Raiding in Fallout 76 requires a team, a raid location, and the right gear — here's how to get your free guide

A raid in Fallout 76 is a group mission designed for 2 to 4 players that takes place in specific locations and rewards rare weapons, armor, and crafting materials. Unlike public events that anyone can join, raids require you to form a team beforehand, travel to the raid location together, and complete objectives that scale in difficulty based on how many players show up. The main raid locations are Vault 94, The Enclave (Whitespring Bunker), and Vault 96, each with different mechanics and loot pools.

Before you can start a raid, you need to meet the minimum level requirement (typically level 20 or higher, depending on the raid), have a team of at least 2 players ready to go, and understand that raids are permanent — if your team wipes, you lose your progress and have to start over. This guide walks you through finding teammates, preparing your character, and entering your first raid.

Key Takeaways

  • Raids require a pre-formed team of 2 to 4 players and take place in specific locations like Vault 94, the Enclave, and Vault 96.
  • You must be at least level 20 to enter most raids, and your team should have a mix of damage dealers, tanks, and support builds to handle the toughest encounters.
  • The easiest way to find teammates is through the Fallout 76 community Discord servers, the official Bethesda forums, or in-game trading channels.
  • Before entering a raid, stock up on stimpaks, ammo, and rad-away, because raids have no checkpoints and your team loses all progress if everyone dies.
  • Each raid has a weekly reset, so you can run the same raid multiple times per week but only earn rewards once per reset period.

Finding a raid team through Discord and community servers

The fastest way to find teammates is to join a Fallout 76 community Discord server dedicated to your platform (PC, PlayStation, or Xbox). Servers like the official Fallout 76 Discord, FO76 LFG (Looking For Group), and platform-specific communities have channels where players post "LFM" (Looking For Members) or "LFG" (Looking For Group) messages. Search for "Fallout 76 Discord" in your browser, join a server with an active membership, and look for a raid or endgame channel.

When you post in an LFG channel, include your platform, your character level, your build type (damage dealer, tank, healer), and which raid you want to run. For example: "PC level 150 commando build, looking for Vault 94 raid team, have mic." Experienced players will respond if they need your role. If you are new to raiding, say so — most teams are willing to teach, but they need to know what they are getting into.

In-game, you can also use the team system to advertise. Open your social menu, select "Create Team," and set the team type to "Raid." Other players searching for raid teams will see your team listed and can request to join. This works best if you already have one or two teammates and are looking for one or two more.

Preparing your character and gear before your first raid

Raids are significantly harder than public events, so your character needs to be built for combat. You do not need perfect gear, but you should have a primary weapon that deals consistent damage (a rifle, handmade, or heavy gun depending on your build), a backup weapon, and armor with perks that match your playstyle. If you are a melee character, you need high Strength and Endurance; if you are a ranged character, focus on Perception and Agility.

Stock your inventory with at least 20 stimpaks, 200 rounds of ammo for your primary weapon, and 10 rad-away or radX (depending on the raid). Vault 94 has radiation hazards, so radX is essential there. Bring a few super stimpaks if you have them — they heal faster and are worth the weight. Do not bring junk or items you do not want to lose, because if your entire team dies, you drop your junk on the ground and have to retrieve it before leaving the raid.

Your perks matter more in raids than in regular play. Equip perks that boost your damage output or survivability: Adrenaline (increases damage as you land hits), Blocker (reduces melee damage), or Healing Factor (regenerates health). If you are unsure what perks to use, ask your raid team before you start — they can suggest loadouts that work for your build and the specific raid.

Understanding raid locations and their mechanics

Vault 94 is the original raid and focuses on puzzle-solving and environmental hazards. Your team must navigate radiation-filled rooms, activate terminals, and defend against waves of robots. The final boss is a Vault 94 Warden, a heavily armored robot that requires coordinated fire to defeat. Vault 94 rewards plans for rare armor and weapons, including the Vault 94 Stash Box and Vault 94 Suit.

The Enclave raid (Whitespring Bunker) is shorter and more combat-focused than Vault 94. Your team fights through Enclave soldiers and robots, then faces a final boss encounter. This raid is often recommended for newer raid teams because it has fewer mechanics and more straightforward combat. Rewards include Enclave-themed weapons and armor plans.

Vault 96 is the newest raid and is designed for experienced teams. It has multiple complex mechanics, environmental puzzles, and a multi-phase final boss. Do not attempt Vault 96 until you have completed at least one other raid and your team has practiced together. The rewards are the rarest in the game, including plans for the Hellcat Power Armor and unique weapons.

