Crossbow

The Crossbow is a weapon that appears in BioShock and BioShock 2 multiplayer. It is an accurate weapon that does a significant amount of headshot damage to enemies. The Crossbow appears to have been made out of items found around Rapture, including several rulers and a cigarette case.

BioShock


The Crossbow is the final ranged weapon obtained in BioShock. It is located in Fort Frolic. It fires single bolts with high damage that are effective at any range. Bolts that are fired sometimes do not break on impact, allowing them to be recovered and reused. Its main weaknesses are a slow rate of fire and reload time. The damage can be increased and the chance that a bolt will break can be reduced with upgrades at a Power to the People station, making the Crossbow an efficient weapon with nearly limitless ammo. Head shots with the Crossbow will inflict 1000% damage against Splicers. Especially with the aid of the weapon's zoom function, head shots will kill all Splicers in one hit.

Power to the People Upgrades

 * Bolt Breakage Decrease
 * 25% Damage Increase

Ammunition Types - Crossbow

 * Steel-Tip Bolts - standard ammunition for the Crossbow, inflict a very high amount of (piercing) damage.
 * Incendiary Bolts - rare ammunition for the Crossbow, inflict a very high amount of (fire) damage and ignite the target.
 * Trap Bolts - inventable ammunition for the Crossbow, inflict a moderate amount of (piercing) damage upon impact and a very high amount of (electrical) damage when set off, as well as electrify the target. Can be deployed onto the scenery, where it will shock the first enemy or object that trips its wire.

Strategy

 * The Crossbow is one of the best long-range weapons in the game. It is also one of the most powerful single-shot weapons in the game, along with the Grenade Launcher. This means that if the player is getting harassed by a tough Splicer, shooting them with a Bolt without zooming in is a viable option, although slightly inefficient due to the rarity of Crossbow ammo.
 * A single headshot from the Crossbow, even with a simple Steel-Tip Bolt, is enough to kill even the toughest of Splicers on any difficulty setting. As such, always try to headshot when possible. If the player possesses sufficient twitch-aim capabilities, they may even attempt to headshot an enemy in the middle of combat.
 * To headshot effectively (or otherwise shoot enemies from long ranges), aim slightly ahead of the enemy if they're mobile, as Bolts take a certain amount of time to travel. The farther the enemy, the farther ahead the player must aim. It is also recommended to study the enemy's movement patterns, so as to know when they move, stop, and where they go to.
 * Incendiary Bolts are recommended if the player is not very good at headshotting, or when fighting a Big Daddy. This is because, in addition to dealing more damage, it sets the enemy on fire, eventually killing them.
 * Also, Incendiary Bolts are capable of killing Elite Level Big Daddies on Easy and Medium diffuculties in one shot. This is accomplished by having Human Inferno 1 & 2 equipped, as well as Damage Research 1 & 2, and if the player has fully researched both types of Big Daddies, and has acquired the 25% Crossbow damage increase upgrade, then the player will be able to kill any Big Daddy in one shot provided they are aiming at the torso.
 * Incendiary Bolts and Trap Bolts have the same effects on the environment as the Plasmids they share their elemental abilities with. So, for example, Incendiary Bolts can set oil slicks on fire and Trap Bolts can electrify water if correctly deployed. However, this is a rather costly and inefficient strategy, as Crossbow ammunition is very rare while the same effects can be achieved using cheaper forms of ammunition (such as the Chemical Thrower) or Plasmids.
 * Trap Bolts are a very versatile form of ammunition, and have several uses. Here is the list:
 * They can be used as defensive traps. While an apparently obvious fact, there are many ways to set a trap. One can simply deploy a Trap Bolt in a passage or, if the player is feeling more strategic, they may deploy a Trap Bolt in the way of a hotspot (An unhacked Health Station or a body of water if the player is setting Splicers on fire. Hacked Health Stations already poison enemies who try to heal there, so placing a Trap Bolt there would be redundant.).
 * A costly but effective strategy involves laying several Trap Bolts in a passage, and provoking a Bouncer into charging through. Usually six or seven Bolts are necessary to kill a Bouncer instantly.
 * Trap Bolts can be fired directly at an enemy for minor damage. Firing the other end of the bolt will deploy it and instantly electrocute the enemy. The player can use this to their advantage: for example, hitting a Splicer with one end of the Bolt and hitting another Splicer with the other end will electrocute both enemies. This is not only very entertaining, but is also a very efficient strategy as the player will literally kill two birds with one stone.
 * Note: Trap Bolts can only be recovered if shot at a door that can open.


 * Trap Bolts, even friendly, will damage the player upon contact, unless the player prepares against this occasion (see below).

