Bioshock Plasmids

Table Of Contents

Introduction Plasmid List Plasmid Guides Cyclone Trap Electrobolt Enrage Hypnotize Big Daddy Incinerate Insect Swarm Security Bullseye Target Dummy Telekinesis Winter Blast Sonic Boom

Introduction

Plasmids are special serums made from processed ADAM that introduce special stem cells into your system, allowing for genetic modification and real time mutation, giving you what some might call "super powers". Plasmids are powerful, but their development and overuse have caused the downfall of Rapture.

The player has a limited number of slots for actively equipped plasmids. The player can change his currently equipped plasmids at a Gene Bank. The player may purchase additional slots (maximum of 6) and select plasmids at a Gatherer's Garden.

Plasmids

Icon	Plasmid Description
	Cyclone Trap Creates a spinning vortex that will send enemies flying into the air. Click here for more information and guide.
	Electrobolt Fires bolts of electricity stunning both man and machine. Click here for more information and guide.
	Enrage Causes the target to attack the closest being. Click here for more information and guide.
	Hypnotize Big Daddy Makes a Big Daddy defend you temporarily. Click here for more information and guide.
	Incinerate Releases a torrent of fire at the target, setting them ablaze. Click here for more information and guide.
	Insect Swarm Unleashes hordes of hornets that attack nearby enemies. Click here for more information and guide.
	Security Bullseye Target is more likely to incur the wrath of turrets and security bots. Click here for more information and guide.
	Target Dummy Summons an illusionary target dummy to distract foes. Click here for more information and guide.
	Telekinesis Move objects with your mind. Click here for more information and guide.
	Winter Blast Freeze an enemy in a solid block of ice for a period of time. Click here for more information and guide.
	Sonic Boom Gives a sonic blast to everything standing right in front of you. Click here for more information and guide.

Cyclone Trap

Introduction:
The Cyclone Trap is an active Plasmid that lays a trap, invisible to everyone but yourself, that violently throws anyone who steps on the trap into the air, before crashing back to earth and causing significant damage to the victim. When selected, Cyclone Trap manifests as a delicate air pocket that Jack carefully maintains by twirling his fingers.
Cyclone Trap is an effective counterpart to proximity mines, although less damaging. It can also be used offensively by targeting the floor directly beneath a Splicer's feet and firing the plasmid. Note that each trap set will only work once.

Electrobolt

Introduction:
Electrobolt is a power that fires a bolt of electricity that stuns both man and machine. It is the first plasmid found out in the open and the namesake of the game BioShock. When selected, Electrobolt manifests as luminous forked currents that run through Jack's arm, beneath the skin.

Damage:
It inflicts no damage, but lowers the enemy's defense so the next attack does more damage. A good combo to use against the Splicers is to shock them with an Electrobolt then run up to them and headshot them with the wrench - an instant kill throughout much of the game.

There is a loophole in its lack of damage - if used on a target in water, it will do significant damage. Another good combo is to set an enemy on fire with Incinerate, causing them to seek water and then shock the water with Electrobolt. Yet another combo involving the Electrobolt it to use a Cyclone Trap to launch a Splicer into water or the air. Hitting a Splicer while in the air will stun it so when it hits the floor it will take a little more damage.

The Electrobolt is also very useful against automated security turrets, bots, and cameras. Firing a bolt at them will temporarily stun them, allowing you to run up and hack them so that they will work for you.

At higher levels, the Electrobolt stuns enemies for longer.

Strategy:
Electrobolt is, in addition to being the first plasmid, one of the strongest in the game. The "Zap 'Em And Whack 'Em" combo, also called the "1 2 Punch" by Atlas at the beginning of the game, can put an end to just about every Splicer you come across, given you can hit them and whack them with the Wrench fast enough. Aside from that, its ability to critically injure foes standing in water - and where isn't there water in Rapture? - it deals no direct damage, so you'll have to supply the hurt yourself. This is particularly important in Big Daddy fights, where a zap should be followed by the mightiest whack you can manage--think grenade launcher big. If it hurts, Electrobolt can make it hurt worse. (Try not to use it when you're standing in water, unless you have the Electric Skin.)

Why You Need It:
When all else fails, there's nothing quite like a fistful of lightnin'. You don't even have to try and fail everything else - Electrobolt works on most of the enemies in the game. Aside from its direct combat uses, you can also use it to stun drones and turrets to hack them to your heart's content. It is also useful for opening doors with broken door controls.

