The ruins of post-war Appalachia can be deadly. Players need to be well-armed in order to survive. Luckily, Fallout 76 has lots of weapon options for players to use. Out of all the weapons in the game, the only ones that are really useful are legendary weapons. Legendary weapons are special variants of base weapons that have unique buffs.

Finding legendary weapons may seem difficult at first, but it doesn't take long for new players to figure out how to get them. There are a few great ways of finding legendary weapons in Fallout 76.

Updated May 20, 2024, by Benjamin Joe: Fallout 76 has seen a huge increase in player count since the release of the Fallout TV series. It's not only Fallout 76 that is seeing this rise in popularity, as fans of the show are playing every Fallout game ever made. With that in mind, players will need to know everything they can about getting the best weapons in-game. While there are lots of ways that players can get their hands on legendary weapons in Fallout 76, one method was left out of the original version of this article: crafting.

What Are Legendary Weapons & How Do They Work?

Legendary Shotgun in Fallout 76

As mentioned, legendary weapons are special weapons that give players certain benefits. They come in three different forms: 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star weapons. A 1-star weapon will have one legendary effect, while a 3-star will have three legendary effects. Players should always focus on 3-star legendary weapons for obvious reasons. The more legendary effects a weapon has, the better it will be in combat.

fallout-76-best-legendary-effects-weapons
Fallout 76: The 13 Best Legendary Effects For Weapons

There are a lot of legendary effects you can get for weapons in Fallout 76. Here's a look at the best that you should seek out!

1

Not every legendary effect is good. Some of them are redundant. However, there are some effects that players should be looking out for. These include:

  • Bloodied
  • Anti-Armor
  • Vampire's
  • Quad
  • Explosive
  • +50% Critical Shot Damage
  • 25% VATS Reduction Cost

7 Crafting Legendary Weapons

Save Up Some Modules And Craft Legendary Weapons

Image of a new pipe gun being crafted in Fallout 76

Crafting plays a big part in Fallout 76. Players can craft everything from Chems to armor to, of course, weapons. After crafting a weapon, players can choose to add a 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star roll to it. For the most part, players should avoid rolling 1 and 2-star weapons as they are a waste of resources. Instead, focus on 3-star legendary weapons. To craft legendary weapons, players will need:

  • A weapon to roll
  • Legendary Modules
  • Legendary Cores

Players can re-roll existing legendary weapons in the hopes of getting better effects, but this usually isn't worth doing. Instead, if the player has the resources, they should craft multiple weapons and apply a 3-star legendary roll to each one. That way, if the weapon doesn't have good legendary effects, it can be sold for Scrip or to player vendors for Caps.

Legendary Modules can be obtained in a few different ways. The best way is to purchase them from Purveyor Murmrgh at the Rusty Pic. They cost 50 Scrip per module, and players can buy a maximum of 100 modules from her per day. Players can also get Legendary Modules as seasonal awards, or by completing Expeditions. Every time the player completes an Expedition, they will receive at least one module, along with 6 different legendary items.

Players obtain Legendary Cores by completing events. The best events to complete for these cores are:

  • A Colossal Problem: 8 cores
  • Encrypted: 8 cores
  • Free Range: 8 cores
  • Scorched Earth: 5 cores

To roll a weapon for three legendary effects, the player will need 5 Legendary Cores and 4 Legendary Modules. This is pretty costly, so use cores and modules wisely.

6 Legendary Enemies

Kill Enemies For Legendary Rewards

Fallout 76 Mole Miner Enemy
Fallout 76 Mole Miner Enemy

There are lots of different enemy types in Fallout 76. There are Ghouls, Super Mutants, Cultists, Scorched, and many more types of enemies that are looking to kill the player. Some of those enemies will have a star icon next to their health bar. These are legendary enemies. Legendary enemies will drop a legendary weapon or armor piece when they are killed. If the enemy is a 1-star enemy, then it will drop a 1-star item. Players will want to keep an eye out for 3-star enemies as they will drop the best legendary items.

