Fireman



The Fireman is an enemy that is featured in BioShock Infinite. Employed as shock troopers by both the Founders and the Vox Populi, they are encountered by the player several times throughout the game.

Guide Description
Firemen are trapped inside Iron Maiden-like devices that are constantly burning them for their wrongdoings in life''. ''

Behavior
Firemen are surprisingly agile and will relentlessly attempt to close in on their target, lobbing vigor-infused fire bombs as their primary mode of attack. They are capable of utilizing Sky-Lines to enhance their mobility or to reach otherwise inaccessible locations. In close quarters combat, they can also project a powerful explosion of flame to burn nearby foes.

When critically wounded, Firemen will initiate a self-destruct mode, emitting a high-pitched whining noise as the flames engulfing their body intensify. They will use their final moments to charge at their target, in hopes of taking them down in the ensuing explosion.

Appearance
Firemen are citizens of Columbia sentenced to be set aflame as penance for their sins. The padded suits they wear are linked to an iron exoskeleton that serves to conduct heat from the boilers strapped to their backs. The boilers in turn use a bottle of Devil's Kiss as a source of thermal energy, in addition to providing the Firemen with their ability to manipulate fire. The appearance of Firemen under their suits is unknown, though the nature of their punishment implies that the suit helps keep them alive.

First revealed in a press interview, Booker first encounters one at Shady Lane shortly after being attacked at the Raffle during his journey towards Monument Island. Elizabeth refers to the enemy as "Fireman" when encountering another in the Hall of Heroes.

Strategy
Though powerful in close-ranged combat, a lone Fireman can be easily defeated without taking any damage at all. Firemen however, are far more threatening when encountered with other groups of enemies, as their area-of-effect damage attacks and aggressive combat style can force players to abandon cover.

Ideally, Firemen should only be fought at a distance, as the slow travel time of their fire bombs makes them highly inaccurate at longer distances. Sections of their metal suit, such as the pieces on their limbs and back, will glow red with heat when priming an attack, making it even easier for the player to evade harm. When confronting a Fireman with group of enemies, it is advisable to focus on eliminating the Fireman first at range. Failing that, the player may also attempt to lure the Fireman away from the support of his allies.

When the Fireman initiates his suicide bomb, the player has two options. One option is to keep firing; although the Fireman is close to death, he is not dead yet. Fully depleting the Fireman's health will prematurely end his bomb attack, which can damage any unfortunate enemies caught in the blast radius. Although fool-proof, this option requires ammo/Salts to accomplish. The second option is to run away and wait out the Fireman's last five seconds. If the Fireman starts his run close to the player, the player must have 5 seconds' worth of sprinting distance to outrun the Fireman or otherwise the bomb will blow up in their face.

Bucking Bronco is highly effective against Firemen, as it prevents them from attacking or moving at all. It is especially useful in cases where the player is forced to encounter Firemen at close range, buying time to get to safer distance and the opportunity to put a few shots in as well. Using the ability before the Fireman attempts to use their close-ranged attacks or manages to successfully carry out their suicide bomb attack can be a lifesaver.

Murder of Crows is also effective against Firemen for similar reasons as Bucking Bronco. Furthermore, due to the vigor's longer range and wider area of effect, it can be used to keep Firemen out of their effective range, as well as distract their allies from firing as you retreat or move to a more secure location.

In spite of the vigor's reduced effectiveness, using Possession on Firemen and turning their powerful area-of-effect attacks against their erstwhile compatriots can inflict terrific damage on the player's enemies.

Due to the Firemen's erratic movement patterns, it may be preferable to rely less on weapons that require a high degree of accuracy to be most effective (such as the Sniper Rifle).

Attacking Player

 * "You reckon to fight!?"
 * "Thou shalt be judged!"
 * "Righteous fury!"
 * "Fire cleanses!"
 * "Drown in flame!"
 * "Punishment for our sins!"
 * "A sacrifice for our sins!"
 * "Burn in the name of our prophet!"
 * "I am hot!"
 * "I envy your skin!"
 * "You will share my fate!"
 * "I'm like this because of you!"
 * "Burn in Hell!"
 * "Do not fear the flame!"
 * "The Prophet knows all!"
 * "The punishment must be served!"
 * "Your death frees me!"
 * "I'll torch your soul!"
 * "The false Prophet will burn!" (Vox-aligned Fireman only)
 * "Suffer for your lies!"
 * "Burn that traitor!"

Idle

 * "Let me out of here!"
 * "There is no forgiveness without sacrifice!"
 * "Free me from this pain!"
 * "My punishment will be your undoing, False Prophet!" (Vox-aligned Firemen)

Searching for the Player

 * "Come out and fight!"

Behind the Scenes

 * Despite rumors of the character being influenced with Fahrenheit 451, a story in which the Firemen in a future utopia society burn books, on Twitter, Ken Levine had debunked this, saying "he was based on a fireman".
 * It should be noted that the historical definition of the term fireman was "one who tends fires", particularly furnaces, one of which can be seen strapped to the Fireman's back.
 * In the Art of BioShock Infinite, Older concepts of the "Vigor Junkies" show that the Fireman's archetype would have originally appeared as a man in dark clothing, a top hat and glowing red goggles.
 * Why the Firemen don't just turn on their Columbian captors is unknown. They are well armoured and posess the ability to cause great damage to unwanted parties. However, it is possible that they have been brainwashed into 'serving their sentence'.