Why You Don't Need It:
The Chemical Thrower has electrogel you can invent that lets you mimic Electrobolt's stunning effect with a normal weapon, potentially freeing a slot to the weapon-fond or EVE-bereft. Electrobolt also uses up EVE quickly; you'll be chewing through EVE hypos after two or three uses. The Shotgun has Electric Buck ammo (Note: Electric Buck ammo is rare but useful because it is found in some Circus of Values vending machines)

Location:
Found in Welcome to Rapture at top of stairs before locked door.

Enrage

Introduction:
The Enrage Plasmid, officially referred to as Lot 44 during Dr. Suchong's clinical trials, makes foes so angry, they will attack the closest living being, even Big Daddies. It can be purchased from the vending machine where you encounter your first Little Sister in the Medical Pavilion. When selected, Enrage manifests as a red "ball" that emerges from Jack's palm and oozes a clear liquid when squeezed.

Do not use it if there is only one foe in the area, because it will still attack you since you are the only other living being, and would be a waste of EVE.

Enrage costs relatively little EVE, so it is possible to hit a great number of splicers with it and save enormous amounts of ammunition (or EVE spent on damage plasmids). Obviously, it is best used against groups.

Enrage tends to work better on Leadhead and Thuggish Splicers. Not only are these splicers very quick to attack the nearest target (and thus draw other non-Enraged Splicers away from you), they are quite easy to hit with the plasmid. Spider splicers in particular are difficult to employ Enrage with since they tend to waste time moving around instead of attacking targets and can often be hard to hit with the plasmid in the first place as they move frequently.

Against Big Daddies:
Developed for use in today's uncertain environment, ENRAGE! will make your victim forget what side he's on, and attack anyone nearby. Just make sure 'anyone' isn't you!

As with Security Bullseye, Enrage can be useful in weakening a non-hostile Big Daddy when used on Splicers, as it will not cause the Big Daddy to become hostile towards the player. This tends to be more useful in getting rid of the Splicers, however, since Big Daddies tend to slaughter splicers before they can do much damage. Nitro and Leadhead Splicers are your best bet if you actually want to do significant damage to the Big Daddy.
Be extremely careful when using Enrage in the presence of a Big Daddy since you could hit the Big Daddy accidentally and cause him to attack you!

Hypnotize Big Daddy

Introduction:
This Plasmid makes a Big Daddy follow and protect you for 90 seconds. This plasmid can only be obtained if you save the little sisters (first gift, Neptune's Bounty or later). This power uses the most EVE of any plasmid in the game. When selected, Hypnotize manifests as a yellow "ball" that emerges from Jack's palm and oozes a clear liquid when squeezed.

Notes About This Plasmid:

• If used on a Big Daddy guarding a Little Sister, the Little Sister will either run back to a vent and cannot be harvested or rescued or will get a new Big Daddy. You cannot hypnotize a Big Daddy that is attacking you.
• An important thing to note when using this Plasmid is that if you are using the Combat Tonic Static Discharge the effect will remove the Plasmid's effect since it counts as attacking.
• Since the Big Daddy will get a new Little Sister after every time he is hypnotized, it is possible to take multiple pictures using the research camera to great benefit.
• Once you obtain the higher level of this plasmid, the Big Daddy will protect you for 3 full minutes. It's in the third Little Sister gift, available in Fort Frolic or later.
• This Plasmid shares a similar appearance to the Enrage plasmid, the only difference being the color.

Incinerate

Introduction:
Developed by Ryan Industries in Rapture, the Incinerate (or "Incinerate!", in-game) plasmid is a modification that allows the host to create fire with his hands, ranging from a single lighter-like flicker to a powerful fireball. When selected, Incinerate manifests as burnt flesh on Jack's hand and lower arm, which radiates waves of heat and the occasion burst of flame.

The most interesting part about this plasmid is that when you set an object on fire, and a splicer or other flammable object comes in contact with it, the fire will spread. Use this to your advantage when enemies are standing in or around flammable objects, such as gasoline puddles or explosives.

This plasmid can also be used in conjunction with the Electrobolt plasmid. When an enemy is set on fire, they will immediately run for water. When they are immersed in the water, you can deliver a lethal shock with the Electrobolt.
At higher levels, the effects of Incinerate can stack when used multiple times, causing the victim to burn faster. Used with Human Inferno, Incinerate can inflict even more damage.

