Super mutant brute

Super Mutant Brutes are the middle tier of the normal-sized Super Mutant opponent class in Fallout 3. They are discernible frequently by their crested helmets, or by the heavier scrap armor plate coverage on their arms and shoulders.

Description
Brutes are typically equipped with either an Assault Rifle, or a melee weapon (a Sledgehammer) and a Frag Grenade. Less commonly (although still reasonably frequent), some Brutes that appear in specific locations (mainly inside the D.C. Ruins) are equipped with a Minigun or a Missile launcher.

They have significantly more hit points than the regular Super mutants and they wear a makeshift kind of metal armor. This, along with their superior armaments, makes them a tougher opponent.

Super Mutant Brutes have almost 3 times as much health as standard Super Mutants, and can survive several hunting rifle headshots before dropping. Their metal armor allows them to soak noticeably more damage than unarmored critters with a comparable number of hit points (i.e. Yao Guai).

Strategy
There are a few good tactics that you can use in order to dispatch them:
 * You can stay at a safe distance and shoot them with a Sniper Rifle, Scoped .44 Magnum or Gauss Rifle (Assuming you have the Operation Anchorage DLC); one or two hits to the head will be enough to kill them, provided that the weapon you use is in good condition.
 * Draw them into an open space, lay down a couple of mines, and lure the enemies into them; this will most probably cripple their legs, thus making them an easier target.
 * In close-quarters (i.e. inside Vault 87, Brutes can be taken down by waiting around corners and blasting them in the head with the Combat Shotgun in VATS whenever they round the corner. A couple VATS shotgun headshots should kill or at least seriously weaken a Brute, allowing you to kill them with one more shotgun blast as soon as VATS ends.
 * Another tactic is to close range with a Chinese Assault Rifle or a Combat Shotgun and cripple their hands with V.A.T.S. hits. This will cause them to drop their weapon and they will either attempt to pick it up or they will attack you with their bare hands; both scenarios offer a few seconds for a clear shot.
 * If they have a heavy weapon, you can hide behind any available cover, such as a rock or tree, until they are at close range. Leap at them and attack them with a Shishkebab or Ripper while running around the mutant. While it is possible they may hit you, it saves ammunition.
 * Another good tactic fighting the Super Mutant Brutes (or anything for that matter) is to get Animal Friend, and while you're fighting look around for an animal that will help you (Yao Guai, mole rats, ect.) and run up next to them. When the Super Mutant starts to attack you, the animal will start to attack them. If its a mole rat that helps you, at least you can put in a few shots before the mole rat dies. If it's a Yao Guai then you're in luck because Yao Guai can slaughter Super Mutants, usually taking down 5 super mutants before dying.

Appearances
s appear only in Fallout 3.

Video
Battling some Super Mutant Brutes