You spent years pretending. We all did. If you wanted to play Fallout 4 for the Enclave, you had to get creative with mods like America Rising or just wear a suit of X-01 Power Armor and roleplay as a remnant soldier hiding in the Commonwealth. It felt weird. Bethesda’s narrative pushed you toward the Brotherhood or the Institute, leaving the most iconic "villains" of the franchise—the deep-state remnants of the United States government—collecting dust in the lore books.
That changed recently.
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With the 2024 next-gen update, the Enclave didn't just get a nod; they got integrated. They're back. It isn't a full-blown faction questline where you can become the President, but it’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to having an official Enclave presence in Boston. It’s gritty. It’s high-tech. Honestly, it’s exactly what the game needed to feel fresh a decade after launch.
What "Echoes of the Past" Actually Adds
The centerpiece of this content is the "Echoes of the Past" quest. It triggers naturally once you hit the road near the Saugus Ironworks. You’ll find a blood trail—classic Bethesda storytelling—that leads you into a confrontation with an Enclave Remnant squad. These guys aren't messing around. They’re wearing the Hellfire and X-02 Power Armor variants that fans have been begging for since Fallout 3.
Getting your hands on this gear used to be a chore involving third-party modders. Now? It’s part of the base game's ecosystem. The X-02 Power Armor, often called "Blackbird," is a beast. It’s sleek. It’s intimidating. It makes the standard T-60 look like a tin can.
The Gear That Changes the Game
It’s not just about the armor, though. The Enclave brings the Tesla Cannon back into the fold. If you remember the Broken Steel DLC from the third game, you know how much of a power trip this weapon is. It’s an anti-armor monster. In the Commonwealth, where Sentry Bots and Brotherhood Vertibirds are constant threats, having a portable lightning rod is basically a cheat code.
Then there’s the Heavy Incinerator. If you like fire, this is your holy grail. It doesn't just spray flames; it launches lobbed fireballs that coat the ground in burning fuel. Taking down a Mirelurk Queen with a Heavy Incinerator feels remarkably satisfying. You aren't just a scavenger anymore. You’re a soldier of the old world.
Why the Enclave Matters for Lore Nerds
People always ask why the Enclave is in Boston in the first place. Lore-wise, it’s a bit of a stretch, but it fits if you look at the timeline. After the destruction of Raven Rock and Adams Air Force Base in the Capital Wasteland, the Enclave splintered. Some went to Appalachia (as seen in Fallout 76), and some clearly headed north.
The Enclave in Fallout 4 represents the "remnant" mentality. They aren't an empire here. They’re a cell. They have hidden encampments and signal towers that you have to track down and neutralize. Or, if you’re like most of us, you just kill them and take their stuff.
There's a specific tension here. The Enclave views the Brotherhood of Steel as "high-tech raiders" who stole their rightful technology. Seeing a squad of Enclave remnants go toe-to-toe with a Brotherhood patrol in the middle of a Boston street is pure chaos. It adds a three-way dynamic to the endgame that was missing before.
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Dealing with the Enclave Encampments
Once you finish the main quest "Echoes of the Past," the Enclave doesn't just disappear. They actually set up shop in the Commonwealth. You’ll find them at various "Enclave Encampments" scattered across the map. These are mini-dungeons, essentially.
- The Southern Forest Encampment: Tucked away where you least expect it.
- The Glowing Sea Encampment: Because of course they’d hide in the most radioactive place on earth.
- The Atlantic Offices: High-rise combat that tests your verticality.
These spots are great for farming Enclave-specific components. If you want to fully upgrade your Hellfire armor, you’re going to need to hit these sites regularly. The loot density is higher than your average raider camp. Plus, the Enclave soldiers carry better meds and high-tier ammunition.
The Modding Scene vs. Official Content
We have to talk about America Rising 2. Honestly, it’s the elephant in the room. While Bethesda’s official Enclave content is great for a "vanilla-plus" experience, the modding community has done things Bethesda simply didn't have the budget or time for.
America Rising 2 - Legacy of the Enclave is a massive, DLC-sized mod that gives you a full Enclave faction questline. You can actually join them. You can rebuild the oil rig mentality. You can fly around in a massive Enclave airship called the The Valiant.
If you’re playing Fallout 4 for the Enclave and you want a deep narrative where you make choices that affect the world, you need the mod. But if you want a stable, lore-friendly addition that fits into the existing game without breaking your save file, the official "Echoes of the Past" content is the way to go.
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The official update provides the assets—the armor, the guns, the skins—while the mods provide the story. Using them together is the "pro-gamer move." You get the official high-resolution models and the fan-written depth.
Practical Steps for Your Enclave Playthrough
If you're starting a new run specifically to focus on this content, don't rush it. You need to be prepared. The Enclave remnants are tough. They have high energy resistance and their Tesla Cannons will melt a low-level player in seconds.
First, get your Charisma up. Why? Because you’ll want to settle at a place like Croup Manor or Spectacle Island and build an "Enclave Outpost" using the new workshop items. The update includes Enclave-themed decorations, including flags and crates. It’s purely aesthetic, but if you’re committed to the bit, it’s essential.
Second, focus on Intelligence. You’re going to be using Power Armor 24/7. You need the "Nuclear Physicist" perk to make those Fusion Cores last. Also, the "Science!" perk is non-negotiable for upgrading the X-02 armor. Without it, you're stuck with the base model, which is a waste of potential.
Where to Find the Best Loot Early
Head to the Glowing Sea as soon as you have a decent radiation suit. One of the Enclave sites there contains some of the best technical manuals and armor mods in the game. It’s a suicide mission if you’re under level 20, but the payoff is a full set of high-end gear that makes the rest of the game a breeze.
Also, watch the skies. The Enclave occasionally sends in Vertibird reinforcements if you linger too long near their outposts. It’s a great way to farm fusion cells if you have a good sniper rifle.
The Reality of the Enclave in 2026
Wait. Let’s be real. The Enclave are the bad guys. They represent the worst impulses of the pre-war world—elitism, experimentation, and a total disregard for anyone not "pure." But in a sandbox like Fallout 4, playing the villain is often more fun than being the Minutemen's errand boy.
Bethesda finally acknowledged that. By bringing Fallout 4 for the Enclave into the official fold via the Creation Club and the next-gen patch, they gave players permission to engage with that side of the world. It’s not a perfect integration, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was in 2015.
Whether you're hunting them down to save the Commonwealth or stealing their armor to become a one-man army, the Enclave presence adds a layer of threat that the game desperately needed. It makes the world feel larger. It makes the history feel relevant.
Next Steps for Your Enclave Build
- Download the Next-Gen Update: If you haven't played since 2023, you need to update your game to get the "Echoes of the Past" quest for free.
- Locate Saugus Ironworks: Travel just north of this location to trigger the initial radio signal.
- Invest in "Science!" and "Armorer": You cannot maximize Enclave gear without at least Rank 3 in both.
- Seek out the Atlantic Offices: This is the best spot for a high-level firefight and the best place to test your new Tesla Cannon.
- Check the Creation Club: Occasionally, there are free Enclave-themed weapon skins or workshop items that rotate through the shop. Keep an eye out.
The Commonwealth is a messy place. Adding a bunch of remnants from the old US government only makes it messier. But that’s exactly why we keep coming back to Boston, isn't it?