Initiation Bruce Wayne tips and tricks

Tricks to playing as Bruce Wayne that you probably didn't pick up from playing the Initiation campaign.

About this guide

This guide assumes an expert knowledge of challenge mode in Batman: Arkham Origins, and focuses on the details that pertain specifically to the Bruce Wayne playable character. Many great guides exist for Batman: Arkham City that can be used to familiarize you with the basic gameplay mechanics. Arkham Origins features slightly modified mechanics from Arkham City (not including obvious differences like playable characters and gadgets), and both Arkham Origins and Arkham City have many significant differences when compared to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The most significant differences between Arkham City and Arkham Origins are:

• Performing a directed areal attack takes significantly longer to execute.
  
• Hitting a thug who is immune to projectiles with a quickfire projectile will break your combo.
  
• Other minor timing differences regarding attacks.

To play as Initation Bruce Wayne, you must purchase the Initiation DLC, or the Season Pass. Do not purchase both, as the Season Pass includes all content from the Initation DLC.

Bruce Wayne can only be played in challenge mode, not in the main story.

Bruce Wayne is playable at the start of the DLC story, Cold, Cold Heart, but only very basic moves are available, and none of his gadgets or equipment. (The only move unique to Bruce Wayne that you can use in Cold, Cold Heart is his Pounce attack, which replaces the Glide Kick.)

Upgrades

The following Story Mode upgrades will pertain to Bruce Wayne in addition to Batman.

Close Combat Upgrades

• Combat Armor 1.0
  
• Combat Armor 2.0
  
• Combat Armor 3.0
  
• Blade Dodge Takedown
  
• Combat Armor 4.0
  
• Critical Counter
  
• Special Combat Boost
  
• 
  
• Double Special Combat Move
  
  
• Ballistic Armor 1.0
  
• Ballistic Armor 2.0
  
• Ballistic Armor 3.0
  
• 
  
• Ballistic Armor 4.0

Invisible Predator Upgrades

• Increased Batarang Stun Time (applies to Shurikens)
  
• Increased Batarang Damage (applies to Shurikens)
  
  
• 
  
• Increased Smoke Volume
• 
  
• Heat Signature Concealment System
  
• 
  
• Quick Silent Takedown
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
• Rope Takedown (unknown; no pre-placed ropes exist in any challenge maps and Bruce Wayne has no Remote Claw to create ropes)

Auxiliary Upgrades

• Freeflow Focus
  
• Freeflow Power Gadgets (applies only to Shuriken Volley)
  
• Increased Smoke Duration
  
• Critical Strikes

General tips and tricks

• Kujiki Bomb and Caltrops have three charges each (indicated by the lines by their quickfire icon). Once you have used all three charges, you cannot use these gadgets again. In Combat maps, they reset to full charge at the start of a new round.
  
• Shurikens are always tossed in pairs, whether aimed or quickfired. This means you can sit on a vantage point and ground two nearby thugs, drop down and do two ground takedowns, or take out a thug and the fire extinguisher he was next to and take them out in the smoke. It also means that in Freeflow combat you can ground 6 enemies at once, since you can quickfire up to three times before breaking your combo. If there is no target for the second Shuriken, it will just hit a wall or floor near the first Shuriken.
  
• The Takedown Projectiles modifier will only apply to one of the two Shurikens thrown. The primary Shuriken (the one closest to the direction where you are throwing) will takedown the target. The secondary Shuriken will behave normally, which means it may be blocked if it hits an immune target.
  
• If used at a distance greater than short range, Zip Kick will send enemies flying, and knock down any enemies they hit (though it won't damage those enemies). This can be used to knock enemies off of ledges, or just ground an enemy as soon as he rounds a corner.
  
• The Danger Zone modifier is especially difficult for Bruce Wayne compared to Batman and Deathstroke. In combat challenges, it allows thugs access to gun racks, potentially introducing multiple firearms into the arena if thugs are not prevented from opening the gun rack. Bruce Wayne lacks the Disarm and Destroy ability which will remove those firearms from play, so be prepared to repeatedly ground or take down any thugs who get their hands on a fire arm. In predator challenges, it places booby traps on Vantage Points which will explode a moment after you land one one. Bruce Wayne has no Remote Claw to create tightropes in the air, forcing you to either be prepared to jump from a Vantage Point as soon as you land on it, drop from the grapel before you climb to the Vantage Point, or hide in the more exposed lower levels of the map.
  
