Goes to show they're just more organized raiders. When up against a major faction, even one in decline they get wrecked just like raiders they can't stand against a truly united faction.
@@keylime1237 i know! That makes it better for me since I can go and have a little war whenever I want. In my headcanon after the player becomes General he leads them back to the front lines to take back Quincy. And Quincy becomes the battlefield
First thing I noticed looking at that map is the focus on major roads. Being a paramilitary group with a chain of command means they're organized and trained, but most important of all military operations is logistics. Getting people and supplies into and wounded and spoils out of areas has been what decides wars. And war never changes.
In lawless countries full of gangs and local fiefs what you can see is that basically the only territory those paramilitary groups care and fight over are roads. They are very good ways to make money from tolls and controlling what goes where.
@averagecustodes2562 it really doesn't. Weapons, tactics, technology, and philosophy all change, but the nature of war itself remains the same. Old men start it, young men fight it, and everyone else has to pick up the pieces. No matter the war, soldiers will do things they normally would never do. The military makes monsters of its men if its allowed to do so. We've seen it throughout history, Whether it was the American Army at wounded knee, or the Japanese Army at Nanking. The structure turns men into tools of destruction and then tosses them aside to live with the consequences on their own. War never really changes.
I think if you're planning on expanding this series, doing a Legion/NCR cartography for fnv would be interesting. The Legion are much better Infiltrators than one would reasonably expect. Otherwise waiting for the 12 hour Fo4 Ghoul Cartography!
I saw A really good map of one and comments were discussing that the NCR is in a bad spot logistics wise since the Divide got recently nuked, with Deathclaws in quarry junction, as well as chaos and danger through the other routes like primm and Nipton causing a lot of issues for the NCR in its battles.
There is a dead gunner in a raised Shack near the Castle, coming from the southern Landbridge. Perhaps a Scout, possibily killed by the Mirelurks or died of Boredom... since he's there since the start of the Game its unlikely that he got killed by Radio Freedom.
@@filipbitala2624 Honestly, I'm surprised nobody at all was in the Castle when we got there. Like sure, it's a mirelurk queen but when has that stopped the supamutints from taking literally anything over? To it them it may even look big and important (FEV inside?), as well as plenty of space for gore and gore accessories
Along with the Super mutant video and the Raider video, this shows how in fallout 4 the faction dynamics are shifting right as Vault 111 opens. The arival of the Brotherhood, emergence of the Institute, and reactivation of the Minutemen and Railroad really do a number on the Mutants, Gunners, and to a lesser extent raiders, even without the Sole Survivor's aid.
The single highway base, the scattered bodies, and the tendency to be among the random spawned groups battling each other leads me to think that the gunners have been trying to take Nuka World
if its just nuka world and not the other kingdoms then yea that would make sense however if its all kingdoms then the loss out weighs the rewards because they would need at least 20 men per kingdom some might need more manpower like the zoo the space park and the carnival along with a constant supply of food weapons and medicine as well as morale
Yep, although its worth noting that the gunners at Nuka World have no communication with their HQ, as written in the terminal at the highway base. You can also read that the gunner commander considers the place a potential base of operations and cap-collecting, with the number of traders and wastelanders that inhabit it. Only reason they aren't attacking it is because they can't report back to HQ, and can't request reinforcements.
I adore making Fallout themed campaigns, rps and worlds for people to play in, and your videos are genuinely a godsend. Theyre high quality and filled with information but are presented in a way that doesn't make it boring and I can shamelessly direct people here when people ask what kind of places I get world info from. Keep up this great work!
It's interesting that the east coast had 2 highly militarized raider groups with huge investiments by someone, but the most powerful factions in the area have nothing to do with it or even know who the hell is supplying them with orders and most of their military hardware.
@@chiffoncakeandtea The Gunners aren't just exclusive to the Commonwealth. From what I've heard, Colonel Cypress has his/her command outside of the Commonwealth, as evidenced in the Nuka World DLC. However, it doesn't mean that post storyline, the Gunners won't likely be driven out of the Commonwealth, regrouping under the leadership of Colonel Cypress. Talon company on the other hand can be wiped out in F3
in clints position, i think the best course would be "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" lure the super mutants north to the quarry and let them fight it out while having a small group on the nearby highway with snipers. there is a mod called outcasts and remnants that expands on the gunners by explaining how they get the vertibirds and stuff as them being secretly funded by the enclave in order to expand control over the boston area before they actually step out of the shadows and take control. its a interesting take, but it also makes sense.
Once you eventually finish the obvious faction cartography videos, I'd be interested in seeing a Fallout Cartography covering the elevated highways- both their physical structure (where they go, real-life counterparts, where they meet the ground, where they break) and their post-war habitation. Who all are using the elevated highways, and what precisely are they using them for? Waterways could be another good topic.
I kind of wish they pulled the trigger on making the gunners originate from the Malden Middle School vault. It would have been dope to have a tribe of superhuman warriors you could convince to fight alongside you when taking on the Institute.
Did any of those kids make it out the vault all I remember is the kids with exceptional intelligence became apart of the vault staff and the best well rounded ones bred then were killed at 18 or smth.
East of Fort Hagen there's a small group of gunners investigating a Great War tank along with other gunners investigating great war technology that would have absolutely crumbled to disrepair, i think they're not investigating for any practical use and most gunners just have a fascination with the Great War and are effectively larping as Great War soldiers as a way to cope with the apocalypse will just being regular old mercenaries.
Clint should definitely push for the quarry. That may be a very unfinished vault, but that just means they have a LOT of building supplies, besides that, they gain control of a nuclear reactor, a place to build up that can lead to various commonwealth locations through mining a bit of rubble, and a defensive position in the south that is nigh impenetrable.