Players can find legendary enemies roaming around the map. Since they roam randomly, it can be hard to find them. Luckily, there are a few events that guarantee to spawn at least one 3-star legendary enemy. Those events include:

  • Uranium Fever
  • Scorched Earth
  • Leader Of The Pack
  • A Colossal Problem
  • Eviction Notice

5 Completing Certain Events

Some Events Give Players Legendary Items

Leader Of The Pack Event Marker in Fallout 76

As mentioned above, there are a few events in Fallout 76 that will spawn a 3-star legendary enemy. Players should also note that some events have the chance to give players an extra 3-star item upon completion.

Fallout 76 Best Event Rewards
Fallout 76: 8 Events That Give The Best Rewards

Players will come across a lot of goodies throughout Fallout 76's many events. These examples offer some of the best rewards.

Not only that, but there are also a handful of events that give players the chance to obtain a named legendary weapon. Named legendary weapons can be pretty useful for new players as they come with some pretty useful effects on them. Some of the best events for named legendary weapons can be seen below:

Event

Weapon

Eviction Notice

Foundation's Vengeance | Crowd Control

Seismic Activity

Molerat Bat | Grand Finale

Beasts of Burden

Ogua Gauntlet | Holy Fire | Elder's Mark

Out of all the events that players can do to earn legendary weapons, the best one is Eviction Notice. This event spawns in countless waves of Super Mutants, many of which are legendary. This event is the fastest way to obtain legendary weapons in Fallout 76.

4 Completing Expeditions

Leave The Main Map For Timed Excursions

Expedition Screen in Fallout 76

Expeditions have been a part of the game for quite some time. There are a total of five expeditions that players can go on. However, the most beneficial one is called The Most Sensational Game. This expedition sees players complete challenges against the clock.

It is a fairly easy expedition to complete. With a good team, it can be done in as little as 10 minutes. Upon completing any expedition, players will receive a handful of legendary items. These include at least one legendary weapon.

3 Completing Daily Operations

A Timed Special Operation

Daily Ops in Fallout 76

Similar to the previous entry, Daily Operations (Daily Ops) are timed missions that players can do to earn Scrip, Caps, Ammo, legendary items, and more. Each day, the objective of the Daily Operation will change. The player will either be tasked with taking over two checkpoints and wiping out a boss enemy or taking out enemies, followed by small bosses leading up to a fight with a big boss. The enemies will all have a mutation, which will give them a bonus. From extracting toxic gas upon death to healing while in proximity to others, enemies can have a few different mutations.

The rewards that the player receives will depend on how fast they manage to complete the Daily Operation. The best rewards are reserved for players who complete the mission in under 8 minutes. This is pretty easy when in a team. Upon completing a Daily Op, players will receive a couple of legendary items. These usually include a legendary weapon.

2 Completing Quests

Some Events Reward Players With Legendary Weapons

Inside The Wayward in Fallout 76

There are lots of quests in Fallout 76. From main storyline quests and side quests to daily quests, there are lots of quests to keep players busy. Some quests give players a guaranteed legendary weapon, like the quest Flavors of Mayhem, which awards players with the Black Diamond.

Story quests usually don't give players particularly good weapons. However, there is a small chance of obtaining a legendary weapon by completing any daily quest. Since these can be completed once every day, they can be a decent way of getting a few extra legendary weapons.

1 Player Vending Machines

Spend Caps To Buy Legendary Weapons

Player Vendor in Fallout 76

Buying items from other players is a feature that has been in the game for a few years. Players can build a vending machine at their CAMP and sell items to other players for Caps. Other players can see whether a CAMP has an active vending machine on their map. They can also see a breakdown of what a player is selling.

Some players sell 3-star legendary weapons. While lots of players overprice their weapons, there are a few people out there who sell good weapons at fair prices. So, should a player come across another player's CAMP, it's always worth checking to see if they have a vending machine, just in case they have any good weapons for sale.

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Fallout 76
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5 /10
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Released
November 14, 2018
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Developer(s)
Bethesda
Franchise
Fallout
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre(s)
Action, RPG