Deathclaw hunting tips

Rushing water, slasher and a hunting shotgun with the And Stay Back perk makes short work of a charging Deathclaw. Including Rawr. The only ones I had some trouble with were the two just outside of Rawr's cave. But I made a path with satchel charges, lured them out with an explosive round from my AMR and watched as their legs got crippled and then simply did some target practice.
 
aenemic said:
Rushing water, slasher and a hunting shotgun with the And Stay Back perk makes short work of a charging Deathclaw. Including Rawr. The only ones I had some trouble with were the two just outside of Rawr's cave. But I made a path with satchel charges, lured them out with an explosive round from my AMR and watched as their legs got crippled and then simply did some target practice.
Click to expand...

i did that, but with a riot shotgun, and the two outside rawr's cage i took out with a anti-material rifle from the rooftops.

Annabelle was nice as well. :)
 
Just buy a Gauss Rifle from the BoS and your good to go...but keep to high ground, or stay a good distance away, thats how I cleared out Quarry Junction.
 
I agree on the Gauss/YC-186 route. Max charge ammo with a sneak attack critical and you don't even have to hit them in the head... kills most in one shot.
 
Well the OP has LONG SINCE moved on from this topic, so they aren't even here to correct people, but I know I sure am sick of having to point out to responses here that they're ignoring the topic... Lonesome fucking Road. The same tactics used to clear out Quarry Junction, Deadwind Cavern, the hills outside Vault 19, or even Deathclaw Promontory do not apply to Lonesome Road when you walk into a crevice to loot a suitcase only for a Deathclaw to spawn DIRECTLY on top of you (literally) and is scripted to walk in your exact direction. And this is what half of the Deathclaws do in Lonesome Road. Like the Tunnelers, they're scripted to just appear out of nowhere when you cross a certain spot and to home in on your location. There are approximately 5 Deathclaws on the High Road that are sitting ducks for any sniper, and 2 in the final open area, but the rest are all extremely dangerous and impossible to avoid. As pointed out by another here, earlier, "Lonesome Road cheats".

"riot shotgun with stay back does wonders" is about the best advice that transcends the rest, but even then you're at the mercy of RNG. I've spent entire clips of a Riot Shotgun (in the tame Quarry Junction, no less) without downing a Deathclaw, despite my happy success with And Stay Back!, so this still isn't a guarantee.
 
Hi!
I'm a Deathclaw hunter myself. Going near Great Khan Encampment, BOS Safehouse, and Ranger Station Charlie to kill some whenever I'm free to level up and save some caravans from trouble. It might sound hard to believe but a fully upgraded Laser Rifle is enough and is almost an overkill with OC MF cells. I just go in and hide. Sneak attack them and wait till the others calm down, rinse and repeat. Might need to back down a little to avoid detection when you're in [CAUTION] level. I've found YCS/186 to be a total waste with 8ST and 100EW. I really like V.A.T.S. Firing YCS/186 in V.A.T.S doesn't give the same feeling when you can V.A.T.S a Deathclaw with an AMR as its head blows off when in [DANGER]. Playing a stealth Courier, Deathclaws are as puny as a Bloatfly to me after getting a Laser Rifle or an AMR later.
 
Here's my Deathclaw hunting tips:

First, i play on Very Hard jesawyer which means Deathclaws kill me in 1 hit more or less regardless, and i do 50% damage which is, well, bad news for me as it makes sneak kills difficult to say the least. I also use Project Nevada advanced detection which removes the lame detection AI the above poster refers to and means they'll sniff you out even if sniping from afar.

So that said:

1) First resort - As many have said on this thread sniping is probably the best tactic. In my experience an AM rifle with exp. rounds or YCS/186 max charge will stand you in good stead. This much is pretty much obvious, and as the above poster says even a laser rifle will work to some degree. (Although i wouldn't try it)
2) 2nd resort - I routinely setup a minefield of satchel charges/plasma mines and you can always add frags to the mix to increase the chance of leg cripples which is what i'm always praying for. It's by no means certain howerver, and i have on several occasions seen DC's run through 4 seperate satchel charges without crippling it's leg!
3) Last resort is when 1st and 2nd leave the DC still charging at you - at which point you're pretty screwed. 'And stay back' perk with riot shotty is your only hope really in my experience. I also play with increased limb damage so even if i survive the first DC strike it will probably stagger me so i'm toast with the second. I might get a few shots off with the shotty and my only hope is to stay calm and make every shot count. Turbo will really help you make them count and my character is more or less permanenlty addicted to that wonderdrug.

