The Castle (The Minutemen) Faction Bases

Background / History

Originally known as Fort Independence, the Castle is a historic landmark in the Boston area, serving as one of the first forts in the United States. Over time, its name evolved to Fort Adams and then to Fort Independence. However, after the Great War, it came to be simply known as the Castle. It was the headquarters of the Commonwealth Minutemen until 2240 when it was attacked by a massive mirelurk queen, resulting in significant damage and loss of Minutemen leadership.

Rebirth:
47 years later, the Commonwealth Minutemen, led by the Sole Survivor, can reclaim the Castle by eliminating the mirelurks infesting it. After clearing out the creatures, they can reactivate the communications equipment and convert the Castle into a Settlement.

Layout

The Castle is a star fort consisting of five triangular bastions connected by walls. Most of the infrastructure is housed within these walls, including the workshop and the Radio Freedom transmitter. The fort’s walls were partially demolished during the mirelurk attack, with the west bastion, containing the armory, becoming inaccessible except through the tunnels.

The Castle Tunnels:
Accessed through a hidden entrance in the east bastion, the tunnels are winding but linear. Hazards include mines, explosive gas, and a hostile sentry bot named Sarge. General McGann’s body is found near the armory’s exit.

Settlement Information:
The Castle courtyard is spacious and well-fortified, suitable for settlement construction and crop cultivation. The fort’s defenses make it resilient to attacks, but additional resources may be required via supply lines. The tunnels provide extra salvageable materials.

Inhabitants

• General McGann (Deceased)
• Up to five Minutemen (optional)
• Ronnie Shaw (optional)
• Sarge

Notable Loot

• Guns and Bullets issue #8
• Fat Man and mini nuke
• Nuka grenade
• Various laser musket upgrades
• The Last Minute (sold by Ronnie Shaw)
• Bottle message #2
• Two Stealth Boys

Related Quests

• Taking Independence
• Old Guns

Notes

• Also a Clinic. Some of these crafting stations are only available once the quest Old Guns is completed.
• The Castle can be cleared out before retaking it with the Minutemen.
• The mess left by the mirelurks will remain until cleaned up by the Minutemen.
• The Castle’s walls can be repaired effectively in build mode but may cause spawning issues for enemies.
• Unlike other settlements, the Castle’s guards patrol instead of remaining at guard posts.

Bugs

• Issues with the Radio Freedom transmitter’s power supply.
• Exploits allowing early access to the armory.
• Problems with assigning guards to guard towers.
• Beacon power requirements not registering correctly.
• Occasional issues with the castle door not opening.
• Exploits involving power armor glitching into the armory.

How to obtain control

Eliminate the mirelurk queen that takes up residence at the Castle after destroying a certain number of eggs.

Trivia

• The Castle is based on Fort Independence, one of the oldest fortified defenses in the United States.