Volley Gun

"Rapidly fire small explosives with THE PIG, and you will strike fear in the hearts of your enemies."

- Fink Manufacturing advertisement

The Pig Flak, known in game as both the Volley Gun and the Hail Fire, is a weapon that features in BioShock Infinite. Both variants are available and used by Booker, functioning as rapid-fire explosive grenade launchers.

Volley Gun


The Volley Gun is a somewhat rare weapon, occasionally found with ammo at certain parts of the game, or summonable through a Tear. It is used alongside the Barnstormer by Beasts allied to the Founders. It is a grenade launcher with a very high rate of fire, as fast as the player can pull the trigger, making it generally useful for suppressing large groups of weaker enemies with constant explosive damage. The Volley Gun is also capable of stunning enemies, even certain Heavy Hitters such as Beasts and Firemen, allowing the player to continue firing upon a single enemy without them fighting back and essentially stun-locking enemies with more health. The Volley Gun is also surprisingly accurate and versatile, allowing the player to hit enemies at medium range entering close range with considerable precision, preventing enemies from getting too close. The explosive nature of the Volley Gun's projectiles also allows the player to subdue multiple enemies this way, holding back groups of enemies with ease while dealing considerable damage. The Volley Gun's large gravity curve means that it is also very effective at hitting enemies from behind cover, especially when fired from a vantage point.

Nonetheless, ammunition is almost always rare, often forcing the player to buy ammunition from Dollar Bill machines, or rely on Elizabeth scavenging to continue using the gun. Although the Volley Gun has a reasonably large ammunition reserve, it can be depleted quickly if the Volley Gun is fired too rapidly. The damage radius for each grenade is also very small, as explosions that hit near enemies will do little damage and will only stun them, meaning that each grenade must make contact with an enemy to deal its potential damage. This can be very difficult at range when considering the Volley Gun's sharp gravity curve, as shots will most likely not hit beyond mid range. This is worsened by the Volley Gun's almost useless sights, which lack any aiming point and serve only to zoom the player's view and remove the reticule, which means that using the Volley Gun with Tunnel Vision can be difficult.

Its name and description were first mentioned in the Industrial Revolution puzzle game released to all of those who preordered the game.

Hail Fire


The Hail Fire is a version of the Pig Flak that has been modified by the Vox Populi, distinct from the Volley Gun mainly due to the red tape around the weapon, and its slightly different leaf sight. The Hail Fire is mostly similar to the Volley Gun, but differs mainly in the way the grenade projectile moves and causes damage. While Volley Gun grenades explode on impact with any surface, Hail Fire grenades only explode in normal circumstances when they hit a target, otherwise bouncing off surfaces until a time limit is reached and the grenades self-detonate. This means that Hail Fire grenades are wasted less often, as firing into a group of enemies will generally ensure that the grenade hits one. This means that the Hail Fire can be fired around corners and over cover to hit enemies, allowing the player to cause damage without even looking at an enemy. Hail Fire grenades can also be detonated manually, if the player holds the trigger when firing, as the grenade automatically explodes when the player lets go of the trigger. This means the Hail Fire can be very useful for controlled attacks, detonating only when the player believes maximum damage potential can be realized.

However, ammunition for the Hail Fire is very rare, as is the weapon itself. This means that the player will have to rely even more heavily on Elizabeth and Dollar Bill machines for ammunition, which will deplete quicker as the Hail Fire carries a total of seven fewer rounds than the Volley Gun. The rarity of the weapon thus means that it will usually be used only briefly, discarded for a more common and versatile weapon after large firefights. The Hail Fire also suffers from a useless ironsight and small explosive radius, although the latter can mainly be balanced by controlling when the grenade detonates.

Trivia

 * Though it is a minor point, the Volley Gun is, technically speaking, not a volley gun; in the parlance of firearms design, the term refers to a weapon with multiple barrels that fire simultaneously or in close sequence.
 * Some of the cargo containers found at Fort Franklin's docks in Finkton call the weapon a "Flak Repeater." Elizabeth calls it a "Flak Cannon." Both names, however, are more accurate in describing the weapon.