Ranking The Top Five Fallout 76 Mutations

Radiation plays a huge role in the Fallout setting. After all, the setting exists because the pre-apocalyptic superpowers engaged in a nuclear exchange, which has caused the collapse of human civilization. With that said, it is important to note that the radiation of the Fallout setting is the radiation of a retrofuturistic setting that was never particularly interested in sticking to real world science in the first place, meaning that it can do things that real world radiation cannot. In particular, Fallout radiation can cause much more fantastic mutations than what its real world counterpart can manage, as shown by the mutation system that has been introduced in Fallout 76.

In short, Fallout 76 players can pick up mutations through a couple of methods. Under normal circumstances, interested individuals will pick up mutations for themselves by exposing themselves to radiation because there is a 5 percent chance of a random mutation for every 5 HP that have been irradiated. It doesn’t matter whether interested individuals expose themselves to radiation via combat, food and drink, or some other source so long as they expose themselves to radiation. Besides this, there is the option of using mutation serums from either Whitespring or the Enclave, though this is a much pricier option to say the least.

Moving on, it is important to note that players can lose mutations with the same ease that they can pick them up. In fact, each time that they use RadAway to remove radiation, there is a chance that the RadAway will remove one of their mutations as well. Fortunately, there is a solution to this particular problem in the form of a perk called Starched Genes, which will keep their state fixed. Essentially, if they have no mutations, Starched Genes will prevent them from picking up new mutations. In contrast, if they have mutations, Starched Genes will ensure that they keep those mutations. Suffice to say that this makes Starched Genes a must-get perk for players who have chanced upon their mutations of choice in Fallout 76.

What Are the Five Best Fallout 76 Mutations?

Fallout 76 mutations can offer massive bonuses to interested individuals but the problem is that they come with massive penalties as well. As such, the classic comparison would be a double-edged sword that can both help and hinder the user. With that said, there are some mutations with bonuses that outweigh their penalties to a greater extent than others, particularly when interested individuals make an extra effort to optimize their use. Here are five examples of the best mutations from Fallout 76:

5. Marsupial

Marsupial is one of the most entertaining options that can be found on the mutations list. Effect-wise, it will cost the player 4 intelligence but in exchange, it will provide them with a 20 bonus to their carrying weight as well as a huge boost to their jumping ability, so much so that they can jump close to three times their height. Thanks to this, players can navigate the environment with huge jumps, which can be pretty fun for people who are in the right mood to enjoy such things. Furthermore, these jumps can enable interested individuals to reach otherwise unreachable locations, thus enabling them to experience more than ever before. With that said, there is an issue with Marsupial in that while it provides players with a much enhanced jumping ability, it doesn’t actually do anything about their ability to survive falls from a great distance. As a result, it is perfectly possible for a careless player to kill themselves by jumping off of a rooftop that is too high off of the ground. Due to this, interested individuals might want to look into the Goat Legs perk, which should make them that much more survivable by soaking up a set percentage of the fall damage that they sustain.

4. Carnivore

Carnivore isn’t as exciting as Marsupial, but it places higher because it is very practical in nature. In short, food is important in Fallout 76, which is why there are a couple of mutations called Carnivore and Herbivore that lets interested individuals consume food of the right type with no issues whatsoever in exchange for locking down the consumption of food of the other type. For instance, if a player chooses Carnivore, they can eat either raw meat, spoiled meat, or cooked meat, but they won’t be able to eat any vegetables unless those have been cooked into soups or gumbos. Meat has better HP effects than vegetables, thus making Carnivore more useful than Herbivore under most circumstances.

3. Egg Head

Egg Head is a good example of the simple and straightforward mutations that penalize stats in exchange for boosting stats. In its case, it will cost the player both 3 strength and 3 endurance in exchange for a huge 6 point boost to their intelligence. As a result, it can be used to maximize the player’s ability to hack terminals, the player’s ability to benefit from scrapping, and the player’s ability to make useful items, though this comes at the cost of making them much more vulnerable in combat as well as much needier when it comes to their basic necessities.

2. Talons

Talons are fun because they provide players with a set of claws for an additional 25 percent damage in close quarters combat as well as the ability to inflict bleed damage for 5 seconds at the cost of 5 agility. As such, it is an excellent choice for someone who wants to pound their enemies into ruin in an up-close and personal manner, particularly if they remember to bring either a pair of brass knuckles or some other compatible weapon with them. The loss of agility hurts, but it can be mitigated to some extent with the effects of the Evasive perk.

1. Speed Demon

Traveling long distances can be a real hassle, which is why Speed Demon claims the top spot on this list. Essentially, it provides a 20 percent boost in movement speed plus faster reload times in exchange for both higher hunger and higher thirst rates while moving about. Suffice to say that these provide huge benefits both in and out of combat, particularly when players take the right approach to better manage their increased need for food and drink.