Every Faction in Fallout 4: Which One Is Best for You?

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Weigh the pros and cons of each faction with this handy breakdown

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: December 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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• What are factions in Fallout 4?
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• The Minutemen
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• The Brotherhood of Steel
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• The Railroad
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• The Institute
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There’s so much to do in Fallout 4, the gigantic post-apocalyptic masterpiece of a game—and many of its most captivating quests revolve around factions! In the game, you can join 4 different factions throughout the game: the Minutemen, the Railroad, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Institute. However, each faction has wildly different goals and ideologies—so which should you choose? Read on for a complete overview of all 4 factions, including pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision in your Fallout 4 playthrough.

Things You Should Know

• There are 4 major joinable factions in Fallout 4: the Minutemen, the Railroad, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Institute.
• The Minutemen are altruistic militia fighters who want to protect the Commonwealth at a minute’s notice, while the Railroad seeks to liberate all synths.
• The Brotherhood of Steel aims to collect technology and use it to defend the Commonwealth, while the Institute uses science and secrecy to control society.

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Section 1 of 5:

What are factions in Fallout 4?

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1. 
   Factions are powerful organizations you can choose to join in Fallout 4. Each faction has its own ideals, goals, and associated series of quests that your character can choose to complete throughout the game. While you can join all the factions in the game at various points, you’ll eventually need to choose sides—and potentially make enemies of the factions you don’t choose.

   • There are 4 main factions you can choose to join: the Minutemen, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Railroad, and the Institute.
   • The ending you get when you complete Fallout 4 depends heavily on your faction choice!
   • Furthermore, proceeding past a specific quest (“The Molecular Level”) is impossible without asking the Minutemen, Brotherhood, or Railroad for help. However, after reaching the Institute, you can betray a previous faction.
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Section 2 of 5:

The Minutemen

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1. 
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   Side with the Minutemen to unlock the game’s “good” ending. The Minutemen are arguably one of the most altruistic factions in Fallout 4. Their mission is to protect the Commonwealth (the area in which the game takes place) “at a minute’s notice” by forming a militia from allied farms and settlements—and, if you complete the Minutemen questline, you can become the general (leader) of the faction!

   • This faction becomes available very early in the game. You can join the Minutemen after helping Preston Garvey and his group of survivors escape the museum in Concord.
   • After joining the Minutemen, you’ll be able to form alliances with existing settlements across the Commonwealth and establish new ones yourself.
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   Pro: Minutemen are mostly neutral, so you can explore other factions. The Minutemen are the “default” option for many players who want to experience as many other faction quests as possible. No other factions consider the Minutemen enemies, so it’s possible to join the Minutemen and the Brotherhood and Railroad—or, alternatively, side with the Institute and keep the Minutemen as allies.

   • You’ll also get to use Preston Garvey as a companion—you can recruit him, and he’ll accompany you on your adventures throughout the game.
   • Joining the Minutemen allows you to call for militia squad reinforcements and artillery strikes in combat, which can be helpful if you’re up against a dangerous foe.
   • As the general of this faction, you can set up the Minutemen’s home base in an old fort called “The Castle” during a quest called “Taking Independence.”
   • After establishing The Castle as your base, you can also build cannons (for defense) in all of your Commonwealth settlements.
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   Con: Their weapons and tech are sub-par compared to other factions. While the Minutemen are an excellent overall choice if you’re looking for some freedom in your playthrough, the equipment they give your character doesn’t measure up to any other factions. The Brotherhood of Steel has more firepower, the Institute has more technology, while the Minutemen's resources are relatively average.

   • It’s also impossible to complete the Minutemen's main quests without destroying the Institute.
   • While you can choose the Institute as your main faction and spare the Minutemen (as previously mentioned), making the Minutemen your main faction includes a quest in which your character blows up the Institute.
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Section 3 of 5:

The Brotherhood of Steel

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1. 
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   Side with the Brotherhood if you prefer a strong, militaristic faction. The Brotherhood of Steel is regimented and advanced; they originated in the first Fallout game, and their mission is to collect and preserve technology. However, in Fallout 4, the Brotherhood is much more aggressive and focused on using that technology to eradicate perceived threats to the Commonwealth.

   • The Brotherhood becomes a joinable faction after completing the “Fire Support,” “Call to Arms,” and “Semper Invicta” quests, which can be picked up from Paladin Danse at the Cambridge Police Station.
   • Long-time fans of the Fallout series may also have fond memories of the Brotherhood since this faction often had an essential role in the previous games!
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   Pro: The Brotherhood has top-tier weapons and power armor. After joining the Brotherhood, you’ll be able to use its power armor—which makes for effective protection against beasts and enemies in the Commonwealth. Furthermore, the Brotherhood offers an impressive range of weapons, grenades to throw at enemies, and an airship base with many NPCs to interact with. Their unique merchant, Proctor Teagan, can also give you some strong energy weapon mods.

