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For an overview of small energy cell ammunition types, see energy cell. |
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The energy cell (EC), or small energy cell (SEC), is a type of ammunition in Fallout: New Vegas.
Characteristics[]
Energy cells are small, self-contained energy storage units often associated with one-handed energy weapons and act essentially as a very powerful battery or capacitor. They are the standard ammunition used by the majority of pistol-sized energy weapons, and as such are widely available across the Mojave Wasteland.
Production[]
Recycling[]
After firing, there is a chance that spent energy cells will turn into drained small energy cells. These are automatically placed in the player character's inventory. Drained energy cells can then be recycled back into usable ammunition at a workbench.
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Science: 10 |  | Energy cell (1) |
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science: 35 (actually requires 70)¹ | | Energy cell (1) |
With the Honest Hearts add-on, drained energy cells can also be recharged using a fission battery.
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fission battery (1) | | Science: 45 | | Energy cell (25) |
¹ Due to the Vigilant Recycler perk having Science 70 as a prerequisite, efficient recycling can not be made at the skill level set.
Conversion[]
Conversion (type)[]
Energy cells can be converted into, and from, other energy weapon ammunition types (i.e. electron charge packs and microfusion cells) at a workbench, with the appropriate Science skill.
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science: 50 | | Energy cell (1) |
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Microfusion cell (2) | | Science: 30 | | Energy cell (3) |
Conversion (variant)[]
The player character can also combine partially charged cells together to make more powerful variants that improve damage and bypass more enemy DT but will burn out the weapon's components faster.
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy cell (3) | | Science: 30 | | Energy cell over charge (2) |
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy cell (5) | | Science: 70 | | Energy cell max charge (2) |
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy cell (3) | | Science: 40 (actually requires 70)¹ | | Energy cell optimized (GRA) (2) |
¹ Due to the Vigilant Recycler perk having Science 70 as a prerequisite, none of the optimized recipes can be made at the skill level set.
Weapons using this ammunition[]
Compliance Regulator- Laser pistol
- Laser pistol (GRA)
- Missing laser pistol
- Pew Pew
- Plasma Defender
- Plasma Defender (GRA)
- Plasma pistol
- Plasma pistol (GRA)
- Pulse gun
- Sonic emitter
- Sonic emitter - Gabriel's bark
- Sonic emitter - opera singer
- Sonic emitter - revelation
- Sonic emitter - robo-scorpion
- Sonic emitter - tarantula
Variants[]
Energy cell, bulk[]
Bulk energy cells are less potent than the standard version but are cheaper to purchase. The reduced charge results in only 85% of normal weapon damage and no Damage Threshold negation (standard energy cells negate 2 points), but also reduces the strain on the weapon as well, reducing weapon degradation rate to 85% of normal. The bulk design also means a significantly reduced chance of recovering a drained energy cell (only 20% compared to the standard 35%).
Energy cell, over charge[]
This ammunition is more powerful than standard energy cells. It increases the damage output of weapons by 25% and has a -5 Damage Threshold effect on enemies (standard energy cells give -2 to DT), but degrades weapons 50% faster than normal and only has a 25% chance to recover a drained energy cell (the normal recovery rate is 35%).
Energy cell, max charge[]
This is the most powerful of the energy cell variants. Max charge energy cells increase weapon damage output to 1.5 times normal and have an armor-piercing effect of -10 Damage Threshold, but causes weapons to degrade at 2.5 times the normal rate and drained energy cells can only be recovered 10% of the time.
Energy cell, optimized[]
Added in the Gun Runners' Arsenal add-on, the optimized energy cell causes 30% more damage, has an armor-piercing effect of -5 Damage Threshold and weighs only 60% of the weight of all other energy cells in Hardcore mode. A drained energy cell can be recovered at a higher rate than even standard ammunition (40%, up 5% from standard). The only drawback is a 10% increase in weapon degradation. It requires Vigilant Recycler and can only be crafted at a workbench. This type of energy cell is superior in all properties compared to overcharged energy cells.
Comparison[]
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | - Ammunition Type |  | Weapons spread modifier | |
 | - Weapon Damage modifier |  | Ammo bonus effect | |
 | - Target Damage Threshold modifier |  | - Ammo is craftable | |
 | - Weapon condition modifier |  | - Percentage change of empty casing, hull or drained cell/pack/tank | |
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| energy cell, standard | x 1 | - 2 | x 1 | x 1 |  | 35% chance | |
| energy cell, bulk | x 0.85 | x 1 | x 0.85 | x 1 |  | 20% chance | |
| energy cell, over charge | x 1.25 | - 5 | x 1.5 | x 1 | | 25% chance | |
energy cell, optimized  | x 1.3 | - 5 | x 1.1 | x 1 | 60% of standard weight | | 40% chance |
| energy cell, max charge | x 1.5 | - 10 | x 2.5 | x 1 | | 10% chance |
Locations[]
- Hidden Valley bunker - If the Courier gains Accepted status or higher with the Brotherhood of Steel, they will be approached by a BoS initiate telling them that they have placed recycled ammunition in a box at the bottom of the entrance stairs to the L1 area. The box will be replenished randomly with energy cells, microfusion cells, and electron charge packs, providing a continuous supply of energy weapons ammunition.
- 240 rounds can be stolen at the Silver Rush, They're lying on a long shelf near the entrance.
- When killed, Mister Gutsies and Protectrons will have small amounts on them.
- Extremely large numbers can be found in one of the boxes that appears during Caesar's Favor and Caesar's Hire (sometimes over 1800 can be found). The box that holds the cells only appears once reaching Idolized reputation with Caesar's Legion.
- With 45 Science, 1 fission battery and 5 drained small energy cells can be used to create a batch of 25 energy cells at a workbench.
- In the Sink, once Muggy has been activated and fully upgraded, he will provide a single batch of 50 every 24 hours.
- Once the sonic emitter has been upgraded, and if Doctor 8 survives after completing Old World Blues, he will give 100 regular, overcharged and max charged energy cells every 24 hours.
- 200 cells are in the underwater section of the magnetohydraulics complex.
- ED-E can provide 20 energy cells a day after reaching rank 2 of the Camarader-E perk. This can be increased to 35 energy cells a day after passing a Repair 65 check through dialogue with him.
Notes[]
Despite their name, energy cells are abbreviated as "SEC" (small energy cell) at workbenches. Additionally, the drained cell sometimes left behind and the bulk ammunition box also adopts this trait, being called small "drained energy cell" and "ammo box, small energy cell, bulk" respectively.
Behind the scenes[]
Displacer gloves and zap gloves have a visible energy cell inserted into the back of the gauntlet which presumably are the weapons' power sources, though no energy cells are required or consumed when using the weapons. This was intended to be a requirement but wasn't supported by the game's engine and wasn't implemented in time for release.
Gallery[]
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