When it comes to surviving in the wastelands of Fallout 4, weapons are the number one tool of survival ... and not all guns are created equally.
Legendary Weapons are nothing new to Fallout—longtime fans will remember guns like the Blackhawk magnum or the Xuanlong assault rifle from Fallout 3. Good news—these super-powered armaments are back in Fallout 4, but they're quite a bit harder to get a hold of: defeating a Legendary enemy is no easy feat, and there's no guarantee that they'll even drop a weapon at all.
However, there is an easier way find one of these insanely powerful armaments: if you know where to go and who to talk to, it's possible to find one of the game's best weapons relatively early on. You'll have to do a bit of leg work, and it will take some time, but it's one of the few ways to guarantee a Legendary Weapon, and it's the kind of gun that you'll want to keep with you throughout the entire game.
Meet the Righteous Authority.
Step #1: Head To Cambridge
Chances are, if you're headed to Diamond City as part of the main quest line, you'll make your way through Cambridge. It's hard to miss: as one of the first larger towns that players will come across, it stands out quite a bit from the rest of the forests and lakes that make up most of the game's early environments.
It's also a near-endless battle for survival: at low levels, the constant fighting against raiders and Feral Ghouls can be a huge pain. Cambridge is tough enough to make most players consider avoiding the area—but, if you keep fighting your way through the town, you should come across a strange radio signal....
Step #2: Follow The Radio
It may sound crazy, especially if you're already low on supplies, but following the AF95 radio frequency and the "Fire Support" quest will lead you straight to the Cambridge Police Station ... and a horde of Feral Ghouls.
Thankfully, the police station has been retrofitted into a small Brotherhood of Steel outpost—at least you'll have one of the Brotherhood's hulking power-armored soldiers working as backup. Once the ghouls are taken care of, you'll be introduced to Paladin Danse, and he's about to become your new best friend.
Step #3: Work For The Brotherhood
Once you're in the police station, you'll be introduced to the rest of Danse's team. As tempting as it is to go after their quests, ignore them for now—you want that Laser Rifle, right?
You're looking for the "Call to Arms" quest—if you continue talking to Paladin Danse, it should pop up. As soon as it does, he'll start telling you about ArcJet Systems, and how it's the ticket to calling in Brotherhood backup. Guess where you're headed?
Step #4: Clear ArcJet Systems
If you haven't happened upon one already, the fight at ArcJet Systems should serve as your introduction to Synths, robotic enemies that group up on their opponents. They're tough, and their laser weaponry is nothing to mess with—thankfully, you've got Paladin Danse on your side.
For the vast majority of the mission, it's possible to have Danse take point (and the brunt of the fire) while you sit back and clean house. Granted, there are a few sections where you'll have to go it alone, but it's not all that bad. Just make sure to keep an eye on your health and ammo—thankfully, the Synths drop more than enough energy weapon ammo to keep you stocked on the normal difficulty. Play it safe, and you should clear out ArcJet Systems in no time.
Step #5: Talk To Danse
After exiting ArcJet Systems, go over and talk to Paladin Danse. He'll commend you for helping him out, and mention something about joining the Brotherhood of Steel ... but that's not important.
As compensation for clearing the mission, he'll hand over his unique Laser Rifle—the Righteous Authority! Not only do the ultrapowerful Critical Hits do even more damage, but the Critical Meter fills 15 percent faster than usual—and, at a base damage of 26, it's a powerful gun for such an early point in the game. Plus, as with all other weapons, it's fully customizable, meaning that it can get even more powerful as you play.
Getting the Righteous Authority isn't all that hard, but it can be easy to miss. Ignoring the radio message or bypassing Cambridge altogether may seem like a good idea if you're just trying to further the story or save supplies, but you should definitely take the time to find the Righteous Authority—after dozens of hours of play, we're still using it on a regular basis.
If you're looking for even more on Fallout 4, make sure to check out our hands-on impressions and our grand journey across the Commonwealth.
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