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Starting out in Fallout 4 you’ll pretty quickly locate at least two factions. A third and fourth get added along the way, making up the entirety of the faction choices contained in Fallout 4. These are the Minutemen, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Railroad, and the Institute. We’ve previously shown you how to find and join two of these, click here for the Railroad and here for the Institute. However, the question that comes up later in the game is, which faction to choose as a permanent spot.
At first you should definitely join all four. You can even progress a decent amount in each of their quest lines before any real choice has to be made. However, at certain points the objectives of each group will diverge, and you can quickly become a permanent enemy of one faction or another. Where these divergence points are will be easily identifiable, as a warning will come up letting you know that taking on this mission will have permanent ramifications. If you reach one of these points you might want to stop and do some of the other faction’s missions for a while, until you’ve decided which to choose.
So, which faction should you choose? Each has their own pluses and minuses, so the one you end up with is totally up to you. We’ll run down some of the differences between the groups to help you decide which to stick with permanently.
The Minutemen
This is probably the first group that you joined, and is one of the easiest to stick with throughout the game. The Minutemen are dedicated to improving the lives of the Commonwealth citizens. This means you’ll go on quests to help out different settlements, and try to recruit them to the cause. If you want to be the hero of the wasteland, shaping it into a better world for those that live in it, then you can’t go wrong by sticking with the Minutemen.
The Brotherhood of Steel
On the other hand you have the Brotherhood of Steel, whose military and technological power is nearly unmet by any other group in the wasteland, perhaps aside from the Institute. The Brotherhood has an interesting philosophy though, and you might have trouble agreeing with all of their actions. The Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4 is more like their west coast counterparts from previous games, with all of the xenophobia included. Don’t think that you can stick with these guys, while keeping your friendship with synths and super mutants. However, they’ll definitely make you a truly powerful force to be reckoned with.
The Railroad
Do you feel that the oppression and destruction of synths is bad? Then you’ll probably want to stick with the Railroad as saving synths is their modus operandi. You’ll be doing more covert work too, so if you like espionage then this is the faction for you. However, this ragtag group of freedom fighters don’t really provide the sort of provisions that others will. They aren’t technologically advanced, and their supplies are always just above what they need to survive, so sticking with them could mean a lot of extra work for you and your character. If you feel the plight of the synth though then there isn’t really any other choice.
The Institute
However, if you feel that synths are just tools to be used by humans as they see fit then you’re in luck. The Institute is the greatest technological powerhouse in the Commonwealth, though their fighting is done using synth Coursers rather than Power Armor laden soldiers. You will quickly find that the Institute has a lot to offer, but the moral questions might become a problem. Their hoarding of technology will also put you at odds with the Brotherhood of Steel, and might make you wonder why they won’t help all the people suffering in the wasteland above. If none of this bothers you though, then the Institute has a ton to offer you.
Some of these factions can work together, but the further you get into Fallout 4 the more they’ll start to become enemies. Working for all of them is impossible throughout the end of the game, but you might be able to swing one, two, or maybe even three if you’re very careful. Choose wisely and let us know in the comments which faction you went with for your Fallout 4 playthrough.
Fallout 4 Wiki Guides & Walkthroughs
Navigate the wastelands with these guides to help you along the way.
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IGN's complete Fallout 4 Wiki Guide and Walkthrough will lead you through every Quest, Location, and Secret in Bethesda’s newest post-apocalyptic adventure on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. See the list of quests below to get started.
Fallout 4's Missions are executed in a non-linear order and may be approached from many angles at will. To help with this, we've provided both Location and Mission-based guides which can lead you the right way no matter how you choose to approach the game!
Note: Many missions have multiple outcomes, and as stated above, can be done in a different order than listed below. This guide covers just one of many possible playthrough styles.
Looking for help with the Automatron or Far Harbor DLC? Check out our Automatron Walkthrough and Far Harbor Walkthrough!
This guide is broken up into two segments, the first focusing on the essential 'Main Quest' or 'Story' missions, and the second focusing on the various optional quests that appear throughout the game.
Main Quest Guides[edit]
- Out of Time - Escape Vault 111 and begin the search for Shaun
- When Freedom Calls - Encounter the Minutemen
- Jewel of the Commonwealth - Get help in Diamond City
- Unlikely Valentine - Rescue a gumshoe
- Getting a Clue - Learn more about Shaun's disappearance
- Reunions - Track down Kellogg
- Dangerous Minds - Find Doctor Amari
- The Glowing Sea - Find the escaped Institute scientist
- Hunter Hunted - Find a way in to the institute
- The Molecular Level - Build a teleporter
- At this point the story splits.
Automatron DLC Walkthrough
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Far Harbor DLCWalkthrough
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Vault-Tec Workshop DLCWalkthrough
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InstituteQuests
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Depending on how you decide to build the teleporter in The Molecular Level, the following quests will be made available:
Story Quests
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- Institutionalized - Investigate the Institute
- Synth Retention - Hunt down the rogue.
- The Battle of Bunker Hill - Reclaim the stolen tech.
- Mankind Redefined - Discuss the future.
- Mass Fusion - Steal a reactor component.