Battle bew, Slasher and med-x will give you max DR which will greatly help obviously, but i consider this somewhat cheating, and massive damage DC's like Rawr or Alpha male will hammer through it anyway, killing you in 2 or 3 hit instead of 1.

against multiple DC's all the above applies x1 per DC! bigger minefields, more careful sniping, allies - everything you can get on Very Hard allies DO NOT take 200% damage so can tank very effectively. But i don't use human companions - i find them OP generally.

There's also the scripted-spawning DC's snapslav refers to in LR and most of the above tactics go out the window when you're trapped in the bus with a DC on the roof, or stuck in rawrs cave with him. ED-E will tank alot of damage if you put him between you and the DC.

As wooz says there's also the flare gun which i haven't used.
 
Josan12 said:
Here's my Deathclaw hunting tips:

First, i play on Very Hard jesawyer which means Deathclaws kill me in 1 hit more or less regardless, and i do 50% damage which is, well, bad news for me as it makes sneak kills difficult to say the least. I also use Project Nevada advanced detection which removes the lame detection AI the above poster refers to and means they'll sniff you out even if sniping from afar.

So that said:

1) First resort - As many have said on this thread sniping is probably the best tactic. In my experience an AM rifle with exp. rounds or YCS/186 max charge will stand you in good stead. This much is pretty much obvious, and as the above poster says even a laser rifle will work to some degree. (Although i wouldn't try it)
2) 2nd resort - I routinely setup a minefield of satchel charges/plasma mines and you can always add frags to the mix to increase the chance of leg cripples which is what i'm always praying for. It's by no means certain howerver, and i have on several occasions seen DC's run through 4 seperate satchel charges without crippling it's leg!
3) Last resort is when 1st and 2nd leave the DC still charging at you - at which point you're pretty screwed. 'And stay back' perk with riot shotty is your only hope really in my experience. I also play with increased limb damage so even if i survive the first DC strike it will probably stagger me so i'm toast with the second. I might get a few shots off with the shotty and my only hope is to stay calm and make every shot count. Turbo will really help you make them count and my character is more or less permanenlty addicted to that wonderdrug.

Battle bew, Slasher and med-x will give you max DR which will greatly help obviously, but i consider this somewhat cheating, and massive damage DC's like Rawr or Alpha male will hammer through it anyway, killing you in 2 or 3 hit instead of 1.

against multiple DC's all the above applies x1 per DC! bigger minefields, more careful sniping, allies - everything you can get on Very Hard allies DO NOT take 200% damage so can tank very effectively. But i don't use human companions - i find them OP generally.

There's also the scripted-spawning DC's snapslav refers to in LR and most of the above tactics go out the window when you're trapped in the bus with a DC on the roof, or stuck in rawrs cave with him. ED-E will tank alot of damage if you put him between you and the DC.

As wooz says there's also the flare gun which i haven't used.
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong but I prefer unmoded games. You can always mod a section of the game to suit you but the others become and remain unbalanced after that. The AI is justified by the weapon system and vice versa. Sneaking system and stealth tech opposes direct confronting. You can mod the AI to 'sniff' you out but you can't kill a Deathclaw by a headshot even when you manage to put an AP round in its brain. How's that for an unbalanced 'lameness'? IMO using explosive rounds to engage targets, specially Deathclaws which tend to be roaming in pack is the worst tactic against them. Unless you're in a set of Archangel Armor and hovering 25ft above the ground, you're as good as dead if you use explosive .50BMG to engage them. If you have fast reflexes, you can use turbo or implant GRX to quickly engage and kill 2-3 Deathclaws even before the first dead Deathclaw hits the ground. Nuff said
 
Dienan said:
Josan12 said:
Here's my Deathclaw hunting tips:

First, i play on Very Hard jesawyer which means Deathclaws kill me in 1 hit more or less regardless, and i do 50% damage which is, well, bad news for me as it makes sneak kills difficult to say the least. I also use Project Nevada advanced detection which removes the lame detection AI the above poster refers to and means they'll sniff you out even if sniping from afar.

So that said:

1) First resort - As many have said on this thread sniping is probably the best tactic. In my experience an AM rifle with exp. rounds or YCS/186 max charge will stand you in good stead. This much is pretty much obvious, and as the above poster says even a laser rifle will work to some degree. (Although i wouldn't try it)
2) 2nd resort - I routinely setup a minefield of satchel charges/plasma mines and you can always add frags to the mix to increase the chance of leg cripples which is what i'm always praying for. It's by no means certain howerver, and i have on several occasions seen DC's run through 4 seperate satchel charges without crippling it's leg!
3) Last resort is when 1st and 2nd leave the DC still charging at you - at which point you're pretty screwed. 'And stay back' perk with riot shotty is your only hope really in my experience. I also play with increased limb damage so even if i survive the first DC strike it will probably stagger me so i'm toast with the second. I might get a few shots off with the shotty and my only hope is to stay calm and make every shot count. Turbo will really help you make them count and my character is more or less permanenlty addicted to that wonderdrug.

