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If you’ve been diving into Fallout 76 recently, you’ve likely come across the new Pounders four-star effect introduced into the game. This new legendary effect has caused waves in the community, and for good reason — it offers a +1% Auto and +10% Nona-Damage Buff for every consecutive melee hit on the same target, stacking up to 100%. However, there’s more to this effect than meets the eye, and many players suspect a hidden typo in the mechanics. Let’s break it down for you.
What is the Pounders Effect and How Does It Work?
The Pounders effect offers two bonuses depending on melee mechanics:
+1% for Auto weapons
+10% for non-auto melee weapons
These bonuses are supposed to stack up to 100% damage increase when hitting the same target consecutively. Sounds solid, right? However, recent testing has uncovered that something might have gone wrong in the mechanics.
When equipping melee weapons with the Pounders effect, players are seeing far higher damage outputs than expected. What should have resulted in a 100% bonus, is instead producing 1,000% damage increases thanks to some unexplained mechanics within the game code.
Testing the Bug: What’s Happening Behind the Scenes?
The source of this anomaly is likely a programmer's oversight. Here’s the most plausible explanation:
Initially, the Pounders bonus was intended to apply a 10% bonus per hit to melee weapons.
Auto-melee weapons (like Auto Axe) were supposed to stack this bonus much more conservatively.
However, the stacking mechanic seems broken. This is leading to the math “breaking” and producing absurdly high damage — up to 1,000% instead of 100%.
When testing weapons like the Auto Axe with Auto Melee + Pounders, players noticed these staggering numbers. While it could be patched or corrected in the near future, for now, this makes Pounders one of the most potent mechanics you can exploit for melee-focused gameplay.
How to Test and Equip the Pounders Effect
If you’ve got an Auto Melee weapon like the Auto Axe, you can experiment with this effect by:
Equipping it with Pounders (via legendary effects).
Going into combat with robots, turrets, or other enemies to observe the damage spikes.
Keeping a close eye on the damage numbers — they should skyrocket as you hit consecutively.
Players on Twitch and other social platforms have showcased this in combat. Many find it works exceptionally well against enemies like turrets, robots, and other heavy DPS targets.
For an example, the Auto Axe combined with Pounders can deal massive DPS against enemies because of this unintended stacking effect.
Pro Tip:
If you’re having trouble managing ammo, switch to plasma weapons (or other energy-based weapons) after combat, especially for high DPS encounters. This gives you a steady recharge or repair if necessary.
Builds & Strategies with Pounders
With this newfound broken bonus, you might be wondering how you can take advantage of it. While this effect likely won’t last indefinitely, here are some builds/strategies you can try:
Auto-Melee Build with the Auto Axe + Pounders:
This is the most straightforward way to exploit this mechanic. Pair it with armor like Hellcat or T65 for tankiness.
Heavy Gunner + Melee Hybrid Strategy:
Equip heavy-gunner weapons for raids and combat while slotting Pounders in key melee weapon combos for added burst DPS during close-range engagements.
Turret Tactics:
Use the mechanics near combat areas with automated enemies like turrets. Watch as they melt with consecutive melee swings using the effect.
Experimentation for Raid Bosses:
Many players on Twitch have already started testing this effect during boss raids. Its application might prove vital during difficult endgame content.
How Long Will This Bug Last?
Many speculate that the devs at Bethesda may fix this soon, but until then, Pounders is an absolute game-changer. If you’re a solo player or even a PvP fan, this legendary effect can dramatically boost your survivability and combat performance.
But keep in mind:
Bethesda could patch it anytime.
This bonus is tied to very specific Auto and Nona-Damage interactions.
So now is your chance to experiment, strategize, and dominate the Wasteland with this broken mechanic.
Why This Effect Matters for Fallout 76’s Meta
This Pounders bug (or unintended mechanic) has massive implications for soloing, group combat, and raid strategies:
Against high DPS enemies: The 1,000% bonus makes it incredibly effective against robots, turrets, and even raid bosses.
Solo content: As showcased by players, Pounders significantly reduces the difficulty of solo combat against mechanical enemies.
Raid compatibility: Using Auto Melee weapons like the Auto Axe synergizes well with this effect, giving players an edge in high-tier combat.
If you’ve ever struggled with melee builds or wanted to add some versatility, now is the time to experiment with this mechanic.
Take Advantage Before It’s Fixed
While the Pounders mechanic is likely an oversight, it’s still an exciting addition to Fallout 76’s combat meta — for now. This bonus mechanic allows players to achieve unprecedented damage with Auto Melee weapons and traditional Nona-Damage melee builds.
So grab your Auto Axe or other melee weapons with this legendary effect, and test out these crazy damage numbers for yourself. But hurry, because Bethesda might fix this at any moment.
And hey, if you need more weapons, ammo, or FO76 Bottle Caps, check out U4GM for great prices and convenience in Fallout 76 items. Happy Wasteland adventuring, explorers.
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