I've always assumed the Gunners were trying to make the commonwealth their own little dictatorship, they have a strong military presence, destroyed the previous protectors of the commonwealth and are taking out the mutants. They just need to get their brutality across (have to show strength before people will kneel)
I have a bit of a fun fact for the gunners: if you don't do "the first step" and then side with the institute, it will be gun ers defending the scientist you kidnap rather than the minute men. I just thought it was interesting world building
Not to mention that the new Enclave quests hint that they were slowly moving with the Gunners up North from the Glowing Sea. I wouldn't be surprised that the Enclave FEV leadership indirectly hired the Gunners. If players install America Rising 2 mod than Enclave was likely using the Gunners to search for FEV-related research alongside Dr. Kane's possible survival depending on if the player sides with Ward OR aids Whitehill to limit the use of FEV weapons
I think the Gunners are a really cool concept, and I enjoy how they're portrayed when you do deep dives into the game like this. They're not evil, maybe painfully amoral, but they're not killing people for no reason, they're fighting to get a better foothold and a better life for themselves, just like basically everyone else is in the Wasteland. It's just a shame that Bethesda, however much I adore these games and understand why they can't do such, don't explore these secondary groups nearly as much as they most certainly could. Imagine how cool it'd be to be able to join up with Clint, and help him secure some of those much needed victories to expand his influence. There's a lot of fun potential with factions like this but it's just never dived into sadly.
The northern boarder being all recon bases could indicate that the Gunners either cannot, or have not yet, been able to control that large of a territory. It's already established that they have structure and chain of command, perhaps they haven't expanded further because they simply aren't ready for that yet. The gunners have proven to be pragmatic in the past, and if they believe they are spreading themselves too thin, they would likely address that problem.
Honestly I figure the salvage job at Greenetech is *starting* with stripping out construction material before they start picking through the more complicated machinery. Might as well get the boring but easier crap done first.
Good idea. It'd be in the Gunners' best interest to pick apart the stuff they know they'll need and can use immediately before looking for more intricate and complex items they may never use but could instead sell off to other factions. It'd also be difficult to pick apart pre-war technology when you have no clue what any of it is and what it was used for outside of basic electronics and wiring mechanisms.
Also it could be a cover up. Especially if it's a new operation started after the B.O.S. arrived to the Commonwealth they would want to hide that tech in order to lower their chances of being targeted.
yea they're probably tearing out the walls first to get to the valuable copper wires and stuff like that. it is also possible that a lot of the salvage has already been hauled off by the time you get there.
Described the hallucigen entry perfectly, i was like wtf is happening while being shot from 4 different directions and the alarms blaring and debris falling on my head
Man, it would have been cool if such an intelligent threat was more of a problem/story point in the main story, even if just for the minute men who are better suited to assisting wasteland citizens than these raider like mercenaries. Furthermore, how cool would it be to have the gunners as another option for completing the main quest rather than the minutemen. They're better equipped, foregoing outfits for armour. I want to be a gunner Edit: I've just realised they're a struggling group just like the minutemen but are doing much better than them. Definitely a powerful fledgling group that could and would be more powerful with the lone survivor's help
Took me three of these videos to think of it, but I remember now what this series kinda reminds me of. The old Shoddycast Storyteller series, gives me the same type of vibe
Usually when I think of the origin of the gunners, I came with a back story of them originally being a group of minutemen who didn't feel ad though they weren't earning enough for their sacrifices and grew fed up with this who selfless sacrifices and chose money instead.
Great work man, making Atom proud. I didn’t buy into the theory of a gunner backer at first. It just seemed to me like they were shrewd businessmen and women as opposed to the Talon company as you pointed out. Just a decade of good mercenary work, plus all the looting and taking over they do would amount to the resources they have. That said, after your video I’m more open to the idea and I have to say the concept of a backer is rather cool
Yeah deacon says "who's pulling the strings, nobody knows" he also says lines referring to cut content, and its a known liar, so like dont take everything he says to be canon.
Nice work as always, rad. As per the origin of the Gunners, I think their military conduct alludes to them being former servlicemen. In my headcannon, the Brotherhood stems from elite soliders, like Marines, but the Gunners from either from the army or were founded by former veterans and policemen. Or perhaps even honor guards from Arlington... Think about it, they organised themselves in a hierarchical structure (Lieutenant, Captain, etc), have miitary gear, clothing and armor, know of military operations and conduct their operations in a roughly military fashion (at least according to their notes and logs and whatnot). Given the timespan between the Last Great War and FO4, it is no wonder that they lost a fair bit of actual military sharpness as only true diehards like the BoS, lead by a headstrong and unwaivering mind could hold on to such doctrines. We see how the understanding of baseball got corrupted in Diamond City after such time.... I think the Gunners were basically the Eastcoast variant of the Brotherhood that just didn't kick off so good. Lack of actual material as everything was in the east, lack of actual experience as every experienced soldier was either in Alaska or invading China, lack of leadership because the leaders were either also in the east or got offed by the nukes. Likely also lack of discipline and focus. I think the GNN is merely their local (regional) HQ. I'm almost certain tha their origins are in parts so-far unknown.
My own head canon regarding the Gunners is that their organization is much larger and operates in many areas around the wasteland. What we as the player encounter is just a detachment of that force. I don't believe there's some shady nefarious person or group pulling their strings. The Commonwealth lacks a central authority or formalized organization, so the Gunners are able to act with impunity. They exist to make money and their reputation makes the few wealthier people in the Commonwealth feel confident in hiring them. It's a business, nothing more, nothing less
48:05 True, but given the sole survivors option to become the much needed General of the Minutemen that the Minutemen need, then convincing and/or occupying Murkwater construction site, Egret tours marina, and Somerville Place to join the Minutemen, the Minutemen can ultimately eliminate the possibility of Gunners effectively controlling the south of the map, thus splitting the Main Gunner controlled territory in two or three.
Chances are if the whole Fallout 4 play area was larger, similar to the older games, it would have a higher population and increased location size consequently.
Great video! On its face, the Gunners have always been a mercenary organization. That said, my impression is that they tend toward doing random odd jobs like private security firms - The Pinkertons are a famous example, but so is Blackwater and a few others. This still leaves room for the Gunners to have some innocuous jobs, while still being a sort of evil organization generally. It also means that not every single job that they take is going to make sense when taken together in quite the same way that it would if the Gunners were attached to only one faction. I think you're right that the Gunners aren't necessarily connected to Talon Company, but there might be some relationship - like when Blackwater merged with some other company, and now they're part of a totally new security firm. I wouldn't overlook the possibility that some specific contracts that the Gunners take in the Commonwealth are given by the Enclave though. Consider the possibility that the Deathclaw Egg job that they took was deliberately cruel. That starts to sound like something that the Enclave might be amused by. Also, several of those locations that they occupy are deliberately genetics-related or adjacent. Since the Enclave is so interested in FEV, it stands to reason that a remnant Enclave might be looking for new and more insidious ways to murder surface dwellers.
