Wrench

The Wrench is the only melee weapon obtained in BioShock. Forged in Rapture by Laplante, this twelve inch wrench is located at the beginning of the game, during Welcome to Rapture. It is one of two weapons in the game that cannot be upgraded, though there are a number of Physical Tonics and Combat Tonics that enhance Jack's combat ability with the Wrench. When properly equipped, the Wrench has the highest damage per second of any weapon in the game. With the exception of Big Daddies, it is capable of killing almost every enemy on any difficulty in a single hit.

Attack Types

 * Standard Attacks:
 * The Wrench's base damage value is used for calculation (20 physical):
 * Wrench Jockey 350% + Wrench Jockey 2 550% + Research Camera bonus from Bouncer 50% = additional 950% damage (210 damage total)


 * Note: Damage bonuses gained from research and the Damage Research tonics are calculated with using the result value in the above equation as a base.


 * Attacks Against Unaware Enemies:
 * The Wrench's enhanced damage value is used for calculation (base damage with enhancements):
 * Wrench Lurker 150% + Wrench Lurker 2 200% = 350% of enhanced Wrench damage (i.e. 210 damage + 350% unaware bonus = 765 damage total)


 * Note: Only the first attack on an unaware opponent will have the damage bonus applied.


 * Attacks Against Stunned Enemies:
 * The Wrench's enhanced and unaware damage value is used for calculation (base damage with enhancements and unaware damage bonus):
 * Splicer shocked with Electro Bolt = 400% of enhanced Wrench damage with unaware bonus (i.e. 210 damage + 350% unaware bonus x 400% = 3,060 damage total)


 * Note: Only the first attack on an shocked opponent will have the damage bonus applied. This combination is called the "One-Two Punch" by Atlas.

Strategy
Firing Electro Bolt at an enemy will quadruple the damage dealt by the next Wrench hit (Wrench Lurker and Wrench Lurker 2 will increase this multiplier).

In the earlier levels of the game, charging headlong into the enemy won't cost the player too much. However, later on this could potentially mean death, so it is recommended to use stealth tactics to approach the enemy. First, move from cover to cover to get to the unsuspecting Splicer, then run at them from behind and bludgeon them. If spotted before entering melee range, strafing from side to side in random patterns is heartily recommended.

If faced against a Thuggish Splicer, run at them and, once they start their leap towards the player, sidestep while approaching them and club them to death while it's not facing Jack. Alternatively, one can perform a "One-Two Punch" if the player is in a level earlier than Hephaestus.

The Wrench is not recommended against Big Daddies since damage is reduced by 75%. However, it is possible to kill a Big Daddy with the Wrench using the One-Two Punch coupled with several Gene Tonics (see below).

The Wrench is potentially the weakest and the strongest weapon in the game. On its own, it has a poor damage output, especially in the later levels, which coupled with its short range reduces it to a last-resort weapon. However, with the right Gene Tonics, it has the potential to kill any non-Big Daddy enemy in the game in one shot and on any difficulty. The only problem is that, to be adequately upgraded, the player will have to sacrifice around six (at least) of the eighteen slots available, meaning that the player has to choose between upgrading the Wrench and freeing up more space for other tonics. Tonic bonuses stack, so piling them up will literally multiply the Wrench's damage output.

Recommended Tonics

 * The SportBoost line of tonics will not only increase the Wrench's swing speed, but will increase the player's speed, making it easier to cover the space between the player and the enemy.


 * The Wrench Lurker line of tonics will soften the player's footsteps, making sneaking easier, and will also increase damage to unaware enemies (enemies under the effects of Electro Bolt, Insect Swarm, Target Dummy and enemies in combat with other enemies count as unaware as well).


 * The Wrench Jockey line of tonics will significantly increase the damage per Wrench hit.


 * The Frozen Field line of tonics will increase the Wrench's damage output, and will also give it a chance to freeze any enemy it hits. This tonic alters the wrench's appearance to make it appear covered in frost.


 * Bloodlust will restore a small amount of the player's health and EVE with each successful hit.


 * Natural Camouflage will help the player approach the enemy stealthily.


 * The Static Discharge line of tonics will stun any enemy around the player (except for the Thuggish Splicers in the later levels) if they receive a melee hit, allowing them to not only be protected from surprise attacks but also to quickly One-Two Punch any zapped enemy with no cost in EVE.


 * The Armored Shell line of tonics will reduce the amount of damage the player receives from gunshots and melee hits, allowing for easier approaches if spotted.


 * The Damage Research line of tonics will significantly increase damage against enemies researched using the Research Camera.


 * The Machine Buster line of tonics will increase damage against machinery.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer
The Wrench will return to the sequel in the form of a selectable weapon for both Naledi Atkins and Jacob Norris. It possesses the same attributes as all the other melee weapons in multiplayer.

Trivia

 * The main character of System Shock 2, the predecessor of the BioShock series, also acquires a wrench as his first weapon.
 * It is possible to pick up Wrenches dropped by Thuggish Splicers, although they do not replenish the player's ammo in any way.