Covenant (Settlement)

Learn how to claim Covenant as a settlement in Fallout 4 after the Human Error quest. Discover its unique challenges and building limitations.

Alright, so after you've dealt with the whole 'Human Error' quest in Fallout 4, you'll have the option to make Covenant a settlement. How you go about it really depends on the choices you made during that quest, so pay attention!

If you decided to go against Dr. Chambers and freed Amelia Stockton, you're in for a fight. The settlers there will see you as the enemy, meaning you'll have to clear them all out before you can claim the Workshop. Once that's done, it'll function like any other settlement, but you'll have a bit of a clean-up job first.

Now, if you sided with Dr. Chambers and accepted his deal, things play out differently. Head back to Covenant and chat with Jacob Orden. He'll be cool with you, and you can then claim the Workshop. The original settlers will stick around, giving you nine people right off the bat. Here's the catch: you can't actually give any of these original folks orders, not even the generic ones. Penny Fitzgerald and Doctor Patricia still work as merchants, a couple of the generic settlers and Ted Huntley are farmers, but the rest? Honestly, they're just taking up space, eating resources, and not contributing much. So, while you start with more people, it's not quite the advantage it might seem.

Building at Covenant can be a bit tricky, so let's talk strategy. You'll notice the existing turrets outside don't count towards your Defense rating, can't be moved, and can't be scrapped. They might help in a fight, but stat-wise, they're pretty useless. The good news is Covenant is walled off, which really limits where enemies can attack from. You can build some small platforms along the front (west-facing) wall and set up your own defenses there. Just keep in mind that the buildable area is pretty tight, extending only a little bit beyond the walls. You're not going to be building sprawling empires here.

Also, none of the houses or power lines can be destroyed, and the beds inside are fixed – you can't move or remove them. The settlement's irregular shape and the walls mean you'll have to get creative with your building. You'll probably only have enough space in the middle for a 2x3 structure, which isn't exactly ideal for moving around. Building upwards is definitely your best bet. You can create platforms along the west wall and towards the Workshop to the south without blocking anything important. Don't worry too much about making it look super realistic; you can suspend entire structures off a single ladder if you want, or use things like Scaffolding Frames and Shack Bridges to fake some support.

Building high does have its limits, though. The build height is roughly around the tops of the houses. If you build high enough to walk under your structure, you can probably get two stories up. However, much of that second floor might be above the build limit, so anything anchored to the ground like beds or crops will work, but don't expect to hang much from the walls or roof – though you can place roof tiles.

There's no standing water here, so no Water Purifiers, but most of the ground is dirt, which is great for farming. You'll definitely need to plant more crops, as the starting garden isn't enough for the current settlers, let alone any new ones. You can cram a lot of settlers into Covenant if you're willing to make compromises, but don't expect it to be like other, more forgiving settlements. Just focus on getting Scavenging Stations and beds wherever you can, and remember, done is better than perfect.

Or, you know, you could just scale back your expectations for Covenant and keep it small. There are plenty of other settlements that are way easier to work with if you're looking to invest your resources.