What does it take to kill a death claw?

[LavaLampBamboo]

Go back at level 40.

Have 100 Sneak. Use Stealth Boy to break it completely.

Load up the HoloRifle+ and snipe every creepy in there from the top of the gantry crane sticking out of the ground.

Success!

Going up the crane is a pretty decent idea. I used it and was able to snipe a couple of them, although I actually ran out of ammo so had to run away.

Basically, a Deathclaw is best dealt with from far away. Use armour piercing rounds, and aim to cripple at least one leg as soon as possible. The Dart Gun in F3 was great because it massively slowed them down, but unfortunately, that's not an option in NV. Just try and stay as far away as possible.

Also, never ever ever go into Dead Wind Cavern. Ever.

Ever.

 

[Denamic]

I've never played Fallout, but I'm pretty sure you can kill just about anything with enough well-placed bullets.

You've never played Fallout.
Unless you get the drop on them and have the vantage advantage, you are fucked.

OT, you want massive firepower, preferably something armour piercing.
So weapons with slow attack speed but high DAM with AP ammo.
You want to sneak attack them in the head to immediately gain an advantage.
Unless you have really high sneak skill or are attacking from really far off, you need stealthboys.
And if you see a matriarch or patriarch, just back away slowly and hope it doesn't notice you.
Run away when you are out of sight.
Don't look back.

 

[Theron Julius]

First off, your far too low a level to even fight cazadores, let alone deathclaws. Doesn't help that Quarry Junction deathclaws are actually stronger than the normal variety. When your about level 20 then you can start fighting deathclaws. I suggest picking them off in sneak mode from a substantial distance using a gauss rifle or a anti-materiel rifle. Generally you'll 1-shot them, save for the matriarch and the alpha male, which at most should only take a shot or two more.

 

[Mechalemmiwinks]

Yeah, Deathclaws are essentially the embodiment of the game designers telling you to take the scenic route; if you have to kill them, they make you need better shit to do it than you have at level 2. You CAN just jump up on the cliffs and run past them, as their pathing doesn't let them get up to certain points. I've played the game so much that I usually just run straight up the middle of the map, let some gang members kill an NCR guy, get a uniform, and ride Camp McCarran's train straight into New Vegas.

Oh, and I seem to remember Deathclaws not liking energy weapons.

 

[Pyro Paul]

go the other way, the death claw infestation is intended to disuade players from going north, but instead have them go the desired way of south then east then north, as thats the route players are told the checkered suit man went (primm > Nipton > Novac)

how to kill a death claw though?
the first thing is to cripple the legs. Mines, sniper rifles, grenades at your feet while he chases. anything. once he is crippled you can then unload all the ammo you want at him until he dies because you can kite him easily when he is at limp speed.

here is often the problem with that though.
Deathclaws rarely have just 1... you'll usually run into 2, or more commonly at lower levels 1 death claw and 2 young death claws.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Determination.

 

[Hosker]

If you're playing Fallout 3, get the dartgun. I took them out so easily with that. Just shoot it and one or two of their legs, and it cripples them, so they walk slower than you. From there, it's a cake walk.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Balls of steel. And a quick foot.

To be honest I barely survived deathclaw attacks, but then again I was never that high of a level. Even when I beat Fallout 3 I didn't hit the level cap. Either way, but I ended up doing was just upgraded my small guns skills and shotgunned one in the face. And even then I was at like 10 health. Just remember to backpedal like there's no tomorrow.

 

[Theron Julius]

snip

Going up the crane is a pretty decent idea. I used it and was able to snipe a couple of them, although I actually ran out of ammo so had to run away.

Basically, a Deathclaw is best dealt with from far away. Use armour piercing rounds, and aim to cripple at least one leg as soon as possible. The Dart Gun in F3 was great because it massively slowed them down, but unfortunately, that's not an option in NV. Just try and stay as far away as possible.

Also, never ever ever go into Dead Wind Cavern. Ever.

Ever.

Dead Wind wasn't that bad. All you need is a plasma caster, a YCS/186, and some meat shields in power armor.

