Fallout 76's The latest update, Gleaming Depths, has introduced some new features and game modes. It also changed the way legendary items worked. Before this update, an item could only have 3 legendary effects outside of cursed and unique-named weapons.
Now, players can unlock 4-star effects that can be applied to weapons and armor pieces. These are the new effects that are introduced with this update. While there has been some negativity surrounding this feature, it gives experienced players new items to work towards unlocking. This guide goes through everything there is to know about the new 4-star legendary system.

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How to get a 4 star legendary item
It is not possible to roll a 4-star legendary item. but, A fourth effect can be applied to an existing weapon or armor piece, provided the player has the means to craft it.In order to craft a 4-star legendary effect, you need the 4-star effect box mod. You'll also need some resources. Resources depend on the mode you are trying to craft. Items range from junk items and pure water to certain serums and vault steel. There are a total of 30 4-star legendary effects. 14 is for weapons, and 16 is made to go in weapons and power armor pieces.
These box mods are a bit harder to get. While they can be traded between players, because they are new, and very rare, if you want to buy one from another player, then you are willing to spend a lot to get one.
As with all other legendary effects in the game, players have a small chance of getting a 4-star legendary box mod when scraping a 4-star legendary item. There is also a small chance for the player to learn how to make a box mod themselves. However, the chances are incredibly slim.
You get 4-star legendary items by completing raids. Raid is the newest game mode introduced Fallout 76. It is aimed at high-level players and those who work well as part of a team. There has been a lot of talk on various online forums about the 4-star enemies that can be found in Appalachia. However, this appears to be untrue. While this feature was being tested, 4-star enemies could spawn outside of raids. But, for now, at least, it looks like players can only pick up 4-star legendary items by raiding.

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4-star legendary weapon effects
As mentioned, there are a total of 14 4-star legendary weapon effects. Each differs in utility and value. While they are all relatively rare, some are much more sought after and more valuable than others. The full list of 4-star legendary weapon effects can be seen in the table below:
the name |
effect |
---|---|
of the stabilizer |
Improves weapon recoil and stability by +50% |
of the viper |
When a combat target is poisoned, deal +50% bonus damage |
of the Pyromaniac |
When a combat target is burning, deal +50% bonus damage |
Pin-pointer |
+50% damage when targeting enemy appendages |
the polish |
Item Condition (+100%), Greater Weapon Damage (+60%) |
of the iceman |
Cryo Hit applies that slow targets while dealing damage in VATS |
of fracture |
When an enemy is crippled, they explode and deal 50 explosion damage to nearby targets. |
Pounder's |
+1% auto and 10% non-auto damage buff to the same combat target after each consecutive melee |
of the fencer |
+12.5% wind damage. An additional +12.5% for each nearby team (up to +50% for the full team) |
encircle |
+10% damage (+up to 50%) for each combat target around you |
of the conductor |
Critical hits restore 5% of health and action points for players and teammates within a 50-foot radius |
Combo Breaker |
When dealing damage, 50% chance of not using Action Points (10% chance for auto-halal weapons) |
of electricians |
When reloading, emit a shock wave that stuns nearby targets for 3 seconds |
of the bully |
When attacking outside of VATS, deal +50% bonus weak-point damage |
The most sought after are Pyromaniac's, Viper's, and Pin-Pointer's. It is important to keep in mind that these box mods and rarity values will change over time. Over time, these mods will become less rare and therefore slightly less valuable. Also, Bethesda likes to make changes to the effects. So, it is possible that what is seen as valuable today, may become significantly less valuable after future updates.
4-star legendary armor effects
As for legendary armor effects, it is divided into two categories; Standard Armor and Power Armor. That said, some box mods can be applied to both regular armor and power armor pieces. While value is subjective, 4-star legendary armor mods are slightly more valuable than most 4-star weapon mods. All 4-star legendary armor effects can be seen in the table below:
the name |
Armor type |
effect |
---|---|---|
of a battle-loader |
Armor and Power Armor |
15% chance to instantly reload when hitting enemies (up to 70% on full stacks) |
Bruiser's |
Armor and Power Armor |
Melee Weapons Deal +5% bonus damage (up to +25% at full stack) |
Aegis |
Power Armor |
Strengthens physical and energy resistance by +50 and resistance to poison, cryo, and fire by +20 for wearer and teammates within a 50-foot radius |
choo-choo |
Power Armor |
500 damage and 10% chance for Bloody Mess when running into a target (up to 50% chance at full stack) |
of Miasma |
Armor and Power Armor |
When hit, poison cloud damages nearby targets for 10 seconds (poison damage increases per equipped piece) |
Propelling |
Power Armor |
Movement and sprint speed increased by +5% (up to +25% at full stack) |
Break the boundaries |
Armor and Power Armor |
Each worn piece reduces the cost of critical hits by -10% (up to -50% on a full stack). |
Radioactive-powered |
Power Armor |
Gain +2 Action Point Regen at the cost of RADS (up to +10 Action Point Regen at full stack) |
contemplative |
Power Armor |
Return 10% of damage taken from enemy targets (up to 50% at full stack) |
of the ranger |
Armor and Power Armor |
Ranged weapon deals + 5% bonus damage (up to 25% at full stack) |
of the runner |
Armor and Power Armor |
Sprinting action point cost reduced by -20% (up to -100% at full stack) |
to rejuvenate |
Power Armor |
Gradually restores the health and action points of the wearer and teammates within a 50ft radius |
Saubons |
Armor and Power Armor |
Health regenerates slowly (+1 health per second) (up to +5 health per second on full stacks) |
Scanner |
Power Armor |
Action point cost of VATS attacks reduced by -5% (up to -25% at full stack) |
of Stalwart |
Power Armor |
Power Armor Breaks 5% slow for boss and all teammates within 50 feet (up to 25% slow at full stack) |
of the tank |
Armor and Power Armor |
+200 damage resistance for 10 seconds when immobilized (20 second cooldown) (up to +1000 at full stack) |
Aegis, Reflective, Rejuvenator's, and Ranger's are seen as the most valuable box mods for armor pieces. As mentioned in the Weapons section above, the values will change and eventually go down as more players get their hands on these mods by completing raids. Each box mod can only be applied to one piece of armor, grinding to get a specific box mod for each piece of armor is long. However, if you're lucky enough to unlock the ability to craft one of the more desirable armor effects, then putting together a full set of top-tier 4-star legendary armor won't be that difficult.