Soldiers (Founders and Vox)

As he attempts to rescue Elizabeth and wipe away his own debt, Booker encounters scores of enemies; from the ruling class Founders to the unruly Vox Populi revolutionaries. In this chapter, you’ll learn everything you need to know about your foes—their different methods of attack, abilities, and weaknesses.

As you advance through the game, your foes gain more health and deal more damage. Each section of the game has a certain “rank” of enemies.

Where You’ll Find Each Rank

Tactics and Strategy

Booker’s most common foe comes in the form of soldiers for different factions, whether they’re from the Columbia police, the Founders’ army, Slate’s disenfranchised troops, or the Vox Populi rebels. These soldiers have various backgrounds and a wide array of equipment, but in game terms, they all behave similarly.

Melee

The first type of enemy you’ll face in Columbia is the melee-based soldier. These club-wielding assailants pursue Booker relentlessly until either he is dead or they are. When they’re approaching, they’ll occasionally try to sidestep your attacks, which can be especially annoying if they happen to evade a Vigor attack.

Pistol

When melee types are attacking, you should generally backpedal while firing to take them out before they reach you. If they get too close, slap them with the Sky-Hook to stop them from attacking, and finish them off with a Sky-Hook execution, another weapon, or a Vigor attack.

Since melee soldiers will charge at you to the ends of Columbia, they are particularly susceptible to traps. Backpedal into one, and watch as your attackers run headfirst toward their doom!

Alongside the melee enemies, there are many soldiers armed with various light weapons, such as the Pistol, Shotgun, and Machine Gun. Depending on the weapon they carry, these soldiers can be anything from a slight annoyance to a deadly threat.

Hand Cannon

When facing armed attackers, check out what weapons they’re carrying before making a decision about whom to dispatch first. Soldiers armed with a Pistol or Machine Gun are minor threats who have a hard time breaking your Shields, especially if you keep moving. These soldiers need to be set in place before attacking, so if you keep moving, they’ll be unable to draw a bead on you.

Machine Gun

When enemies are armed with a Hand Cannon or Shotgun, things get much more dangerous. Against these foes, it’s absolutely imperative that you fight them while on the run, because letting them get a shot out can completely wipe away your Shields! These adversaries need to be closer than the others to attack you, so zap them with a Vigor whenever they’re drawing near.

Carbine

Unfortunately for many soldiers, they’re vulnerable to every Vigor, from Possession (as long as you buy the Possess Humans upgrade) to Bucking Bronco and everything in between. When possessed, enemy soldiers fight for you for a few seconds, and once it wears off (if they’re still alive), they’ll kill themselves, making Possession an instant kill!

Shotgun

The most effective Vigor against soldiers is often Bucking Bronco, especially after it’s been upgraded. Bucking Bronco levitates soldiers for quite a while, leaving them vulnerable the entire time and allowing you to take them out at your leisure.

Sniper

There is a unique breed of soldier who, although rare, is incredibly deadly—the sniper. You’ll only face a handful of snipers in Columbia, but each encounter can end incredibly quickly, as a single sniper shot can drain your Shields no matter how much you’ve upgraded them!

Burst Gun

Try to take snipers out with either a Sniper Rifle of your own or another long-range weapon like the Carbine or the RPG. Most Vigors won’t reach a sniper, but you can use Undertow’s alternate fire to pull them straight to you, removing their advantage and giving you the chance to take them out at close range with whatever you want!