Robin Combat And Challenge Guide - Guide for Batman: Arkham City

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Batman: Arkham City - Robin Combat and Challenge Guide

Contents:

1. Version history and notes

2. Introduction

3. Robin vs. Batman move list

4. Analysis of new or different moves and gadgets

5. Combat differences summary

6. Enemy strategy differences

7. Combat Challenges special notes

8. Predator Challenges special notes

9. Campaign special notes

10. Copyright, acknowledgements and contact info

===============================================================================
1. Version history and notes

1.0: First version.  

If you spot an error, omission, or a place where it looks like I left something
out, please let me know.  Those are probably things I forgot to go back and 
fix, not deliberate blanks.  I can be reached at stillnotelf ==at-symbol== 
gmail ==you-know-it's-a-dot== com.

===============================================================================
2. Introduction

Robin is available as DLC for Batman: Arkham City.  The DLC package adds:

* A new playable character, Robin, for both Combat and Predator Challenges and 
Campaigns
* New enemy/Riddler dialogue in Challenges (Robin is unvoiced, despite his 
voiced appearance in the main story)
* Three Robin skins and character trophies (regular, Animated Robin, and Red 
Robin)
** Animated Robin is surprisingly chubby-cheeked
** All Robin skins have dour expressions at all times - you'd think Batman 
would be the master of the frown, but Robin is much worse
* One new Combat and one new Predator Challenge map
** Freight Train is a combat map set on a train.  Trains are linear, so the 
level is presented as a 2D brawler instead of the 3D movement you're used to
** Black Mask is set in the Sionis meatpacking plant
** The combined Campaign for these two maps features a short cutscene between 
levels chasing Black Mask out of his factory and onto the train
* Two Achievements, for 100% completion of the Challenges (excepting 
Nightwing's)

This guide assumes you are familiar with playing the game as Batman and focuses
on what is different for the Robin experience.  In general, Robin's Combat 
Challenges are much harder; the Predator Challenges usually simpler due to 
uncomplicated Medal requirements but are not easier per se due to Robin's 
reduced moveset.  Robin controls very similarly to Batman.  His moves are 
slower than Nightwing's and Catwoman's and little if any faster than Batman's.
The two differences that define Robin are that he has very different gadgets 
from the other characters, and his combat sacrifices good crowd/area attacks 
for the ability to scatter foes.  

For an excellent discussion of combat mechanics in general, head over to 
AbaddonOnion2's Combat Mechanics Guide.  This guide assumes you're already 
proficient with Batman and discusses shared moves and strategies only 
minimally.  It is formatted similarly to my Catwoman and Nightwing guides.

Throughout the guide, I note when moves are faster or slower relative to 
Batman's version of the move (they are almost always faster).  These speeds are
based on my impressions, but not formal timings.  If you have explicit timings 
of moves, or evidence that my speed impressions are wrong, please share it with
me!  

===============================================================================
3. Robin vs. Batman move list

The combat engine for Robin is the same as for Batman, so he mostly has similar
moves.  This list compares their two movesets.  Note that Robin has fewer moves
total, leaving blanks in his list.  New or altered moves will be considered in 
detail in a later section.  

This list was created for the XBOX 360; the controls work the same for a 
Playstation 3.  Y=Triangle, X=Square, A=X, B=O.  LS and RS are Right and Left 
(analog) Stick.  RT (R1) and LT (L1) are Left and Right Trigger.  RB (R2) and 
LB (L2) are Right and Left Bumper.  A plus sign means buttons are pressed 
together, and a comma means they are pressed in sequence.

Buttons       | Robin         | Batman        | Differences
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISCELLANEOUS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X             | Strike        | Strike        | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LB            | Detective     | Detective     | Robin's does not provide enemy
              | Mode          | Mode          | stats or notes on objects
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RB            | Grapnel Gun   | Grapnel Gun   | No Grapnel Boost
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT            | Crouch        | Crouch        | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT+A (near    | Climb Down    | Climb Down    | 
ledge)        |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT+A (near    | Enter Grate   | Enter Grate   | 
floor grate)  |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A (in grate)  | Exit Grate    | Exit Grate    | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT+A (near    | Corner Cover  | Corner Cover  | 
corner)       |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X (directly   | Drop Attack   | Drop Attack   | 
above enemy)  |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X (above      | Glide Kick    | Glide Kick    | 
enemy; middle |               |               | 
distance)     |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A (hold in    | Glide         | Glide         | No Dive Bomb or related attacks
midair)       |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT+Y (near    | Ground        | Ground        | 
downed        | Takedown or   | Takedown or   | 
stunned       | Ground Pound  | Ground Pound  | 
enemy)        | (in FreeFlow) | (in FreeFlow) | 

