You’re wandering through the Commonwealth, dodging a stray Radroach or trying not to get your head blown off by a Super Mutant Suitor, and you see it. A flicker of color on a rusted desk. It’s a comic book. Most people just grab it for the XP or the collection, but honestly, if you aren't hunting Fallout 4 all magazines with a specific plan, you’re basically playing the game on hard mode for no reason. These aren't just collectibles. They are permanent, stackable stat boosts that don't take up weight and never go away.
Think about it.
Most RPGs make you choose a perk every level. In Fallout 4, these magazines are basically "free" perks hidden in the world. But here's the kicker: some of them are so ridiculously niche that you might go 100 hours without realizing you missed a 5% damage boost against Mirelurks or a new hairstyle that actually makes your character look decent.
Why the Hunt for Every Issue Changes the Game
If you're looking for Fallout 4 all magazines, you're looking at 121 individual issues spread across the base game, plus the extras in Far Harbor and Nuka-World. That is a lot of paper. But the variety is what makes it interesting. You’ve got Astoundingly Awesome Tales, which gives you weirdly specific buffs like +5 damage against Ghouls or extra health for Dogmeat. Then you’ve got Grognak the Barbarian, which is the bread and butter for anyone running a melee build because it scales your critical hit damage.
It’s easy to overlook the U.S. Covert Operations Manual. There are ten of these. Ten! If you find them all, you are significantly harder to detect while sneaking. It’s the difference between walking right past a Sentry Bot and getting turned into a pile of ash.
Most players stumble upon maybe 30% of these during a standard playthrough. They find the one in the Museum of Freedom because Preston Garvey is standing right next to it. They might find the one in the Diamond City schoolhouse. But the ones tucked away in the corners of the glowing sea or at the bottom of a flooded pump house? Those are the ones that actually turn you into a wasteland god.
The Weird Specificity of Wasteland Survival Guide
Let’s talk about the Wasteland Survival Guide. There are nine of these, and they are arguably the most practical magazines in the game. One issue gives you more meat from animals. That sounds boring, right? Wrong. In Survival Mode, that’s the difference between starving and having a backpack full of grilled Radstag. Another one marks Diamond City on your map permanently.
Then there’s the one that makes you swim faster.
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Nobody thinks about swimming speed until they’re trying to cross the water near Spectacle Island and a Mirelurk Hunter starts gaining on them. Suddenly, that magazine you found in an old cellar seems like the most important thing in the world.
The Strategy for Gathering Every Single One
You can't just run around aimlessly. Well, you can, but it’ll take you forever. To get Fallout 4 all magazines, you need to understand the geography of the Commonwealth. The developers at Bethesda loved putting these things at the end of "dungeon" loops. You know the ones—you clear a building, find a chest with some ammo, and there’s a back door that leads you right back to the entrance.
Check near the terminal. Check near the steamer trunk.
Grognak and the Art of the Melee Build
If you’re swinging a Super Sledge, Grognak the Barbarian is your best friend. There are 10 issues total. One is in Hubris Comics—obviously—but others are tucked away in places like the Wicked Shipping Fleet Lockup or Vault 75. Vaults are goldmines for magazines. If you see a Vault icon on your compass, go inside. Even if there isn't a quest, there is almost certainly a magazine or a Bobblehead.
The "Missable" Magazines
Technically, very few things in Fallout 4 are truly "missable" in the sense that they disappear forever, but some are a massive pain to get if you don't do it at the right time. The Massachusetts Surgical Journal issue inside the Institute is a prime example. If you decide to blow the Institute to kingdom come before grabbing that magazine, you’ve just locked yourself out of a permanent +2% limb damage bonus. Is 2% a lot? Maybe not on its own. But when you have all nine issues, that’s nearly a 20% boost.
That is the difference between blowing a Raider’s leg off in one shot or having them keep charging at you.
