It's impossible. I tried using the Presidential Pass to turn the turrets against him while I stand in the hallway. They get him down to wounded, but when he's done killing them, the soldiers by the entrance come for me and kill me very fast.

I tried using the soldiers against him, but they get cut up by the turrets, and then Frank butchers me.

Is there any way to use both the soldiers and the turrets? The problem is that if the turrets are active, combat is automatically initiated, so I can't talk to the soldiers. And if I activate the soldiers first, then I can't activate the turrets - combat mode.

My character:
Level 21
St 10 (thanks to the armour)
Pe 7
En 5
Ch 8
In 9
Ag 10
Lk 8

111 HP
12 AP
Weapons: YK42B Pulse Rifle (54-78, single, 3AP)
YK32 Pulse Pistol (32-46, single, 2AP)
Gatling Laser (20-40, burst, 4AP)
All energy weapons, used at skill 110%
Armour: of course, Adv. Power Armour Mk2

Number of stimpacks and ammunition not a problem. The problem is that I die in one round, whatever way I choose to go.

Last time I completed the game, I had to cheat to have any chance. I'd rather not cheat this time. Any help?

Hmmm... I think the last time I got him, I had around your level and was using Gauss rifle. He did go down fast with a couple of well-aimed called shots. Thing is, I'm quite sure I had more than 110% skill... Anyway, try to get him down with called shots. You know where it hurts, right? ;) Next time take Here and Now perk late, so you get some more levels. Above level 30, it's quite fun with Frank.

Ah, I can't do Called Shots... I took the Fast Shot (?) trait, meaning that shots cost 1 less AP, but I can't call them. It's the same character build I used in Fallout 1, back when one plasma shot could kill a super mutant. Killing 6 mutants a round was badass (Turbo Plasma Rifle... 2AP FTW), but now, even with a better weapon, it takes more than 6 shots to take down one Enclave soldier.

Higher skill wouldn't really help anyway, since I get a 95% chance to hit from even quite a long range. My hit luck is really galling though; even at that percentage, and with 8 Luck, I missed four shots in a row, the last one critically, losing me my next turn.

From the best Fallout 2 guide you'll ever lay eyes upon (http://user.tninet.se/~jyg699a/fallout2.html):
Frank Horrigan has a talking head, so you should save and walk up to him. Once you're done talking he attacks (if you have IN lower than 4 (Funky forum software doesn't allow a 'smaller than' sign in a quote) he attacks right away), and the turrets with him. He'll shoot you with his End Boss Plasma Gun until it's out of ammo, then switch to his End Boss Knife, or if you're armed with an HtH weapon he usually goes for the knife right away (in rare cases he may just settle for kicking you). You'd have to be very tough and lucky (or well prepared) to survive this fight. Instead reload and walk along the bottom of the screen to the computer terminal. Now is the time to activate the counter insurgency measures using the Presidential Access Key. Once you do this the turrets initiate combat and attack Horrigan, so make sure you've recruited Granite's squad first. With both the soldiers and turrets on your side, you can stand aside and watch Horrigan get the shaft in just a few rounds, so a purely diplomatic character can do just fine here. By the way, the door to the dock cannot be opened until Horrigan is defeated.Makes Horrigan a breeze.

And btw, I believe the Pulse Rifle and Pistol are actually considered small guns, not energy weapons. Not that it matters damage wise, only that you'll have a lower chance to hit something.

Anyway, try to get him down with called shots. You know where it hurts, right? [Wink] Next time take Here and Now perk late, so you get some more levels. Above level 30, it's quite fun with Frank.Actually, the Here and Now perk is kind of silly. Spending a perk to get an extra level is kind of counter-productive, as you'd need to gain another two levels for your next perk. In stead, chose the Sniper perk at lvl 21. Now that's a useful perk. Critical hits on every shot, with a lucky roll. You don't even need to aim anymore (though I still prefer the Finesse trait over the Fast Shot trait, the messages are a lot more interesting when you can aim your shots).