 

[Magicmad5511]

I haven't actually played Fallout but I always love the idea of the super powerful creature that you have to beware in the low levels and then still into the mid sorta levels.

Anyway I have heard about the gun called the "Fat man" that fires mini nukes. I'd recommend that. Nuke the thing.
If not that gain some levels till you are much tougher. If it is on hit killing you then you need to be much stronger.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Anyway I have heard about the gun called the "Fat man" that fires mini nukes. I'd recommend that. Nuke the thing.
If not that gain some levels till you are much tougher. If it is on hit killing you then you need to be much stronger.

The problem is that in New Vegas most fat mans are located in places guarded by many strong enemies or purchased from vendors. As a matter of fact there is a fat man in Quarry Junction (the area the OP got killed in).

 

[HexGamer]

Yeah. The odd thing about Fallout:New Vegas is that the wildlife is usually much more dangerous than the guy with the assault rifle, Particularly Deathclaws and Cazadors. I was sneaking around the outside the quarry junction, trying to the get to the Great Khan camp over there. I was around level 20 and a Deathclaw smacked me in the face and took half my life bar through 20 damage threshold and Slasher+Rebreather(28% damage reduction).

 

[Kaisar]

If you want to live, you need to take out a leg. Either leg, doesn't matter. Just doing that ensures victory. Once a leg is crippled, it is slow and cannot do its two hand lunge blender shred of death move. Setting up a line of mines before battle helps, but many times it sees you well before you see it. I keep a hunting shotgun loaded with beanbags on a hotkey for these things. As of the latest patch they decided too many people were exploiting knocking out deathclaws and made them have more fatigue. Just takes a few more beanbags now to down one. Once it is unconscious, either whip out a melee and cut up those legs or set up mines. Once crippled, kill it with a BB gun if you want. It will only hit you if you are careless.

 

[JAGMASK08]

When I wanted to rush to vegas without going through novac. I just sprinted past sloan and managed to get there. I also ran there in my underpants becasue I thought lack of clothing would make me run faster.

 

[Jerome9157]

I was mere lad of level 2. walked into sloan just skipped the conversation with the guy ( didn't want to hear it) walked down to the mine turned around some massive werewolf like bat creature is running up to me. I fired my only grenade at it, then took my laser rifle a 4-5 shots on V.A.T.S then when it got into range i used my cowboy repeater but it was less use then the laser rifle. It reached me and took one swipe knocking out 4 fifths of m health, then took another knocking my head off.

And that was my first encounter with a Death Claw. havent gone back to sloan since.... I want to go back to explore it Escapist. How do i go about it?

I'm assuming you are new to Fallout? Or very young.

Here's a few hints:

1) Listen to people in game.
2) Deathclaws are DANGEROUS, be tactical or sneaky. You could try running, if you have a high agility though.
3) Cazadors are even more DANGEROUS, and sneak is not as effective. Do not get stung. Venom in Fallout New Vegas is a serious threat. If you get stung, save and seek immediate treatment.
4) Cazaclaws are luckily not real. If they were, you (and the rest of the the Fallout NV playing population) would be doomed.

5) Use the Fallout wiki: The Vault [http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_Wiki], if you get stuck. It can be really helpful.

 

[funguy2121]

It's the same as solving a problem like Maria.

Just kidding. Use double clawshots and you're fine.

 

[bassie302]

Gauss Rifle, sneak up on em and a single shot between the eyes. Even nails the pair o really big deathclaws roaming in the quarry. Failing that, something accurate (laser rifle or something of that calibre) and shoot the legs to slow it and kite it until dead. If that's not an option, run and pray.

 

[ChupathingyX]

It's the same as solving a problem like Maria.

Just kidding. Use double clawshots and you're fine.

For a second there I thought you were going to suggest taking out the Deathclaws with Maria.

 

[gorfias]

I found a whole nest of them. I was over level 15 at the time. I used a mini-gun on them. I didn't try to carefully place my bullets. I just let em' have it, full boar.

 

[HexGamer]

Can Maria even hurt them? They can take .308 Handload perk Ammo from the Gobi Scout Rifle to the chest/head no problem.