Fallout 4: Should You Join Brotherhood or Not? Pros & Cons

Fallout 4 has many factions. Some are more controversial than others. Some offer various powerful bonuses and items, and well some are at good locations. One of the factions you can join is the Brotherhood of Steel. Led by Elder Maxson, the brotherhood has dedicated itself to annihilating Synths, Mutants, and Ghouls. To reach that goal, as well as bring order and peace to the Commonwealth as a whole, they have a tendency to hoard pre-war technology. With everything said, some players might find themselves surrounded by like-minded individuals when it comes to joining the Brotherhood of Steel and some might need a bit more persuasion. In honor of that, let’s see if you should join Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4 and what are the pros and cons.
Brotherhood of Steel tends to have extremist views
Brotherhood of Steel is an “ancient” organization of religious extremists. They have been featured in every Fallout game so far and are among the most iconic factions in the game that had a significant impact on the world around them. They were founded by Roger Maxson, who believed that the government failed to protect the people, and inspired by these thoughts he went on the path giving rise to a dangerous and extreme new ideology.
That new ideology wasn’t as obvious as at first, in the beginning of the order they were simply trying to organize the post-war wasteland and help people as much as they could. However, after some time living in isolation, their extremist and slightly racist views on the world gave rise to the Brotherhood of Steel we know today.
They are basically hung up on destroying Synths, Ghouls, and Mutants which they see as a threat to the Commonwealth and people in general. They also believe that technology should be strictly regulated to avoid the catastrophe from happening again.
Like with every ideology, some players might agree with them, and some might abhor them. If you’re simply practical, you can appreciate the vast reserves of power this faction secretly hoards.
What are the pros of joining the Brotherhood of Steel?
First Brotherhood has technology. They have access to advanced weaponry, power armor, and airstrike base. Getting power armor as you advance through the Brotherhood of Steel storyline is much easier and straightforward than acquiring it through any other means.
If you want to upgrade your weapons a bit and you have decided to join the Brotherhood of Steel you wouldn’t wanna miss out on Proctor Teagan. Proctor is a unique weapon mods merchant residing at Prydwen. The higher you climb through the ranks, the more powerful and unique his wares are. He is the only merchant in the game that can sell you laser weapons, Gatling laser, missile launcher, and minigun modifications.
Another good thing about joining the Brotherhood of Steel is the fact that you get the power armor basically for free. This sure beats grinding for it through other means.
Brotherhood of Steel is also incredibly well-structured when it comes to ranks, patrols and duties. Being one of them offers plenty of opportunities to be defended and get an extra helping hand while they roam the Wasteland.
You can also unlock a jet pack mod if you manage to put up with them long enough.
What are the cons of joining the Brotherhood of Steel?
For starters, the biggest red flag about them is the fact that they want to basically wipe out a certain population of the Commonwealth. They are isolationist and intolerant of others who don’t share their views. Their strict views and dedication to their goals have allowed them to acquire quite an amount of power but, at what price?
If you decide to side with them in the end it will result in the destruction of the Railroad and Institute factions which means you will miss out on a lot once the main story is done. To unlock the above-mentioned bonuses you will need to progress through the Brotherhood storyline and put up with them up until the end.
This makes sense in a larger scheme of things since most of the items that are really worth it are given only to the higher-ranking members. Their settlement is not in a good location also, since no farms or shops can be placed there.
Besides being filled with war-mongering fanatics, most “cons” tied to the Brotherhood of Steel are philosophical in nature.
Should you join the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4?
That depends on how much you are willing to put up with and how much power means to you. If you are oriented toward accumulating as much power and gear as you can, Brotherhood of Steel is perfect for you. Especially if you don’t mind their views and are not interested in the backstories and progression of the two factions that they are warring with currently.
If you are willing to sacrifice all the extra gear, mods, power armor, vertibirds, and other cool stuff that the Brotherhood has access to in order to maintain balance in the Commonwealth, then you should steer clear away from them. They are a good starting point for every character due to the equipment they provide, but in order to unlock really powerful stuff you’re going to have to stick with them till the end. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!