How to Get Power Armor Training in Fallout: New Vegas

Nothing says power fantasy like walking across the Mojave Wasteland in a suit of Power Armor. Here’s how to complete Power Armor Training in Fallout: New Vegas.

How to Use Power Armor in Fallout: New Vegas

If you’ve ever wanted to be a bipedal tank, then Power Armor is the outfit for you. But to use Power Armor, you first need Power Armor Training, which is a special perk in Fallout: New Vegas. To get this perk, you have two options:

• Join the Brotherhood of Steel after completing the quest ‘Still in the Dark’.
• Complete the quest ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ and learn the perk from Daisy Whitman.

Both quests are sprawling, but the Brotherhood of Steel quest will be your quickest option. I’ll delve into the steps to complete ‘Still in the Dark’ first, before diving into ‘For Auld Lang Syne’.

How to Complete ‘Still in the Dark’ in Fallout: New Vegas

To begin ‘Still in the Dark’, you’ll need to find Hidden Valley. Simply follow the highway North of Primm and turn right when you the Powder Ganger Camp North. Continue east and you’ll find a fenced area. If you hit Scorpion Gulch, you’ve gone too far.

Hidden Valley’s fence is broken in several places, but you can also go through its front gate, which is unlocked. Once inside Hidden Valley, look for the hill that hides the entrance of the bunker. Once you’ve found the bunker entrance, you have a variety of ways to get in. Those options are:

• Having a Lockpick skill of 100.
• Finding any of the three holotapes on the dead Brotherhood of Steel paladins.
• Being tasked by any faction’s storyline to find the Brotherhood of Steel.
• Having Veronica accompany you to the door.
• As part of the ‘ED-E My Love’ quest.

Lockpicking the door or using the Brotherhood of Steel passwords found on the holotapes will cause the Brotherhood of Steel to confiscate your entire inventory. But don’t worry — you’ll soon meet Elder McNamara and be assigned your first task. So, no matter how you get in, as long as you stay civil and non-hostile, you can pursue this quest to the end.

Having Vernoica grant you entrance is the fastest and most highly recommended way to complete this quest, as you’ll be able to skip the first task, keep your inventory, and you won’t have to wear an explosive collar.

Once you start this quest, you’ll have the option of helping either Elder McNamara or Head Paladin Hardin. No matter who you help, you’ll still be able to get the Power Armor perk in the end. So, choose which Brotherhood of Steel member you want as Elder, then complete the quest they give you to be initiated into the Brotherhood of Steel. Once you’re initiated, you’ll be granted T-45d Power Armor and the perk Power Armor Training.

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How to Start ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ in Fallout: New Vegas

Alternatively, you can pursue the quest ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ to get your Power Armor perk. This quest is part of Arcade Gannon’s companion quest. Arcade can be found at the Old Mormon Fort in Freeside. There are several ways to recruit him.

• Have a Liked or better reputation with the Followers of the Apocalypse.
• Complete ‘High Times’ for Julie Farkas.
• Pass a speech check of 75 or have the Confirmed Bachelor perk to bypass the speech check altogether.
• Have intelligence of 3 or lower to have him follow you out of pity.

Be aware that you’ll be blocked out of recruiting Arcade if you have a positive relationship with the Legion.

Once you have Arcade in your party, you’ll need to increase his approval by five trust points. You can do this by speaking to and flattering him, taking him to places that remind him of the Enclave, passing Intelligence checks, or completing quests for the Followers of the Apocalypse. When you’ve reached that coveted five points, you’ll need to hit one of five possible main quest triggers. Those quest triggers come late in the game, so note that the following list contains spoilers.

You must either:

• Report to Colonel Moore that Mr. House has been killed or disconnected.
• Report to Mr. House that the Brotherhood of Steel has been wiped out.
• Install Yes Man into the Lucky 38 mainframe.  

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Once you’ve done that, Arcade will approach you and ask if you have a moment to talk, triggering his companion quest. Arcade will ask you to recruit five old members of the Enclave, known as the Remnants, to discuss the battle at Hoover Dam. Unfortunately, if any of the five are dead, the quest can’t be completed.

The five Remnants are:

• Doctor Henry in Jacobstown.
• Cannibal Johnson in Cannibal Johnson’s Cave.
• Judah Kreger in Westside.
• Orion Moreno in the NCR sharecropper farms.
• Daisy Whitman in Novac.

You’ll need to convince them to come to a meeting place, which is the Remnants’ bunker. All five must attend. Once you’re inside, you’ll need to convince the Remnants and Arcade to fight during the final battle. I recommend siding with the NCR, as Orion will leave the room but can be convinced to stay with a high enough speech skill check.

If you opt to join the Legion, Cannibal Johnson and Arcade will leave and there is no way to convince them to stay. Either way, speak to Daisy after the meeting to get the Power Armor and learn the Power Armor training perk.