Brute Splicer

Brute Splicer
Location	BioShock 2: Pauper's Drop Siren Alley Outer Persephone Inner Persephone Minerva's Den: All levels

“Fight fair, ya molly!”

― A Brute Splicer taunting Subject Delta.

The Brute Splicer is a type of Splicer in BioShock 2 with its own unique model. Brute Splicers are the result of splicing the leftovers of Sports Boost and Armored Shell Gene Tonics, a cocktail first invented by Leo Hartwig and tested on himself. This type of Splicer seems to have absorbed more ADAM than the average Splicer, as denoted by their abnormal size and musculature. They have much more health and brute force than normal Splicers, and as such are harder to take down. There are three types of Brute Splicers: normal, Elite Brute Splicers, and Fiery Brute Splicers, the latter appearing only in Minerva's Den.

BioShock 2 Research Rewards
Brute Splicer
1	Drill dash ability
2	+ Melee damage against all enemies
3	+ Damage
4	Armored Shell 2 Gene Tonic

Strategy

A Brute Splicer fighting a Rosie.

Cannon Fodder? - Certainly not. These guys are the Splicer equivalent of a Big Daddy, having several times as much health as a standard Splicer and being capable of soaking up at least one to two magazines of Machine Gun fire before falling. However, they're fairly easy to spot, and are among the largest targets in the game. Since they're still Splicers, location-based bonuses still apply.

Notable Behavior - What a Brute Splicer will do is entirely dependent on how far away they are from the player. If one is at a large distance, it will pick up a nearby object and throw it at the player. If there aren't any objects left or if the player gets at melee-range, they will perform a charge, temporarily disorienting the player. At melee range, Brutes will punch the player, dealing high damage and minor knockback. If the player is at a different elevation to that of the Brute, it will jump up or drop down, catching up instantly with the player. They have quite a predictable movement path, as they will take the shortest route towards the player.

Tips and Tricks:

• When badly injured, Splicers will attempt to use a nearby Health Station, if available. This can be used to the player's advantage if they had previously hacked the Health Station. After they have dealt a good amount of damage to the Splicer, it will run to get health and be poisoned to death by the hacked Health Station.
• Since location-based damage bonuses still apply to Brutes and they have the biggest heads in the game, it shouldn't be that hard to headshot them. This will make fights much shorter and potentially less painful.
• While a rain of boulders may seem frightening, the player is actually better off fighting Brutes from a distance, since the thrown objects are fairly easy to dodge.
• If approaching a Brute Splicer, try to place oneself so that there will be some part of the scenery between oneself and the enemy. This way, it won't be able to charge.
• It is impossible to escape from a Brute Splicer, due to their impressive speed and jump power. If attacked by one, immediately start fighting back.
• If attacked by other Splicers while fighting a Brute, dispose of them first, as they can drain the player's health in the long run.
• If there is a Big Daddy nearby (with or without a Little Sister, preferably without), take up a position behind the Big Daddy so as to use him as a "shield" of sorts. The Brute Splicer will throw an object at the player, but it will hit the Big Daddy in front, causing it to become enraged and start attacking the Brute. This makes for a quick and easy kill, without any effort on the player's part. However, on higher levels the player may need to "help" the Big Daddy, so to speak, to kill the Brute Splicer. Rumblers and Bouncers will make quick work of the Brute, but Rosies may need a bit more firepower on the player's part.
• Brute Splicers hold no regard for their fellow Splicers, and will sometimes damage or even kill them if they get in the way. Occasionally, they may pick up a Splicer that has been hit with either Winter Blast 2 or 3 and toss it in the player's direction.

Recommended Plasmids

• Telekinesis will enable the player to catch objects thrown by a Brute and fling them back at it. This protects the player from its ranged attacks and doubles up as a cost-efficient way of damaging the Brute.
• Electro Bolt will stun the Splicer. This is particularly useful when it comes to stopping a Brute mid-charge or if the foe gets too close for comfort. In addition, if a Brute is about to throw an object at the player, shocking them will cause them to drop it instead. However, due to their constitution they are slightly resistant to electrical effects, and won't remain stunned for as long as other foes.
• Winter Blast will also stun the Splicer, and for a longer amount of time. However, it will deal no direct damage, and killing a frozen Brute Splicer will shatter it, leaving no loot (unless it is upgraded to level 2 and higher).
• Incinerate! is capable of draining a large amount of an enemy's health over time, so it is recommended to ignite a Brute before entering combat proper. Incinerate! is also effective for delaying a charging Brute: setting one alight will cause him to flail about for a short moment, also causing him to drop whatever he was holding, giving the player the chance to deal more damage. However, Brutes are resistant to fire, and will take less periodic damage than most other Splicers.
• Decoy will temporarily distract the Splicer (as well as any other nearby enemy), leaving it open to attack. This can also be used to lure it away from the player. At higher levels this will also restore large amounts of the player's health, due to Brutes' heavy damage output.
• Hypnotize level 1 acts like Enrage and can lead to very entertaining outcomes if there are other enemies around. Not only will this clear the room of any other enemies and partially drain the Brute's health, but it will also leave it open to attack. Hypnotize 3 will temporarily turn the Brute Splicer into an ally.
• Cyclone Trap will throw the Brute into the air and make it fall prone, unlike most large enemies, allowing plenty of time to finish it before it gets up. This uses only a small amount of EVE compared to other stun methods. It is easiest to use this Plasmid directly on the Brute instead of waiting for it to fall into a placed trap.