Strategies:
At first glance, there's not a lot of strategy behind lighting your enemies on fire, but you'd be surprised. The first question is one of target--fire spreads, as you've noticed. Aim at the center of an enemy group, so the ensuing burst can ignite several at the cost of only one activation of Incinerate. Once your foes are alight, follow up with normal attacks to conserve EVE (the wrench is best for ammo and EVE conservation, but if you don't want to get too close to flaming enemies, the pistol or machine gun make for excellent follow-up). If there's a puddle of oil on the floor, blast it! The ensuing firestorm creates a barrier between you and your enemies, igniting anyone who dares pass it. You can also ignite several splicers and hide behind a wall to let the fire rack up on damage, allowing you to finish them off with little effort. If a splicer is on fire they will naturally seek out water. You can shock the water with Electrobolt to kill them.

Why You Need This Plasmid:
For lighting your enemies aflame, of course! For its damage, it's more EVE-efficient than Electrobolt, and a careful shot can ignite several enemies in a single pull. Don't forget the utility of melting frozen objects.

Why You Don't Need It:
When you get the Chemical Thrower in Arcadia, you'll have a normal weapon that can approximate the fiery blast of Incinerate; further, napalm is its default fuel, meaning it's easy to find or purchase. You can safely exchange Incinerate for another plasmid and use the chemical thrower as your primary tool of ignition.

Location:
Found in the crematorium in the Medical Pavilion. It is upstairs in a room you have to crawl into.
Found in "Welcome to Rapture" in the demo version of the game, in the womens' bathroom in the restaurant.

Insect Swarm

Introduction:
Insect Swarm is an active Plasmid that unleashes hordes of hornets upon nearby enemies. Insect Swarm's purpose is two-fold: it hurts the enemy and can cause enemies to become distracted. When selected, Insect Swarm manifests as hive-like growths on Jack's arm, from which the hornets emerge.

At higher levels, more hornets are released when this plasmid is used.

Strategy:
Insect Swarm is the first plasmid you can purchase that lets you make a reliable area attack; simply point and click to fill an area with horrible gene-modified bees. Every enemy in the radius gets a face full of bee; further, several other bees hang out in the area for several moments after you use the plasmid. Further, enemies have a high chance to be stunned by the bee swarm. Maximize your use of Insect Swarm by spraying individual or teams of enemies and letting them get stunned, followed up by either a vicious set of normal attacks or, for double the hurt, another plasmid (like Incinerate!) or a burst from the Chemical Thrower.

Why You Need This Plasmid:
Insect Swarm deals damage over time like Incinerate, and can affect several enemies at once, but at a lower EVE cost and no chance of collateral damage. Plus, enemies are easily stunned by the horrible, horrible bees, unlike Incinerate, so you can give 'em a smack or a shot while they're busy reeling in bee-horror. It's a little bit Incinerate, a little bit Electrobolt, and a smidgeon Cyclone Trap. It is also usefull for discovering splicers playing dead in the later levels - bees are never fooled!

Why You Don't Need It:
Insect Swarm, being an area attack, isn't the choosiest of plasmids. If a Big Daddy is in the area, don't even think about laying down a bee-field; because it lasts several seconds after you level your attack, there's a chance a wandering Big Daddy will amble into it, add you to his hit-list, and introduce you to a new age of pain. Single-target plasmids can pinpoint victims, making them more useful for super-powered-golemoid-and-indestructible-mutagen-sucking-waif-strewn battlefields.

Location:
First available for purchase from Gatherer's Garden in Farmer's Market and all subsequent levels.

Security Bullseye

Introduction:
This plasmid causes the enemy to become a target for security devices such as turrets and security bots. If enemy A sets off a camera and summons some security bots, hitting enemy B with the Security Bullseye plasmid will cause the bots to fire on Enemy B as well. Normally the bots would depart after killing enemy A. When selected, Security Bullseye manifests as a blue "ball" that emerges from Jack's palm and oozes a clear liquid when squeezed.

As most turrets and cameras are fairly easy to hack (especially with the hacking tonics), this plasmid will not seem particularly useful. Without it, in the above example where the bots left after killing enemy A, one would just need to lure enemy B into the cameras sight, new bots would be summoned, and enemy B would be killed.

Security Bullseye does come more into play in situations involving enemies in proximity to unhacked security elements, especially when the security elements are in locations that are difficult to reach (and hack). Marking the enemy with Security Bullseye will cause the unhacked security elements to target the enemy, and will also serve to distract the security elements away from the player for the duration.