Couldn't the Gunners simply be a group of tactically-minded individuals who happened upon a cache of weapons and combat armor, started taking contracts, and grew from there?
I really wish groups like the gunners had faction patrols like in fallout 3. Either planned or semi-random encounter style. Just so we got more of a sense of presence of them.
You can run into Gunner patrols occasionally. They tend to guard bridges and military checkpoints, often battling other common threats. Aside that you can also find them guarding some caravans.
The cartography series is top tier. I know these take a lot of work, but I'd love to see as much of this kind of content as possible. Thank you Mr. King!
The biggest mystery about the gunners: How did they form? Were they formed by the kids from Vault 75? Were they formed by National Guardsmen? Did Talon Company Mercs travel north?
I think the reason for the extremely large number of gunners for an otherwise mundane operations at GreenTech Genetics is for two reasons: 1. They've already extracted the cool genetic tech stuff, as you don't really come across any particularly cool tech stuff once you're inside. 2. The recent influx of extra manpower was, at least in part, in response to the Courser. They are known to have a good communication networks, so many were probably from the various outposts nearby (perhaps some of the outside guards of nearby HalluciGen were diverted?)
These cartography episodes are phenomenal. I love the work and effort that went into logging all this information and then charting it into the map. It’s very informative.
A lot of evidence, like Vault 95 still functioning when the gunners invaded, points to the original plan for FO4 to take place much sooner than the 200+ years that pass by the time the Sole Survivor leaves Vault 111...
Parsons Asylum does have Gunners under Deegan's employment to protect the Asylum, but not all the Mercenaries that are there are Gunners. As fallout wiki pointed out, Parsons Asylum is under protection by a mercenary retinue. Gunners just so happen to be part of that retinue, the other mercs must be local mercs too
Literally seeing how the gunners were an occupying force establishing outposts and overwatch while pincer flanking and methodically influencing the commonwealth and it's Jewel into trusting them while they gain power; just to see the story progress and their destiny for failure, all laid out like this in this lore heavy format is 4D Chess levels of thought processing
Its my personal theory that the Gunners are drscrnded from whatever military presence stationed to defend GNR plaza up to when thr bombs fell. Most of their equipment looks to be pre-war, they have a distinct military command structure, and a vested interest in points of tactical importance. QED; I believe that they're essentially military-themed tribals who're willing to trade their services with the larger Commonwealth.
Reminds me of old lore for the Blackfoot tribe. Former military turned disciplined raider tribe. Not sure if that's canonical anymore though, it could be something from the cancelled game that never saw development.
Radking!! I have been watching your videos every night for about 3 months to fall asleep to your voice is so soothing and I have always loved fallout lore, just want to say thank you sir!
I really liked videos like these, there's story and lore to be found in details like this, and more often than not, even if I go out and read terminals and notes, I don't take these things into account that really show how strong or unstable the grip that a powerful player like the Gunners hold in the Commonwealth really is.
I believe the power behind the gunners is something they wanted to foreshadow too and have them return in a later title. Since it has been known that Fallout 76 was only a test run with hopes on a later more complete online version for fallout.
First, loved the video Radking, this series is awesome. Maybe we don't see an origin point in the Commonwealth because they aren't from the Commonwealth. The fact that almost all of their encampments are on the elevated highways, or are directly adjacent to them, tells me they they are proactively using them not just for high ground combat advantage, but for transit lines. Their encampments cover many of the primary highways into the Commonwealth from the North, East, and South. It's also likely, that if they're using military terminology for rank, their movement could be quite large. Colonels are typically placed in command of large swaths of a military, and answer directly to the various Generals above him. The mention of a Colonel Cypress who cannot be found in the Commonwealth but directed Commander Kaylor to Nuka-World implies that his reach may extend such a vast distance that it encompasses the Commonwealth, at least as far as mobilization is concerned. And also implies he answers to a higher power, namely a group of Generals who command the whole of their operative structure. I also believe that they somehow came into prewar military intelligence, as many of the locations they've attempted to utilize would be discussed by, have connections to, or were of importance to the prewar military. However, this would not extend to classified information like Sentinel Site, which likely required a high deal of clearance to know about, given what's there. I say this because the two specific objectives they were interested in getting were the two specific things Hallucigen couldn't provide. Sounds like whoever sent them there weren't using Hallucigen's documents, but the military's.
Definitely think you're onto something with the Gunners possibly being a larger organization outside of the Commonwealth. It's possible that they are being set up for an elaboration in 5 in the same way the Institute and Railroad were set up in 3.
I think it's possible that the Vault 95's inhabitants that the Gunners fought weren't the Vault dwellers, maybe some other group moved in between the death of everyone and the Gunners moving in. Also, most Gunners, even a lot of the command, are motivated by money, but it's possible that the leader (Whether that is Captain Wes, Colonel Cyprus, or whoever) has other motives, what those are is beyond me but I think it would explain a lot of the weird choices they make. One last thing, I think the reason they won't bother Goodneighbour is that Goodneighbour is strong, not strong enough to beat the Gunners by any means, but Goodneighbour has been hardened by years of fighting Super mutants, has an Assaultron, and I assume everyone there would fight to the death, and that's on top of Goodneighbour likely being good trade partners. In short, the losses would be far too high for the attack to be worth it.
What should Clint do? Start by sniping the super mutants, have them bit by bit funnel along the borders of Quincy while still sniping them from on high. The toy factory cleared means not having to worry about them approaching plus then gaining the materials there which could be viewed as exceptionally valuable when paired with them no doubt possessing pipboys which I assume are necessary to use the settlement devices, but who can say. After that, I would continue to fortify the borders, that mirelurk nest amidst the camp ground. That one little building that is constantly being contested between Quincy and the Atom Cats garage. If I were also aware of the vault located in the Quarry, I would certainly take out the Raiders there to eventually have the spot investigated further but I would also certainly either wipe out Hyde Park or hire them to maybe attack the Atom Cats to have the raiders likely be wiped out or at least weakened before then eliminating them as well but I would absolutely wipe them out as well. Pit my enemies against each other or wipe them out to preserve my borders and open up tons of salvage. As for Poseidon energy, if I was at all aware of their history and usually having hidden tech and tons of guardian robots, I would wait for my numbers to be shared up, bigger numbers to ensure a safe takeover. Never lower Quincy's population so much so as to risk losing it.
