Death Virginia (A Fallout 76 AU Set in 2086)

[Kylia Quilor]

The Free States did get declared enemies of the state, but for a while they were given a great deal of political cover by Senator Blackwell - once Blackwell vanished (IIRC, around the same time they started being openly violent), but the government didn't really force the issue once the Free States hid in their bunkers.

Even allowing for the games being smaller than the reality would be, there probably weren't more than a thousand or so really diehard free staters, IMO. There are terminal entries in 76 that show the government was basically 'fucking meh' about them. They started arresting sympathizers and members, and launched a major propaganda campaign in early to mid 2077, but after they went to their bunkers, it was deemed not worth dealing with at this time.

Of course, had the nukes not dropped the US would have dealt with them sooner or later, but the Free States are a riff on the US militia movement, and so they were very well armed by the time they went to their bunkers.

 

[Ovid]

What's funny is, with all the skins and whatnot on the Atom Shop, all these still-alive factions are going to have their own color schemes. Free States have their own, raiders have plenty, the Mistress of Mystery sisterhood does, the local BoS has like 2 (brotherhood regular and the Taggerdy's Thunder paints), the chinese communists dont count cause the bright red coloration is from a comic book.

The only faction I dont think has their own paint scheme is the Responders and the Fire Breathers.

 

[Kylia Quilor]

I think there is a Responders Power Armor skin actually.

Responders paint

Responders paint is a paint scheme in Fallout 76. Responders paint is a unique paint scheme for the pump action shotgun purchased from the Atomic Shop. When administered to the shotgun, it paints the shotgun in a black paint scheme, while the pump and stock are painted red or blue depending on...

fallout.fandom.com

And a shotgun for some reason.

Fire fighter paint

Fire Fighter paint is a paint scheme for Excavator power armor in Fallout 76. A red and white paint scheme designed for Excavator power armor. The word 'fire' is engraved on the torso in block letters. Excavator power armor The paint is purchasable from the Atomic Shop for 800 .

fallout.fandom.com

And there's a firefighter paint that might be what Fire Breathers would use if they had power armor. Since that one only works on Excavator Power Armor (which the Responders were canonically looking into trying to scavange, based on a holotape/note), that might even be fully canon.