Survival Mode in Fallout 4 transforms the game into a gritty, high-stakes experience. You’ll face hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and limited saves, while fast travel is disabled and combat is deadlier. This guide provides essential tips, perk recommendations, and strategies to help you stay alive in the Wasteland.

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What’s New in Survival Mode?

• Core Mechanics:
  • Hunger, thirst, and sleep affect performance.
  • Damage dealt and taken is significantly increased.
  • No fast travel; you must walk everywhere.
  • Can only save by sleeping in a bed.
• Recommended Starting SPECIAL Stats:
  • Strength: 3 (for Armorer)
  • Perception: 4 (for Locksmith)
  • Endurance: 3 (for Lead Belly, Lifegiver)
  • Charisma: 4 (for Lone Wanderer, Attack Dog)
  • Intelligence: 5 (for general perk access)
  • Agility: 3 (for Sneak, Action Boy/Girl)
  • Luck: 1 (for Fortune Finder)

📘 Tip: Use the SPECIAL book in Shaun’s room to increase one stat early on.

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Best Perks for Survival Mode

Endurance

• Lead Belly: Reduces or negates radiation from food/water.
• Lifegiver: Adds HP and passive health regen (Rank 3).

Charisma

• Lone Wanderer: Increased carry weight, damage resistance, and damage when traveling solo or with Dogmeat.
• Local Leader: Essential for building settlement supply lines and crafting stations.

Intelligence

• Chemist: Extends chem duration and allows antibiotic crafting.

Agility

• Sneak: Avoid detection and reduce trap triggers.
• Moving Target: Boosts defense while sprinting.
• Action Boy/Girl: Faster AP regeneration.

Luck

• Fortune Finder: More caps from containers.
• Scrounger: More ammo—crucial in a mode where resources are scarce.

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Survival Tips & Tricks

1. Water and Food

• Fill empty bottles at clean water sources (e.g., Vault 111).
• Cook dirty water + razorgrain into noodle cups to satisfy both hunger and thirst.
• Use Refreshing Beverages (advanced crafting) to heal, remove radiation, and cure addictions.

2. Combat

• Use VATS to detect enemies and avoid mines.
• Chems like Jet (slow time) and Psycho (damage boost) are vital in tough encounters.
• Keep your distance, pick your battles, and always have an escape plan.

3. Settlement Strategy

• Start with Sanctuary: easy access to beds, food, and water.
• Set up Hangman’s Alley as a mid-city base near Diamond City.
• Establish supply lines to share resources and ammo.

4. Inventory Management

• Carry only 1–2 weapons and a reliable melee backup.
• Use weapons that share common ammo (.38 and 10mm are plentiful).
• Sell or store rare ammo to reduce weight.

5. Health and Status Effects

• Track illnesses and addictions. Visit doctors (like in Diamond City) when needed.
• Combine Chemist + Chem Resistant to minimize addiction risk.

6. Save Often

• Sleep any chance you get—short naps in sleeping bags still create save points.
• Always save before dangerous areas or decisions.

7. Bonus Tips

• Pre-War Money: Has no weight, sells well—great early-game currency.
• SPECIAL Boosts: Collect bobbleheads and magazines for stat increases.

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Optional Enhancements

• Backpacks (Creation Club): Add carry weight and buffs like regen or damage resistance.
• Mods (PC): Adjust weight limits, enable fast travel, or fine-tune survival settings for accessibility.

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Conclusion

Survival Mode pushes you to think differently, plan ahead, and make every step count. With the right perks, careful preparation, and strategic exploration, you’ll not only survive the Commonwealth—you’ll dominate it.