Thuggish Splicer

The first Splicer type the player fights in the game, Thuggish Splicers are the bread and butter of BioShock combat, attacking the player with a battered melee weapon. Although easily dispatchable, they make up for it by being fast movers. Later on in the game the player will encounter Thuggish Splicers who are invulnerable to electrical attacks. They also take a lot more ammo to kill, since Electro Bolt will no longer have any effect on them.

Strategy
Cannon Fodder? - To a degree. Early on, a single Pistol headshot or Shotgun blast can take one down without a fuss. Later on, the player will have to switch to antipersonnel rounds and upgrade their weapons' damage at Power to the People stations if they wish to survive. This Splicer type upgrades at the game's midpoint, becoming immune to all electrical attacks.

Notable Behavior - A player can hear a Thuggish Splicer before they see them by the characteristic scraping noise they make by dragging their weapon across the floor. When attacking the player, they will rush towards them in a straight line and jump towards the player when close to them, whacking at them with their melee weapon.

Tips and Tricks:




 * During the first levels in the game, the One-Two Punch is the best solution against this Splicer type. However, this strategy becomes useless when Thuggish Splicers become immune to electricity.


 * In general, the best strategy is to kill this Splicer before it gets in melee range, preferably by laying traps in its easily predictable path.


 * If the player is skilled enough, they can attempt to dodge this Splicer's jump attack, and then hit them with the Wrench before they can recover.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Electro Bolt is the prime Plasmid against these in the first stages of the game, as it both immobilizes them and allows them to be hit by the Wrench for quadruple damage.


 * Incinerate! is useful when ambushing these Splicers from afar, as they tend to die before they can get to the player.


 * Cyclone Trap, when placed directly under a charging Thuggish Splicer, will usually kill them or damage them so severely any form of attack will subsequently kill them.

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition

 * Antipersonnel ammo will usually kill any Splicer in a couple of shots.


 * The Wrench is, surprisingly, a very good choice when tackling Thuggish Splicers, provided the player has equipped the right tonics (see below).


 * The Shotgun with 00 Buck will usually one-shot a Thuggish Splicer in the earlier levels. However, as they become tougher, it is recommended to switch to Exploding Buck.


 * A Chemical Thrower with Napalm will kill these Splicers in around a second, using only a few units of ammo.


 * Every ammo type for the Crossbow will work well against Thuggish Splicers, although players skilled at headshotting won't need to use Incendiary Bolts, instead they can stick to the standard Steel-tip Bolts.

Recommended Tonics

 * Natural Camouflage will make it easier to both escape and ambush this kind of Splicer.


 * The Static Discharge line of tonics will be of great use to the player against this Splicer type until they reach Hephaestus (where Thuggish Splicers become immune to electricity). Not only does it protect the player against surprise attacks, but when in the middle of a group one single discharge can stun several enemies at a time. If hit, this will also give the player time to One-Two Punch the Splicer before it deals any more damage.


 * The Electric Flesh line of tonics, as well as making the player resistant or even immune to electrical damage, will increase the attributes of Static Discharge and Electrobolt. These tonics become useless against Thuggish Splicers by Hephaestus, however, for the reasons specified above.


 * The SportBoost line of tonics will significantly increase the player's speed and Wrench hit rate, making it easier to evade and/or ambush this Splicer type, as well as survive better in melee fights.


 * The Wrench Jockey line of tonics will significantly increase damage dealt by the Wrench, making melee fights much easier.


 * The Wrench Lurker line of tonics will not only make ambushing easier for the player, but will also increase melee damage against unaware enemies (which also counts enemies hit by Electrobolt or Insect Swarm).


 * Bloodlust will grant the player a small amount of health and EVE after each successful Wrench hit, making melee fights not only easier to survive, but also desirable in some cases. Clever ambushing using this Gene tonic can even replenish the player's stats, to no cost in ammunition or resources.


 * The Armored Shell line of tonics will significantly reduce all physical damage received, making melee encounters far less dangerous.


 * The Frozen Field line of tonics will not only increase Wrench damage, but will also have a chance of freezing any enemy hit with it. This speeds up melee fights, especially against groups.


 * The Damage Research line of tonics will significantly increase damage against enemies researched using the Research Camera. This Gene tonic is entirely dependent on how much the player researched this Splicer type.

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition

 * The Drill works well against these enemies, especially since they will always approach the player at melee range. A simple uppercut will be enough to kill them in the earlier levels, and later on in the game the player can use the Drill Charge to quickly approach and kill Thuggish Splicers.
 * Trap Rivets for the Rivet Gun will kill these enemies in one shot, and their predictable movement path makes it all the more easy to lay traps. Otherwise, use Standard Rivets, as the more damaging Heavy Rivets are too valuable in most cases to be used on these foes.
 * Miniature Turrets for the Hack Tool will provide support for the player. Help out the Turret though, otherwise it'll get destroyed.
 * The Gatling Gun is arguably the best weapon against these enemies, as it is capable of killing them quickly and in large numbers. .50 Caliber Gatling Rounds are usually enough to take down Thuggish Splicers, although the player may want to prioritize Antipersonnel Rounds in large fights and in the later levels of the game.
 * 00 Buck for the Double-Barreled Shotgun will usually kill or severely damage any Thuggish Splicer. Phosphorus Buck will get the player a guaranteed kill if they hit the Splicer, although this ammo type is better used against groups, so as to set several enemies alight at the same time.
 * Both Standard and Trap Spears for the Spear Gun work well against this Splicer type.
 * The Cannon can help the player kill this enemy types in groups. Proximity Mines work best for this.

Recommended Tonics

 * Fire Storm will set Thuggish Splicers on fire if they manage to hit the player, effectively killing them in the long run.
 * Drill Power will increase the Drill's damage output, making melee combat easier.
 * Freezing Drill will give the Drill a chance to freeze the target, making melee combat easier.
 * Armored Shell will significantly reduce all physical damage received, making melee encounters far less dangerous.
 * Sports Boost will increase the player's speed, making it easier to eave, flee or approach this Splicer type.

Chrosôme grosse brute Thuggish Splicer