The upcoming addition of a playable Ghoul character in Fallout 76 promises to shake up the game with its unique buildcrafting tools, offering a fresh experience distinct from the original human characters. Some of these Ghoul-specific tools are already accessible on Fallout 76’s Public Test Server, and they show great potential. They might even define a new meta in the game.
Although turning into a Ghoul in Fallout 76 comes with its share of drawbacks, the benefits of a fully Feral Ghoul melee build seem to far outweigh these downsides. While changes might be made before the Ghoul character officially joins the game in Season 20, set for March 2025, embracing the Ghoul’s full Feral potential will likely become the go-to strategy for melee enthusiasts.
Once players morph into a Ghoul, they’ll need to keep a close eye on their Feral levels. Initially starting at 100%, this level grants bonuses to health and action points (AP). However, as time passes, the level diminishes, eventually transforming those benefits into negatives as the player edges closer to becoming completely Feral.
Currently, it takes about two hours for the Feral level to deplete from 100% to zero. There’s no way to speed this process up yet, but players can replenish their Feral levels by consuming any chems, apart from Stimpaks.
Reaching a Feral level of zero percent significantly boosts melee damage by 200%, though it comes at the cost of a 300% drop in ranged weapon accuracy for both hip-firing and using VATS. Despite the time required to fully embrace this status, the powerful melee buff it grants is undoubtedly worth it — just be prepared to avoid any chems to maintain that buff.
If a player decides to switch to a ranged weapon, consuming one or two chems can remove the accuracy debuff temporarily, though it also negates the melee buff during that time.
Aside from the main Feral perk, the new Perk Cards exclusive to Ghoul characters primarily cater to melee builds. This makes achieving the Feral status a game-changing move, enabling players to elevate their melee gameplay significantly, as it combines impressively with other damage-boosting buffs.
However, becoming a Ghoul isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. In addition to reduced maximum health and AP, being a Ghoul bars players from using certain human-exclusive Perk Cards. Weighing the positives and negatives of going full Ghoul is a must for players. For those favoring ranged weapons, the effectiveness of the new Ghoul options versus traditional human builds remains subjective. Still, it’s clear this new Ghoul character will likely create a new meta, especially for melee-focused players.
Advantages of a Fully Feral Ghoul Melee Build:
- The Feral melee buff can be sustained indefinitely.
- It can stack with other similar buffs.
- The accuracy debuff can be temporarily mitigated.
- Enhanced melee buffs are available through unique Perk Cards.
Disadvantages:
- The process to become fully Feral is lengthy.
- Chem buffs can temporarily negate the melee bonus.
- Certain human Perk Cards are inaccessible to Ghouls.
In conclusion, playing as a Ghoul in Fallout 76 introduces both strategic advantages and new challenges, offering players thrilling opportunities for those willing to delve into this unique playstyle.