After reading the guide henkie linked to, I can verify his statement: that's the best damn walkthrough (period, perhaps) that I have seen.

In stead, chose the Sniper perk at lvl 21. It's level 24 not 21 in Fallout 2.

Your problem is that you should have waited until level 24 and getting that perk before tackling the Enclave (in my last game "rough' setting for fights I took Horrigan down with the Laser Gaitling, it's fearsome).

I finished the game with a non violent character (0 kills, well 1 Big Bad Boss ;) ) he was level 19 and managed to kill Horrigan with the turrets (he never even took a shot at the Big Bad Boss).

He's dead! Thanks for the input to all. Now my character shall return to certain towns I don't like (San Fran, Modoc, New Reno, The Den, Broken Hills) and kill everyone, as is tradition.

Alavin go back to Vault City and use one of the vault computers, there is a nice surprise for you there.

My favorite fight with Horrigan was when I was a master of Unarmed combat and had the Slayer perk. Broke all of his limbs, then started pummeling him in the face and groin until he died.

You must have been lucky Clixby because one critical hit from his very special minigun and it's pretty close to game over (unless you didn't play at the highest difficulty level). Of course once you land a few critical hits and cripple him he's dead meat.

Even with Hit to Hit Evade a critical hit from a minigun or a turret can kill a high level character (even one with 10 EN and 2 ranks in the Lifegiver perk, hard to get more than 400 HP).

It's level 24 not 21 in Fallout 2.Ah. It has been too long since I've played Fallout 2 then.
My favorite fight with Horrigan was when I was a master of Unarmed combat and had the Slayer perk. Broke all of his limbs, then started pummeling him in the face and groin until he died.I love the slayer perk. I always tended to make my character a semi-HtH specialist, with some small guns for when I didn't feel like running after someone. Don't use aimed shots (hits?) in HtH combat, though:

"Enclave Patrolman was critically hit for 18 hit points. Unfortunately, his spine is now clearly visible from the front."

No lucky roll needed either for the Slayer perk. I love that perk. Plus, the picture with it is awesome.

Yeah, it's Conan the Barbarian Fallout style! :grin:

Caradhras, when you said that you had 0 (presumably human) kills, did you mean your character didn't kill anyone himself, or that includes your companions?

He didn't kill anyone and had no companions (kills are global for the entire party) my concept was a pacifist, a healer and a non violent character and he just couldn't put up with Sulik's violent temper.
Oh and by 0 I mean 0, no human, no animal, no plant (running away and being stealthy help a lot). And he never planted plastic or dynamite on an Npc either. Nor did he kill Westin or Salvatore (or Lloyd).

Eventually he trained with the Dragon and got both the unarmed combat tag and Hit to Hit Evade, nobody could touch him. ;)

Fallout 2 is that good that you can actually finish the game and have fun without any fighting (except Horrigan of course).

Well, Alavin, for the future, if you play Fallout again, I believe you want more skill in Small Guns (or energy if you prefer), no Fast Shot, Sniper perks, Sharpshooter (the one giving you +2 Perception for aiming), Bonus Rate of Fire, implants the Brotherhood puts in you, and Gain Agility / Action Boy perks if you can afford and if you have nothing outrageously better to take. That's what makes my character a killing machine, although, of course, something different may work for you. For example, my friend preferred to rip stuff apart from a Vindicator Minigun. However, I found that you can basically go to the Enclave with just stimpaks and still find enough ammo for Gauss rifle, as well as the weapon itself. Of course, you may still want to take a rifle and some ammo, sure, but there is loot to take, such as Advanced Power Armour (maybe even Mark II, can't recall) you can give to your henchies if you want to keep playing.

Oh, and visit the priest in New Reno. He will have something for you. :shake:

Congrats on finishing the game! :thumb:

All you need is Sniper and 10 points in LK (the most important stat in the game). Throw in Better Criticals if you like and Bonus Rate of Fire and you're good to go. With a decent PE score (it should be at least 8 to get the Sniper perk) you just have to grab a gun and start firing away.

