Leadhead Splicer

Leadhead Splicers are Splicers wielding firearms. Pistol and much tougher Tommy Gun wielding varieties appear in BioShock. BioShock 2 also features shotgun variants.

BioShock
A real pain in the backside at just about any point throughout the game, especially at harder levels, the first Leadhead Splicers the player will encounter in BioShock will just pack pistols, but will upgrade to machine guns at around the halfway point, making them a whole lot more deadly. Worse still, they boast a ridiculously high tolerance to damage, so Plasmids and other inventive means of killing are highly recommended. It is not clear what these Splicers are exactly spliced up with, as no Gene tonic or Plasmid that Jack can obtain affects his prowess with firearms. However, the splicing might explain their tolerance to bullets. Despite the ravages of ADAM withdrawal, Leadhead Splicers have retained enough fine motor control to aim and fire pistols, shotguns and machine guns. A Leadhead Splicer puts survival first and will run for cover during a firefight. Their deadly accuracy makes even a single Leadhead Splicer a formidable threat.

Strategy
Cannon Fodder? - Hardly, these scumbags are tougher than a tramp's skid mark later in the game (especially on Hard), sucking up dozens of bullets before kicking the bucket. Couple this with a very agile attack pattern, ducking and weaving like crazy, getting into cover to reload, running to Health Stations and their tendency to attack alongside Thuggish Splicers makes them a force to be reckoned with. This Splicer type upgrades at the game's midpoint, using a machine gun instead of a pistol.

Notable Behavior - In the earlier stages of the game, when this Splicer type still uses pistols, they will frequently spin the cylinder, allowing the player to discern their type by listening carefully. When in combat, Leadhead Splicers will shoot the player while attempting to find cover. When having found it, they will periodically get out of cover to shoot at the player, then retreat.

Tips and Tricks:




 * Leadheads have to reload their weapons, just like Jack. By exploiting this weakness, the player can catch the enemy while they're defenseless, attempt to find better cover or even flee.


 * Leadheads often wear a mask. By using Telekinesis to grab it and punt it back at them, the player can achieve an instant kill on the lower difficulties.


 * Always strafe when fighting a Leadhead, as it will be much harder for them to hit the player.


 * The closer the player gets to a Leadhead, the easier it becomes for the latter to hit them. As such, flanking and ambushing are recommended when attempting to take on Leadheads at melee range.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Telekinesis will help the player not only deal severe damage to Leadheads, but can also provide cover by picking up a large object. As such, marching towards this Splicer type while holding out a projectile in front and then punting it at the Leadhead will almost surely kill it without the player taking any damage.


 * Casting Incinerate! before a fight will make it significantly easier, as the Splicer will take continuous damage without the player having to leave cover.


 * Casting Enrage on this Splicer type when it's in the middle of a group will ensure at least several enemies die before the target gets subdued by its own allies.


 * Target Dummy will ensure the player a quick escape, or alternatively an easy kill.
 * ElectroBolt as Atlas says the one-two punch (on lower levels and difficulties)
 * Winter Blast it will make them fragile but once broken no loot (afterall there is no corpse)

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition

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


 * A Shotgun loaded with 00 Buck will kill any Splicer at close range in the earlier levels of the game. However, as enemies get tougher, Exploding Buck will become more useful.


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


 * When using the Crossbow, it is recommended to use Incendiary Bolts if the player isn't good at headshotting. However, if the player is adept at performing headshots, they will only need Steel-tip Bolts.

Recommended Tonics

 * Natural Camouflage will help the player hide from or ambush this Splicer type.


 * The Armored Shell line of tonics will significantly decrease damage received by a Leadhead's bullets, making fights easier to survive.


 * The Damage Research line of tonics will increase damage dealt against enemies researched using the Research Camera. The effectiveness of this Gene tonic is entirely dependent on how much research the player has done.

Notable Leadhead Splicers
Only one Leadhead Splicer plays a significant role in the story: Dr. J.S. Steinman, the mad king of the Medical Pavilion. Dr. Steinman is notably also the first Leadhead to use a machine gun rather than a pistol, as the normal Leadhead Splicers don't start picking up machine guns until roughly around Hephaestus.

BioShock 2
Leadhead Splicers will return in BioShock 2 and they've changed a bit in the past years. Leadheads are now able to use both types of shotguns, in addition to pistols and tommy guns, and can toss grenades and [ [ | Yuck Lager Beer | Molotov cocktails ] ], though nowhere near as frequently as the no-longer-present Nitro Splicers. They are also now capable of rudimentary tactical moves such as ducking behind low objects such as crates or windowsills for cover, as well as leaning against corners before popping out and opening fire.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Telekinesis works just as well as it did on Nitro Splicers in BioShock, catching the Leadhead's grenades and turning them against their owners or their allies.
 * Incinerate! will cause Splicers to momentarily panic, flailing and running into one another. Not only can this spread the damage around, but it gives you a brief reprieve from their gunfire.
 * If you're lucky enough to be fighting Leadheads in standing water, Electro Bolt will take them all out in one shot. If you're feeling gutsy, the Ol' One-Two Punch still works a treat: Shock 'em and Clock 'em!
 * Insect Swarm will distract Leadheads for a little bit, giving you a chance to regroup while the bees deal some damage.

Recommended Tonics

 * The Armored Shell line of tonics will significantly decrease damage received by a Leadhead's bullets, making fights easier to survive.


 * Damage Research will increase damage dealt against enemies researched using the Research Camera. The effectiveness of this Gene tonic is entirely dependent on how much research the player has done.


 * Head Hunter greatly increases headshot damage.

Recommended Weapons

 * Leadheads don't jump around or move terribly much, so a single Leadhead makes an easy target for precision weapons like the Rivet Gun or Spear Gun.


 * The Machine Gun makes short work of entire groups of Leadheads, especially when used in conjunction with Anti-Personnel Ammo.


 * The Shotgun, when loaded with Phosphorus Buck, makes a great Anti-Leadhead weapon. Like Incinerate! and Rocket Spears, Phosphorus Buck causes Leadheads to panic, giving you a short break from their gunfire.

Notable Leadhead Splicers
Only a single Leadhead Splicer plays a significant role in BioShock 2; Daniel Wales, the former architect of Rapture, whom Subject Delta is required to kill in order to obtain the code to the Plaza Hedone in Siren Alley.

Chrosôme armé Leadhead Splicer