House calculated that his defenses would see off the majority of missiles bound for Vegas, but at least some damage to outer Vegas and the surrounding towns was unavoidable.

He used his considerable intelligence and vast wealth to ensure that when the war finally came, he would be prepared. In 2065, House correctly predicted that a nuclear exchange between the United States and China would take place within the next 15 years, and began dedicating his resources to the protection of his home city. Unlike other major cities of the United States, Vegas emerged from the atomic fire of the Great War relatively unscathed, owed to the preemptive actions of Robert House.