All Fallout 4 Factions: Background, Joining, Conflicts

In Fallout 4 you get to join different groups here and there and end up leading them in a short period. In Fallout 4 things are different, where every faction out of the four you can join is generally not happy with the other groups. In this guide, we’re going to point the facts and details of each group. We’ll be mentioning the rewards you can get for sticking with a particular group.

Commonwealth Minutemen Faction

The Commonwealth Minutemen are a faction in the Fallout series, specifically in Fallout 4. Here’s some information about them:

Background: The Minutemen were originally a group of individuals dedicated to protecting the people of the Commonwealth. However, internal power struggles and failures to protect settlements led to a decline in their reputation. Many settlers became disillusioned with them.

Joining the Commonwealth Minutemen: Joining the Commonwealth Minutemen is one of the first faction options available to players in Fallout 4. Codsworth, your robot companion, can guide you to Concord, where you can assist Preston Garvey and his group of survivors. After your first conversation with Preston at Sanctuary, he will start assigning missions to help settlements. Accepting these missions will eventually lead to you becoming the General of the Minutemen.

Key Rewards: Joining the Minutemen provides you with several benefits, including a flare gun that can be used to call for Minutemen backup during battles. As you complete more quests for the Minutemen, you gain access to a massive fortress and the ability to build artillery at settlements.

Minutemen’s Approach: The Minutemen typically operate discreetly and avoid direct confrontation. They focus on protecting settlements and helping the Commonwealth’s inhabitants. They won’t actively attack the Institute unless the player character becomes an enemy of the Institute by taking aggressive actions such as killing Institute scientists.

Possible Conflict: If you choose to side with the Minutemen in the main storyline while also being enemies with other factions like the Brotherhood of Steel, conflicts may arise. For example, the Brotherhood may attack the Minutemen, and you’ll need to prepare to defend your faction.

Joining the Commonwealth Minutemen offers a chance to help settlements, build a network of allies, and play a crucial role in the fate of the Commonwealth.

The Institute Faction

The Institute is a group of scientists who established a subterranean base within an old scientific institute. Led by the enigmatic Father, they focus on futuristic technology and employ advanced robots called synths. Members have never ventured to the surface.

Joining The Institute in Fallout 4 involves following the main storyline, completing quests, and meeting Father in the underground facility. This unlocks access to advanced technology and teleportation abilities, along with unique rewards like the “Wazer Wifle” laser rifle.

The Institute’s goals often conflict with other factions like the Brotherhood of Steel and the Railroad, leading to potential enmity depending on player choices. Its secretive and morally ambiguous nature can spark tensions and conflicts within the game world.

The Brotherhood of Steel Faction

The Brotherhood of Steel, a longstanding presence in the Fallout series, combines military structure with quasi-religious beliefs centered around “The Creator.” Despite mistrust of science, they hoard technology.

Joining the Brotherhood typically involves encountering members in the wasteland or following the main storyline in Fallout 4, where completing the “Call to Arms” quest with Paladin Danse leads to an invitation.

Membership offers rewards like Brotherhood power armor, access to their armory, tag grenades, and weapons. Advancing in Brotherhood missions can earn you a power armor jetpack and the title of “Sentinel.”

The Brotherhood opposes the Institute, creators of synths, and completing certain quests makes them enemies with the Railroad, who aid synths. Their focus on technology often brings them into conflict with others who possess or misuse advanced tech.

The Railroad Faction

The Railroad operates clandestinely from catacombs beneath a renowned church in Boston, smuggling synths out of the Institute to freedom. To join, complete the “Road to Freedom” quest by following the Freedom Trail through Boston’s streets. Pay attention to the trail’s markers, as they reveal the password for the Railroad’s secret tunnels beneath the Old North Church. Once inside, complete the quest with Deacon to gain trust and access.

Upon joining, you receive a skilled silenced pistol. As you progress, the Railroad provides a ballistic weave upgrade for cloth armor, among the best faction rewards.

The Railroad opposes both The Brotherhood of Steel and The Institute. Be cautious of missions conflicting with the Brotherhood to maintain friendly relations. Fighting synths on Railroad missions jeopardizes relations with The Institute, as both factions actively oppose each other. Balancing allegiances can prove challenging due to their conflicting interests.