The Commonwealth Minutemen are a faction in the Commonwealth in 2287.
Background
The Commonwealth Minutemen are a volunteer civilian defense militia, described as citizen soldiers banding together to protect themselves and their communities.[1] Similar to the Minutemen of the Revolutionary era, the modern day group is focused on defending the people of Massachusetts, at a minute's notice.[2][3] A statue near the Old North Bridge commemorates the original group, standing where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired.[4]
The group first rose to prominence in 2180, when they defended Diamond City against a super mutant attack.[5] The Minutemen then attempted to branch out to organize a provisional government with regional settlements.[6] This effort was cut short when group members were murdered by the Institute's representative, a synth.[7] Meanwhile, the group established its headquarters at Fort Independence in South Boston, referring to it as "the Castle."[8] The group including Ronnie Shaw established an armory within the facility, guarded by a sentry bot named Sarge.[9] They maintained operations from this location until 2240, while under the leadership of General McGann, the headquarters were destroyed by a creature that emerged from the surrounding ocean.[8][10][11]
Quincy Massacre
The Minutemen continued in their goals of responding to requests for help from nearby settlements that were being attacked, lending their aid towards its defense.[12] The overall faction was historically led by a general and individual contingents led by a colonel.[13] The last Minutemen general, Joe Becker, died in 2282, but who should serve as successor was never agreed upon.[14][15] After General Becker's death, rivalries between different groups began to cause infighting and disorganization.[16][17] Some members left the group entirely, such as James Wire and Ronnie Shaw.[18][19][20]
The loss of stable leadership and internal squabbles began to erode the efficacy of the group, but the efforts of the Minutemen to respond to defense requests persisted.[21] One such request was from the citizens of Quincy, who were being attacked by a mercenary group known as the Gunners.[12] One group of Minutemen responded to Quincy's request, under the command of Colonel Ezra Hollis.[22][23] Preston Garvey, a Minutemen member since the age of 17, was in this group and assisted with the efforts to barricade the town against future attacks.[24][25] Hollis knew that they didn't have the numbers to hold the town against subsequent attacks, but repetitive requests for reinforcements from other Minutemen groups went unanswered.[22][23][25]
Shortly thereafter, Clint, a ten-year veteran of the Minutemen, arrived in Quincy not to provide reinforcements, but having defected to the Gunner side.[26][27] Hollis refused to stand down and the Gunners attacked in force, taking the high ground on the overpass.[28][29] Despite their best efforts, the Minutemen could not defend against the Gunners' superior numbers and position.[28][30] Colonel Hollis was captured alive, standing by Minutemen principles until the end, executed by Clint.[28] The rest of the inhabitants were killed with the exception of a few who fled with Garvey, who took over after Hollis' death.[28][31]
From Quincy, the small contingent that survived the massacre headed to Jamaica Plains, and then Lexington to find shelter.[32][33] Unable to settle there due to feral ghouls, they attempted to settle in Concord.[32][34] By the time the group reaches that destination, Preston believes he is the last member of the Minutemen alive, dedicated to protecting the surviving group of civilians.[22][35] Word of the Minutemen's inability to protect Quincy spread across the Commonwealth, where settlers will make disparaging remarks about the group and event.[36]
Organization
The general serves as the overall leader of the Minutemen, with individual groups by colonels. Members wear distinct uniforms along with various pieces of armor, and are often armed with their signature laser musket, as well as pipe weapons and double-barrel shotguns. They also utilize artillery, giving them the means to defend locations from afar. Once the Castle is reclaimed, the group begins to broadcast Radio Freedom as a way to send alerts across the Commonwealth.[37]
Interactions
Soon after escaping Vault 111, the Sole Survivor may come across the Museum of Freedom under attack by raiders. They must fight their way upstairs, where they are introduced to Preston Garvey, who is protecting a group from hostilities. If assistance is given, Garvey invites the Sole Survivor to join the Minutemen, they are promoted to the rank of general, and the main questline starts.
Throughout this questline, the Sole Survivor will be asked to lead the Minutemen and complete tasks to align more settlements with the Minutemen. Eventually, this will lead to Taking Independence, in which the Minutemen take back their former headquarters, the Castle. With all the Minutemen quests completed, new quests assigned by Preston Garvey will begin to cycle back through previously completed quests.
The Minutemen are neutral, and will stay friendly to the player character should they ally with the Institute, Brotherhood of Steel or the Railroad. However, the Sole Survivor can opt-out of any of those factions and work specifically with the Minutemen for the main quest. Upon completion of the Nuclear Option, soldiers from the army will patrol the Commonwealth's military checkpoints. Depending on the actions of the Sole Survivor, they may initiate the conflict in the Commonwealth against other factions:
- If the Sole Survivor enters into hostile relations with the Institute, a faction war between the Minutemen and the Institute starts and they can now enter the Minutemen route of the main quest. This route will lead to Defend the Castle against the synths and later on to the completion of the main quest with The Nuclear Option.