STUN ATTACKS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B             | Staff Stun    | Cape Stun     | Robin's is slower
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B,B,B (same   | Ultra Stun    | Ultra Stun    | 
target)       |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B,X,X,X...    | Beat Down     | Beat Down     | Robin's is slower 
(repeatedly)  |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B,A,A         | Aerial Attack | Aerial Attack | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B,A,A,        | Directed      | Directed      | 
[LS(towards   | Aerial Attack | Aerial Attack | 
foe)+X]       |               |               | 

MOVEMENT & MOTION ATTACKS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LS+A (hold)   | Run           | Run           | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A,A           | Evade         | Evade         | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LS(towards    | Redirect      | Redirect      | 
foe)+A,A      |               |               | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A(hold)+LS+RT | Slide         | Slide         | 

COUNTERS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y             | Counter       | Counter       | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y(hold)+      | Blade Dodge   | Blade Dodge   | May be buggy for Robin,
LT(back) (x3) |               |               | may be buggy in general
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y(tap)+       | Blade Dodge   | Blade Dodge   | 
LT(back) (x3) | Takedown      | Takedown      | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y(under fire) | Smoke Pellet  | Smoke Pellet  | 

SPECIAL COMBO MOVES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X+A           | Group Attack  | Bat Swarm     | No similarities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A+B           | Throw         | Multiple      | No similarities
              |               | Takedown      | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X+Y           | ---           | Disarm and    | Robin is missing this move
              |               | Destroy       | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y+B           | Takedown      | Takedown      | 

QUICKFIRE GADGETS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LT+X          | Explosive Gel | Explosive Gel | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LT+B          | Snap Flash    | REC           | No similarities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LT+Y          | Zip Kick      | Batclaw (Pull | Zip Kick is similar to Batclaw
              |               | or Disarm)    | Pull in some ways
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LT (tap)      | Shuriken      | Batarang      | New whimsical name, same attack
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RT,RT         | Shield Bash   | Freeze Blast  | Both instant stuns; not similar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

===============================================================================
4. Analysis of new or different moves and gadgets

Altered moves
Detective Mode (LB)
Of the three DLC characters, Robin is the only one with a Detective Mode nearly
as good as Batman's.  The only difference is that Robin's Detective Mode does 
not provide data about objects in the environment and does not provide enemy 
summary data (which is useful for counting foes in Predator).  For comparison, 
Nightwing and Catwoman are stuck with modes which let you see enemies through 
walls and little else.

Robin's mode does have one _improvement_ over Batman's.  He is able to see his 
Snap Flash gadget placements; the affected enemy will have a orange rotating 
concentric discs highlighting the Snap Flash mine.  Robin's Detective Mode also
highlights regular foe-laid proximity mines in the same fashion, making mines 
much easier to spot.

Here's a list of the cool things Detective Mode does, in case you forgot:

*Highlights enemies by color
**Blue for unarmed
***Held hitting weapons (sticks, blades, shields, electric prods) highlighted 
yellow
**Orange for enemies armed with guns
**Yellow highlights around armored enemies
*If an interference backpack is present, its location is visible
**Occasionally Detective Mode cuts through the interference and you'll get a 
peek at your foes
*Activates automatically in smoke (from Smoke Pellet or a detonated fire 
extinguisher)
*Highlights proximity mines and Snap Flash mines both in color and with 
concentric marker rings

Grapnel (RB)
(Note that the game calls the gun a Grapnel gun, but sometimes calls the move 
Grapple)
Batman has graciously allowed his protege Robin to borrow a Grapnel gun.  
Nightwing's functions exactly the same.  The only difference is that Robin 
cannot use the Grapnel Boost or the Grapnel Boost Takedown.  The only place 
I've ever found to use it in the Challenges is Natural Selection (Extreme) 
where you can get the sniper on the middle bridge with it as Batman.  Suffice 
it to say you won't miss the move.

