Fallout 76 lets you choose from five preset starting loadouts, but it’s hard to know which is best. There’s also a Battle Ready Dweller option that takes you to level 20, so it’s important to pick a loadout that works for you and is effective in combat.

If you’re starting at level 2 instead of 20, your loadout choices are much simpler. The best Fallout 76 starting loadout is, without a doubt, the Gunslinger for Fresh Dwellers. You get a 10 percent damage bonus on pistols, which is very useful since the 10mm pistol is the only ranged weapon you start with as a Fresh Dweller. The alternate second-best choice for the beginning of the game, in my opinion, is the First Aid loadout. This gives you an extra 15 percent health from Stimpacks, which is useful in a pinch.

Ultimately, you'll still need to find better weapons and resources yourself, as a Fresh Dweller you only get a 10mm Pistol, a Combat Knife, and five Fragmentation Grenades to start with, regardless of your loadout. I definitely don't recommend the Inspirational loadout if you're playing Fallout 76 solo, as you'll need other people on your party to get the perk's experience bonus.

The best Battle-Ready Dweller loadout is the Commando, as you get a Tactical Automatic Combat Rifle with a scope. Your SPECIAL perks are nicely spread out across all attributes, and the Short Hunting Rifle is a huge perk. You can essentially use this rifle as a powerful backup weapon. For early game enemies and even some late game ones, you can easily tear through them with the Combat Rifle, so the Commando is a go-to loadout for many.