   • You’ll also unlock Paladin Danse, a strict and heavily armored fighter, as a potential companion after joining the Brotherhood.
   • With the Brotherhood, you can apply different paint schemes to your power armor (which gives it ability boosts in battle).
   • Getting power armor from the Brotherhood will also help you survive the glowing sea, which is part of an important quest in the game!
   • Even if you plan on betraying and destroying the Brotherhood in your game, consider joining for a little while to get your hands on the power armor and weapons before leaving again.
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   Con: They require you to destroy the Institute and the Railroad. If you don’t want to become enemies with the Institute or the Railroad (let alone storm both factions’ headquarters and wipe them out), the Brotherhood of Steel may not be an ideal choice. You won’t be able to visit either faction, interact with any associated NPCs (non-player characters), or complete any quests for them after siding with the Brotherhood.

   • Depending on how you feel about synths and ghouls in the game, you may also find the Brotherhood of Steel's ideology unethical.
   • Synths are essentially lifelike androids created by the Institute to do their bidding—but many develop free will and wish for freedom. The Brotherhood, however, aims to wipe out every existing synth.
   • Similarly, ghouls are people transformed and warped by vast amounts of radiation. While some ghouls are mindless, others are still just people; however, the Brotherhood views all ghouls as abominations.
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Section 4 of 5:

The Railroad

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1. 
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   Side with the Railroad if you support their goal of liberating all synths. The Railroad is a modernized version of the Underground Railroad. While the Brotherhood’s mission is to wipe out synths, the Railroad aims to rescue as many synths from the Institute as possible and help them gain their freedom. They believe synths deserve to live proper, fulfilling lives, and their agents work secretly to make this a reality.

   • The Railroad becomes a joinable faction after completing the “Road to Freedom” and “Tradecraft” quests.
   • There are several different places to get the “Road to Freedom” quest:
     • Listen to the conversation between two citizens outside the Valentine Detective Agency.
     • Talk to Diamond City security once inside Diamond City.
     • Listen to a Join the Railroad holotape, which can be found in various places throughout the game.
     • Talk to NPCs who mention the Railroad, like Piper (in Diamond City) or Amari (in Goodneighbor).
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   Pro: They’re an intriguing faction with perks for stealthy characters. The Railroad is one of the more noble factions in Fallout 4, and their questline involves leading a revolution from a secret underground bunker—which is very different from other factions in the game. Joining the Railroad also gives you access to powerful gear, including Stealth Boys, the Deliverer pistol, and the Ballistic Weave armor modification.

   • You’ll also get Deacon, a slippery spy who constantly changes his disguises, once you join the Railroad.
   • You can choose the Railroad as your main faction and still easily maintain your ties to the Minutemen.
   • The Railroad’s merchants also offer some of the best armor upgrades in the game (with no other quests or conditions required to get them, unlike some of the Brotherhood’s upgrades).
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   Con: The Railroad requires you to destroy the Institute and Brotherhood. Because the Railroad and the Brotherhood have opposing ideologies, it’s impossible to side with one and remain allies with the other. Similarly, siding with the Railroad means eradicating the Institute, making all associated NPCs and quests unavailable. The Railroad’s endgame quests also don’t have as much content as the Institute or Brotherhood.

   • While the Railroad has some quality tech, weapons, and armor available, it’s all generally targeted toward players who use stealth over brawn and firepower.
   • So, if you don’t like sneaking around in the game, the Railroad’s equipment may not be ideal for your gameplay style.
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Section 5 of 5:

The Institute

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1. 
   1
   Side with the Institute to learn more about the game’s main antagonist. Your character spends a good portion of the game’s main questline trying to get revenge on the Institute. The Institute is also feared throughout the Commonwealth—effectively making them the game’s antagonist. Nonetheless, their goal is to be a source of knowledge and prosperity, using science to create a brighter future for humanity (despite having unethical methods).

   • The Institute becomes a joinable faction after completing the “Institutionalized” quest, which you’ll automatically get as you follow the game’s main questline. The Institute’s director, “Father,” will give you the quest.
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   Pro: They’re scientifically advanced and let you summon synth allies. Once you join the Institute, you’ll have access to healing services free of charge and synth reinforcements in battle (much like the reinforcements you can call if you join the Minutemen). Synths throughout the Commonwealth will also become your allies, whereas before you join, they’ll be hostile and programmed to attack on sight.

   • Joining the Institute will also unlock X6-88, a powerful synth agent, as one of your potential companions.
   • The Institute has a large supply of energy weapons you can purchase—so try to stay with the Institute at least long enough to buy them up!
   • It’s possible to convince the Minutemen to stand down and remain your allies so long as you complete the Institute mission “Pinned.”
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   Con: They require you to destroy both the Brotherhood and Railroad. The Institute is known as the “boogeyman of the Commonwealth,” so they have many enemies! In wiping out the Brotherhood and Railroad, you won’t be able to interact with either faction or complete quests for them anymore. So, if nothing else, make a point to buy whatever resources you need from either faction before destroying them.

   • You may also feel it’s morally wrong to side with the Institute; they're the game’s antagonists and often use violent or underhanded methods to accomplish their goals and control society from the shadows.
   • Therefore, make sure you want to turn against the other factions and become one of the Commonwealth’s “boogeymen” before joining the Institute!
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