Beat Down (B,X,X,X,X,X....)
Robin's Beat Down is slightly slower than Batman's.  The first few blows are 
noticeably slower; as they speed up it may reach the same speed as Batman but I
think it's still not as fast.  It's a lot slower than Nightwing's or Catwoman's
Beat Down.  Note that you can interrupt out of a Beat Down with Counter (Y) if 
the incoming attack is from a fist or blunt object (blue sparks).  If multiple 
attacks are incoming, tap Y multiple times (once for each attack, up to three) 
to counter them all.  You can cancel into Blade Dodge/Takedown (yellow sparks) 
(if you're crazy) but must cancel into Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A) to get 
away from stun prods and shields (red sparks).  This advice works for Counter 
generally, but it's really only useful in conjunction with Beat Down.  Thanks 
to eulbedoc on the GameFAQs boards for the tip.

Aerial Attack and Directed Aerial Attack (B,A,A, B,A,A,(X+LS))
Aerial Attack and its Directed variant work the same for Batman and Robin, but 
Robin performs his very slightly faster.  Besides serving as another variation 
for bonuses, the move is intended to be used against shielded foes - it knocks 
them to the ground and drops their shield.  It seems that enemies stop their 
attacks when you perform Aerial Attack on a shielded foe.  This AI interruption
does NOT occur against unshielded foes.  Batman's Aerial attack is so slow that
he'll often get attacked anyway (by an enemy that started attack after Aerial 
Attack began), losing the combo.  As Batman, it's usually better to Disarm and 
Destroy the shield (X+Y) instead: it's unblockable, makes you invincible, and 
then they can't just pick the shield back up.  For Robin, Aerial Attack is very
slightly sped up so he can take out shielded foes without getting hit; he can't
destroy the shields so he's forced to use Aerial Attack much more frequently.  
It's still too dangerous to use in the middle of a pack.  Catwoman's and 
Nightwing's Aerial Attack is faster than Batman's for the same reasons; theirs 
is also faster than Robin's.  

Ground Pound (RT+Y in FreeFlow)
I can't detect any differences in timing between Robin's and Batman's normal 
Ground Takedown (used while not in FreeFlow).  However, Robin seems to have an 
advantage in FreeFlow combat when trying to use the 75-point Ground Pound for 
big points.  The pounding part of the move, which is slow and leaves you 
vulnerable, takes about the same time for Robin as Batman.  Robin's travel for 
Ground Pound - where he leaps into the air to get to the target - is much 
faster than Batman's movement.  Robin's combat lets him throw foes out of 
combat readily (with Throw or Zip Kick, or other moves); this faster movement 
to the foe means you can sometimes catch the thugs by surprise and get a Ground
Pound off even early in combat.  Used carefully, this is worth the trouble, as 
Robin can't build up points and combo with low-damage crowd control moves 
easily, so big-ticket moves like Ground Pound are important.

Blade Dodge Y(hold)+LT(back) (x3)
Blade Dodge is as useless as ever for Robin.  I'm making a note of it here 
because it's frequently buggy for Robin.  In particular, if you fail the timing
of the first knife swipe dodge and get hit, then Evade (A,A) directly away from
the knife-wielder, as often as not the third swipe will register a hit even if 
you're yards away from the target.  If you Evade in a different direction than 
straight away or Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A) instead, this is less common.  

New moves - Special Combo Moves
Special Combo Moves are the moves that become available when your combo counter
has increased by 5 (or 8, lacking the upgrade) since you started the combo or 
last used one of these moves.  Note that the instant Takedown (Y+B) is unlisted
in the game, but works just fine for Robin (and identically to Batman's).  
Robin has no X+Y move.  

Group Attack (X+A)
Group Attack allows Robin to spin his bo around to strike all enemies in a 
circle around him.  It's simple and shockingly realistic in its effects, and 
has a delightful *clang* sound effect.  Unfortunately, the move itself is very 
poor compared to the crowd-control moves for Batman, Nightwing, and Catwoman, 
making Robin a much more challenging character to play.

The flaw in Group Attack is its short range - it will only hit foes that are 
very close.  You'll notice if you stand still that foes stand a bit away from 
you unless they are actively attacking you - the Group Attack range is just 
less than the range the thug AI likes to idle at.  This means that Group Attack
won't hit anybody unless you leap into a group of thugs to use it.  Even then, 
they are rarely packed tight enough for the move to hit more than 5 or so 
enemies.  On the Hell's Gate and Blind Justice combat maps, if you draw foes to
the narrow stairs or upper hallway (respectively), you can get better use of 
this move.  

Group Attack does include a step forward just before the attacking frames 
begin, allowing Robin to bring a few foes into range.  If you hold LS just 
after activating the move, you can direct Robin's step forward towards the 
greatest concentration of foes.