• A "damaged" version of the "Initiation" outfit exists, and can be seen in the character select screen if you go to challenge mode from within story mode (requires that Batman's Batsuit be damaged in story mode).
  
• Bruce Wayne cannot see enemy thugs' skeletons with his Concentration ability, but he can see the skeletons inside nearby dead bodies that exist as environmental decoration.
  
• Bruce Wayne cannot glide or slow his fall. Dropping from a great enough distance will force him to spend a moment absorbing the shock of the fall. It will do no damage, but he won't be able to perform any other actions for a second or so.

Combat tips and tricks

• The Group Takedown prompted by activating the Kujiki Bomb in freeflow combat damages enemies that are not grounded, in addition to knocking out the grounded ones.
  
• You can Zip Kick enemies who are immune to direct attacks (not including thugs with stun rods). It will do no damage, but you will execute the move without losing your combo.
  
• In Freeflow Focus mode, the Shuriken Volley throws three clusters of Caltrops in addition to the Shurikens. Bruce Wayne's gadgets are not otherwise affected by Freeflow Focus.
  
• Bruce Wayne is generally faster than Batman in freeflow combat. You can get in more blows before you have to counter or dodge.
  
• Shuriken Volley can hit enemies that are grounded. This can be useful to squeeze one last move (and a variation if you haven't used Shuriken Volley yet) in before performing a ground pound as your final move. For example, you might finish a fight with Ultra Stun, Shuriken Vollley, Ground Pound.
  
• Shurikens, like the quickfire projectiles for Batman and Deathstroke, will break your combo if they hit a target that is immune to projectiles (such as an armorted thug). They are thrown in pairs: one I will call the primary Shuriken, and the other I will call the Secondary Shuriken. If the primary Shuriken hits a invalad target, your combo will break. If the primary Shuriken hits a valid target but the secondary Shuriken hits an invalid target, your combo will not break. The primary Shuriken will be the one closer to the direction you are throwing the Shurikens, but it can still be difficult to avoid accidentally hitting an invalid target with your primary Shuriken. Be sure to ground or otherwise remove such targets before tossing Shurikens en masse, or be cautious to only throw them when you know the target in front of you is valid.
  
• If you are having trouble with breaking your combo when using quickfire Caltrops, try hitting the quickfire button(s) without any direction. They seem to break combo less often that way.
  
• Caltrops award no points when used, and they contribute to neither your Variation Bonus or your Gadget Bonus. You can safely ignore them withot losing points unless you have a specefic strategy with them in mind (for example, Caltrops can be paired with the Group Takedown from the Kujiki Bomb).
  
• The Super Powered modifier works differently in Combat maps than it does for Batman. Because Bruce Wayne has no Shock Gloves, the modifier allows Bruce Wayne to punch targets that the Shock Gloves would allow him to punch but it does not provide the other benefits of the gloves. You cannot counter stun batons or shields with the Super Powered modifier. Essentially, it works identically for Bruce Wayne as the modifier worked for all characters in Batman: Arkham City.
  
• The Kujiki Bomb does more than just set up Group Takedown. Using it in combat will make you invisible to all enemies for a few seconds. During the time while the effect is active, your combo will not time-out and you are free to move around to a more ideal location. The effect ends when you perform any action other than dodging, or when the duration expires.
  
• You cannot perform a Silent Takedown in combat maps, even if using the Kujiki Bomb to become invisible to enemies.
  
• If you are having trouble activating the quickfire Kujiki Bomb, try waiting a split second longer after your last action before activating. It seems you cannot use the Kujiki bomb as quickly after dodging as you can use other gadgets, for example. As long as the Kujiki Bomb still has charges, there are no circumstances where you can't use it.
  
• The Kujiki Bomb can also be used to set up a beatdown attack. All enemies will stop attacking and chasing you for a moment, giving you more time to stun and beatdown an enemy. When you begin to perform the beatdown, emenies will figure out where you are and start to run in to attack agian.

Predator tips and tricks

• You can use the Zip Kick gadget to pull off vent covers, the same as with Batman's Batclaw.
  
• Enemies are less likely to trip on Caltrops of they are placed in plain view, and the enemies are moving cautiosly. They're more likely to trip if they are running, if the caltrops are dropped right under them, or if they cannot see the caltrops until they are alrady on top of them. Do not physically hit them with the caltrops from the front, or they will know they are there and look for where they came from.
  
