The story inFallout: New Vegasis as much about the various factions vying for power as it is about the player character’s, the Courier. As the player goes through the campaign, they are faced with different ways to side against or with various groups. These range from the huge democraticNew California Republicto the relatively tiny tribe of chem dealers called the Great Khans.
Ultimately, the player has to side with one of the major factions to end the story. But along the way, there are many smaller factions that play pivotal roles in the way that events unfold in New Vegas. Some of these factions can fight side by side with the player at the climactic Battle of Hoover Dam, or fade into obscurity like so many others before them.
8The Omertas
Crime Family That Sides With The Legion
The Omertas are one of the Three Families on the Strip of New Vegas, along with The Chairmen and the White Glove Society. They run the Gomorrah casino, and act as if that is enough for them. In reality, Nero made a deal with Caesar’s Legion to attack the Strip during the Battle of Hoover Dam in order to elevate their position of power in the Mojave.
The player has multiple ways of influencing the Omertas' role in the story. By siding with the Legion and finishing the Omertas' quest, they will successfully take over the Strip. Other endings involve sabotaging the NCR’s monorail or never attempting the coup if the player stopped them. This faction’s role is largely determined bywhat the player choosesto do during the main storyline.
7White Glove Society
Former Raiders Who Haven’t Given Up On Their Old Ways
The White Glove Society runs the Ultra-Luxe Casino on the Strip. They see themselves as better than their fellow wastelanders, and dress to match their self-esteem. Like the other two “Families” on the Strip, they were raiders to whom Mr. House offered wealth and power in exchange for their loyalty.
The White Glove Society had the extra perk that Mr. House would not reveal their former tribe’s name, as they had a horrible (but well-deserved) reputation as cannibals. This is the only one of the Three Families that the player cangain or lose Reputationwith, and players can also choose to push the tribe to embrace their cannibalistic ways again. Their quest is a disturbing look into a unique raider tribe, and helps boost replayability given the multiple endings that the faction can have.
6The Enclave Remnants
The Enclaveis one of the most evil organizations in theFalloutuniverse. While it originally formed from remnants of the United States Government, the group became twisted over the centuries into a fascist paramilitary organization. They served as the main villains inFallout 3,where they planned to subvert the Brotherhood’s plan to purify water in the Capitol Wasteland to instead kill anyone who ingested it.
There are only a few scattered survivors from the Enclave in the Mojave, having been shunned by the Followers of the Apocalypse and even hunted by the NCR and the Brotherhood of Steel. The player can reassemble the aging Enclave survivors and convince them to fight for either the NCR or Caesar’s Legion at the climax of the game. Despite their minor representation in this game, the Enclave is one of the most iconic groups in the franchise.
5The Great Khans
Violent Raiders With An Education
The Great Khans were welcomed by the Followers of the Apocalypse when they first arrived in the Mojave. Rather than uplifting the raiders into upstanding helpers, this knowledge turned them into the best chem dealers around. The Great Khans quickly became rich byselling the chemsthey started to make, and everything was great until the Three Families declared war on them.
They were pushed out of New Vegas to Bitter Springs, until the NCR later attacked them there as well. At the time of the game, the Great Khans have a base in Red Rock Canyon. They are the most organized tribe of raiders in the area, and plan to help the Legion take Hoover Dam. Like the other minor factions in the game, the player can choose how to deal with them. Most of their endings involve the tribe’s demise, but there is one in which they team up with the Followers of the Apocalypse and start a great empire after the game is over.
4The Chairmen
The First Tribe Back On The Strip
The Chairmen were just another tribe of raiders in the Mojave Wasteland, until one of Mr. House’s Securitrons made them an offer to help rebuild the Vegas Strip. They were given the Tops Casino as a new base, although most of their interactions with Mr. House were related to giving him a cut of their profits.
Benny, their leader, learned about Mr. House’s plan to use the Platinum Chip to make New Vegas an independent power, and shot the courier who was carrying it to the Strip. This kicks off the game’s story, as the player controls this courier. The player can eventually enact this plan by siding with theChairmen’s Securitron, Yes-Man, and seizing power for themselves. The Chairmen’s integral role in the Mojave Wasteland make them an interesting faction that players will remember, if only for Benny’s swagger.
3Followers of the Apocalypse
Faction Focused On Medical And Agricultural Education
The Followers of the Apocalypse are dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for the people of the Mojave Wasteland. One of their members, Arcade Gannon, is alsoa potential companionfor the player to travel with. As a humanitarian organization, they accept any willing member as long as they are committed to the cause of spreading medical and agricultural knowledge to the people of the wasteland.
They’re one of the few factions in theFalloutfranchise that seems focused on helping others, regardless of their own wealth. The Followers can also help fight the battle for Hoover Dam if the player sides with the NCR.
2The Mojave Chapter Of The Brotherhood of Steel
An Isolated Group Of An Iconic Faction
The Brotherhood of Steel is possibly the most recognizable group in theFalloutfranchise, thanks to the power armor that their Knights wear. They were also the largest faction inFallout 3, which made many players favor them across the franchise’s entries. Their overarching philosophy is to hoard and preserve pre-war technology, and so they oppose groups who seek to improve or even use tech from before the Great War.
InNew Vegas,the Mojave Chapter was sent to the region to secure Hoover Dam and thus gain access to practically limitless electricity. However, the NCR moved into the region and had similar goals. After multiple disputes, the Brotherhood’s activities became severely limited to preserve the secrecy of their base. This isolation is a major threat to the faction, and only the player can intervene in order to save them. The major departure from the Brotherhood’s previous grandiosity makes this a memorable faction.
1Boomers
Former Vault Dwellers Obsessed With Explosives
The Boomers were vault dwellers who rebelled against their Overseer and left Vault 34 when overpopulation stretched resources thin. After leaving the vault, the Boomers' knowledge of tactics and guns helped them overcome raider groups in their area. They eventually found Nellis Air Force Base and were able to move in without opposition because it was historically heavily irradiated.
Boomers were able to train as pilots by using simulators, and the player can help them recover and repair a B-29 Bomber that they can use in the Battle of Hoover Dam. Even without that, this faction has a large arsenal of howitzers, rocket launchers, and explosives. Every major player in the region wants the Boomers on their side, which makes them the most valuable asset to anyone fighting at Hoover Dam in the game’s climactic battle.
