Hidden away in a hole in the ground, clutching laser rifles they can barely find batteries for, the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout New Vegas is a far cry from the shining knights you see on the box art of other games. If you’ve played Fallout 3 or Fallout 4, you’re used to them being this massive, world-altering force. They have the giant robots. They have the airships. In the Mojave? They’re basically a dying social club with high-end toys and a massive grudge.
It's a weird vibe. Honestly, it’s one of the most grounded depictions of a "high-tech" faction in any RPG because it shows what happens when a group is too stubborn to change even when the world is literally passing them by. They aren't the heroes. They aren't the villains, either. They’re just... stuck.
The Mojave Chapter is Living in a Grave
The Mojave chapter is led by Elder McNamara, a man who is clearly exhausted. When you first find their bunker in Hidden Valley, they don't greet you with open arms. They put an explosive collar on your neck. That tells you everything you need to know about their current mental state. They are terrified.
They’re hiding because of the Battle of HELIOS One. This is a massive piece of lore that defines why the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout New Vegas feels so defeated. Years before the game starts, they fought the New California Republic (NCR) for control of a solar power plant. The Brotherhood had the better gear, sure. Power armor is no joke. But the NCR had more bodies than the Brotherhood had bullets. It was a massacre. Father Elijah, the Elder at the time, went missing, and the survivors crawled into the Hidden Valley bunker and locked the door.
They've been under "Lockdown" ever since.
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Why they can't just leave
It's about their Codex. The Brotherhood follows a strict set of rules that dictates they must "secure and preserve" pre-war technology. In their heads, they are the only ones responsible enough to hold a plasma rifle. They think everyone else is a child playing with matches. The problem is that while they were sitting in the dark, the rest of the world grew up. The NCR built a government. Caesar’s Legion built an army. The Brotherhood just built a taller fence.
The Leadership Crisis: McNamara vs. Hardin
If you spend any time in the bunker, you’ll realize the faction is eating itself from the inside. You have two main paths here. You can help Elder McNamara, who wants to keep the lockdown in place to ensure survival, or you can back Head Paladin Hardin.
Hardin is a hardliner. He thinks the lockdown is a sign of weakness. He wants to go back to the old ways—raiding, fighting, and asserting dominance. But here’s the kicker: Hardin’s way probably gets them all killed faster. If they come out swinging, the NCR will just send another ten battalions to finish what they started at HELIOS One. McNamara’s way is slow death by irrelevance. It’s a classic "rock and a hard place" scenario that makes the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout New Vegas one of the most interesting factions to interact with.
The Veronica Factor
You can't talk about this group without mentioning Veronica Santangelo. She’s a Scribe, and she’s the best companion in the game for anyone wanting to understand the Brotherhood’s soul. She sees the writing on the wall. She knows that if they don't find a way to produce their own food or interact with the outside world, they’re going to go extinct.
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Her personal quest, "I Could Make You Care," is heartbreaking because no matter what "miracle" technology you find for her to show the Elders, they reject it. They are so blinded by their own tradition that they’d rather die "pure" than live changed. It’s a brutal bit of writing by the team at Obsidian. It highlights the central theme of the whole game: letting go.
Can You Actually Save the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout New Vegas?
"Saving" is a strong word. In the grand scheme of the Mojave Wasteland, the Brotherhood is a minor player. However, you have a few ways to handle them depending on which ending you're going for.
If you’re working with the NCR, Colonel Moore will straight-up tell you to wipe them out. She doesn't want to deal with a bunch of technophiles living in a bunker behind her lines. But, if you haven't replaced McNamara with Hardin, you can actually broker a peace treaty. It’s one of the few times the Brotherhood admits they need help. They agree to patrol the roads and hand over some tech in exchange for being left alone.
If you’re working for Mr. House? Forget it. House hates them. He calls them "terrorists" and "ridiculous cosplayers." He’ll force you to blow up the bunker. No exceptions. House knows that the Brotherhood's ideology is fundamentally incompatible with his vision of a rebuilt, high-tech Vegas.
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Dealing with the Bunker's Self-Destruct
If you do decide to take them out—or if Mr. House makes you—it’s not a simple firefight. Those Paladins hit hard. Your best bet is usually the self-destruct terminal. You need a high Science skill (100) or you have to pickpocket three different keycards from the ranking officers: McNamara, Hardin, and Head Scribe Taggart. Once that countdown starts, you have to run. Watching the bunker collapse into the sand is a grim ending for a legendary faction, but in the context of the Mojave, it almost feels inevitable.
Common Misconceptions About the Mojave Chapter
A lot of players go into New Vegas thinking the Brotherhood are the "good guys" because of Fallout 3. They aren't. They’re isolationists. They don't care about the people of the Mojave. If they saw a settler with a high-tech water purifier, they’d likely take it by force "for the settler's own safety."
- They aren't tech-gods: They are struggling to repair their own gear.
- They aren't a massive army: There are maybe a few dozen actual combat-ready Paladins left.
- They aren't unified: The shadow of Father Elijah still hangs over them, and his madness at the Sierra Madre (in the Dead Money DLC) shows just how far a Brotherhood member can fall when they lose their way.
How to Handle Your First Encounter
If you want to get on their good side without losing your head, don't just stumble into the bunker. If you have Veronica in your party, she can get you in without the whole "explosive collar" drama. It saves a lot of time and prevents you from having to do chores for the Brotherhood just to prove you aren't an NCR spy.
Once you're in, focus on the "Still in the Dark" quest. It’s a long, multi-part mission that sends you all over the map to find holotapes from missing scouts. It’s tedious, honestly. But it’s the only way to earn their trust and eventually get Power Armor training. In New Vegas, you can’t just put on the suit; someone has to teach you how to move in it without crushing your own ribs.
The Verdict on their Survival
The Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout New Vegas represents the death of an era. They are a relic of the post-war world that hasn't realized the "post-post-war" world has already begun. Whether they survive the game's ending depends entirely on your intervention. Left to their own devices, they remain a footnote in history, eventually running out of air and spare parts in a hole in the desert.
To truly master your interaction with this faction, you should prioritize your Science and Lockpick skills before entering Hidden Valley. Having Veronica as a companion is also non-negotiable for the best narrative experience. If you plan on siding with the NCR, do not let Hardin take over, or you will be forced to commit genocide against the chapter. Your best path is to maintain the status quo with McNamara and bridge the gap between the bunker and the Republic, ensuring that their technology serves a purpose other than gathering dust.