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ReturnToSenderIcon
RETURN TO SENDER: Send your enemies' attacks back where they came from!
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Return to Sender is one of the eight Vigors Booker DeWitt obtains in Columbia over the course of BioShock Infinite, granting Booker the power to stop incoming gunfire. Casting the Vigor instantly deploys a shield in front of Booker that protects him from incoming damage. Holding the Vigor allows Booker to absorb the damage from attacks and project it as a ball of molten metal, dealing heavy damage upon direct impact in a small radius. The more damage absorbed, the higher the damage of the projectile. Firing the ball at the scenery will instead deploy it as a stationary trap, exploding in a small radius for heavy damage upon detonation.

BioShock Infinite[]

BioShock_Infinite_Return_to_Sender

BioShock Infinite Return to Sender

Return to Sender Video.

Main article: BioShock Infinite

Return to Sender is the eighth and final Vigor the player obtains over the course of the game. It can be first obtained in two different locations: If the player follows through with the secondary objective at the start of Emporia, It can be found in a secret room in the Salty Oyster Bar. If not, it can be found later on in Downtown Emporia either in the Market District clutched by a corpse or in a crate in Beggar's Alley in Harmony Lane.

ReturnToSenderIcon

Vigor Combos[]

Unofficial[]

  • Raising a Return to Sender shield before initiating with Charge will protect the player after slamming into a group of enemies.
  • Undertow can pull enemies into a Return to Sender trap, dealing massive damage to them.

Combat Strategy[]

  • Both Return to Sender's cast and charged forms grant the player complete immunity to damage while in use and from all sides. As such, it is a cheap way to guarantee temporary invincibility.
  • Though Return to Sender's charged trap has an explosive radius, it is extremely short-ranged, meaning it is best to usually fire it directly at enemies. Throwing it into an enemy's path, on the other hand, can give the player time to shoot the newly formed trap, increasing its damage upon detonation.
  • Even if the player hasn't yet absorbed any enemy attacks, a Return to Sender orb deals heavy damage on its own and staggers enemies in a short radius on detonation. Quickly charging and launching a Return to Sender ball can be used to quickly finish off an enemy.
  • The player can lay an empty Return to Sender orb on the ground and fill it up with their currently equipped weapon increasing the damage it deals when enemies trigger it.
  • While charging, firing an explosive weapons at close quarters will absorb the projectile and increase the projectile's damage as if attacked by an enemy, though the player should keep their eye on their ammo, as explosive weapons have ammo that is not as common as others.
  • While charging Return to Sender, you may wish not to accept any aid items Elizabeth may offer, as this will clear the orb in the player's hand and force another charge.
  • When charging, the player's metal ball will increase in density as it absorbs damage. More damaging attacks will add more bullets to the projectile, up to a cap.
  • Sender Aid is too situational and expensive of an upgrade to have any resources set aside for it, even when playing on the harder difficulty modes. This upgrade will only refill on ammunition if the player's weapon is the same as the attacker's; moreover, cheaper upgrades to other Vigors grant more reliable and powerful effects.
  • Send for Less, on the other hand, is an effective and cost-efficient upgrade. The prolonged shield duration will allow the player to last longer before having to cast another one, and the decreased Salts cost when charging will let the player absorb more damage at a time before sending it back at enemy targets.

Recommended Gear[]

  • Angry Stompers, when used in conjunction with Return to Sender, can be used for a prolonged damage boost when low on health, though this Vigor will help the player from taking damage, making it not as effective if the Vigor is used properly.
  • Blood to Salt will replenish the player's Salts as they kill enemies, allowing for more casts of this Vigor. Furthermore, killing an enemy with a charged Return to Sender projectile has a chance to grant the user more Salts than what the attack consumed.
  • Health for Salts can be used to throw a Return to Sender shield or continue charging the Vigor in desperate situations. Just be wary of how much health you currently have, and you should be able to use this Vigor in order to keep yourself from damaging yourself as much, making this Vigor extremely effective.
  • Last Man Standing can be used with Return to Sender to restore the player's health to manageable levels while protected.
  • Overkill will set off every time an enemy dies from a Return to Sender projectile, letting the player finish off affected foes in close proximity, though you will not get as much ammunition to use, so it is good in some circumstances, but not all.
  • Rising Bloodlust can let the player charge traps more quickly with the Gear's damage increase upon killing enemies, and is great for crowd control.
  • Urgent Care will let the player fully recharge their shields while protected by Return to Sender, as it causes shields to recharge twice as fast, and strips one second off of the recharge delay.
  • Winter Shield grants invulnerability when in battles that take place around Sky-Lines or Freight Hooks. This uses less Salts before the player acquires the Send for Less upgrade.

Animation[]

Vigor return to sender

First time drinking Return to Sender animation.

Gallery[]

Behind the Scenes[]

  • Return to Sender is the only Vigor not to be included in an official combination.
  • BioShock Infinite's first gameplay demo featured a prototype ability similar in appearance and function to Return to Sender's charged function: in a scripted event, Elizabeth could telekinetically strip an area of its metal components and fuse them into a molten ball, ready for Booker to throw with a telekinetic power of his own.
  • Return to Sender appears to be a form of ferrokinesis, as it stops bullets and even catches them when charged. It also appears to be the opposite of Telekinesis in qualitative micro and macro function (e.g. it can stop speeding bullets, but not larger, slower moving objects such as RPG rockets).
  • The icon and the design of the bottle are that of a Greek Hoplite. Hoplites fought by standing in line and holding their shields a little to the right, to protect the next person in a row.
    • The shape of the bottle is a shield, which alludes to the ability of the user to protect themselves from damage.
  • Charge, UndertowIronsides and Return to Sender are the only Vigors without in-game advertisements.
  • ChargeMurder of Crows, Ironsides and Return to Sender are the only Vigors that Veni! Vidi! Vigor! doesn't advertise.
  • In the downloadable content Clash in the Clouds, Return to Sender can be purchased from the vending machines in The Columbian Archeological Society for 1000 Silver Eagles.
  • When using the secondary function, if you are hit by an enemy with a melee strike, ammo will still be collected as if you are being shot at.
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