The move scores 10 points per hit but is capped by thug density; the most I've 
ever hit is 10 at a time.  The combo counter increase scales with the number of
foes hit; I usually only get an increase of 1 but I believe you can get up to 5
if you somehow hit enough thugs.  
In lieu of good crowd control range, Group Attack features a relatively high 
chance of knocking a foe backwards as it connects.  This can be useful for 
scattering foes if scattering is needed (to clear space around a Lieutenant or 
Titan, for example).

Group Attack can knock guys down to set them up for a Ground Pound (RT+Y).  If 
everyone gets knocked down, or if a guy is knocked away and is isolated on the 
ground, feel free to follow up with Ground Pound for big points.

Throw (A+B)
Every other character but Robin has a secondary multiple-target attack as their
A+B move.  Robin is stuck with Throw, which is single-target and can 
occasionally knock over a secondary target with the thrown body.  For this 
move, Robin picks up a nearby thug, spins them around to gain momentum, and 
tosses them across the room.  It's a spectacular display of athleticism and a 
terrible combat move.

Throw's primary target will earn you one combo count and 10 points (times your 
multiplier).  If the thrown body hits anyone else, you'll get another 10 points
plus combo count for each person hit (these are marked as Throw Knockdown).  
The thrown body can be aimed, but you'll usually want to avoid secondary 
targets to fling the primary further away.  This is because throw will toss the
body quite a ways, and if the foe isn't KOed, they have a reasonably long on-
the-ground stun.  You can often get away with a Ground Pound on the thrown thug
if they're far away from the other thugs.

This move is extremely time-consuming, but not slow in a tactical sense.  It 
acts normally with respect to combo timeouts, but the spinning animation takes 
quite a while.  I guess if you need a breather in combat but don't want to 
pause, you can use it for a free few seconds to think.

Throw's targeting is a bit buggy - occasionally Robin will refuse to perform 
the move, even though the combo counter is yellow.  If he balks, do a Strike 
(X) or Quickfire Shuriken (tap LT) immediately instead to keep the combo going 
and try again.

New moves - Gadget Moves
Robin has a subset of Batman's gadgetry, plus some new tricks of his own.  

Gadgets shared by Batman and Robin:
* Smoke Pellet
* Explosive Gel
* Firearm Jammer/Mine Detonator
* Batarang (Robin's is called the Shuriken)
* Remote Control Batarang (Robin's is called the Remote Control Shuriken)

New gadgets of Robin's:
* Snap Flash
* Bullet Shield
* Zip Kick (appears to use Batclaw)

Batman gadgets Robin is missing:
* REC
* Sonic Batarang
* Freeze Blast and Freeze Cluster
* Batclaw (Zip Kick appears to be the same hardware used differently)
* Line Launcher

Robin's gadgets are not powered up once you enter FreeFlow Focus (red combo 
counter), nor does their use lose Focus.  The new gadgets function fairly 
differently in Quickfire versus manual use so each new gadget has two 
subsections.

Shuriken (Tap LT)
The Shuriken functions identically to the Batarang, it just has a new name.  
The Remote Control Shuriken is available; the Sonic version is not.  Note you 
can hit armored foes with this gadget-you just have to hit them in the back of 
the head.  In Predator, accomplish this with stealth; in Combat, you have a 
window immediately after Redirecting (LS[towards foe]+A,A) to do it.  An 
accidental Quickfire Shuriken hit won't stop your combo (but it won't count as 
a hit, either).

All of the simple projectiles, including Robin's Shurikens, Batman's Batarangs,
Catwoman's Bolas, and Nightwing's Escrima Sticks and Wing Dings, interact oddly
with the combo meter.  If you haven't just used a projectile, a projectile hit 
is worth 10 points and one combo counter.  If you did just throw a projectile, 
it's worth points but no combo counter increase.  Intersperse your throws with 
Redirects (LS[towards foe]+A,A) to take advantage of this.  You can use these 
projectiles to keep thugs alive longer, as they do less damage than Strike (X),
so combos will grow higher.

Zip Kick (LT+Y)
The hardware used for the Zip Kick appears to be a Batclaw; it's just that 
Robin uses it differently than Batman or Nightwing, depending on the distance 
to the foe.  