Taboo Tattoos and Picket Fences: The Aesthetic Grind
Not all magazines are about killing things more efficiently. Some are just about style. Taboo Tattoos gives you—you guessed it—tattoos. They’re mostly facial markings. Picket Fences lets you build new stuff in your settlements. You want a high-tech light or a picket fence that actually looks like a fence? You need those magazines.
Honestly, the settlement system feels half-baked until you find the issue that lets you build potted plants. It sounds silly, but once you start decorating your base, you’ll realize how limited the default options are.
Guns and Bullets
For the traditionalists who just want to shoot things, Guns and Bullets is the gold standard. Each issue gives you a 5% boost to ballistic weapon critical damage. With ten issues, that’s a 50% increase. Pair that with the Better Criticals perk and you are basically a walking tank. You can find these in places like the FOA Corporate Headquarters or the Ticonderoga safehouse.
The one in the Quincy Ruins is a nightmare to get because of the Gunners and their Fat Man launchers, but it's worth the stress.
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Dealing with the DLC Magazines
If you have the DLC, the hunt for Fallout 4 all magazines gets even more intense. Far Harbor introduces The Islander's Almanac. These are great because they give you specific advantages within the Fog, like taking less radiation damage or unlocking recipes for sludge-based drinks.
In Nuka-World, you get SCAV!. This is probably the most "meta" magazine series in the game. One of the issues gives you a massive boost to Strength and Endurance if you have a low amount of caps. It encourages you to spend all your money and live like a true raider. It’s a complete shift in how you play the game, and that’s the beauty of these items. They aren't just stat sticks; they're gameplay modifiers.
What Most People Get Wrong About Magazine Perks
A common misconception is that you need to keep the magazines in your inventory to get the bonus. You don't. Once you pick it up, the perk is yours forever. You can sell them, drop them, or—the superior choice—put them on a magazine rack in your settlement.
Watching a rack fill up with Tesla Science and Live & Love issues is incredibly satisfying. It’s a visual representation of your progress. Plus, it makes your settlement look lived-in.
Another mistake? Thinking you can find them all in one go. Some magazines are locked behind specific quest stages. You can't just march into certain areas without triggers. You have to play the game, engage with the factions, and keep your eyes peeled for that telltale magazine glow.
Practical Steps for Your Collection
If you're serious about finishing your collection, start with the low-hanging fruit.
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First, hit the easy urban spots. Diamond City, Goodneighbor, and the major faction hubs usually have one or two magazines just sitting there in plain sight.
Second, get the Total Hack magazines as soon as possible. They allow you to hack turrets and protectrons, which makes clearing the harder dungeons much easier. There’s one in the Wildwood Cemetery and another in the Wattz Consumer Electronics basement.
Third, don't ignore the Live & Love series. If you travel with companions, these magazines make them more effective, give them more health, and even let them carry more of your junk. Since Fallout 4 is basically a hoarding simulator, that extra carry weight is a godsend.
Finally, use a checklist. There is no shame in it. With over 120 issues, you will forget which ones you’ve grabbed. Keep a mental note or a physical list of the locations you’ve cleared. When you realize you're missing just one issue of Unstoppables, you'll be glad you tracked your progress.
The hunt for every magazine isn't just a completionist's errand. It’s a tour of the Commonwealth’s best-designed locations and a way to build a character that feels truly unique. Get out there and start scavenging.
Actionable Next Steps
- Build a Magazine Rack: Go to your main settlement and craft a few magazine racks. This will help you immediately identify which issues you're missing from each set as you display them.
- Prioritize Combat Sets: Focus on completing the Guns and Bullets or Grognak the Barbarian sets first to give your character a significant power spike for mid-game content.
- Check Vault 81: Head to Vault 81 early. Not only is there a Taboo Tattoos issue there, but the questline provides access to one of the best weapons in the game (Overseer’s Guardian) which makes hunting for the more dangerous magazine locations much safer.
- Clear Hubris Comics: This single location contains a Grognak magazine, the Grognak costume, and the Silver Shroud gear. It is the highest value-per-square-foot location for any magazine hunter.