Modiphius Giles discusses a survivor’s best friend…

Around 15,000 years ago an enterprising human managed to convince an apex predator to abandon its wild ways and become an integral part of their community. From ferocious pack predator to loyal companion, dogs have held a special place in human culture since that moment. They have maintained a prominent place in our imaginations from stories painted on cave walls to White Fang, and dogs of all kinds hold a special place in the Wasteland. In this article we will look at, in the authors opinion, the five best dog models you can take in your Fallout force.

So, what makes dogs so good in Fallout? Not only are they amongst the most effective shock troops in the game, they also have some interesting abilities and synergies that can turn the tide of the battle in surprising sometimes devastating ways. Dog units can be some of the most dangerous combatants due to generating leg/arm break effects on blue dice rolls, which can seriously derail your opponent’s plans when their movement and skill tests reduced.

5. Mutant Hound/Fiends.

Although not technically a dog, these brutal creatures make an interesting addition to you Super Mutant army. Fast, aggressive and affordable. Hounds will lead the charge for your army and with close combat performed using Strength rather than an Agility they make ideal shock troops. Despite a lack of armour, they can still take a couple of hits before they finally barrel into melee. Due to the competitive pricing of these units you can take a couple of these monstrous creatures with caps to spare for other models and characters.

Where to buy: Fallout Wasteland Warfare Two Player Starter Set, Resin Two Player Starter Set, Super Mutant core set, Hammer.

4. Dog

While this unit may not be a special character, he’s still a good boy. With a solid stat line, reasonable armour and the standard dog ability of Senses (not requiring Line of Sight to charge with a huge charge distance of Blue) at 90 Caps you get one of the most tenacious close combat fighters in the game. If you are trying to squeeze maximum value out of your armies caps limit, a regular dog can still take advantage of Sole Survivor bonuses and save you some extra points so that you can get that additional perk or weapon to round out the rest of your force.

Where to buy: Fallout Wasteland Warfare Two Player Starter Set, Resin Two Player Starter Set

3. Dogmeat Guard

The slowest of the Dogmeat variants. This one has a charge range of Green which is still an impressive amount of distance. This model’s strength lies in its high armour value and it’s Look Out! Ability that allows it to take damage suffered by friendly units with Orange. This model also has the ability to generate critical hits without being heroic which can be devastating in a crucial close combat engagement.

Where to buy: X-01 Survivor and Dogmeat

2. Dogmeat

Even though Dogmeat’s whopping Health and Agility of 8 were tempered to a more respectful 6, he is still extremely formidable and expands on the standard Dog statline. Due to the miniature being included in the Two Player Starter Set, this iteration of Dogmeat is a perfect starting point to incorporate into your army.

Where to buy: Fallout Wasteland Warfare Two Player Starter Set, Resin Two Player Starter Set

1.Dogmeat Scout

Dogmeat Scout is perhaps the most formidable version of this iconic pooch. While most of his stats are in line with the other versions there are some key differences. Dogmeat Scout (or Doggles as we like to call him) is able to perform investigation checks on his INT with a respectable 4 this will help you decide what investigation markers you want to commit to with supporting models as well as grab objectives very quickly. More importantly his Observer Skill allows friendly models to use his Line of Sight to react to triggers and charging. Combine this with the fact that he is the only Dog model that can go up ladders you have the what is in my opinion the most versatile and dangerous Dog in the Wasteland.

Where to buy: Heroes of Sanctuary Hills.

In the second part of this series we will take a look at maximising your dog unit with other characters, perks and equipment.