- Pinned - Bring in the scientist.
- Powering Up - Activate the reactor.
- End of the Line - Take care of the Railroad.
- Airship Down - Deal with the Brotherhood.
- Nuclear Family - Say goodbye.
Minutemen Quests[edit]
Depending on how you decide to build the teleporter in The Molecular Level, the following quests will be made available:
Story Quests
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- Inside Job - Steal the data.
- Form Ranks - Establish settlements.
- Taking Independence - Retake the stronghold.
- Old Guns - Fortify your position.
- Defend The Castle - Stop the Institute.
- The Nuclear Option (Minutemen) - Eliminate the Institute.
Brotherhood of Steel Quests
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Depending on how you decide to build the teleporter in The Molecular Level, the following quests will be made available:
Story Quests
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- Reveille - Investigate the airship.
- Fire Support - Assist the Brotherhood.
- Call to Arms - Find the transmitter.
- Semper Invicta - Join the Brotherhood.
- Shadow of Steel - Enter the airship.
- Tour of Duty - Meet the team.
Radiant Quests
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Miscellaneous Quests
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Railroad Quests
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Depending on how you decide to build the teleporter in The Molecular Level, the following quests will be made available:
Story Quests
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Radiant Quests
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Miscellaneous Quests
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Secondary Quests[edit]
- The First Step - Help the Minutemen Out
- Vault 81 - Find another Vault
- Here Kitty Kitty - Find a lost Cat
- Hole in the Wall - Discover the secret of Vault 81
- Road to Freedom - Locate the mysterious Railroad
- Tradecraft - recover a mysterious item
- Inside Job - Steal Institute Data.
- Human Error - Unlock a dark conspiracy
- Boston After Dark - Help somebody out
- Story of the Century - Help Piper get a scoop
- Taking Independence - Retake a minutemen stronghold
Guide By Locations (Main Quest Locations)
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Other Side Locations
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USE OUR INTERACTIVE MAP
Our Fallout 4 Interactive Maps is a Google-style map that anyone can add to. It points out Power Armor, Books, Bobbleheads, andmore.
Our Fallout 4 Interactive Maps is a Google-style map that anyone can add to. It points out Power Armor, Books, Bobbleheads, andmore.
Brotherhood Of Steel Fallout 4 Main Quest Line
- See Also: Things Fallout Doesn't Tell You
- See Also: Things Not to Do
- See Also: Walkthrough
Comments
Despite being one of this generation's most popular titles, Fallout 4 isn't without its flaws. One of the criticisms of the game was that it lacked strong writing, and this is easiest to see when choosing a faction. While interesting conceptually, the factions don't have much depth. The Minutemen are the 'good guys', the Railroad are nearly identical to them, and the Institute are unquestionably evil — pretty bland, overall.
However, the Brotherhood of Steel is different. Unlike the other groups, their quest line is full of interesting themes and hard choices. Due to this, the Brotherhood is the only faction to side with in post-apocalyptic Commonwealth of Massachusetts that makes you critically think.
Moral grayness
When the Brotherhood arrives in the Commonwealth, they make a promise to defend the people living there from threats like feral ghouls, super mutants, and the Institute and their synthetic (synth) soldiers. Should you choose to join them, you'll be doing these this firsthand for awhile; at this point, the Brotherhood are no different than the Minutemen or Railroad, who also wish to act as the Commonwealth's protectors.
However, things start to change as you progress further. Where the Minutemen and the Railroad try to be non-violent whenever possible, the Brotherhood shows its enemies no mercy. Regardless of whether or not super mutants or synths are hostile, the Brotherhood of Steel will kill them because they view them as permanent threats. There's a strong argument to be made both for and against the Brotherhood's ideology, which contrasts the rest of the game's factions being clearly 'right and wrong'.
A shocking twist
When it comes out that Paladin Danse, the soldier who guides the player as they rise through the ranks of the Brotherhood, is a synth himself, you are forced to make a decision: execute your friend and solidify your belief in the Brotherhood's tenets, or refuse and damage your reputation with them. In the minds of Brotherhood members, the mere existence of a synthetic being that can imitate humans is an affront to nature itself, and that being should thus be executed, even if they are allies.
There are valid reasons for this way of thinking. For example, the fact Paladin Danse himself wasn't even aware he was a synth means that the Institute implanted false memories into his head. This means they could have done other things, such as give him a 'termination mode' that could be activated by signal. The risk of Danse potentially turning on his own comrades at any moment is real.
However, it could also be argued that even though synths are machines, their capability to love, befriend, and feel make them human. Does the material your body is made of matter when what makes you who you are is your heart and mind? Additionally, if Danse was going to be used by the Institute as a spy or an assassin, why hadn't they done it already?
This kind of deep thinking is unique to the Brotherhood, and that is ultimately why I think they're the best faction to choose in the game. They may not be the most morally upstanding of the bunch, but they are the most interesting. To me, that's what matters most.
Your thoughts
What do you think of the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4? Let me know.
Fallout 4 is available on Xbox One and PC. Make sure to also check out our coverage on Fallout 76, which releases November 14.
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