Enhanced Guide (Screens/Videos) at: http://www.playhaven.com/guides/pc/bioshock/the-art-of-the-wrench-the-best-weap on-in-the-game/ZIP5BhnthTZP07wn8NTsyA/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Oo*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-oO || The Art of the Wrench: the best weapon in the game || || BioShock || Oo*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-oO Written by: eyao (http://www.playhaven.com/profile/eyao/) Last updated: 2009-07-14 02:41:15 =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== - Introduction - Plasmids - Physical Tonics - Combat Tonics - Calculations - Conclusion =============================================================================== Introduction =============================================================================== Bioshock is a great game with tons of weapons, however, none come close in terms of power and fun to the first weapon you get, the wrench. The fighting technique is very similar to the one-two combo you learn initially - Electrobolt then hit them when they're stunned for some decent damage. As you progress through the game, this method becomes harder to do, but luckily the game has a ton of great tonics to help increase the effectiveness of the wrench. The guide will outline what some of the best tonics to use, and how to attack effectively with the wrench. - IMAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://media.playhaven.com/9ShMQ5OYP6tEnNyanL7psQ/original/screenshot_07_xl.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some big daddy hunting with the wrench ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== Plasmids =============================================================================== The most obvious plasmid to get is the Electrobolt and all its upgrades. Using these on splicers before you wrench them gives two benefits: > * They're stunned and can't hit you back > * You do extra damage (a lot of extra damage) For the other slots, it's up to you. I like telekenesis and incinerate but use whatever floats your boat, it's not going to matter since you'll be having so much fun with the wrench you'll forget that plasmids exist. =============================================================================== Physical Tonics =============================================================================== The following are recommended tonics for maximum wrench effectiveness - choose which ones you like, they all work well: Bloodlust: A wrench-user's dream come true. Every hit you make with the wrench restores a bit of life and eve. I would say this is a must-have. You can create this at an invent machine with 4 glue, 3 enzyme, and 2 empty hypo. Natural Camouflage: Makes you more invisible and therefore more likely to get in some nice wrench attacks. Another tonic you seriously consider. To get it, finish the second research bar on the "Houdini Splicer" Sport Boost: Movement speed increased by 10%, wrench swing speed increased by 25%. Mandatory! You can get it by filling out research bar 2 on the "Thuggish splicer". Sport Boost 2: Movement speed increased by 20%, wrench swing speed increased by 50%. Even better! AND STACKABLE with Sport Boost 1! Get this baby by filling out research bar 4 on the "Thuggish splicer". Eve Link 1/2: Not a wrench enhancer, but worthy of mention since you're going to be getting in close to many enemies and likely taking damage here and there. These tonics let you restore eve with hp when you use a FA kit. You'll encounter both in your journey through Rapture. Get the above tonics first before you consider this one though. =============================================================================== Combat Tonics =============================================================================== Damage Research 1: You want to increase your damage as much as possible - get this to add a 30% bonus to research damage bonuses. Find it in the lower workshops in Hephaestus. Upgrade later to... Damage Research 2: Same deal except 60%! Find it at the library at Point Prometheus. Frozen Field 2: Obviously you can get #1 as well, but you only need 2. It reduces cold damage by 30% which is OK and all, but what really comes in handy is when you use the wrench, it deals an extra 20 cold damage and has a 20% chance of freezing anyone it strikes. With sport boost, this means frozen enemies everywhere! You can find one in central control of Hephaestus. Wrench Jockey: Increases wrench damage by 350% - yes you read that right. This is a MUST HAVE. Find it at the cure all office at the medical pavilion. Wrench Jockey 2: Use with wrench jockey. It increases wrench damage by an additional 550%! Complete the second level of research with Bouncers to get it. Another must have! Optional: These next two are great, but you'll rarely be sneaking up on enemies and/or shocking them so they are very situational - unless you like to play that way, in which case by all means get these. Wrench Lurker 1/2: Increases wrench damage by 150%/200% respectively against unaware or shocked enemies and quiets your footsteps. I like to just run in and start whacking so it's not much use to me. However, it increases damage for more patient people which is never a bad thing. o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o >> I'm going to skip engineering tonics simply because they have no benefits for the wrench. o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o =============================================================================== Calculations =============================================================================== +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Standard Attack | 20 physical damage | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Wrench Jockey | +350% | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Wrench Jockey 2 | +550% | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Research Camera Bonus (Bouncer) | +50% | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | TOTAL | +950% (210 damage per hit) | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Attacks Against Unaware Enemies | Base damage standard (210 damage) | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Wrench Lurker 1 + 2 (+150%/+200%) | +550% Unaware Bonus | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | TOTAL | 1155 damage for the FIRST hit on an | | | unaware enemy | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Attacks against stunned enemies | Base damage standard (210 damage) | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Unaware Bonus (since stunned) | +550% | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | Shocked with electrobolt | +400% | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ | TOTAL | 4620 damage for the FIRST hit on a | | | stunned enemy | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------+ o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o >> Big daddies take 75% less damage from the wrench so watch out if you plan to whack them with it! o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o =============================================================================== Conclusion =============================================================================== As you can see from the numbers above, the damage scales extremely high with the wrench and the right tonics/plasmids. Even the base damage of 210 is nothing to laugh at, especially when you pair it up with Bloodlust, Sport Boost, and Frozen Field. The enemies will be hard pressed to kill you, making Big Daddies the only real threat in the game due to their huge damage reduction on the wrench and their high damage output on you. Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for reading! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This guide was created at http://www.playhaven.com/. See the full guide here: http://www.playhaven.com/guides/pc/bioshock/the-art-of-the-wrench-the-best-weap on-in-the-game/ZIP5BhnthTZP07wn8NTsyA/