- If the main quest was finished with the Minutemen or the Brotherhood of Steel and the Sole Survivor has or gains hostile status to the Brotherhood, the two factions will go to war. The conflict in the Commonwealth will end with the optional Minutemen quest With Our Powers Combined, where the Minutemen use their artillery to bombard the Prydwen. After the Prydwen is destroyed, the Brotherhood will launch their final assault on the Castle. Once the assault is over, the conflict in the Commonwealth ends.
Named members
Leadership
Members
Captain Mercer - Colonel Marbury
- Lieutenant Foster
- Anderson
- Anthony
- Brent Savoldi
- Clint (formerly)
- Emma
- James Wire (formerly)
- Josh
- Ronnie Shaw
- Williams
Related quests
Main questline
- When Freedom Calls: A group of raiders is laying siege to a building in Concord. The Sole Survivor can help eliminate the threat to the settlers within.
- Sanctuary: The Sole Survivor can agree to help the people in Sanctuary Hills establish a permanent settlement.
- The First Step: Preston Garvey asks for one to travel to a nearby settlement that's requested help from the Minutemen. The player character can head there to see what they can do to help them.
- The Sight: Mama Murphy insists that she can see the future while under the influence of chems and asks the Sole Survivor to procure some for her. After each dose of chems, Mama Murphy will have a vision about the Sole Survivor's future.
- Taking Point: Preston informs the Sole Survivor of a promising site for a new settlement. He asks them to clear the settlement of enemies before building a recruitment radio beacon to attract new settlers.
- Taking Independence: Preston brings up the idea of retaking the Castle, suggesting that the radio transmitter there would help with communicating with the growing number of allied settlements. Preston will then ask the Sole Survivor how they would prefer to approach the attack.
- Old Guns: Ronnie Shaw informs the Sole Survivor of an armory hidden in the western bastion of the Castle that only she knows how to access. She will lead them to the area to do so.
- Inside Job: Once the signal interceptor has been built, Sturges will ask the Sole Survivor to insert a network scanner holotape inside the Institute's computer network to infiltrate it and download any available information.
- Form Ranks: Preston Garvey will state that the Minutemen are not strong enough to take on the Institute. They will need to recruit more settlements in order to have the manpower necessary to stand a chance.
- The Nuclear Option: Sturges analyzed the data from the Institute network and found a way to access it via an old tunnel providing cooling water to their reactor. He gives the Sole Survivor a holotape that will reprogram the relay to bring in the Minutemen and end the Institute.
- With Our Powers Combined: The Minutemen can remove the Brotherhood of Steel as a threat to the Commonwealth. With enough artillery batteries, they can attempt to take out the Prydwen with a surprise attack.
Side and radiant quests
- Defend the Castle: The Sole Survivor receives word that enemies are preparing to attack the Castle, and they can help defend it.
- Returning the Favor: Blake Abernathy asks the Sole Survivor to retrieve a locket from the raider hideout in USAF Satellite Station Olivia. If they are successful, his farm will join the Minutemen's cause.
- Clearing the Way: A settler tells the Sole Survivor that a nearby area has been infested with hostiles that are threatening their settlement. The settler will ask that they clear the infestation before mentioning that the infested area would be a good spot for another settlement.
- Ghoul Problem: An allied settlement is having trouble with feral ghouls, and needs help in dealing with them.
- Greenskins: A large group of super mutants has been raiding a settlement and causing trouble. A settler will point the Sole Survivor to the mutants' hideout and ask that they are eliminated for the safety of the settlement.
- Kidnapping: A settler has been kidnapped and their friends are in desperate need of help. The Sole Survivor can either give the settlement leader enough caps to pay the ransom, or they can offer to rescue the settler.
- Raider Troubles: Raiders have been harassing a settlement and causing trouble. The Sole Survivor must travel to the raider hideout and eliminate them.
- Resettle Refugees: The Sole Survivor is informed of a group of Institute refugees at a military checkpoint who are looking to resettle, and is asked to assist them.
- Rogue Courser: Preston Garvey has learned of a courser who has embedded himself within a raider gang. The Sole Survivor can take them out before they gain control and start causing significant problems.
- Stop the Raiding: A large group of raiders came by recently asking for tribute, which the settlement was forced to pay for their own protection. The settler will point the Sole Survivor to the raiders' hideout and ask that they are dealt with.
- Defend: A settlement is under imminent threat of an attack. The Sole Survivor can travel to the settlement and deal with the attackers.
- Defend the Artillery: A Brotherhood vertibird has been spotted near the settlement, scoping out the artillery. The settlers there will ask the Sole Survivor to help build up the settlement's defenses to protect against the upcoming attack.
Appearances
The Commonwealth Minutemen appear only in Fallout 4.
Behind the scenes
The faction is based on the real world Minutemen, a self-trained colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War, known for being ready "at a minute's notice."
References
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