@Ellis Watanabe yup fast travel to vault 111 and leave out the back gate (not the gate you enter at the start of the game) then you just keep goin straight till you see a fortified radio tower
Excellent video, though I wanted to point out you did leave out one location- though in fairness, it's minor and isn't part of the Boston area like the rest of this video; that being Bradberton Overpass in Nuka-World, which is home to a small contingent of Gunners sent westward through the mountains so as to avoid the obvious trap of the Gauntlet.
I have a feeling the attack on Quincy is actually connected to The Atom Cats. Evidence suggests Zeke stole some power armours and sold them to Sturges. I speculate that Clint recognised the armour Sturges bought as gunner armour, he told the gunners and then helped them in the attack on Quincy in an attempt to get the stolen armour back which in turn is why the gunners are now attacking the garage
A few notes from a fellow commonwealth traveler! The gunners actually gain an “outpost” near diamond city, hardware town. After you clear it out for the first time, the raiders inside and the one “settler bait” outside the entrance gets replaced by gunners. (For some reason the two raiders in the loading dock out back stay but🤷♂️) Also, I noticed you didn’t specifically call out the scouting station north of hub city auto and east of parsons is a high ranking gunner with a sentry bot and assaultron! Just my notes, great video as always👍😁👍
There is a mod that adds Gunners wearing environment suits in the Sentinel Site fighting ghouls when you get there 😊 Even has entries to explain how and why they are there.
I would love a fallout cartography of all the enclave bases in fallout 3, might be cool to throw the brotherhood in with them too if neither is big enough alone
I always love the Cartography series! If you ever have any interest in expanding the Cartography series to Fallout: New Vegas, that'd be really fascinating to watch too
Oh wow I didn't know the main factions would wipe out the gunners in the school vault! Also I wonder if they have already raided greentech for the technology and later returned for raw materials knowing they had already cleared it.
44:49 More likely it is the “Galaxy News Radio” or GNR posters that inspired the name Gunners. Thank you for pointing this out though. I felt both clever and dumb when I was going through Gunners Plaza and put two and two together about the possible name origin of the Gunners. Keep of the cartography videos though! I love seeing your speculations on why factions are where they are.
I’d note there’s a creation club mission (which I count since its achievement compatible) where Quincy is taken by the minutemen. The gunners will respawn, but so will the miniutemen, and they’ll fight with the minutemen most likely winning. Particularly since the flag stays up.
My guess for Greentech was that some gunners we fight are reinforcements from other encampments in the area that were called on when they caught wind of the courser was going for the synth.
I do wonder if the Gunners are descended from the remnants of the US Army. Also, seeing as they were interested in Greentech and Malden's vault, they might have an interest in genetic science (engineering perhaps). It's my headcanon at least.
While obviously not working for them directly I could see the institute still hiring them for the odd job here or there, like specifically to add a layer of separation. Could similarly see the railroad hiring them for protection now and then, they do operate some caravans after all.
Man the Gunners went from annihilating the Minutemen to being BTFO’d by every single faction in the game.
BTFO? Bodied The Fuck Out?
Goes to show they're just more organized raiders. When up against a major faction, even one in decline they get wrecked just like raiders they can't stand against a truly united faction.
@@zenoblues7787 hell yeah. That's why I love the creation club mod that lets the Minutemen take back Quincy. It felt like a mini war
@@WingsxFreedom but that won't stop gunners from respawn
@@keylime1237 i know! That makes it better for me since I can go and have a little war whenever I want. In my headcanon after the player becomes General he leads them back to the front lines to take back Quincy. And Quincy becomes the battlefield
First thing I noticed looking at that map is the focus on major roads. Being a paramilitary group with a chain of command means they're organized and trained, but most important of all military operations is logistics. Getting people and supplies into and wounded and spoils out of areas has been what decides wars. And war never changes.
gotta secure those MSRs and ASRs
In lawless countries full of gangs and local fiefs what you can see is that basically the only territory those paramilitary groups care and fight over are roads. They are very good ways to make money from tolls and controlling what goes where.
War changes all the time
@averagecustodes2562 it really doesn't. Weapons, tactics, technology, and philosophy all change, but the nature of war itself remains the same. Old men start it, young men fight it, and everyone else has to pick up the pieces. No matter the war, soldiers will do things they normally would never do. The military makes monsters of its men if its allowed to do so. We've seen it throughout history, Whether it was the American Army at wounded knee, or the Japanese Army at Nanking. The structure turns men into tools of destruction and then tosses them aside to live with the consequences on their own. War never really changes.
@@theduke7539I never thought of it that way. Very interesting.
A non verbal cartographer? Perhaps... a Silent Cartographer? Does he have any information on a certain ringworld?
Were it so easy.
If he does, I will have to delete him. These installations are classified, after all.
"We will continue our path into the great beyond"
@@doomfan8603 "Great beyond?" Were you not informed by the monitor 343 Guilty Spark the purpose of these installations?
*loud prolonged fart*
I think if you're planning on expanding this series, doing a Legion/NCR cartography for fnv would be interesting. The Legion are much better Infiltrators than one would reasonably expect. Otherwise waiting for the 12 hour Fo4 Ghoul Cartography!
I think it would be a 24 hour Cartography :)
I'm fully behind this idea
I saw A really good map of one and comments were discussing that the NCR is in a bad spot logistics wise since the Divide got recently nuked, with Deathclaws in quarry junction, as well as chaos and danger through the other routes like primm and Nipton causing a lot of issues for the NCR in its battles.
@@Killersanchez256 Yeah, the only "good" route between Mccaren and The West iirc is the intended in-game route, which is being devoured by the Legion.
Yes but separate video
Man, I’m loving these cartography videos.
I would also be curious to see a slightly more map the what we see ingame
There is a dead gunner in a raised Shack near the Castle, coming from the southern Landbridge.
Perhaps a Scout, possibily killed by the Mirelurks or died of Boredom... since he's there since the start of the Game its unlikely that he got killed by Radio Freedom.