Battle bew, Slasher and med-x will give you max DR which will greatly help obviously, but i consider this somewhat cheating, and massive damage DC's like Rawr or Alpha male will hammer through it anyway, killing you in 2 or 3 hit instead of 1.

against multiple DC's all the above applies x1 per DC! bigger minefields, more careful sniping, allies - everything you can get on Very Hard allies DO NOT take 200% damage so can tank very effectively. But i don't use human companions - i find them OP generally.

There's also the scripted-spawning DC's snapslav refers to in LR and most of the above tactics go out the window when you're trapped in the bus with a DC on the roof, or stuck in rawrs cave with him. ED-E will tank alot of damage if you put him between you and the DC.

As wooz says there's also the flare gun which i haven't used.
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong but I prefer unmoded games. You can always mod a section of the game to suit you but the others become and remain unbalanced after that. The AI is justified by the weapon system and vice versa. Sneaking system and stealth tech opposes direct confronting. You can mod the AI to 'sniff' you out but you can't kill a Deathclaw by a headshot even when you manage to put an AP round in its brain. How's that for an unbalanced 'lameness'? IMO using explosive rounds to engage targets, specially Deathclaws which tend to be roaming in pack is the worst tactic against them. Unless you're in a set of Archangel Armor and hovering 25ft above the ground, you're as good as dead if you use explosive .50BMG to engage them. If you have fast reflexes, you can use turbo or implant GRX to quickly engage and kill 2-3 Deathclaws even before the first dead Deathclaw hits the ground. Nuff said
Click to expand...
Well it's a matter of taste for sure but i like my enemies to pose a challenge, rather than aimlessly milling around while i plink them to death with a laser rifle.
 
Deathclaws are only really annoying in large groups when they rush you. Saying that, I've found a few strategies for clearing them out. Even higher level beasts like Rawr, Mother and Legendary fall quickly as long as you can pour the shots in before they reach you.

First:
If you are going guns, then Hand Loader is your friend. If you are going energy weapons, then Vigilant Recycler is your friend. The modified ammunition you can get from these perks is well worth it.

Having a high luck / critical rate is key for close up encounters. Luck 10, Finesse, 1st Recon Beret, Built to Destroy, Set Lasers to Fun, Light Touch, Elite Riot Gear, True Police Stories, VATS. Better Criticals perk is also essential.

At extreme range, scoped shots to the head using an AMR with modified ammo or the YCS/186 with optimised ammo will take them down one by one and they won't see you to respond.

At long range, hobble the legs. It was a viable strategy with the dart gun in FO3 and it's still a viable tactic with whatever weapon you can critical with in NV.

At close range, VATS is your friend, along with Math Wrath, 2xAction Boy/Girl, Plasma Spaz, Nerves of Steel and Grim Reaper's Sprint. You should have at least a 1 in 4 or better a 1 in 3 critical chance unless you are using a high critical modifier weapon - then you can get better than 50/50 criticals.

VATS reduces the damage taken while in VATS mode, and with a high action point level you can get 5/6 or more headshots in before you take any damage. Good weapons to use are as follows:

Riot Shotgun - low AP cost, needs pairing with shotgun surgeon and stay back perks to be fully useful. Also needs the hand loader perk for the highest level 12 gauge ammunition.

Christine's COS Sniper rifle, Gobi Campaign Rifle or Paciencia - x2.5/x2 critical chance and modified .308 ammunition.

Plasma Caster - sheer brutal damage.

Use Med-X and Psycho before engaging if there's a large group, or just a slasher if you've a high enough skill to make it. High ground is your friend, as are bottleneck canyons / doorways / corridors. Getting caught with a big group in open ground is no fun and almost certain death.

If all else fails, pop some turbo and run like hell.
 
^Sounds like a dedicated Deathclaw shooter build. Not sure if this is a good idea for a balanced/all round Courier. I always patch my game and with the newest patch Grim Reaper's Sprint perk is still not working. Highly adviced to avoid taking it along with Explorer perk. An upgraded Laser Rifle and a sneak attack is still much more effective. Have a stealth boy to back yourself up if things get nasty.
 