When used at a distance, instead of planting his feet and pulling a Batclawed 
foe towards himself, Robin uses the retracting claw to pull himself towards the
hapless thug and deliver a kick.  This kick will knock the foe backwards a 
significant distance and to the ground - this is another example of how Robin 
specializes in scattering foes instead of group attacking crowd control.  The 
resulting ground stun is fairly long.  The Zip Kick is worth 5 points and one 
combo counter.  You or the primary target may hit a thug while flying through 
the air; it will knock him down but is worth no points.  This move is 
disappointingly low-scoring in my opinion; it's harder to use than a Strike or 
Shuriken so why is it worth less?  Perhaps it was abused in playtesting so they
made it low-scoring.

Zip Kick at a distance is a fairly safe move in most situations - thugs will 
target Robin as he fires the Batclaw, but he'll have zipped along towards the 
target before their attack can hit him.  Do not use this move too near Stun 
Prod armed thugs - if the game thinks you've brushed the prod as you fly to the
target (or if you targeted the prod-armed thug), you'll get hit by the prod.

When used at close range (perhaps 6 feet / 2 meters or so, if you assume the 
thugs are that tall), Robin performs a move very similar to Batman's Batclaw 
Slam: the thug gets pulled in and smacked to the ground.  Despite the 
similarity to Batclaw Pound, it's still worth only 5 points instead of 25 - 
what a rip-off!  Like Batclaw Pound, this move is dangerous in a group, because
Robin will stand still so long that thugs will have a good chance to get an 
attack off.

Despite the apparent Batclaw base for the move, it does not have the Batclaw 
Disarm function nor the ability to pull down air vent grates.  Some Predator 
Challenge air vent grates are missing to account for this (Top of the World 
near the start); some are not (Natural Selection along the lower level).

In Quickfire mode (in combat), normal thugs can be targeted with Zip Kick.  
Assassins can be targeted but will usually dodge.  Stun prod armed thugs can, 
but should not be, targeted.  Armored or shielded thugs can be targeted, and 
you will fly to them, but the kick won't be delivered and no points will accrue
(it won't be a miss either).  

You'll use the manual Zip Kick occasionally in Predator Challenges.  It's a 
requirement for the Zip Kick (use Zip Kick followed by Ground Takedown) and Zip
Kick Off (Zip Kick a thug off a ledge for a KO) Medals.  Note that both require
the long-distance version of Zip Kick.  Zip Kick Off is best performed at the 
top of a ladder - and speaking of ladders, Zip Kick is also your best bet for 
the What Goes Up Medal (knock someone off the ledge as they reach the top of a 
ladder).  

Explosive Gel (LT+X)
The only difference I am sure of between Batman's and Robin's Explosive Gel is 
that Robin's manually-laid gel forms an R shape instead of a bat shape.  I 
think the manual gel placement is faster for Robin but it's hard to quantify.  

Snap Flash (LT+B)
If superheroes like Robin weren't sworn to never kill, the Snap Flash would be 
a spectacularly brutal remote-triggered explosive mine.  As it is, it's a 
spectacularly brutal remote-triggered explosive mine that somehow fails to kill
its targets, instead only knocking them about like tenpins.  The sound effect 
implies there's some sort of sonic effect rather than a normal explosion - like
a flash-bang stun grenade.  Mastery of this gadget is essential to completing 
Challenges as Robin.  

Snap Flash can be placed manually (and silently) on unsuspecting guards in 
Predator, or Quickfire placed in combat with LT+B.  Mines can be placed on 
guards in any state but permanently KOed, and a placed mine stays detonatable 
even if the thug carrying it is KOed.  In Predator, the Quickfire placement 
will warn the target of your presence, but an immediate detonation will prevent
him from shooting you.  In combat, the Quickfire placement is a little 
dangerous, like Aerial Attack or a short range Zip Kick: Robin is in one place 
a little too long while performing the move.  In combat, place mines on foes 
that are at the periphery of the group.  All the normal thugs and Assassins can
be targeted with a Snap Flash, including armored or shielded foes.  You can 
place mines on ground-stunned (not KOed) foes; standing stunned foes will snap 
(haha) out of it if you use Quickfire controls to target them.  The Quickfire 
targeting is a little buggy; Robin will sometimes refuse to perform the move.

Once one mine is placed, the only available control is to detonate that mine 
(only one can be active at a time).  Either manual or Quickfire controls will 
do this; in Predator you can hold LT to bring up a cursor indicating the 
location of the mine.  Snap Flash mines are clearly marked in Predator and 
Combat by concentric orange rings surrounding the mine.