It was said that the gunners tried taking independence no?
@@filipbitala2624 Honestly, I'm surprised nobody at all was in the Castle when we got there. Like sure, it's a mirelurk queen but when has that stopped the supamutints from taking literally anything over? To it them it may even look big and important (FEV inside?), as well as plenty of space for gore and gore accessories
Along with the Super mutant video and the Raider video, this shows how in fallout 4 the faction dynamics are shifting right as Vault 111 opens. The arival of the Brotherhood, emergence of the Institute, and reactivation of the Minutemen and Railroad really do a number on the Mutants, Gunners, and to a lesser extent raiders, even without the Sole Survivor's aid.
Yeah it’s intresting to see how qucik the commonwealth was changing in a couple months in the game
The single highway base, the scattered bodies, and the tendency to be among the random spawned groups battling each other leads me to think that the gunners have been trying to take Nuka World
Having a stronghold in Nuka World would make logistics in the Commonwealth much easier.
if its just nuka world and not the other kingdoms then yea that would make sense however if its all kingdoms then the loss out weighs the rewards because they would need at least 20 men per kingdom some might need more manpower like the zoo the space park and the carnival along with a constant supply of food weapons and medicine as well as morale
Yep, although its worth noting that the gunners at Nuka World have no communication with their HQ, as written in the terminal at the highway base. You can also read that the gunner commander considers the place a potential base of operations and cap-collecting, with the number of traders and wastelanders that inhabit it. Only reason they aren't attacking it is because they can't report back to HQ, and can't request reinforcements.
They were, they were also just really bad at it.
I adore making Fallout themed campaigns, rps and worlds for people to play in, and your videos are genuinely a godsend. Theyre high quality and filled with information but are presented in a way that doesn't make it boring and I can shamelessly direct people here when people ask what kind of places I get world info from.
Keep up this great work!
Would you be interested in telling us more about your campaigns and settings?
It's interesting that the east coast had 2 highly militarized raider groups with huge investiments by someone, but the most powerful factions in the area have nothing to do with it or even know who the hell is supplying them with orders and most of their military hardware.
Who are the 2nd militarized raider group?
@@happycompy
The gunners from the Commonwealth and the talon company mercs from Capital Wasteland
@@chiffoncakeandtea makes sense. Thanks
@@chiffoncakeandtea The Gunners aren't just exclusive to the Commonwealth. From what I've heard, Colonel Cypress has his/her command outside of the Commonwealth, as evidenced in the Nuka World DLC. However, it doesn't mean that post storyline, the Gunners won't likely be driven out of the Commonwealth, regrouping under the leadership of Colonel Cypress. Talon company on the other hand can be wiped out in F3
in clints position, i think the best course would be "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" lure the super mutants north to the quarry and let them fight it out while having a small group on the nearby highway with snipers.
there is a mod called outcasts and remnants that expands on the gunners by explaining how they get the vertibirds and stuff as them being secretly funded by the enclave in order to expand control over the boston area before they actually step out of the shadows and take control. its a interesting take, but it also makes sense.
Damn that does make sense.
Once you eventually finish the obvious faction cartography videos, I'd be interested in seeing a Fallout Cartography covering the elevated highways- both their physical structure (where they go, real-life counterparts, where they meet the ground, where they break) and their post-war habitation. Who all are using the elevated highways, and what precisely are they using them for? Waterways could be another good topic.
I kind of wish they pulled the trigger on making the gunners originate from the Malden Middle School vault. It would have been dope to have a tribe of superhuman warriors you could convince to fight alongside you when taking on the Institute.
Or just flush them out in general.
"Pulled the trigger"?
It was never an option. That's just a fan theory.
The gunners didnt come from Malden
Did any of those kids make it out the vault all I remember is the kids with exceptional intelligence became apart of the vault staff and the best well rounded ones bred then were killed at 18 or smth.
Or you could pay them to help defend the institute
East of Fort Hagen there's a small group of gunners investigating a Great War tank along with other gunners investigating great war technology that would have absolutely crumbled to disrepair, i think they're not investigating for any practical use and most gunners just have a fascination with the Great War and are effectively larping as Great War soldiers as a way to cope with the apocalypse will just being regular old mercenaries.
A hour long Radking video to start my day at work? What a great blessing from Atom!
Clint should definitely push for the quarry. That may be a very unfinished vault, but that just means they have a LOT of building supplies, besides that, they gain control of a nuclear reactor, a place to build up that can lead to various commonwealth locations through mining a bit of rubble, and a defensive position in the south that is nigh impenetrable.
I've always assumed the Gunners were trying to make the commonwealth their own little dictatorship, they have a strong military presence, destroyed the previous protectors of the commonwealth and are taking out the mutants. They just need to get their brutality across (have to show strength before people will kneel)
I was always bummed we could never join the gunners, they seem so fun
I have a bit of a fun fact for the gunners: if you don't do "the first step" and then side with the institute, it will be gun ers defending the scientist you kidnap rather than the minute men. I just thought it was interesting world building
Vault 75 could be a huge target because it's basically a big training facility. Easy to train soldiers and pop em out
Not to mention that the new Enclave quests hint that they were slowly moving with the Gunners up North from the Glowing Sea. I wouldn't be surprised that the Enclave FEV leadership indirectly hired the Gunners. If players install America Rising 2 mod than Enclave was likely using the Gunners to search for FEV-related research alongside Dr. Kane's possible survival depending on if the player sides with Ward OR aids Whitehill to limit the use of FEV weapons
I think the Gunners are a really cool concept, and I enjoy how they're portrayed when you do deep dives into the game like this. They're not evil, maybe painfully amoral, but they're not killing people for no reason, they're fighting to get a better foothold and a better life for themselves, just like basically everyone else is in the Wasteland. It's just a shame that Bethesda, however much I adore these games and understand why they can't do such, don't explore these secondary groups nearly as much as they most certainly could. Imagine how cool it'd be to be able to join up with Clint, and help him secure some of those much needed victories to expand his influence. There's a lot of fun potential with factions like this but it's just never dived into sadly.
