Just Like In Skyrim

Due to the difference in setting, genre, and available weapons, many don’t look for builds that can be used in bothSkyrimandFallout,butFallout: Londonallows for this due to the inclusion of the Camelot faction. From this faction, players can get knightly plate armor, swords from the medieval age, and bows, which allow players to pretend they’re back in the fantastically Nordic realm ofSkyrim. Despite guns being an often used tool inFallout, bows are oddly effective.

There is a running joke in theSkyrimcommunity that everyone sets off looking to play something unique in their next playthrough,but then ends up playing another stealth archer like always.For many in the community, it feels like the default setting ofSkyrimand for those looking to bring that intoFallout, since both are Bethesda games that share many features, they can. With enough points in Agility, stealth becomes a viable option, especially with how dense London is in the game.

Churchill the bulldog first companion in Fallout London.

Very rarely are there open fields where players can be spotted miles away inFallout: London.The mod does a fantastic job at making players feel as though they are in an urban jungle that has been ruined and made messy by both time and nuclear war, which gives stealthy players a lot of places to hide. Bows work using the Perception stat and are largely silent, so when paired with Agility as well, a shadowy figure roaming the streets of London with a bow is a terrifying prospect.

Becoming A Stealth Archer In Fallout: London Requires Some Work

But It Is Well Worth The Effort

Stats-wise,bows and arrows are treated like rifles inFallout: London, meaning that they benefit from one ofthe best perks, Rifleman, and can have their draw weight upgraded based on how many levels a player has in both the Rifleman and Sniper perks. Building a stealth archer inFallout: Londonis similar to building a stealthy sniper, and the higher the Wayfarer’s draw weight, the higher the damage on their bow. This damage makes the bow viable throughout a playthrough, and it is able to keep pace with many rifles in the game.

Accessing a player’s first bow can be a little tricky and will take some time. Unlike inSkyrim,players won’t be able to loot it from the body of an unremarkable bandit. Players will either have tojoin the Camelot faction, which requires a decent chunk of the main story to be completed first or will have to raid the British Museum. The British Museum can be accessed earlier in a playthrough and will give players the Ornate Bow; however, the dungeon is quite tricky for the early game.

Fallout London Logo with Magazine overtop of a dilapidated london background

The British Museum is protected by Protectrons. The easiest way to deal with them is to shoot their arms off, causing them to explode.

Still, once a player has their bow,arrows can be made rather easily at any Ammo Workbench. The Thameshaven is likely the easiest to access early on, and arrows can be made in vast quantities with very few resources. Different types of arrows can be made, too, such as fire arrows or broad heads, but the Ornate Bow will require the use of Ornate Arrows unless specifically switched. Until later on in the game, when joining the Camelot faction, the Ornate Bow is the best bet during the early game.

Concept art of the members of the Camelot faction in Fallout London.

Fallout London: 10 Best Magazines (Locations & What They Do)

Magazines in Fallout London are well-hidden but useful collectibles that buff you after you read them. Just like reading in real life!

Being An Archer In Fallout Is More Fun Than Effective

But Adding Stealth Makes It Deadly

Bows will do a respectable amount of damage,but they don’t tend to compete with powerful snipers, nor are they quick to fire. The animations in-game are a little dodgy, too, but they don’t need to be reloaded, which saves time in stressful situations and doesn’t take up too much AP inVATS. Players can retrieve arrows from dead bodies, too, just like inSkyrim, and arrows that have shot enemies in the head will sometimes pin said head to a nearby wall after it has been severed.

Heads will fly when shot with an arrow, and in VATS the camera can struggle to track the head, causing it to clip through walls.

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Typically, a strong rifle is more effective in an open shoot-out than a bow,but a bow’s silent shot makes it great for stealth situations. The 2x damage bonus helps the bow shine a bit more and the relatively low AP usage means that players can clear out a room before enemies know what hit them with VATS. The cheapness of the arrows, as well as the ability to retrieve them, helps save resources in the long run, and players can make tickets from other ammo for guns that aren’t being used.

Fallout: Londonhas done a great job at adding weapon types that players may not expect to the world of theFalloutfranchise while doing it in a way that makes sense from a lore perspective. Finding an old bow to use in the British Museum makes sense, and having a faction of Knights based on King Arthur’s legends in Britain is a fun touch. It’s an amusing way of adding one ofSkyrim’s most popular builds intoFalloutwithout making it seem massively out of place or world-breaking.