Security Bullseye & Vending Machines:
With unhacked vending machines, you can summon security bots to fight against your enemies. Hack a machine and purposely lead the water flow into an alarm tile. This way you will trigger an alarm and whoever you target with the bullseye will be attacked by the bots, including Big Daddies (see below).

Security Bullseye Against Big Daddies:
Security Bullseye can be extremely useful in weakening or even beating a non-hostile Big Daddy, as it will not cause the Big Daddy to become hostile towards the player. While turrets and individual security bots do not last long against Big Daddies, security cameras will continually summon fresh security bots to attack the Big Daddy for the duration of the alarm. Such a situation can result in considerable damage on the Big Daddy in question, with very little risk to the player (unless he gets caught in the crossfire). A useful side effect is the repeated summoning of fresh security bots, giving a player equipped with the camera plenty of opportunities to take pictures of security bots in action. Combine this method with fail-hacking vending machines (see above) for very cheap Big Daddy kills.

Location:
Found in the upper floor of the wharf in Neptune's Bounty.

Target Dummy

Introduction:
This plasmid summons a target dummy that distracts enemies that can see it for a period of time.
The target dummy can be placed anywhere that the player can normally stand and can be placed far away from the player to draw enemies--and their fire--away. It can also be placed in areas that the player cannot normally reach.

Combined with a hacked turret or camera, the Target Dummy can be a good way to lure an enemy into a previously setup ambush.

This plasmid is similar to Insect Swarm in that it distracts/focuses attention away from the player. The dummy is far more effective as a distraction but, unlike Insect Swarm, it doesn't do direct damage to foes.

Strategy:
This plasmid is decent, as even on hard difficulty, one can lure an enemy or two into a camera or turret fairly easily. It can also be used to temporarily cause hostile Turrets or other Splicers to attack a spot occupied by other enemies.

A good combo for Target Dummy is to set a proximity mine or Trapline, then set a Target Dummy on the mine, so when an enemy goes to attack the dummy, they hit the trap, injuring or killing them. The Target Dummy is also effective when used against melee attackers, as it often causes them to bunch together--an ideal situation for devastating telekinesis-launched explosives or frag grenade attacks.

The Target Dummy also can prove useful for researching Security Bots and Turrets which prioritize targeting of the dummy over the player. Target Dummy may be used to trigger a hostile Security Camera which will summon Bots to attack the dummy. Security Alerts triggered by Target Dummies are treated as if an enemy caused them, and Bots will completely ignore the player, even on sight. This allows research to be taken on Security Bots (with an Action Shot Bonus) without having to avoid or combat them. This also allows you to sic them on a Big Daddy (with Security Bullseye) who does not pass in front of the camera.

Why You Need This Plasmid:
Target Dummy can be an incredibly economical and effective alternative to Winter Blast or Electrobolt, because splicers that are distracted by a Target Dummy are susceptible to Combat Plasmids such as Wrench Lurker, and the incidence of friendly-fire between multiple splicers attacking the Target Dummy is much greater since there is no target to stop the attacks and as a result, fights between splicers often occur. Further, target dummy does not need to be cast on each enemy in a crowd, and there is no chance of missing.

Turrets can also be hacked while they attack a Target Dummy, which does not lose its effectiveness like Electrobolt does in the later levels.

Location:
First available for purchase from a Gatherer's Garden on the lower floor of the wharf in Neptune's Bounty.

Telekinesis

Introduction:
The Telekinesis Plasmid, referred to officially as Lot 23 during Dr. Suchong's trials, is a modification that allows the host to move objects with his mind, from large to small. Can be found in the Medical Pavilion, more specifically in Dandy Dental. Unlike the other active plasmids, Telekinesis does not have a physical manifestation when selected.

This plasmid is especially useful against Nitro Splicers, because you can nab their grenades in midair and toss them back.

This plasmid also can be used to create a sort of "Anti-Rosie Bomb." This requires you to throw five proximity mines on a large object that you are also able to move using Telekineses (eg. lifesaver). You then must toss it at a Rosie to kill it instantly.

This plasmid can also be used to manipulate trap bolts, whether they were set by you or pre-set. This is useful if you want to rearrange your traps or just toss a trap bolt at a splicer for some good damage. Also, you can use Telekinesis to grab the dead body of a splicer and hold it in front of you while walking through a web of trap bolts and have the body absorb all the electricity. (However, this becaomes pointless after the tonic Electric Flesh 2.)