The northern boarder being all recon bases could indicate that the Gunners either cannot, or have not yet, been able to control that large of a territory. It's already established that they have structure and chain of command, perhaps they haven't expanded further because they simply aren't ready for that yet. The gunners have proven to be pragmatic in the past, and if they believe they are spreading themselves too thin, they would likely address that problem.
their command is all but non existent it is only in name they are little else then Raiders.
@@jonathancunningham8739 duh, thats obvious. The game makes it very clear that the HQ isn't in the commonwealth.
He did it boys, he finally did it. I've been looking forward to this.
Seeing as their highest rank is brigadier, the gunners may be a force of brigade strength, so about 3-5,000 troops.
43:24 My headcannon is that Wes wanted Cruz alive because Wes had the hots for Cruz, and thus had him reprimanded to a much safer duty
Honestly I figure the salvage job at Greenetech is *starting* with stripping out construction material before they start picking through the more complicated machinery.
Might as well get the boring but easier crap done first.
Good idea. It'd be in the Gunners' best interest to pick apart the stuff they know they'll need and can use immediately before looking for more intricate and complex items they may never use but could instead sell off to other factions. It'd also be difficult to pick apart pre-war technology when you have no clue what any of it is and what it was used for outside of basic electronics and wiring mechanisms.
Also it could be a cover up.
Especially if it's a new operation started after the B.O.S. arrived to the Commonwealth they would want to hide that tech in order to lower their chances of being targeted.
yea they're probably tearing out the walls first to get to the valuable copper wires and stuff like that.
it is also possible that a lot of the salvage has already been hauled off by the time you get there.
Described the hallucigen entry perfectly, i was like wtf is happening while being shot from 4 different directions and the alarms blaring and debris falling on my head
What's with Bethesda and creating interesting factions and making them generic raiders/bandits? They did it with Talon Company and the Silver Hands.
Ikr
The answer is always cut content lol. I don’t know why they’d bother creating a unique group like the gunners and do literally nothing with them
@@kingt0295 Same with minutemen tbh
Man, it would have been cool if such an intelligent threat was more of a problem/story point in the main story, even if just for the minute men who are better suited to assisting wasteland citizens than these raider like mercenaries. Furthermore, how cool would it be to have the gunners as another option for completing the main quest rather than the minutemen. They're better equipped, foregoing outfits for armour. I want to be a gunner
Edit: I've just realised they're a struggling group just like the minutemen but are doing much better than them. Definitely a powerful fledgling group that could and would be more powerful with the lone survivor's help
Took me three of these videos to think of it, but I remember now what this series kinda reminds me of. The old Shoddycast Storyteller series, gives me the same type of vibe
God, I miss Shoddycast. Wish they hadn't over extended themselves and suffered for it.
I just finished your super mutant and raider cartography videos. Chefs kiss rad king you are killing it brother
Usually when I think of the origin of the gunners, I came with a back story of them originally being a group of minutemen who didn't feel ad though they weren't earning enough for their sacrifices and grew fed up with this who selfless sacrifices and chose money instead.
Great work man, making Atom proud.
I didn’t buy into the theory of a gunner backer at first. It just seemed to me like they were shrewd businessmen and women as opposed to the Talon company as you pointed out. Just a decade of good mercenary work, plus all the looting and taking over they do would amount to the resources they have.
That said, after your video I’m more open to the idea and I have to say the concept of a backer is rather cool
Yeah deacon says "who's pulling the strings, nobody knows" he also says lines referring to cut content, and its a known liar, so like dont take everything he says to be canon.
Nice work as always, rad.
As per the origin of the Gunners, I think their military conduct alludes to them being former servlicemen. In my headcannon, the Brotherhood stems from elite soliders, like Marines, but the Gunners from either from the army or were founded by former veterans and policemen. Or perhaps even honor guards from Arlington...
Think about it, they organised themselves in a hierarchical structure (Lieutenant, Captain, etc), have miitary gear, clothing and armor, know of military operations and conduct their operations in a roughly military fashion (at least according to their notes and logs and whatnot). Given the timespan between the Last Great War and FO4, it is no wonder that they lost a fair bit of actual military sharpness as only true diehards like the BoS, lead by a headstrong and unwaivering mind could hold on to such doctrines. We see how the understanding of baseball got corrupted in Diamond City after such time....
I think the Gunners were basically the Eastcoast variant of the Brotherhood that just didn't kick off so good. Lack of actual material as everything was in the east, lack of actual experience as every experienced soldier was either in Alaska or invading China, lack of leadership because the leaders were either also in the east or got offed by the nukes. Likely also lack of discipline and focus.
I think the GNN is merely their local (regional) HQ. I'm almost certain tha their origins are in parts so-far unknown.
My own head canon regarding the Gunners is that their organization is much larger and operates in many areas around the wasteland. What we as the player encounter is just a detachment of that force. I don't believe there's some shady nefarious person or group pulling their strings. The Commonwealth lacks a central authority or formalized organization, so the Gunners are able to act with impunity. They exist to make money and their reputation makes the few wealthier people in the Commonwealth feel confident in hiring them. It's a business, nothing more, nothing less
48:05 True, but given the sole survivors option to become the much needed General of the Minutemen that the Minutemen need, then convincing and/or occupying Murkwater construction site, Egret tours marina, and Somerville Place to join the Minutemen, the Minutemen can ultimately eliminate the possibility of Gunners effectively controlling the south of the map, thus splitting the Main Gunner controlled territory in two or three.
Chances are if the whole Fallout 4 play area was larger, similar to the older games, it would have a higher population and increased location size consequently.
Great video!
On its face, the Gunners have always been a mercenary organization. That said, my impression is that they tend toward doing random odd jobs like private security firms - The Pinkertons are a famous example, but so is Blackwater and a few others.
This still leaves room for the Gunners to have some innocuous jobs, while still being a sort of evil organization generally. It also means that not every single job that they take is going to make sense when taken together in quite the same way that it would if the Gunners were attached to only one faction. I think you're right that the Gunners aren't necessarily connected to Talon Company, but there might be some relationship - like when Blackwater merged with some other company, and now they're part of a totally new security firm.
I wouldn't overlook the possibility that some specific contracts that the Gunners take in the Commonwealth are given by the Enclave though. Consider the possibility that the Deathclaw Egg job that they took was deliberately cruel. That starts to sound like something that the Enclave might be amused by. Also, several of those locations that they occupy are deliberately genetics-related or adjacent. Since the Enclave is so interested in FEV, it stands to reason that a remnant Enclave might be looking for new and more insidious ways to murder surface dwellers.
