In Fallout: New Vegas, the primary point of junk is to serve as a valuable resource for bartering and, for specific items, crafting. These seemingly worthless items are crucial for progression and survival in the Mojave Wasteland.
Bartering and Earning Caps
The most common use for the vast majority of junk items found throughout the game world is to sell them to vendors. While individual pieces of junk might not fetch a high price, collecting them in bulk quickly adds up, providing a steady income of caps—the primary currency in Fallout: New Vegas.
- Funding Essentials: Caps are vital for purchasing:
- Improved weapons and armor.
- Crucial ammunition for various weapon types.
- Healing items like Stimpaks and RadAway.
- Repair services for damaged equipment.
- Aid items that boost skills or provide temporary buffs.
- Trader Income: Every container, fallen enemy, and forgotten corner of the wasteland can yield junk. Smart players routinely gather these items to maximize their selling potential, ensuring they can afford everything they need from merchants.
Crafting Components
While bartering is the dominant use, a select portion of junk items are essential components for crafting. Fallout: New Vegas features robust crafting systems that allow players to create useful items, ammunition, and even unique weapons.
- Crafting Stations: Junk can be utilized at various crafting stations found in the game:
- Workbenches: Used for creating weapon modifications, ammunition types, and utility items.
- Campfires: Primarily for cooking food, brewing chems, and crafting unique items often requiring specific ingredients.
- Reloading Benches: Dedicated to crafting and breaking down ammunition, essential for players who want to conserve or customize their ammo supply.
Common Crafting Junk Examples
Certain junk items are specifically tagged or recognized by the game as crafting components. Knowing which items to hoard can save you caps and time.
| Junk Item (Example) | Common Crafting Use(s) |
|---|---|
| Scrap Metal | Weapon repair kits, certain ammunition types, weapon mods |
| Scrap Electronics | Various high-tech items, weapon mods, energy weapon ammo |
| Wonderglue | Weapon repair kits, specialized weapon mods |
| Duct Tape | Weapon repair kits, various utility items |
| Empty Syringe | Crafting Chems (e.g., Stimpaks, Super Stimpaks) |
| Fission Battery | Energy cells, high-tech weapon mods |
| Empty Soda Bottle | Incendiary devices (e.g., Molotov Cocktails) |
| Tin Can | Certain traps, specific weapon mods |
Understanding the distinction between junk primarily for selling and junk useful for crafting is key to efficient inventory management in Fallout: New Vegas. For more details on crafting, you can explore resources like the Fallout Wiki's crafting section.
