Minigun (Fallout 3)

The Minigun in Fallout 3 is a potent weapon. Exactly how effective it is, and what is the best situation to use it in, depends on a combination of how high the user's Big Guns Skill is, and how they fight. At lower Skill levels, the Minigun, much like the Flamer, is a powerful weapon at close range, partly due to game's optional first-person view and shooter style. Wielded like this, the Minigun is almost-exclusively close-ranged, and proves useful against mid-level enemies, like Super Mutants, Raiders, and so on, and can be used effectively for dealing with small groups. Those with low Big Guns skill will not be able to use the Minigun long, however, as the Minigun will be inaccurate and generally have inadequate punch against most heavier targets, such as Sentry Bots, and Deathclaws.

As the user's Big Guns increases, the Minigun becomes a much better weapon. It becomes much more accurate and its damage increases significantly. With maxed skill in Big Guns, a Minigun in 75% condition (which Super Mutant Brutes and Super Mutant Masters carry the weapon so often) deals enough damage to kill a Deathclaw in about 4 seconds of sustained fire. Additionally, Miniguns are as effective "free fired" as they are when fired in V.A.T.S., which means even characters with low Agility can make good use of it.

However, when firing the Minigun without V.A.T.S., there is a wind-up time between holding the fire button and when it actually fires. It usually takes under a second to begin shooting. This can be negated by tapping the fire button repeatedly to keep it spinning while not actually firing.

The Minigun is the most commonly-encountered Big Gun, which means it is comparatively easy to find and repair, as well as one of the few Big Guns easy to find ammunition for; nearly every Super Mutant Brute encountered with one has at least 30 5mm Rounds for it. It is also carried extensively by Brotherhood of Steel units, Brotherhood Outcast Units, Enclave Soldiers, as well as some Raiders and Slavers. This is offset somewhat by the Minigun's high rate of fire quickly using up ammo. Though it does not use up ammo as quick the Gatling Laser, the Minigun is designed as a sustained-firing weapon, and its rate of fire of over 40 rounds per second means that it can use up 240 rounds quickly. Because of this, those who intend to make use of it should buy additional ammunition, which is generally quite plentiful at shops.

Miniguns have a high resale value and a high repair cost. While this can be a harsh setback for those making use of a Minigun, a Minigun with 75% or higher Condition sells for base 999 Caps, making Minigun-collecting an excellent way to earn caps, especially early on before high-paying subquests, such as the Arlington Library's Pre-War Book Quest, Lawbringer Finger or Contract Killer Ear cash-ins, or the Citadel Betting Pool. One bad thing about this is that it takes a few seconds for the gun to spool up, and start firing. Good for those who go into hiding and come out firing.

The Minigun is not as powerful as the Gatling Laser and does not fire as fast. It does, however, have the advantage of having a much more common ammo type, and being much easier to keep in good condition; the Gatling Laser is much rarer.

There is a unique Minigun called Eugene which is available as a reward for Reilly's Rangers and has notably better firepower. Due to the ability to get Ranger Battle Armor through a trick and the difficulty of picking Brick's pocket, Eugene is arguably the better of the two rewards for that quest for those prepared to exploit the game.

Mini-gun Działko obrotowe Миниган