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The mini nuke, or micro-nuke,[1] is a small tactical nuclear warhead designed for use in a nuclear catapult weapon in Fallout 3.

Characteristics[]

Mini nukes are the most expensive type of ammunition due to their rarity, ranging from 250 to 400 caps each, depending on the player's Barter skill. They are the ammunition for the two most powerful weapons in the game: the Fat Man and the experimental MIRV. The explosion when fired is powerful, causing a characteristic mushroom cloud and leaving residual radioactivity. The users themselves may absorb radiation if they are close to the projectile, even after detonation.

Weapons using this ammunition[]

  • Fat Man
  • Experimental MIRV

Locations[]

There are a total of 70 mini nukes found openly in the world. Two more can be obtained by doing various quests. Another two are in random encounters, one of which only occurs after completing the Reilly's Rangers quest. Another can be found in Operation: Anchorage, 13 in Broken Steel, eight in Point Lookout and two in Mothership Zeta, making for 98 in total with all add-ons.

Available for free[]

Closest map marker Amount Description
Agatha's house 1 Inside Agatha's ammunition box. Get the key through dialogue.
Bethesda ruins 3 One in office west (move some crates on the top floor near a fridge), one in office east (near the exit to the catwalk, on top of a filing cabinet, in a pile of collapsed ceiling rubble), and one in the Underworks (in the storage room under a crate).
Broadcast tower KB5 3 One in a truck's trailer on an abandoned highway to the west,oOne northwest of the tower, in an abandoned house guarded by raiders, in the bathtub, and one northeast of the abandoned house in a bathtub between a skeleton's legs.
Broadcast tower KT8 1 In a drainage chamber (Signal Sierra Romeo) to the northeast, in the room with the Chinese remnant spies.
The Capitol Building 2 One carried by the Talon Company merc with the Fat Man, another on a shelf in the rotunda, near a missile launcher.
Cliffside cavern 1 In the northwestern chamber, on top of a Hard locked safe.
Corvega factory 1 In a derelict truck trailer on the road leading south from the factory.
Deathclaw sanctuary 1 Inside, near the entrance, next to the Endurance Bobblehead.
Evergreen Mills 1 To the east in the Calverton Chapel, on the table next to the combat shotgun trap, sometimes found knocked over onto the floor.
Five Axles Rest Stop 1 Inside the truck used by the raiders as a sleeping chamber.
Fort Bannister 1 Inside the main fort, at the top of the stairs in an Average locked room.
Fort Constantine 3 In the bomb storage: Two in a locked room (see You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head), one on a desk upstairs.
Fort Independence 2 In the room containing the Miss Launcher.
Franklin Metro utility 1 Underwater at the end of the submerged tunnel, on top of the radiation suit case.
Friendship Heights 1 West of Friendship Heights, in an enclosed super mutant camp, close to first aid and ammunition boxes.
GNR building plaza 8 Eight mini nukes and a Fat Man are on the body of a fallen Brotherhood of Steel soldier. This soldier only spawns during Following in His Footsteps. If this section of the main questline is skipped, they cannot be obtained.
Georgetown East 1 In La Maison Beauregard, on the billiards table.
Hallowed Moors Cemetery 1 Inside the chapel, in a crate by the radio.
Hamilton's hideaway 1 In the weapons cache behind a key-locked cell door (see Caching in with Three Dog).
Jocko's Pop & Gas stop 1 In the Signal Sierra Victor drainage chamber to the southeast, on a table.
Jury Street Metro station 1 1 in Gold Ribbon Grocers (see Rube's Gold Ribbon).
L.O.B. Enterprises 1 East wing, on top of a light fixture in the CEO's bathroom.
Marigold station 1 To the west at the Ghoul outpost, in a bucket on a shelf in the back room with the caged super mutant.
Meresti Metro station 1 On an inaccessible shelf near a workbench; must be knocked off to acquire.
National Archives 1 Sub-basement, in the generator room behind a Very Hard locked gate.
National Guard depot 5 Next to the experimental MIRV in the bunker.
Oasis 1 In the northernmost part of the sunken chambers, at the bottom of a pool.
Olney sewers 1 In a Very Hard locked closet.
Pylon shack 1 On the right-hand pylon footing.
Raider farmhouse 1 On the ground inside the barn, next to an open locker.
Raider wharf 1 On one of the wooden shelves on the dock.
Roosevelt Academy 1 Due east of the academy. Under a table, located on top of a small wooden platform alongside a dried-up riverbed. This is a wanderer's jetty.
SatCom Array NN-03d 2 On the hands of the dummy on top of tower C.
Seward Square 5 In the Preacher's alley. One directly underneath him, two by several barrels by the slide, one on the roundabout and one in a shopping cart.
Super-Duper Mart 1 On a table near a Protectron pod, in the pharmacy.
