Automatons (Turrets)

Tactics and Strategy

All around Columbia, you’ll run into many robotic emplacements built to fire upon any adversary in their line of sight. These Automatons are fairly common enemies but can be very difficult to take down due to their high defense and the constant stream of gunfire they send toward you.

The most common Automaton found in Columbia is the Machine Gun Automaton, which sprays a continuous stream of bullets at any hostile around it. While you might think you can safely avoid a turret’s line of sight, it’s nearly impossible—if you take a shot at them, they’ll keep firing until one of you is defeated!

The easiest way to take care of a Machine Gun Automaton is to possess one—you’ll create a powerful ally that will either finish off your opponents, or your opponents will finish it off for you! Machine Gun Automatons don’t deal that much damage, but they do fire on you constantly. If you want to take one out with a gun, unload on it, trading damage until one of you is defeated. Unlike soldiers, turrets won’t commit suicide after Possession runs out, so watch for the color of its light to change from green back to yellow to see when your ally will become your enemy again.

For fewer Salts, you can incapacitate a turret using Shock Jockey and then finish it off quickly, since this makes it both vulnerable and unable to fire on you.

The second type of turret, the Rocket Automaton, is much less common but much more dangerous, as it fires high-damage rockets at you! These turrets aren’t as scary as they seem because they have a very low rate of fire, allowing you to move in and out of cover and fire at them in between shots. Much like Machine Gun Automatons, it’s usually best to reduce their threat using the Possession Vigor.

The third type of turret, the Barrage Automaton, is very rare, but it is the most deadly and sturdy of all of them. The Barrage Automaton is only found in a few spots but it is a very irritating enemy that constantly unloads rockets at you. Barrage Automatons are also completely immune to Possession, meaning you’ll have to take out these beefy emplacements with other Vigors and standard weaponry.

The best strategy for these foes is to keep firing shots at them until they’re defeated. There is an occasional break from their mortar fire—use this brief moment to unload on them until they start firing again! You can also use Shock Jockey to make them vulnerable and to stop their barrage for a moment, giving you a chance to take them out without fear of retribution.