Fort Strong

Fort Strong is a location in the Commonwealth in 2287.

Background
The island that Fort Strong sits on was originally used as a gun battery during the Revolutionary War. The fort itself was established during the Civil War. After being abandoned for almost a century, the fort was then quietly reoccupied in the 2050s by the US military for use as a top-secret weapons research facility, with the interior being renovated and a new basement research level constructed. Live-fire testing of weapons began at the facility in the 2070s. It would eventually be tasked with the development and testing of the Fat Man and T-51 power armor for use against China. At the time of the Great War, the base was waiting for authorization to transport the mini nukes that were being stored in the basement, after shipping the launchers to a supply yard in Mississippi.

When the base's new CO, General Brock, took command of the facility, he leveled the barracks just outside the fort and constructed a mock town instead. This was used as a training ground for the developed weapons, hence the destroyed buildings. The island was hastily sealed up and the scientists evacuated in October 2077, but the sizable weapons and ammo cache of mini nukes were left, most of which survived the Great War. The Brotherhood of Steel seeks to obtain them to gain an upper hand in its fight against the Institute in 2287.

Exterior
From the north end of the bridge leading to the fort, there is a security checkpoint on the eastern side containing leveled power armor and an ammunition box in the southeast corner. After crossing the bridge there is a collapsed building directly ahead, which was previously sealed off by a fence. There is a radioactive barrel inside, but nothing of note.

Continuing along the road leads to the main complex where three super mutants can be found patrolling. If the quest Show No Mercy is active, there will also be a super mutant behemoth present. The road forks to the left here, with a cemetery immediately east of the building on the north side of the road. Two teal vases and a toy car can be found here, whilst wild tato blossoms and wild corn can be found by the entrance and in the buildings on either side of the road. The buildings themselves each hold a radioactive barrel, desks, and filing cabinets, and several junk items can be found scattered around. Behind the easternmost building is a partially collapsed wooden dock with a sandbag wall built upon it.

Turning south at the bend leads to another fork in the road. Turning east leads one to the pier, which has a caps stash behind the wooden crate on the northern corner. The west road loops back to the entrance. Heading directly south leads to the path up to the armory.

At the top of the path leading to the armory, to the east before the building there are two stairwells. The nearest stairwell leads up the flag pole where three more vases and a wild tato blossom can be found. The stairs farthest away lead up to cannons, where five cannonballs can be found. If one passes the building and goes to the south side of the building, there are several more cannons and another small pile of cannonballs to the side of the central cannon. In the crevice of the northern wall, there is another ammunition box.

Ground floor
The armory is the main administration and storage building of Fort Strong. From the main entrance, the first-floor walkway has collapsed, creating a ramp. Up here is an ammo box, six desks, and a bank of filing cabinets. The door on the northern side is blocked, but a Fat Man can be seen beyond it, through the broken door panel; this area of the building cannot be accessed. On the lower level, there are two doors: the southern door has a Novice lock which can be opened with the Fort Strong key, and the northern door leads into the hallway, which loops around the building back to the southern door.

The doorway on the western side of the hallway is guarded by a lone super mutant. There are several junk items in here as well as Private Murnahan's holotape, located on the desks against the western wall. If one turns east at the end of the room, there is a collapsed wall which leads into the kitchen. Continuing on through the kitchen door is the mess hall, guarded by two more super mutants. Turning south after the mess hall counter and going through the door on the west side will lead back into the hall.

Looking directly west from the mess hall door, there is a baseball display on the left wall containing a poster and two baseballs on wooden podiums. Turning south from the door will enable one to continue through the hallway. Directly to the east is the elevator to the sublevels, which is blocked until the quest Show No Mercy has been started. Looking through the collapsed ceiling to the west, one can see the main entrance.

Continuing to the south, there is a small bathroom through the door to the west containing a first aid box. Just beyond this door on the east side is the entrance to the auditorium; behind the collapsed floor in the northeast corner of the room is a cooler.

Scaling the collapsed floor up to the barracks will provide access to the usable bunk beds and a door in the southern corner of the west wall. Passing through the door will lead to a hallway with another barracks on the opposite side. From here, one only has the option to double back and out the auditorium door in order to continue onward.

Looking west from the auditorium door, two ammunition boxes can be seen on the left. Turning right at the end of the corridor, one will see the locked door back to the main entrance. Facing west, one can see a desk and another Novice-locked door on the south wall. Picking this lock will lead into General Brock's office, containing General Brock's terminal, a U.S. Covert Operations Manual, a mini nuke in the southwest display case, a Master-locked safe in the southeast corner, and a steamer trunk. Inside his desk is the Fort Strong key, which will open the door back to the entrance. There is also in the southeast corner.

Sublevel
Upon exiting the elevator, there is a small office on the west side of the room, while turning east will lead to the corridor to the generator room. The door on the north side leads into an office with an armor workbench and another door on the east side leading out to the generator room. On the south side of the corridor is the restroom, which features two purified waters in the toilet bowl in the stall farthest from the entrance.

From the entrance to the generator room, one can turn south and follow the stairs down to the lower floor. Immediately on the right is a door leading into a corridor to a room filled with consoles. The northeast door in the room leads directly into another room, where a mutant hound can be found sleeping by the western exit back into the generator room. Going west around the generator and looking north, one will see another corridor.

On the east side halfway down the corridor is a lab, which contains Bravo Team's testing terminal by the window in the south. The room across the corridor to the west has a Novice-locked floor safe in the southeast corner.

Continuing through to the end of the corridor and turning right will reveal a small room. In this room is a floor trolley with an open crate of mini nuke parts and two mini nukes on the shelves to the north. On the south side of the room is a security cage with the door missing, inside of which is an ammo box and a first aid kit.

Heading through the eastern doorway will lead into the armory storeroom, but the only way down from here is to jump off the gantry to the floor or onto the forklift immediately in front and climb down. The door in the northeast corner of the storeroom connects to the corridor that leads back to the mini nuke room.

Exterior

 * Power armor frame - In the small guardhouse before the bridge to Fort Strong. The frame will have leveled components all the way up to X-01 models.
 * Ten cannonballs - Just to the left of the building (when facing the door) are two cannons, with five cannonballs near them. There are three additional cannons on the right side of the fort, with five more cannonballs.
 * Charge card - In an opened dumpster in the ruined house nearest the bridge. The dumpster is somewhat hidden behind a broken wall behind a tilted shelf with nothing on it.

Armory

 * U.S. Covert Operations Manual issue #5 - On General Brock's desk in the armory, in the southwest corner, behind a Novice-level locked door.
 * The Fort Strong key can be found on the same desk.
 * Three Mini nukes - One is in the corner display case in General Brock's room. Two more are on a shelf next to the doorway leading to the armory in the sublevel.
 * Private Murnahan's holotape - On a desk by the window on the west side of the northwestern room. Look for a telephone and a set of handcuffs to find the correct desk.
 * Fat Man - Inside the hidden room on the second floor. One can see it through the spring of the western door caved in by debris. This area is inaccessible through normal gameplay.

Companion comments

 * When at this location companions make comments, which are activated in the sublevel, specifically in the room before the main mini nuke storage room.

Appearances
Fort Strong appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes

 * Fort Strong's location in the game world is the site of real-life Deer Island, off the end of the Winthrop peninsula (portrayed as Nordhagen Beach in the game). Fort Strong is a real (former) military fort, located east of Spectacle Island on Long Island in the real world. Fort Strong defended Boston from 1899 until 1947.
 * The Fort Strong sign was created by world art intern Madeleine Rabil.