Tenpenny Tower 1 Inside Herbert Dashwood's safe (see A Manhandled Manservant).
The Roach King's throne 1 The Roach King keeps one behind their throne.
VAPL-58 power station 1 In the power station building, on top of the overhead light near the door.
VAPL-66 power station 1 On the ground next to the desk on the left side of the room, underneath hung corpses.
VAPL-84 power station 1 On the ground in the back of a trailer behind the station.
Vault 101 1 On a wooden shelf at the back of the barn just northwest of the Vault.
Vault 106 1 In the final chamber of the science lab level, after killing the survivor.
Wasteland gypsy village 1 In the eastern building of the village, laying on the floor next to a Duck and Cover! book.
White House 3 At the top of the stairs (outside), near a Fat Man.
Outcast outpost Operation: Anchorage (add-on) 1 In the reward armory after the Anchorage Reclamation simulation has been completed, on a shelf.
Adams Air Force Base Broken Steel 4 In the 2nd aircraft hangar on the eastern side from the entrance to the airstrip. Get in through the alley on the eastern side of the hangar, and check under the desk in the southeastern side, then behind some filing cabinets on the opposite wall. Another one is on a metal awning reached from the building adjacent to the building with the Sector 1 artillery note, along with 4 groups of 20 microfusion cells. A final one is located on top of the stacked yellow crates inside the hangar with the open deathclaw cages.
Adams storage facility Broken Steel 2 On a table next to the rapid-torch flamer, several missiles, and a number of .308 rounds.
The Citadel Broken Steel 3 Inside the armory after blowing up the Citadel in Who Dares Wins.
Old Olney S. Wilson Building Broken Steel 2 Inside the broken half of the radio tower, on a debris shelf. Get to the east side of the top level and jump down to reach them.
Old Olney underground Broken Steel 1 Inside the hospital, hidden in a room filled with toys, with a teddy bear sitting on it.
Presidential sub level Broken Steel 1 Inside the metro car behind the one with the senate employee ID, next to a skeleton with a laser pistol.
Calvert Mansion Point Lookout (add-on) 1 Enter the Chinese intelligence bunker (access granted only via The Velvet Curtain quest) take a left, down the stairs and the mini nuke will lie on a shelf next to the door on the opposite wall.
Coastal grotto Point Lookout (add-on) 1 The first door on the right rounding the corner and seeing Plik. The mini nuke is in the back on the table, next to Plik's journal.
Grower's shack Point Lookout (add-on) 1 On the table next to the bed.
Naval recruiting center Point Lookout (add-on) 1 In the small office, next to the computer.
Pilgrim's Landing Point Lookout (add-on) 1 Beneath the buoy right behind the riverboat is a half overturned non-movable metal crate close to a standing mannequin. The mini nuke is in this crate.
Trash heap Point Lookout (add-on) 1 In the open safe next to the bedframe, on top of the heap.
Turtledove Detention Camp Point Lookout (add-on) 1 In the administration building to the west entering the camp. The mini nuke is on the top shelf in the armory immediately to the left when entering the building.
Warehouse Point Lookout (add-on) 1 Next to a camera on the shelf pressed against the western wall.
Cargo hold Mothership Zeta (add-on) 1 Follow the conveyor belt in any direction and the mini nuke will stand in one of the turns down in the southeast corner.
Engineering core Mothership Zeta (add-on) 1 Right before entering the decompression chamber during Among the Stars, it will be on the left along with several magazines of 5.56mm rounds and other ammunition types, on a chair.
Random encounter 1 Carried by a dead scavenger, who is also carrying a Fat Man.
Super mutant behemoths and overlords 0 - 4 Each of the four armored mutant behemoths (except the one at Evergreen Mills) has a possibility of spawning a single mini nuke. These four are not guaranteed. Overlords may carry up to three.
Flak 'N Shrapnel's in Rivet City 0 - 5 Up to five every three in-game days.

Available through quests[]

Closest map marker Amount Description
Megaton/Underworld 1 Obtained from Moira Brown after completing all of the objectives in the Wasteland Survival Guide.
Canterbury Commons 1 Obtained from Lucky Harith by investing twice in him for the Merchant Empire quest.
Random 1 Obtained from Donovan for completing Reilly's Rangers.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Lucky Harith: "I hear you're my mysterious investor! With your help, I've collected quite a few toys for myself. But what good are toys if they aren't played with? Thanks to you I have so many, I could hardly play with them all. So, I present to you a prize of the collection, a micro-nuke. Enjoy it in safety!"
    (Lucky Harith's dialogue)
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