• The Kujiki Bomb can be used for multiple pruposes in Predator maps. Activating the Kujiki Bomb makes you invisible for several seconds, or until you perform any action more complicated than running, climbing, or dodging. Enemies with Thermal Goggles cannot see you when you use the Kujiki Bomb, unlike with the Smoke Pellet.
  
• You can use the Kujiki Bomb to escape a hairy situation when the Smoke Pellet is not available or not optimal. Remember that using the Grapple ends the effect of the Kujiki Bomb, so you should get out of enemies' field of vision before using it.
  
• Using the Kujiki Bomb, you can perform Silent Takedowns from in front of enemies rather than behind.
  
• You cannot peform a Group Takedown with the Kujiki Bomb in Predator maps.
  
• If you are having trouble performing a Silent Takedown while under the effect of the Kujiki Bomb (needed for the Vanish and Tempest medals), be sure you are exactly in position to perform the takedown and you see the on-screen prompt. Pressing it too soon will Counter instead of doing a takedown, and that will negate your Kujiki Bomb. Remember, you have a few seconds to pull off this move, so don't rush it.
  
• You can use theKujiki Bomb preemptively rather than reactivly. Activate the Kujiki Bomb and run past enemies so they do not see you, or close in and perform a Silent Takedown.
  
• The Kujiki Bomb will prevent Hostage takers from spotting you, allowing you to run straight up to them and perform a Silent Takedown or Knockout Smash.
  
• The Kujuki Bomb cannot be used when perched on a Vantage Point, railing, or on a rope.
  
• As with Batman, you can throw a Smoke Pellet at a group of enemies, or between you and a group of enemies to create a screen through which they cannot see, rather than only using it as a defensive escape move. Be careful of thugs with thermal goggles, who will figure out where you are after a couple seconds.
  
• Bruce Wayne can sprint at full speed without alerting nearby enemies, unlike Batman and Deathstroke who will make noise and reveal their positions.
  
• With the exception of the Initiation maps, Heartbeat Monitors do not activate when Bruce Wayne performs Silent Takedowns, and nobody speaks over the PA system to inform thugs of your progress. (There are no PA systems in the Initiation maps, so I guess Master Kirigi just knows how to project his voice?) You can essentially complete the entire challenge undectected, though you might not be able to get all the medals this way.
  
• The Fire Hazard medal, which requires you to perform a takedown on a thug who is within the radius of an exploded Fire Extinguisher can be tricky to perform due to the fact that the Shuriken will target any thugs near the Fire Extinguisher. If you throw the Shuriken at the Fire Extinguisher and a thug next to said Fire Extinguisher, the thug will be grounded for the duration of the smoke, preventing you from getting this medal. Instead, try placing Caltrops next to the Fire Extinguisher. When the thug trips on the Caltrops, he will become untargetable by the Shurikens. Throw the Shuriken at the Fire Extinguisher, and run into the smoke to perform a Takedown. The thug will not leave the smoke until it has cleared.
  
• Bruce Wayne cannot perform an Inverted Takedown.

[agentlouisiana1]

the predator mode in this dlc can eat shit and die

[Dr. Cheis]

That’s a good question, algi. I don’t know the answer but I suspect it does no damage and serves mostly as a knockback/combo builder move. I think if you use the move with the supercharge combo it does damage in that situation.

I’ll have to remember to test this whenever I get my pc up and running again!

[algi]

Nice job, very thorough guide.

I have a question: Do you think the shuriken volley does any damage? Usually if I want to get a high score, I can just do shuriken volleys over and over again. First I thought it's just that the damage : score ratio isn't well balanced, but then I did many many volleys in 100 to 1 and noone ever got knocked out by it, while doing Nightwing's group attack in City make them fall like flies.

[Dinosaurman]

good guide !

[dadszlov2]

Very good. It's realy fantastic!

[Mothvibe]

FANTASTIC guide, exactly what I needed!

10 STARS!

[Dr. Cheis]

Added note about the Cold, Cold Heart DLC, minor formatting change.

[Dr. Cheis]

Added note about Caltrops not counting for points.

[Dr. Cheis]

Added note that Bruce Wayne can't perform an Inverted Takedown.
Added note about falling long distances.

And, by request, you may now find my Deathstroke guide at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=232564596 !

[Dr. Cheis]

Added tip about Kujiki Bomb + silent takedowns!