Recommended Weapons and Ammunition

• Anti-Personnel ammo will deal extra damage against this enemy type.
• The Drill is actually quite capable of taking on this enemy: not only does it continuously deal a high amount of damage, but the Brute will inevitably end up approaching the player, so it would be best to take advantage of the opportunity. The Drill Dash ability will also knock the Splicer back and deal heavy damage, allowing the player to finish it off. Spinning the Drill into this Splicer will stun it while it is being drilled, preventing it from fighting back. However, the Brute will eventually perform a ground-pound attack which will knock the player back, so it is advised to use stun Plasmids while attacking this type of Splicer.
• Trap Rivets can be deployed in a linear path between the Brute and Delta, depleting the Splicer's health as it approaches or charges at the player. Heavy Rivets, due to their increased damage output, count in this case as antipersonnel ammunition.
• All ammo types for the Shotgun work well against Brutes, although Solid Slugs and Phosphorus Buck work best due to their high damage output and unique abilities. Phosphorus Buck will ignite the Splicer while Solid Slugs will actually knock the Splicer back, stunning him.
• All ammunition types for the Spear Gun work well against Brutes: Standard Spears can be used for the headshot bonus (and high damage output), Trap Spears can be placed in the Splicer's path and Rocket Spears can be used to tear out a huge chunk of health from this enemy, not to mention everyone around it.
• Proximity Mines for the Launcher can be laid in a Brute Splicer's path and Heat-Seeking RPGs will take a large amount of health from this enemy type, as well as momentarily knock it back. Upgrading the Launcher so that it immunizes the player against splash damage makes this a viable choice in close quarters.

Recommended Tonics

• Damage Research increases the effect of damage bonuses earned through Camera research.
• Headhunter greatly increases headshot damage.

Elite Brute Splicers

In Inner Persephone, Subject Delta will have to face more powerful versions of Brute Splicers called Elite Brutes. Although they share similar qualities of normal Brutes, they have increased attack strength and approximately 45% more health, making them much harder to take down. Dressed as orderlies, Elite Brute Splicers often attack Delta alongside an Alpha Series or one or two Leadhead Splicers. Like regular Brutes, Elite Brute Splicers are vulnerable to headshots and Splicer-specific ammunition like Anti-Personnel Rounds.

Minerva's Den

Main article: Minerva's Den

Fiery Brute Splicers

In BioShock 2's second DLC, Minerva's Den, Brutes have obtained new abilities. They emit a red/orange glow from their feet and arms and leave flaming footprints wherever they go. Also, when struck with a melee attack, Fiery Brutes expel a burst of fire from their bodies, as would the player if they equipped the Fire Storm Gene Tonic. To make matters worse, they are completely immune to all fire-based attacks. They can still be damaged from incendiary ammo like Thermal Cells though, but are immune to the ignition effect. To counter these new abilities, it is recommended to always attack the Brute from a distance. The new Gravity Well Plasmid comes in handy as a means of restraining the Brute, and is even capable of halting it mid-charge.

Help Caption

“	The top of the Splicer food chain, the Brute Splicer has grown his body to an enormous size. Valuing raw muscle mass over all else, the Brute Splicer bears down on his victims with a sudden shoulder charge, then finishes them off with a hail of vicious hammer blows. You may think you're safe at a distance, but watch out for his temper: he likes to throw things, too.	”

Significant Brute Splicers

The only somewhat significant Brute Splicer is Leo Hartwig, who attacks Subject Delta at the Fishbowl Diner after he confronts Grace Holloway. Leo was the original inventor of the formula that creates Brute Splicers. After he is killed, the audio diary recording of his first test of the formula (on himself) can be found on him.

Video

Brute Splicer walkthrough.

Gallery

Concept art for the Brute Splicer.

Concept art from Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2.

Concepts of the Brute Splicer model.

An untextured model for the Brute Splicer. By Johnny Xiao.

Concepts of "Elite Brute" Splicer model.

The Brute Splicer, as he appears in the release trailer for BioShock 2.

Closeup of the Brute Splicer's release trailer model.

Turnaround for the release trailer model of the Brute Splicer.

A Brute Splicer in the release trailer for BioShock 2.

A Brute Splicer read for a fight.

Using "Insect Swarm" on the Brute Splicer.

A Fiery Brute Splicer in the Exhaust Venting.

Behind the Scenes

• During development, Brutes were designed to pull objects out of the ground and throw them at the player. However, this was changed, as it was considered unrealistic.
• Jordan Thomas revealed that under the Hypnotize Plasmid, the Brute's explanation for their homophobic remarks and their hulking appearance was because of being ashamed and feared by their own homosexuality in Rapture's unforgiving sociopolitical climate.
• The Brute Splicer is the only Splicer type with an Elite version of itself.
• Steve Gaynor mentioned that the Fiery Brute was originally meant to be included in BioShock 2, but was scrapped due to time constraints. Eventually, it was included in Minerva's Den.