Couldn't the Gunners simply be a group of tactically-minded individuals who happened upon a cache of weapons and combat armor, started taking contracts, and grew from there?
HONEY WAKE UP NEW RADKING CONTENT JUST DROPPED
I really wish groups like the gunners had faction patrols like in fallout 3. Either planned or semi-random encounter style. Just so we got more of a sense of presence of them.
You can run into Gunner patrols occasionally. They tend to guard bridges and military checkpoints, often battling other common threats.
Aside that you can also find them guarding some caravans.
The cartography series is top tier. I know these take a lot of work, but I'd love to see as much of this kind of content as possible. Thank you Mr. King!
Absolutely love the series, and have been hyped for the gunners since the start of it.
The biggest mystery about the gunners: How did they form? Were they formed by the kids from Vault 75? Were they formed by National Guardsmen? Did Talon Company Mercs travel north?
Maybe they're just a mercenary group that formed on their own, they don't need a crazy backstory. Talon company doesn't have one.
I'm with @Pigness on this one money is money and if shots need to be fired someone's willing
@@Pigness7 So many lore videos asking where they came from. I can't help but think of that lore now
Well they report to a “Colonel Cypress” who cannot be found in game so they likely came from another state
@@arcticeagle342 Isn't Colonel Cypress only mentioned in the Nuka World DLC?
I always thought the head of the gunners was the one running the insane asylum. He has the money, the history and the gunners already work for him.
I was waiting another cartography video. Good work as always! Thank you! ❤
I think the reason for the extremely large number of gunners for an otherwise mundane operations at GreenTech Genetics is for two reasons:
1. They've already extracted the cool genetic tech stuff, as you don't really come across any particularly cool tech stuff once you're inside.
2. The recent influx of extra manpower was, at least in part, in response to the Courser. They are known to have a good communication networks, so many were probably from the various outposts nearby (perhaps some of the outside guards of nearby HalluciGen were diverted?)
This is an incredible series, please continue! I loved this content and it was so well researched and made, thanks a lot!
These cartography episodes are phenomenal. I love the work and effort that went into logging all this information and then charting it into the map. It’s very informative.
Its always a good day in the Wastelands when RadKing posts.
I appreciate the hard work you put into your content! This is a good video
A lot of evidence, like Vault 95 still functioning when the gunners invaded, points to the original plan for FO4 to take place much sooner than the 200+ years that pass by the time the Sole Survivor leaves Vault 111...
I’m loving these series so far! Keep up the good work :)
Parsons Asylum does have Gunners under Deegan's employment to protect the Asylum, but not all the Mercenaries that are there are Gunners. As fallout wiki pointed out, Parsons Asylum is under protection by a mercenary retinue. Gunners just so happen to be part of that retinue, the other mercs must be local mercs too
Literally seeing how the gunners were an occupying force establishing outposts and overwatch while pincer flanking and methodically influencing the commonwealth and it's Jewel into trusting them while they gain power; just to see the story progress and their destiny for failure, all laid out like this in this lore heavy format is 4D Chess levels of thought processing
Love this cartography series! It’s a great idea
I really love this series. It's helpful for my own planning for games I'll run.
Its my personal theory that the Gunners are drscrnded from whatever military presence stationed to defend GNR plaza up to when thr bombs fell. Most of their equipment looks to be pre-war, they have a distinct military command structure, and a vested interest in points of tactical importance. QED; I believe that they're essentially military-themed tribals who're willing to trade their services with the larger Commonwealth.
Reminds me of old lore for the Blackfoot tribe. Former military turned disciplined raider tribe.
Not sure if that's canonical anymore though, it could be something from the cancelled game that never saw development.
If possible, a cartography video tracking the caravans of the games would be a lot of fun😊
Radking!! I have been watching your videos every night for about 3 months to fall asleep to your voice is so soothing and I have always loved fallout lore, just want to say thank you sir!
I love this series, awesome to hear it sounds there's going to be more, especially if you have a new Robo-Brain assistant
Thank you RadKing for making RUclips videos of the highest quality
I really liked videos like these, there's story and lore to be found in details like this, and more often than not, even if I go out and read terminals and notes, I don't take these things into account that really show how strong or unstable the grip that a powerful player like the Gunners hold in the Commonwealth really is.
Great work. I've really been enjoying all that you do. Many thanks and praise be to Atom
Love these Cartography videos King!
Also if the next speculation of the next Fallout comes out, I'd like to suggest Houston, Texas
I believe the power behind the gunners is something they wanted to foreshadow too and have them return in a later title. Since it has been known that Fallout 76 was only a test run with hopes on a later more complete online version for fallout.
First, loved the video Radking, this series is awesome.
Maybe we don't see an origin point in the Commonwealth because they aren't from the Commonwealth. The fact that almost all of their encampments are on the elevated highways, or are directly adjacent to them, tells me they they are proactively using them not just for high ground combat advantage, but for transit lines. Their encampments cover many of the primary highways into the Commonwealth from the North, East, and South. It's also likely, that if they're using military terminology for rank, their movement could be quite large. Colonels are typically placed in command of large swaths of a military, and answer directly to the various Generals above him. The mention of a Colonel Cypress who cannot be found in the Commonwealth but directed Commander Kaylor to Nuka-World implies that his reach may extend such a vast distance that it encompasses the Commonwealth, at least as far as mobilization is concerned. And also implies he answers to a higher power, namely a group of Generals who command the whole of their operative structure.
I also believe that they somehow came into prewar military intelligence, as many of the locations they've attempted to utilize would be discussed by, have connections to, or were of importance to the prewar military. However, this would not extend to classified information like Sentinel Site, which likely required a high deal of clearance to know about, given what's there. I say this because the two specific objectives they were interested in getting were the two specific things Hallucigen couldn't provide. Sounds like whoever sent them there weren't using Hallucigen's documents, but the military's.
Definitely think you're onto something with the Gunners possibly being a larger organization outside of the Commonwealth. It's possible that they are being set up for an elaboration in 5 in the same way the Institute and Railroad were set up in 3.