Recommended Plasmids

 * Combining a Cyclone Trap with a Trap Bolt will kill any Splicer on any difficulty by itself.
 * After firing a Bolt at an enemy, the player can use Telekinesis to pull it back out and fire it back again with a minimal cost in EVE as well as virtually no reload time. The Plasmid can also be used to reposition deployed Trap Bolts, friendly and unfriendly alike.
 * Using Winter Blast on a Splicer and shooting them afterwards with a Steel-Tip Bolt will shatter them in one hit. This is a costly strategy, though, and will also render the player unable to loot the victim afterwards.

Recommended Tonics

 * Natural Camouflage will make it easier for the player to line up a headshot, as they won't be attacked while standing still unless an enemy bumps into them.
 * The Damage Research line of Tonics will significantly increase damage against enemies researched using the Research Camera. However, this is only useful for this weapon if the player isn't good at headshotting.
 * The Human Inferno line of Tonics, in addition to making the player resistant to fire damage, will significantly increase damage dealt by Incendiary Bolts.
 * The Electric Flesh line of Tonics, in addition to making the player resistant and even immune to electrical damage, will significantly increase damage dealt by Trap Bolts.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer
The Crossbow returns as a usable weapon in multiplayer, and is unlocked at Rank 10.

Multiplayer Upgrades

 * Piercing Shot: unlocked at Rank 10 with Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack. Shots pass through multiple targets, but reload time is increased.


 * Damage Boost: unlocked at Rank 21. Increases the Crossbow's damage output, but greatly slows its fire rate.


 * Rate of Fire Boost: unlocked at Rank 35. Increases the Crossbow's rate of fire, but makes it do far less damage per shot.

Strategy

 * Crossbow bolts tend to drop over long distances, which can be countered by aiming slightly above the head.
 * In addition, Crossbow shots don't travel through the air instantaneously, so it's recommended to aim ahead of the target rather than directly at them. The farther the target, the farther ahead the player must aim.
 * The Crossbow is rather impractical in mid-range combat, but is surprisingly effective in close combat, as two shots will almost completely drain the target's health.
 * The Damage Boost upgrade is recommended for sniping, as a single headshot combined with either a research bonus or Headhunter will kill any Splicer at any range. However, any form of combat outside of sniping isn't recommended, as the weapon's low rate of fire and unwieldy projectile ammo make it unreliable in head-on fights.
 * On the other hand, the Crossbow's Rate of Fire Boost upgrade makes it much more potent in mid- to close-range combat, at the expense of sniping capabilities. Three shots (two, if they're headshots) will kill any enemy at any range. Although costly in ammo, this enhancement greatly reduces the penalty for missing.
 * The Crossbow's Piercing Shot upgrade is both good and bad. It is an instant kill if the player makes a headshot and has Headhunter equipped with it. On the other hand the Piercing shot's true purpose is next to useless as there will hardly ever be two people aligned. In addition the reload time is slightly decreased.

Complementary Weapons

 * The Pistol can be used to finish off enemies after shooting them with the Crossbow. A single shot from the Pistol will kill an enemy shot in the head with the Crossbow.
 * The Tommy Gun excels in mid-range combat, compensating for the Crossbow's weakness there.
 * Likewise, the Nail Gun will give the player a chance to excel in mid-range combat, as well as provide an edge against groups.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Incinerate!, coupled with a Crossbow headshot, will kill an enemy at full health.
 * Winter Blast will not only make headshots easier to achieve, but will also allow the player to kill any enemy with a single shot to the head.
 * If the player is at mid-range, Aero Dash can help the player either get up close to the target, or far away from them. In either case, the player will have an advantage.
 * Geyser Trap will allow the player to reach sniping perches much faster, as well as set up defensive traps.
 * Telekinesis can be used to pull Crossbow bolts out of enemies and shoot them back again, with an almost nonexistent hit interval.

Recommended Tonics

 * Leg Up can be used to reach high areas much more quickly.
 * Headhunter will allow the player to kill any enemy in a single headshot.

Bugs/Glitches

 * In BioShock and BioShock 2 multiplayer, there is a glitch which enables the player to greatly increase the Crossbow's rate of fire. After firing a bolt, switching to Plasmids and then back to the Crossbow will skip the reloading animation, supplying the weapon with ammunition instantly.

Trivia

 * In the BioShock 2 Single Player Campaign, the Crossbow is replaced by the Spear Gun.
 * Prior to adding any upgrades, the logo of Le Marquis D'Epoque can be seen on the top of the Crossbow.
 * The grip on the underside of the Crossbow has no trigger, therefore it can be assumed that the Crossbow is fired by some forward movement of this handle.

Armbrust Arbalète