This plasmid is also useful against at least some Leadhead Splicers because you can rip off their masks and throw them back for (at least early on in the game) a one hit kill. (On Easy mode)

Some pros like to take what is called the "Telekinesis Challenge". It works like this: once you get this plasmid you use it and ONLY it for the rest of the game to kill enemies. It is very similar in this manner to the "Gravity Gun" challenge of Half Life 2 infamy.

Strategy:
The value of being able to pick up any manner of junk and throw it at your enemies for massive damage doesn't really need elaboration. Well, maybe a little... First, try and target bigger or explosive objects before using Telekinesis to maximize your damage. In a fight against a Big Daddy, you can plan ahead of time to pick up and hurl the most damaging objects you can to start off the fight. Out of combat, if an item is out of reach, you can sweep it towards yourself with Telekinesis, including usable items like vodka or pep bars. It's also of incredible utility against Nitro Splicers, Grenade Launcher Turrets, and Rosies; you can catch their projectiles (bombs, rockets, or proximity mines, in that order) and slam 'em back at the enemy. It is also possible to use a crossbow/telekinesis combination. Shoot any enemy once with a crossbow bolt, and telekinesis can pull it back out of the enemy and shoot him over and over with nearly no reload time.

The best objects to throw are explosives like fuel barrels and propane tanks, as they will set the target on fire and can do serious damage to Big Daddies on Hard difficulty. Heavy objects like Big Daddy corpses, wheelchairs and stretchers are also effective. Splicer corpses are also surprisingly damaging, and often more readily available than explosives.

Why You Need This Plasmid:
Being able to hurl any object in the game as a deadly weapon is a considerable advantage. Further, the plasmid uses little EVE, allowing you to deal hideous damage at a good range with only a small investment of energy. Its non-combat benefits are just as handy.

Why You Don't Need It:
Telekinesis is far from the end-all answer. Unlike games with a strong focus on telekinesis or telekinetic-style abilities, like Psi-Ops or Half-Life 2, Telekinesis isn't particularly subtle or defensive. You can only hold up objects to throw, not defend yourself from enemy attack (that is incorrect; corpses make great bullet shields, as do other objects such as trash cans), nor can you draw over an item to use it in some other way, like solving a physics puzzle (such as Portal)(This is also untrue; grab something flammable, like a corpse, drag it over fire, and now you have a firelighting device.. Further, it's easy to scrounge up random low-damage junk if you're not careful, reducing your damage potential while still using the same amount of EVE. Handy as it is, you don't have to carry around Telekinesis to survive, but it does make things interesting.

Bonus Instruction:
The telekinesis plasmid can be cleverly used in combination with the drop instruction ('V' on the PC, 'X' on the 360). Instead of releasing the mouse button to throw the item held you can drop the item at your feet and you use NO eve at all. This can also be used to stack crates etc to reach some inaccessible areas. It has a very long range, so if you see possible useful items out of reach this plasmid can be used to sweep the area, pulling them towards you and using them if useful or dropping them if not - all without using any Eve.

Location:
Dandy Dental in the Medical Pavilion.

Winter Blast

Introduction:
The Winter Blast is a powerful offensive Plasmid. Upon impact, Winter Blast freezes the enemy solid, disabling him until he thaws again, during which it is possible to shatter the victim, killing him. When selected, Winter Blast manifests as severe frost burns on Jack's hand and numerous icicles emerge from his knuckles.

Tougher enemies take less time to thaw when frozen. However, shattering a frozen enemy leaves no corpse, which means no salvageable items. It is therefore usually preferable to use Electrobolt to stun and kill foes, even though this does not disable the victim for as long and ends when the enemy is damaged. But this is incredibly useful for hacking, as freezing machines not only prevents them from attacking, but also slows the path of the water.

At higher levels, Winter Blast lasts longer.

Winter Blast can be used to freeze a camera, turret, or vending machine. Much like Electro Bolt, it disabled security devices for a short time, but UNLIKE Electro Bolt, it slows down the flow of liquid while hacking.

Sonic Boom

Introduction:
Sonic Boom is a new plasmid from a downloadable patch containing various other tonics. When used, it hurls a devastatingly powerful blast of wind at your target that usually causes them to fly very far, much like Cyclone Trap. It is possibly the most powerful plasmid available, and is very effective against groups of splicers. It is capable of amusingly blasting Spider splicers off of ceilings -- leaving them quite vulnerable for a short time.

Although this plasmid is very effective against all splicers, it is almost useless against Big Daddies. It can be used like telekinesis in some ways, although it is usually an inferior choice. For instance, if you don't have telekinesis available, Sonic Boom can be used to blow things off of high ledges or unreachable walls.