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What is the Onslaught System and How Does it Work?
The Onslaught System is a combat mechanic that increases damage based on the number of active stacks you have, granting a +5% damage boost per stack. This 5% increase is calculated from the buffed Pip-Boy damage number, meaning the damage numbers go up or down with any active buffs or modifiers affecting your weapon's displayed damage.
Players begin with zero stacks and must either equip a Furious weapon or use specific perk cards to activate and use the system. Stacks accumulate when you hit an enemy, but misses do not count.
Over time, stacks are lost at a rate of one per second unless refreshed by landing additional hits. The way stacks are gained and lost depends on the weapons and perks a player is using, making it important to choose the right loadout to maintain Onslaught effectively. Keeping a steady attack rhythm, such as using automatic weapons, is essential for maximizing damage output and making the most of this system.
You can see your active Onslaught stacks in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Onslaught is additive. For example, if you have Guerrilla Master (5 stacks) equipped and your Pip-Boy damage is showing as 228, then the damage formula would be:
11.4 (5%) + 11.4 (5%) + 11.4 (5%) + 11.4 (5%) + 11.4 (5%) = 57 (25%)
So, your total damage would be 228 + 57 = 285, reflecting a 25% increase in damage output.
How to Activate Onslaught
Onslaught becomes active as soon as you meet one of the following conditions:
Equipping a Furious weapon – This automatically enables Onslaught.
Equipping Onslaught-related perk cards – These increase the maximum number of Onslaught stacks but still follow the standard stacking and loss rules. This means that as long as you have Onslaught perk cards equipped, you do not need to use a Furious weapon to benefit from the Onslaught system and its extra damage.
Standard and Master Onslaught
There are two types of Onslaught, Standard and Master
Standard Onslaught
Players gain 1 stack per hit and lose 1 stack per second.
The Furious Legendary Prefix, Guerrilla Expert, Guerrilla Master & Gunslinger Expert are all part of the Standard Onslaught System
Works best with faster fire rate weapons, such as automatic weapons, that can refill stacks as quickly as they are lost.
Master Onslaught
Players lose 1 stack per hit but also regain 1 stack per second without needing to hit an enemy
Gunslinger Master is part of the Master Onslaught System
Works best with slow-firing, single-shot weapons or heavy guns fired from the hip, allowing stacks to refill between shots.
Automatic weapons burn through stacks too quickly, making them ineffective with this perk.
Onslaught applies to melee weapons only when they have the Furious Legendary Prefix. The Onslaught Perk Cards do not affect or add to your stacks.
When the perk card Ricochet activates, it will register as a hit on an enemy and add to or remove a stack.
Furious Legendary Prefix
When equipped, a Furious weapon will add +9 stacks.
Each stack increases damage by +5%, capping at 45% extra damage (9 × 5%).
These stacks and bonus damage, stack with Onslaught perk cards.
Each hit refills 1 stack.
Stacks disappear at a rate of 1 per second.
Shotguns and Explosive Weapons
Shotguns and explosive weapons work differently with Onslaught because they can gain multiple stacks per shot. However, they are still subject to the stack cap and lose 1 stack per second unless Gunslinger Master is equipped.
Each pellet in a shotgun blast gives 1 stack.
Each hit from an explosive projectile gives 1 stack.
Example (Shotgun): If a shotgun fires 8 pellets and all of them hit, that results in 8 stacks per shot.
Onslaught Perk Cards
Onslaught perk cards can be used individually or stacked together for greater effect.
Each perk card provides a primary buff, such as increased reload speed or extra damage to close-range enemies, while also granting additional Onslaught stacks.
Each stack increases damage by 5%, meaning the more stacks you accumulate, the higher your overall damage output.
Guerrilla Expert
Perk Point Cost: 2
Onslaught Stacks Added: 3
Stacks with Speed Demon Mutation
Effect:
+1% reload speed per Onslaught stack
3 × 1% = +3% reload speed
+5% damage per Onslaught stack
3 × 5% = +15% Onslaught damage
Guerrilla Master
Perk Point Cost: 3
Onslaught Stacks Added: 5
Stacks with other Damage to Close Enemies perk cards
Effect:
+5% ranged damage to close enemies (40 feet) per Onslaught stack
5 × 5% = +25% ranged damage
+5% damage per Onslaught stack
5 × 5% = +25% Onslaught damage
Gunslinger Expert
Perk Point Cost: 2
Onslaught Stacks Added: 3
Stacks with other Weak Spot Damage perk cards
Effect:
+1% weak spot damage (Dark Yellow Damage Numbers) per Onslaught stack
3 × 1% = +3% weak spot damage
+5% damage per Onslaught stack
3 × 5% = +15% Onslaught damage
Gunslinger Master
Perk Point Cost: 3
Onslaught Stacks Added: 10
Effect:
+5% damage per Onslaught stack
10 × 5% = +50% Onslaught damage
Stack Combinations and Max Stacks
Standard Onslaught System
Furious
= 9 Max Stacks → 9 × 5% = +45% damage per hit
Guerrilla Expert (3) +
Guerrilla Master (5) +
Gunslinger Expert (3)
= 11 Max Stacks → 11 × 5% = +55% damage per hit
Furious (9) +
Guerrilla Expert (3) +
Guerrilla Master (5) +
Gunslinger Expert (3)
= 20 Max Stacks → 20 × 5% = +100% damage per hit
Master Onslaught System
Guerrilla Expert (3) +
Guerrilla Master (5) +
Gunslinger Expert (3) +
Gunslinger Master (10)
= 21 Max Stacks → 21 × 5% = +105% damage per hit
Furious (9) +
Guerrilla Expert (3) +
Guerrilla Master (5) +
Gunslinger Expert (3) +
Gunslinger Master (10)
= 30 Max Stacks → 30 × 5% = +150% damage per hit
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I think it's very important to clarify within the article that the +5% damage per stack ONLY occurs when Furious effect it's used on a weapon. If not, even if the stacks accumulate (up to 11 without Furious), ONLY the effects related to the aforementioned perks are active, but not the damage bonus, which is strictly "active" if the weapon has Furious on it.