How to start a raid and what happens inside

Once your team is assembled and ready, travel to the raid location together. For Vault 94, head to the Savage Divide region in the eastern part of the map. For the Enclave, go to the Whitespring Bunker in the Cranberry Bog. For Vault 96, travel to the Mire region. When you arrive, look for the raid entrance — it is marked on your map and is usually a large door or vault entrance.

One team member (usually the team leader) interacts with the entrance terminal and selects the raid difficulty. Difficulty affects enemy levels and loot quality: Normal is for new teams, Hard is for experienced teams, and Nightmare (if available) is for the most skilled players. All team members must be present before the raid starts, and once it begins, you cannot leave and rejoin — if you disconnect, you are out for that run.

Inside the raid, follow your team's strategy. Most teams assign roles: one or two players focus on damage, one focuses on tanking (drawing enemy fire), and one focuses on support (healing and buffs). Communicate constantly using voice chat — text chat is too slow during combat. If someone dies, the team can revive them if they reach the body within a few seconds. If everyone dies, the raid ends and you lose all progress.

Loot, rewards, and weekly resets

When your team completes a raid, you receive rewards based on the difficulty and how many objectives you completed. Rewards include weapon and armor plans, crafting materials, and sometimes rare cosmetics. Plans are account-wide, so if you already know a plan, you will not receive it again — instead, you get duplicate protection and receive a different reward.

Each raid has a weekly reset, which happens on Tuesdays. You can run the same raid multiple times per week, but you only earn rewards once per reset period. After you claim your reward for the week, subsequent runs give you experience and a small amount of caps, but no plans or rare items. This means you can run Vault 94 on Monday, get your reward, then run it again on Wednesday and get nothing but XP — the weekly timer does not reset until the following Tuesday.

If you want to maximize your rewards, plan your raid schedule around the reset. Some players run all three raids in one week to collect all available plans, then focus on other activities until the reset. Others run one raid per week and spread their playtime out.

What to do if your team wipes or gets stuck

If your entire team dies, the raid ends immediately and you are kicked out. You lose all progress and have to start over from the beginning. This is intentional — raids are meant to be challenging, and the permanent-death mechanic creates tension. If your team keeps wiping on the same boss, stop and regroup: check your builds, make sure everyone has enough ammo and healing items, and discuss strategy before trying again.

If your team gets stuck on a puzzle or mechanic, do not panic. Most raid puzzles have a logical solution, and your team can figure it out by experimenting. For example, Vault 94 requires you to activate terminals in a specific order — if you get stuck, try different combinations or watch a video guide to see how other teams solved it. The Fallout 76 wiki and YouTube channels dedicated to raids have walkthroughs for every encounter.

If a teammate disconnects during a raid, the remaining players can continue, but you are down one person. If two or more teammates disconnect, it is usually impossible to complete the raid. If this happens, leave the raid and try again when everyone is back online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a microphone to raid?

A microphone is strongly recommended but not absolutely required. Most raid teams use voice chat to coordinate, and text chat is too slow during combat. If you do not have a mic, let your team know beforehand so they can adjust their strategy. Some teams are willing to work with text-only players, but it makes the raid significantly harder.

What level do I need to be to start raiding?

Most raids require level 20 or higher, but Vault 94 and the Enclave can be run at level 20 with a strong team. Vault 96 is designed for level 50+ characters with optimized builds. Your actual power matters more than your level — a level 100 character with poor gear will struggle more than a level 50 with good gear and perks.

Can I raid solo or with just one other person?

Raids require a minimum of 2 players and scale up to 4. You can technically run a raid with 2 players, but it is extremely difficult and only recommended for experienced teams with high-end gear. Most new players should aim for a full team of 3 to 4 to make the encounter manageable.

What happens to my junk if I die in a raid?

If you die, your junk drops on the ground where you fell. If your entire team dies and the raid ends, you can go back to the raid location after leaving and pick up your junk before it despawns. However, if you leave the raid area, your junk may be lost, so retrieve it immediately after the raid ends.

Can I run the same raid twice in one week and get rewards both times?

No. You earn rewards only once per weekly reset. After you claim your reward for a raid, you can run it again for experience and caps, but you will not receive plans or rare items until the following week. The weekly reset happens on Tuesdays at 12 PM Eastern Time.