My 10mm Pistol gets used for most of the weaker enemies like Bloat Flies and weaker Ghouls types. I keep that .38 Pipe Gun for blowing up landmines and the odd Radroach. If I need a little more power, but not that of a rifle, I use the a Laser Pistol (Righteous Authority as a pistol) which has a little more damage than the 10mm Pistol. The Laser Pistol is better on wild and mutated dogs and some of the tougher Ghoul types. The nice thing is that both the 10mm and the .38 (not the Laser Pistol) can be silenced weapons (and I have those modifications installed) that don't wake up the whole combat area which keeps me alive a little longer. I tend to snipe with either an Institute Pistol or the Bolt-Action Pipe Pistol since pistols get a bonus to range (farther than rifles) with the Gunslinger perk. The Bolt-Action Pipe Pistol is silenced while the Institute Pistol is quite and seems to be acting like it is silenced too. Again, being quite doesn't stir up trouble.
When Super Mutants, or any of the other tougher enemies, get closer the Combat Shotgun (counts as a Rifle) can finish the job. When I don't know what is coming at me or if the enemy is really big then my Overseer's Guardian (a legendary Combat Rifle) comes out. The Combat Shotgun and Overseer's Guardian are noisy but by then there is nowhere to hide and I need to put those enemies down fast. The character I am playing doesn't use Power Armor (better for stealth game play) and has a very low Endurance (I can put in more points for other attributes early in the game) so I can't stand and fight with a weak pistol firing a hundreds of shots to put something down. Well, it feels like hundreds of shots while they are doing more damage to you than you are to them.
Recently I acquired the Deliverer (legendary 10mm silenced pistol) working for the Railroad faction. I also randomly got a 10mm Pistol with the Deadeye (slows time while aiming) effect. The Deliverer gets used at close range and in V.A.T.S. while I put a scope on "Deadeye" and use that for longer range sniping. I also have another 10mm Pistol with the Enraging (target attacks everything - including friends) effect that I want to try on tougher enemy groups. One of the great reasons for having both Pistols (Gunslinger) and Rifles (Rifleman) as skills (to increase damage) is that you can take advantage of more weapons with a legendary effect on them. Legendary effects are just as important as what type of weapon you are using. Legendary effects can make a weak weapon or weapon type very powerful. I may not be able to drop an enemy with one shot with that Enraging 10mm pistol. But having a target turn around and attack its friends for me can completely change the dynamics of a battle.
In the future I will probably want to add Automatic and Heavy weapons to my skills for the variety and tactical advantages I will get with more choices. But for now, Rifles and Pistols together have made the game easier and more fun.
Recently I acquired the Deliverer (legendary 10mm silenced pistol) working for the Railroad faction. I also randomly got a 10mm Pistol with the Deadeye (slows time while aiming) effect. The Deliverer gets used at close range and in V.A.T.S. while I put a scope on "Deadeye" and use that for longer range sniping. I also have another 10mm Pistol with the Enraging (target attacks everything - including friends) effect that I want to try on tougher enemy groups. One of the great reasons for having both Pistols (Gunslinger) and Rifles (Rifleman) as skills (to increase damage) is that you can take advantage of more weapons with a legendary effect on them. Legendary effects are just as important as what type of weapon you are using. Legendary effects can make a weak weapon or weapon type very powerful. I may not be able to drop an enemy with one shot with that Enraging 10mm pistol. But having a target turn around and attack its friends for me can completely change the dynamics of a battle.
In the future I will probably want to add Automatic and Heavy weapons to my skills for the variety and tactical advantages I will get with more choices. But for now, Rifles and Pistols together have made the game easier and more fun.