SnapSlav said:
Well the OP has LONG SINCE moved on from this topic, so they aren't even here to correct people, but I know I sure am sick of having to point out to responses here that they're ignoring the topic... Lonesome fucking Road. The same tactics used to clear out Quarry Junction, Deadwind Cavern, the hills outside Vault 19, or even Deathclaw Promontory do not apply to Lonesome Road when you walk into a crevice to loot a suitcase only for a Deathclaw to spawn DIRECTLY on top of you (literally) and is scripted to walk in your exact direction. And this is what half of the Deathclaws do in Lonesome Road. Like the Tunnelers, they're scripted to just appear out of nowhere when you cross a certain spot and to home in on your location. There are approximately 5 Deathclaws on the High Road that are sitting ducks for any sniper, and 2 in the final open area, but the rest are all extremely dangerous and impossible to avoid. As pointed out by another here, earlier, "Lonesome Road cheats".

"riot shotgun with stay back does wonders" is about the best advice that transcends the rest, but even then you're at the mercy of RNG. I've spent entire clips of a Riot Shotgun (in the tame Quarry Junction, no less) without downing a Deathclaw, despite my happy success with And Stay Back!, so this still isn't a guarantee.
Click to expand...

Hm, I can only remember one Deathclaw that spawned "on top" of me, and it was when I went into a camper on the High Road. It spawned outside of the camper so I was prepared and could deal with it up close with a shotgun. Every other Deathclaw either spawned a distance from me so that I could snipe them or was already spanwed on the map.

As for the tunneler's, I found the satchel charges useful for them as well. I could sneak around and place charges around their holes where they'd spawn, and then have them spawn. When they'd reach me they'd already be nice and soft, ready for some killing.
 
killing deathclaw with unarmed weapon
[spoiler:1050c3f65c]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qfL_Lxl-y6A" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:1050c3f65c]
How to surve divide with melee.
[spoiler:1050c3f65c]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DifWj8BVPyw" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:1050c3f65c]
[spoiler:1050c3f65c]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QOipaxaSeuk" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:1050c3f65c]
 
woo1108 said:
killing deathclaw with unarmed weapon
[spoiler:784505fe4d]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qfL_Lxl-y6A" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:784505fe4d]
How to surve divide with melee.
[spoiler:784505fe4d]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DifWj8BVPyw" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:784505fe4d]
[spoiler:784505fe4d]<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QOipaxaSeuk" frameborder="0"></iframe>[/spoiler:784505fe4d]
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Yeah ... Like I said: super slam = OP. doing that on very hard without SS - now that would be impressive....
 
I really want someone do it at Divide without SS and Blade of West. it's just insane as surviving Divide only with anti-material rifle. it would be possible to survive only with melee except for Divide since I can still use Mauler. but at Divide, that's just not enough.

Hey! I actually did it at first video!
 
Josan12 said:
I can't imagine what obsidian were thinking when they came up with those two perks.
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In a better game engine, I'm sure they would have fit in, perfectly. I was recently replaying Demon's Souls, and rerolled a character to use a weapon I understood the potency of, but rarely ever chose to utilize. Its attack animations couldn't be canceled, and it would cause a staggering affect every time you landed a blow (or even a glancing blow) on an enemy (unless their animations couldn't be canceled either). It was FAR from OP. One of the best weapons in the game, but not because of the staggering effect or the unstoppable animations. It scaled like a dream. The tougher you got, the tougher it got. I had a weapon on hand that was faster and dealt MUCH more damage, but it didn't scale at all; no matter how my stats improved, its performance remained the same. To move away from talking endlessly about an irrelevant game, my point is that the weapons in DS were simply perfectly balanced because no con went without some pro to offset it, and vice versa. Staggered animations aren't unique to the weapon I chose, they're built into the engine. With a game engine that properly brings combat to life, Perks like Super Slam and And Stay Back! wouldn't have been overpowered OR bad ideas in the slightest. It's just, what with the shitty engine the game was forced to use, the effects they wanted to emulate ended up making them laughably OP. If enemies had normal animations that simulated reaction to damage and didn't have to rely on rag doll physics, oh the possibilities.....
 
Oh i totally agree snapslav. That's the really frustrating thing - these things are easily fixed so why did they mess it up in the first place?! In fact, your example from this game (which i've never played) provides a possible solution - SS should only 'stagger' the opponent - not knock them down. Such a simple solution! But frankly, you can see Obsidian were under increasing pressure to make the DLC's 'worth it'. This means - better and better loot and better and better perks to encourage players to buy DLC's. Widely know as 'power creep' on the interwebs as it is a symptom arising from the new trend of DLC's. Various weapons (Holorifle, LAER, light in arkness) seem to unbalance the game. When i play NV i get into the DLC's ASAP to get the good/OP loot. Of course, i don't need to go into them to get the perks ....
 
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