@@mattmedrala1947 man, that would be cool.
Can I just say thank you so much for making such quality content. I’m so grateful for your content
I think it's possible that the Vault 95's inhabitants that the Gunners fought weren't the Vault dwellers, maybe some other group moved in between the death of everyone and the Gunners moving in.
Also, most Gunners, even a lot of the command, are motivated by money, but it's possible that the leader (Whether that is Captain Wes, Colonel Cyprus, or whoever) has other motives, what those are is beyond me but I think it would explain a lot of the weird choices they make.
One last thing, I think the reason they won't bother Goodneighbour is that Goodneighbour is strong, not strong enough to beat the Gunners by any means, but Goodneighbour has been hardened by years of fighting Super mutants, has an Assaultron, and I assume everyone there would fight to the death, and that's on top of Goodneighbour likely being good trade partners. In short, the losses would be far too high for the attack to be worth it.
This is an amazing series dude. I know how much work this has gotta take to make! Hope you’re seeing success 😊
Love your videos. Keep up the great content!
What should Clint do? Start by sniping the super mutants, have them bit by bit funnel along the borders of Quincy while still sniping them from on high. The toy factory cleared means not having to worry about them approaching plus then gaining the materials there which could be viewed as exceptionally valuable when paired with them no doubt possessing pipboys which I assume are necessary to use the settlement devices, but who can say.
After that, I would continue to fortify the borders, that mirelurk nest amidst the camp ground. That one little building that is constantly being contested between Quincy and the Atom Cats garage.
If I were also aware of the vault located in the Quarry, I would certainly take out the Raiders there to eventually have the spot investigated further but I would also certainly either wipe out Hyde Park or hire them to maybe attack the Atom Cats to have the raiders likely be wiped out or at least weakened before then eliminating them as well but I would absolutely wipe them out as well.
Pit my enemies against each other or wipe them out to preserve my borders and open up tons of salvage.
As for Poseidon energy, if I was at all aware of their history and usually having hidden tech and tons of guardian robots, I would wait for my numbers to be shared up, bigger numbers to ensure a safe takeover.
Never lower Quincy's population so much so as to risk losing it.
I love watching your videos after work or while I fall asleep at night. Thanks for putting out excellent content!
5:54 there's a Gunner base north of vault 111 near that raider outpost across the river between sanctuary and Abernathy farm.
wat
@Ellis Watanabe yup fast travel to vault 111 and leave out the back gate (not the gate you enter at the start of the game) then you just keep goin straight till you see a fortified radio tower
@@mal1362 thats from a mod
@Pigness7 I found this out on ps4. I only had minutemen mods that effect the leveling system and stuff. So that's weird
Excellent video, though I wanted to point out you did leave out one location- though in fairness, it's minor and isn't part of the Boston area like the rest of this video; that being Bradberton Overpass in Nuka-World, which is home to a small contingent of Gunners sent westward through the mountains so as to avoid the obvious trap of the Gauntlet.
ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR VIDEOS MAN
Another great video, thank you. And I think you're really on to something with the GNN'ers... 😎
Thank you for this, my workday really needed some quality content to help it along
This is a cool, original series. Thanks!
I have a feeling the attack on Quincy is actually connected to The Atom Cats. Evidence suggests Zeke stole some power armours and sold them to Sturges. I speculate that Clint recognised the armour Sturges bought as gunner armour, he told the gunners and then helped them in the attack on Quincy in an attempt to get the stolen armour back which in turn is why the gunners are now attacking the garage
A few notes from a fellow commonwealth traveler! The gunners actually gain an “outpost” near diamond city, hardware town. After you clear it out for the first time, the raiders inside and the one “settler bait” outside the entrance gets replaced by gunners. (For some reason the two raiders in the loading dock out back stay but🤷♂️)
Also, I noticed you didn’t specifically call out the scouting station north of hub city auto and east of parsons is a high ranking gunner with a sentry bot and assaultron! Just my notes, great video as always👍😁👍
There is a mod that adds Gunners wearing environment suits in the Sentinel Site fighting ghouls when you get there 😊
Even has entries to explain how and why they are there.
I would love a fallout cartography of all the enclave bases in fallout 3, might be cool to throw the brotherhood in with them too if neither is big enough alone
I always love the Cartography series! If you ever have any interest in expanding the Cartography series to Fallout: New Vegas, that'd be really fascinating to watch too
I really appreciate you put out these long videos
Oh wow I didn't know the main factions would wipe out the gunners in the school vault! Also I wonder if they have already raided greentech for the technology and later returned for raw materials knowing they had already cleared it.
Thank you ,
🐺 Loupis Canis .
I find these cartography videos very informative and entertaining. Can't wait till you get to New Vegas! 😊
44:49 More likely it is the “Galaxy News Radio” or GNR posters that inspired the name Gunners. Thank you for pointing this out though. I felt both clever and dumb when I was going through Gunners Plaza and put two and two together about the possible name origin of the Gunners. Keep of the cartography videos though! I love seeing your speculations on why factions are where they are.
I’ve been LOVING these cartography style videos, maybe after Fallout 4 you can make some for 3 and New Vegas! Praise Atom!
This is excellent info for a fallout tabletop.
I really like your cartography series. Will you do this series for fallout 3 and New Vegas as well?
I’d note there’s a creation club mission (which I count since its achievement compatible) where Quincy is taken by the minutemen.
The gunners will respawn, but so will the miniutemen, and they’ll fight with the minutemen most likely winning. Particularly since the flag stays up.
Sweet glad to see this one my RadKing.
Wish the next fallout has more of the Gunners and Children of atom in a pretty big roll. Two best and underrated factions in Fo4
My guess for Greentech was that some gunners we fight are reinforcements from other encampments in the area that were called on when they caught wind of the courser was going for the synth.
I do wonder if the Gunners are descended from the remnants of the US Army. Also, seeing as they were interested in Greentech and Malden's vault, they might have an interest in genetic science (engineering perhaps). It's my headcanon at least.
While obviously not working for them directly I could see the institute still hiring them for the odd job here or there, like specifically to add a layer of separation. Could similarly see the railroad hiring them for protection now and then, they do operate some caravans after all.
Loving this series
Since the cartographer doesn’t talk, you could say he’s a…silent cartographer?