Fireman



The Fireman is an enemy that is featured in Bioshock Infinite. Firemen are aligned with both the Founders and the Vox Populi and are in many locations throughout the game. Firemen are often used as mobile artillery.

Appearance
Firemen closely follow the prevalent steampunk art style of the series in that they are completely covered in leather and fireproof fabrics, and wear heavy metal pauldrons, boots and mask. Additionally, they wear metalworks around their limbs and back that glow red from the heat the Devil's Kiss Vigor. This makes Firemen instantly recognisable in a crowd, even from a considerable distance. In combat, their bodies are usually surrounded by flames. They somewhat resemble Big Daddies from the first Bioshock.

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

According to the official strategy guide, Firemen are individuals that have committed serious crimes and as punishment, are sealed inside suits that are constantly burning them.

Gameplay
Firemen are the first "Heavy Hitter" enemies that the player will encounter in Bioshock Infinite and are among the most common, appearing across Columbia and fighting for both factions. Firemen exclusively use Devil's Kiss in battle, primarily using it lob several flaming grenades at the player from a distance, which cause decent damage. However, this attack can be avoided if a player listens carefully as the Fireman will shout and a high-pitched whine can be heard. If the player draws in close the Fireman will emit a very powerful fire blast that can easily break shields, even after several infusion upgrades. While this attack is damaging, it has short charge time that a player can use to back away to avoid the blast. Furthermore, the blast radius is fairly small. Unlike Zealots, Firemen never seek cover, opting instead to tank damage and even charge the player to employ the fire blast. When a Fireman gets down to critical health, it will initiate a suicide bomb rush at the player, which deals very heavy damage should the player get caught in the blast radius. Like all of the Firemen's attacks, this attack is easy to dodge as a bomb icon will display and a continuous high-pitched whine will be heard. The Fireman can still be killed at this point by simply shooting at him, be warned though as the Fireman always explodes upon death.

When fighting a Fireman, it is almost essential to make good use of cover, as the Fireman's Devil's Kiss grenades have a good sized area of effect and will very quickly break through the player's shields if allowed to make contact. Additionally, the player should stay away from oil slicks and explosive hazards as the Fireman's grenades can ignite these. Although they have a relatively large amount of health compared to Zealots and Citizens, they are still easier to kill than other Heavy Hitters such as the Motorized Patriot, and can be taken down reasonably quickly if focused on. It is adviseable to stay behind cover and take potshots with higher damage-per-shot weapons, retreating if the Fireman charges at the player's position. Firemen frequently pause and remain still for roughly a second before attacking, allowing the player to deal a lot of damage in this window with critical headshots and explosive weapons. If possible, Firemen are far less dangerous at a distance or from a vantage point, becoming easy prey if fought from afar with a Sniper Rifle or Carbine. Another, albeit riskier, option is to quickly close in on a Fireman and goad him into using his blast attack, then taking a step back to avoid it. After unleashing the blast the Fireman will stand still for a second or two, completely vulnerable to gunfire. Repeat until dead.

Upon death, Firemen almost always drop Salts, Healthkits, and Lockpicks as well as the Devil's Kiss Vigor, which the player is instructed to collect upon defeating their first Fireman. It is worth mentioning that Firemen are completely immune to the effects of Devil's Kiss.

When 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!

When Searching for Player

 * Come out and fight!

Behind the Scenes

 * The "Fireman" may be a small reference to Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 in that these enemies appear in a dystopian setting and rather than put out fires, they start them.
 * It should be noted that the historical definition of fireman was "one who tends fires", particularly furnaces, one of which can be seen strapped to the Fireman's back.
 * The Fireman is immune to Devil's Kiss and all combos created with the vigor.
 * Older concepts of the Fireman show a man in dark clothing with a top hat and glowing red eyes. This may have been inspired by Jack, the Ripper, a famous murderer of an unknown identity from the late 19th century.