A couple of bursts from a Gaitlin Laser Minigun should take care of Horrigan (even when playing "rough").

Fast Shot is great if you use really Big Guns; if you're not planning on using them (or you like the Gauss gun too much) you're better off without it (so you can target the eyes).

By the way you can get a Turbo Plasma Rifle if you bring a Plasma Rifle to Algernon in New Reno. ;)

:D TPM FTW! And that priest was helpful too...

I think a sniping character may have been more fun. While in F1 firing as many shots as possible was uber, people tend to have more HP in F2. That melee character sounds good fun too.

Fallout Tactics next... Haven't played this one before, but I doubt it'll be as good.

@Charadras
"All you need is Sniper and 10 points in LK (the most important stat in the game)"
Damn rigth you are, but I managed to choose the sniper feat with a 6 on my LK(if you choose the upgrade that the "priest" in the Hubologist chapel that make it 8)
Almost every aimed shot with the sniper perk should be a critical,and after a few rounds punching his rigth arm, he would be unable to shoot you with the energy gun.From this moment, you cant start aiming at his leg.BANG! He´s at good at dead!

You don't need a high LK to pick the Sniper perk (you need AG 8, PE 8, Small Guns 80% and you can pick it at level 24).

LK 10 will yield more criticals though. I once had a character who met the Pariah Dog, his Sniper perk was almost useless...

Anyway aim for the eyes if you want a kill, the arms and legs are just for fun! ;)

AND if you want to see a LOT of damage use a big gun, a critical on a burst is likely to turn any opponent into a giant kebab.

AND if you want to see a LOT of damage use a big gun, a critical on a burst is likely to turn any opponent into a giant kebab.For added fun, you should get the Better Criticals perk and the Bonus Ranged Damage perk. The latter is next to useless on non-burst fire weapons, but combine it with the minigun, and you're all set for insane amounts of damage. Considering you can get 300+ on a good critical to the eyes with the gauss gun, think of what damage you could do with a good critical with your Vindicator!

Hmm - to kill Horrigan all I did was stand back and let the turrets take him down. When he'd killed most but not all of them I started shooting with the gauss rifle which turned him from killing them to killing me. A lot of super stimpacks later and he was turret-gunned to death :)

IIRC, I didn't have much trouble with the end boss, turrets or no turrets. A few burst to head/limbs from a heavy rifle can cause over 250 pt damage, so it can be over in a round or two (first round, if you get a lucky critical).

It's been years since I have played Fallout 2, though.

Actually, Wordplay, I think Horrigan has 999 hitpoints (or something very close). Unless of course you use the Mutated Toe on him. In which case he will only have 996 hitpoints. With the turrets and the good sergeant Granite on your side it can still be over in a couple of rounds, though.

As an alternative to those items mentioned here (for anyone choosing to play in the future): you can destroy the turrets when you enter the complex.

It is absolutely amazing what a Bozar will do with More Criticals, Better Criticals, Fast Shot, Bonus Ranged Damage and Bonus Rate of Fire. You get two shots with the Bozar each round. Frank was no problem.

@ henkie: See above. :D

Although I'm not sure was it bozar which I used. Can you steal it from two guards that stand before the tent of a merchant? It causes some hefty damage in any case. Even if the boss manages to fire a few shots, that's why your buddies are there ;)

Although I'm not sure was it bozar which I used. Can you steal it from two guards that stand before the tent of a merchant? Yes.

It is actually amazing what I still remember from Fallout 2, seeing as it is at least 3 years since I last played, yet can still clearly remember those guards from that merchant (in the NCR, I believe) having Bozars ready for being swiped from right under their noses for an early (and cheap) big weapon.

@Alavin: The funniest character for me is always the unassuming well-spoken guy who gets the job done. :D Pretty much the jack of all trades and master of none (except a couple handful ones ;) ) and careful lest he not blow the house up. ;) In the end he always gets the job done... somehow. One way or another. ;)