Handyman

Tactics and Strategy

The Handyman is a robotic monstrosity that was once a man. Illness or injury has ravaged the bodies of these men to the point where they are only kept alive by having most of their body parts replaced by mechanical ones. A Handyman is an incredibly difficult enemy to defeat and is always a gigantic threat whenever one is around.

The Handyman primarily attacks by getting close and trying to punch you. These punches deal an incredible amount of damage so if you see a Handyman running toward you, run! After the Handyman swings, he’ll stop and grab at his glowing heart. Use this opportunity to take some shots at him or put some distance between you.

From a distance, the Handyman can attack by throwing corpses and other objects at you. This attack has a long wind-up, and he won’t be able to do it if there aren’t any corpses or other objects close at hand, so look for an opportunity for him to pick something up and fire on him while moving to the side.

If the Handyman can’t find an object to throw, he can shoot at you by generating electricity in his hand and turning it into a sphere before throwing it toward you. This projectile is extremely damaging and moves quickly, but it is not fast enough to catch you if you are moving.

Many Handyman encounters take place around Sky-Lines, giving you an easy route of escape if the Handyman is getting too close. Don’t hang on them too long, though, since the Handyman can jump onto a Sky-Line and electrocute it, damaging you! You can use this attack to your advantage, however—hop onto a Sky-Line to goad him into grabbing hold of it, then jump down and shoot at him while he’s defenseless!

The Handyman has two weak points—his head and his large glowing heart. He’s much more vulnerable in his heart, so focus all your fire at it.

Since his body is powered by electricity, Shock Jockey is almost useless against him. The Undertow Vigor’s normal fire typically only does a small amount of damage to the Handyman, but a charged Undertow will stun him for a few seconds, leaving his heart vulnerable while also dealing damage. The best Vigor to use against the Handyman is, surprisingly, Murder of Crows—the Handyman gets distracted by the crows, allowing you to fire at him without retribution!

After defeating the Handyman, keep an eye out because he drops a piece of Gear when he dies! This Gear can occasionally be hidden around the Handyman’s massive corpse. Pay attention and make sure you don’t miss out on a valuable piece of Gear!