What does vulnerability mean in BioShock Infinite?
I've been playing around with a lot of different vigors and weapons, and a lot of times I notice the words "vulnerable" pop up on the screen. This happens when I use Murder of Crows, Shock Jockey or Bucking Bronco, and even sometimes after melee attacks (though I have the Electric Touch hat on, so maybe its related to that). From what I have understood, its some kind of damage multiplier. However, I'm planning to do a 1999-mode run after this one, so I decided to ask it here -
How much is the damage multiplier? I'm guessing 2x, since on Normal I kill almost everything with 1 head shot anyway. But then, IIRC, in the original Bioshock Electro Bolt increased damage to 400%, so maybe its more than 2x.
How long does the enemy stay vulnerable? Because the word "Vulnerable!" itself just comes up for a split-second. Does this multiplier stay on only as long as the effect of the vigor lasts?
If someone can tell me exactly which vigors/gear can cause this effect, I'll highly appreciate it.
The "Vulnerable!" effect means that the enemy is stunned and won't fight back. This effect is triggered by the items in the list below. The numbers are the base duration/alternate fire duration(when present), they can be increased with upgrades or decreased by enemies resistances:
VIGORS:
- Shock Jockey: 3 seconds/4 seconds (doubles the damage received by the enemies);
- Bucking Bronco: 3 seconds/6 seconds (increases the damage received by the enemies);
- Murder of Crows: 4 seconds/9 seconds;
- Undertow: 3 seconds/3 seconds.
EQUIPMENT:
- Electric Touch (hat): 50% chance, 3 seconds;
- Shock Jacket (shirt): 50% chance, 2 seconds;
- Electric Punch (hat): 70% chance, 4 seconds (season pass preorder bonus).
I am not 100% sure of your question. But the Charge Vigor boosts your melee damage significantly. See this link.
Experiment with what vigors and combinations work best against different types of enemies. Much like gear, there isn’t one set of vigors that will work best for every occasion. Don’t want to experiment? Here’s a handy list of the 8 combinations available:
- Possession + Shock Jockey = Possessed lightning conduit that zaps nearby enemies
- Possession + Devil’s Kiss = Possessed fire conduit that burns nearby enemies
- Devil’s Kiss + Charge = Target spawns multiple blazing fire bombs
- Murder of Crows + Devil’s Kiss = Sets crows on fire and burns nearby enemies
- Murder of Crows + Shock Jockey = Electrifies crows and zaps nearby enemies
- Bucking Bronco + Devil’s Kiss = Launches a cluster of bombs from floating target
- Bucking Bronco + Charge = Send a floating target careening forward
- Undertow + Shock Jockey = Intensifies Shock Jockey’s power
(source)