Detonating a Snap Flash mine is the most fun you'll have as Robin.  The 
explosive radius is pretty large - larger than Explosive Gel, but not quite as 
large as the supercharged FreeFlow Focus bonused Explosive Gel that Batman can 
use.  It's also worth a whopping 25 points per target hit, plus one combo 
counter PER HIT!  This means that if you are at a combo of 10 and detonate a 
Snap Flash that hits 10 guys, you'll get 25 * 10 * 20 points - that's a cool 
5000 points for a move performed at combo 10.  

Snap Flash, of course, has a limiter to keep its awesome power in check.  You 
get three per Challenge, and they don't regenerate between Combat Challenge 
stages, although they do regenerate between Challenges in Campaigns.  You'll 
need to use them wisely, as they're your only large-scoring crowd control move 
in combat.

Snap Flash doesn't KO foes, and the on-the-ground stun it induces is pretty 
long.  If you get most foes on the ground, and can dodge the remainder, you'll 
have time for three or possibly four consecutive Ground Pounds (RT+Y) after a 
big Snap Flash detonation.  The foes will be in a ring around wherever the mine
went off - use LS to try to target the thug furthest from the enemies left 
standing, then use LS to hop around the circle as far as possible with each 
Ground Pound to keep the still-standing foes chasing you instead of attacking.

In Predator, armored thugs can be taken out with a Quickfire Snap Flash (LT+B),
immediate detonation (LT+B), and Ground Takedown (RT+Y).  Several Medals 
require Snap Flash: one (Snap Flashed) is for the simple takedown described 
above (armored or not), one is for getting three thugs with one explosion 
(Triple Snap Flashed), and one is for setting a trap on a ground-stunned (not 
KOed) foe and stunning a different foe with it (Snap Flash Trap).  

Bullet Shield / Shield Bash (RT,RT)
Robin's Bullet Shield, which pops out of his bo somehow, is the most versatile 
gadget available.  When used manually (LT), it is the Bullet Shield, which 
protects Robin from bullets fired from the front.  When used Quickfire or 
"fired" manually (RT,RT or RT while holding LT), Robin performs a medieval 
Shield Bash to knock a foe backwards and to the ground.

Defensively, the Bullet Shield is useful primarily in one situation: if you've 
been spotted by one or two guards, you can put the shield up and walk backwards
around a corner, then escape via Grapnel (RB) or other method once you're out 
of line of sight.  This prevents them from following you to the Vantage Points 
and avoids triggering the Vantage Point destroying AI routine.  This is also 
useful in Top of the World, which doesn't have many Grapnel targets available.

When the Bullet Shield is up (LT), Robin's bullet armor bonus health bar is 
replaced by a health bar for the shield itself.  If the shield's health 
depletes, the bar returns to Robin's bullet armor bonus health.  The shield 
will regenerate just like Master Chief's: whenever you aren't under fire for a 
few moments it starts coming back fairly quickly.  Breaking the shield 
completely is not a cause for alarm, as it will still regenerate.

Used offensively, the Shield Bash (RT,RT or RT while holding LT) is yet another
option for knocking a foe to the ground and away from Robin - another move to 
set up Ground Pounds.  It has a very satisfying clang sound as well!  It's much
faster than Ultra Stun for getting a foe onto the ground, but only counts as a 
gadget variation instead of a regular move variation for scoring.  The move 
itself does no damage and is worth no points.  The ground stun effect lasts 
fairly long.  You can't hit armored or shielded foes with the move, and will 
take damage and lose the combo if you target a thug with a stun prod.

The Shield Bash Medal is for using the offensive Shield Bash to floor a foe 
before a Ground Takedown.  Bullet Shield works the same, except you need to let
them shoot at you (and block it with the shield) first.  Shield Smash is for 
using the offensive version to knock someone off a walkway and to their KO 
doom.

===============================================================================
5. Combat differences summary

To learn about the flow of combat in general, read AbaddonOnion2's excellent 
Batman: Arkham City Combat Mechanics Guide.  I will summarize the important 
points here:

1) To get high scores on Combat Challenges, and to get lots of EXP and 
replacement health in Story Mode, the key is to keep your combo counter high.
2) Keeping the counter high means: always do something (a Strike (X), Redirect 
(LS[towards foe]+A,A), or other special move) within 1 second of the end of the
last move, do not perform a move that hits no enemies, and do not get hit.
3) Abuse Redirect (A,A) constantly.  Your average combat will look like this: 
Strike, Strike, Strike (enters FreeFlow), Redirect, Strike, Redirect, Strike...
with special moves interspersed where appropriate.

