It’s been said that there aren’t any real men out in the wasteland anymore. You see people carrying around those Gatling Plasmas and Auto Axes and think to yourself: “What I need is a real weapon.” I want a weapon that brings back memories of the Old West. It might not shoot the fastest, it might not do the most damage, but by God, I want something that’s fun to shoot. And thanks to a collaboration with Nuka-Cola, we’ve got just the weapon for you.

Introducing: The Western Spirit

What Is The Western Spirit?

With the recent Glow of the Ghoul update, it’s the perfect time to revisit some of the more overlooked weapons. Among them is a gem that’s been around for a while—The Western Spirit.

You can earn this weapon by completing the Most Wanted event at Nuka World on Tour.

Legendary Effects

The Western Spirit comes with a powerful trio of legendary perks:

• Furious (⭐): +5% damage per Onslaught stack, with 9 additional max stacks.
• Hitman (⭐⭐): +25% damage while aiming down sights.
• Swift (⭐⭐⭐): Increases reload speed — crucial for this gun’s single-round reload mechanic.

The Western Spirit’s Hidden Bonuses

Beyond its legendary stars, this weapon has unique, inherent abilities:

• +2 Ammo Capacity: Upgraded from a 5-shot to a 7-shot lever action.
• +25% Base Damage: Outperforms other lever actions with the same perks.

Build Goals

The goals of this build are simple and focused:

• Maximize Onslaught Damage via Gunslinger Master.
• Boost Sneak Attack Damage for maximum damage per shot.
• Improve Reload Speed to get back in the fight faster.

💡 Note: This is not a VATS build. Scope aiming is essential. Using VATS or hip-fire will reduce your damage significantly.

Legendary Perks

Here’s what you’ll be focusing on:

• Aim to have three S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Legendary Perks at 4-star levels (+5 Points)
• Other legendary perks:
  • Sizzling Style
  • Funky Duds
  • Follow Through

Target S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Distribution

With Legendary Perks applied:

• Strength: 6
• Perception: 15
• Endurance: 12
• Charisma: 6
• Intelligence: 8
• Agility: 15
• Luck: 9

✅ This build assumes you’re playing as a Ghoul, which is recommended for maximizing damage.

Perk Breakdown

Strength

• Arms Keeper – Reduce weapon weight
• Bandolier – Reduce ammo weight
• Arms of Steel – +30% accuracy while shooting

Perception

• Rifleman, Expert Rifleman, Master Rifleman – +60% non-auto rifle damage
• Tank Killer – Armor penetration (now applies to all small guns)
• Ground Pounder – Faster reload speed

Endurance

• Radiation Power – Expends glow for damage
• Fireproof – Fire resistance
• Glowing Gut & Thru-hiker – Regain glow quickly and manage food weight
• Starch Genes – Lock in useful mutations

Charisma

• Tenderizer – Extra damage to enemies
• Moral Support & United Ordeal – Boost feral meter & S.P.E.C.I.A.L. when grouped with other ghouls

Agility

• Guerrilla Expert – Extra reload speed per Onslaught stack + extra stacks
• Gunslinger Expert – Extra weak point damage per Onslaught stack + extra stacks
• Gunslinger Master – Changes the way Onslaught stacks are earned & spent + extra stacks
• Covert Operative – Boost sneak damage
• Mr. Sandman – Extra sneak damage with silenced weapons

🎯 With Gunslinger Master, Onslaught stacks start fully maxed and decay as you shoot. Thanks to fast reloads and firing cadence, they remain consistently high.

Luck

• Wild West Hands – Chance to reload weapon instantly
• Bloody Mess – General damage boost
• Faulty Spots – Increased weak spot damage
• Junk Shield – Additional damage resistance

Western Spirit Weapon Mods

Recommended mods for The Western Spirit:

• Receiver: Fierce – Higher crit damage, faster reload
• Barrel & Stock: True – Increased accuracy and reload speed
• Scope: Any – Based on preference (short for close range, long for distance)
• Muzzle: Suppressor – Required to activate sneak perks (Covert Operative, Mr. Sandman)

Recommended Mutations

• Eagle Eyes – Crit damage and +PER
• Marsupial – Jump height and carry weight
• Herbivore – Improved food buffs from plant-based meals
• Speed Demon – Reload and movement speed boost
• Healing Factor – Out-of-combat regeneration
• Bird Bones – +AGI and feather fall
• Herd Mentality – +2 to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L. when grouped (solo group counts)

Armor Setup

Underarmor

• Any Leather Underarmor (Shielded) – +PER, +AGI, +LCK

Main Armor

• Best Choice: Brotherhood Recon Set – Highest available DR
• Alternative: Any high-DR armor

Legendary Effects

1. Vanguard’s (⭐) – Damage resistance scales with HP
2. +2 Perception (⭐⭐) – Stacking damage boost
3. Arms Keeper (⭐⭐⭐) – Weapon weight management
4. Rangers (⭐⭐⭐⭐) – Bonus ranged damage

Playstyle Tips

You are a cowboy sniper—sneaky, accurate, and deadly.

• Stay in stealth when possible.
• Maximize sneak damage with your silenced, scoped rifle.
• In group events, your damage might drop slightly due to the chaos — but keep shooting.
• Avoid V.A.T.S., unless in emergencies.
• Dress the part: Use cowboy hats, sheriff hats, and dusters (Western or Nuka-World) to complete the roleplay.

Build Rating

• Overall: B+
• Viability: Great for world events and open-world content
• Limitations: Not ideal for Expeditions, Raids, or Daily Ops solo due to slower fire rate

Final Thoughts

So how do we play this character?

We snipe like a cowboy, stay hidden, and use every shot wisely. The Western Spirit may not be meta, but it’s damn fun to use—and that’s what really matters.

If you liked this build:

• Subscribe to the YouTube channel for more unique and fun weapon builds.
• Join our Twitch streams every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday to see these builds in live action.

🎥 Twitch Channel: CMDRMitchcraft

Thanks for checking out this build. I’ll see you out there in the Wasteland, partner. 🤠