You are invincible to most attacks (Titans are the exception) while Redirecting
(LS[towards foe]+A,A).  This gives you a moment to plan your next attack and 
keeps the combo going.  You are totally invincible while in the animation for a
Special Combo Attack.  The slow speed of Throw (A+B) is also useful for getting
a breather.

In the mundane mechanics, Robin's Combat is very similar to Batman's - more 
similar than Nightwing's or Catwoman's.  However, the overall feel of combat is
the most unique out of the four playable characters, because Robin has no low-
damage repeatable area-of-effect attacks like Bat Swarm, Nightwing's Group 
Attack, or Catwoman's Whip Trip and Whiplash.  Robin's Group Attack (X+A) is 
just too short-range to serve the same purpose.

Robin's specialty is crowd dispersal instead of crowd attacks.  This is less 
than ideal from a scoring point of view, but it gives him a unique flavor.  He 
has many moves that will knock a foe to the ground and away from Robin (which 
generally means way from the pack of thugs):

* Shield Bash (RT,RT)
* Zip Kick (LT+Y)
* Throw (A+B)
* Snap Flash (LT+B) (this is more of a knock-down-the-pack move)
* Group Attack (A+X) will sometimes fling a foe

Many of these moves can be profitably followed up with a 75 point Ground Pound 
for a high-scoring move.  Robin's very fast movement to the Ground Pound target
can be used to keep the AI off-target, but his actual Ground Pound is still 
slow, so use this technique carefully.  Some levels are more suited to the 
scatter-and-Ground Pound approach than others - I will note them in the Combat 
Challenges section.

Besides the refocus on fling-from-combat + Ground Pound (instead of repeated 
Bat Swarms), the other difference for Robin is Snap Flash.  The move is worth a
huge amount of points by itself, and offers the opportunity to gamble on 
another passel of points from followup Ground Pounds.  As a rule, always use 
all your Snap Flashes in each Combat Challenge.  I usually use one on stage 3 
and two on stage 4 (scaling with the number of thugs); the main exception is 
Hell's Gate (Extreme) which seems to have fewer foes in stage 3 than stage 2.  

Like all the other DLC characters, Robin is missing Disarm and Destroy (X+Y), 
leaving pesky shields, stun rods, and guns on the field.

===============================================================================
6. Enemy strategies

Normal foes and blunt-object-armed foes
Normal unarmed and blunt-object-armed enemies are treated the same for Robin as
Batman: beat on them and Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A) over them, they're just
there to soak up damage and provide points!  Blunt objects (pipes, hammers, and
bats) give them a little more range, and they'll give you a blurry screen if 
they hit you.  Try to Counter (Y) foes with blunt objects when you can - the 
animations are usually pretty cool.  

Blade armed
Robin treats these guys the same as Batman.  Blades include knives and broken 
bottles.  I am not including Assassin's swords here.  These guys should be 
treated the same as Batman treats them: as if they were unarmed.  I suggest 
never bothering with Blade Dodge and Blade Dodge Takedown - it's a losing 
proposition because the timing is challenging and the point reward isn't worth 
it.  Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A) over them to interrupt the attack and then 
smack them in the back of the head instead.

Shielded
Robin has less trouble than Batman with your average shielded foe because enemy
AI interrupts its attack if you do an Aerial Attack (B,A,A), the only one that 
works, against a shielded thug.  Batman also gets this interruption, but he 
performs the move so slowly that it doesn't help much.  This means Robin can 
safely Aerial Attack non-isolated shielded thugs - just don't try it in large 
groups.  The shield itself is much more dangerous, because Robin is missing 
Special Combo Disarm and Destroy (X+Y) and thus can't destroy the shield 
permanently.  Any shield on the field will stay there for all rounds of a 
Combat Challenge, forcing you to Aerial Attack it off the enemies again, and 
again, and again.  Special Combo Instant Takedown (Y+B) works on these guys.  
Group Attack (X+A) won't hit them, but they are valid targets for Throw (A+B).
They are not affected by Shield Bash (RT,RT) or Zip Kick (LT+Y), but neither 
will count as a miss.  You can use Quickfire to place a Snap Flash (LT+B) on a 
shielded thug.

Stun prod armed
You have to attack stun prod armed thugs from the back or the side to prevent a
nasty shock (with screen blur) from the prod.  Like with shields, you cannot 
get the electric prod itself off the field - it's there to stay.  The lack of 
Disarm and Destroy really hurts when you accidentally punch a stun prod armed 
enemy.  The game is more forgiving than Arkham Asylum was about hitting them in
the back - a strike from the side from a distance (via FreeFlow) will hit them,
but it's dangerous to try this regularly.  You'll need to be careful with Zip 
Kick around them - a Zip Kick targeting one of these foes, or that passes near 
them, will result in an electric shock.  You cannot Aerial Attack (B,A,A) these
foes - for whatever reason Robin Redirects instead.  They are valid targets for
Throw and Snap Flash, but Shield Bash will result in damage to you and a broken
combo.

Gun armed
Gun armed foes are not as much a pain in the neck as they were in Arkham 
Asylum.  For one, they telegraph when they're about to fire by audibly fiddling
with their gun's magazine.  Second, you can interrupt their animation with a 
Quickfire Shuriken (LT), which will often even knock them down (causing them to
drop the weapon).  Just keep a steady stream of Shurikens flying their way and 
they'll never get a chance to fire at you.  Don't bother with Bullet Shield - 
you'll lose your combo via timeout even if you block the damage.

Armored
Robin will treat armored foes similarly to Batman.  The best option in Combat 
Challenges is Beat Down (B,X,X,X,X,X...) - Beat Down is great if you can do one
early because it will get your combo counter up by 11 or so.  

Robin has no electric gadgets, preventing you from getting the fly-backwards-
and-ground-stun effect that occurs when an armored thug is hit with 
electricity.  This is an interesting omission given Robin's focus on scattering
moves.  Your Throw (A+B) will work, but Zip Kick (LT+Y) and Shield Bash (RT,RT)
do not.

In Predator Mode, Quickfire Snap Flash (RT+B) is a great tool against armored 
thugs.  It's a lot faster than Ultra Stun and it won't alert enemies other than
the target until the Snap Flash is fired.  

Note you can hit armored foes with Shuriken-you just have to hit them in the 
back of the head.  In Predator, accomplish this with stealth; in Combat, you 
have a window immediately after Redirecting (LS[towards foe]+A,A) to do it.  An
accidental Quickfire Shuriken hit won't stop your combo (but it won't count as 
a hit, either).

Assassins
Assassins should be treated the same as for Batman.  Note that they can dodge 
most attacks, especially projectiles - these won't count against you as a miss 
if they do the purple-smoke dodge animation.  They can be targeted by any of 
the gadgets if you're patient enough.  Also note that they cannot be kept down 
on the ground by Ultra Stun, Snap Flash stun, Throw, or anything else, so don't
try a Ground Takedown.  Use Beat Down (or perhaps Special combo Instant 
Takedown, B+Y) on a lone remaining Assassin.

Lieutenants (Abramovici twins, the one-armed huge guys) and Titans
Lieutenants and Titans prove quite troublesome for Robin.  Robin's only attack 
that will hit a medium to large group is Snap Flash, which is limited in use.  
Group Attack doesn't have the range to interrupt thugs on the far side of a 
Lieutenant or Titan.  This lack of crowd control makes it hard to keep the area
around the miniboss clear so you can focus on the threat.  

On both miniboss types, the basic strategy is to repeat a loop of a few Strikes
followed by a Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A) over the miniboss's head to keep 
anyone from hitting you.  Don't forget to Ultra Stun (B,B,B) Titans first.  
Throw in Group Attacks when you can; they aren't great but they'll help some.  

On levels with a single Lieutenant or Titan, you can use your scattering 
attacks to try to keep the foe density around the miniboss low and wear the 
miniboss down as best you can.  On Funhouse Brawl (Extreme), which features 
both simultaneously, you'll have to use Snap Flashes to get windows of 
opportunity to wail on the Lieutenants; taking out the Titans is best done last
(despite the loss of Rodeo Swipe points).  Group Attack will interrupt both 
Titan and Lieutenant attacks, so you can use it defensively to "block" their 
incoming attacks.

You may be tempted to leave them for last, but in Combat Challenges, you should
aim for the Lieutenants first.  You should be able to get a combo of 50 or so 
by the time the Lieutenant is dead: a great way to start a stage!  

Getting an early Freakshow Rodeo Titan ride is also a pretty good way to 
increase your combo while invincible.  Every 8th strike on a Titan puts you in 
Freakshow Rodeo mode, where you ride on the Titan's shoulders and direct him to
wail on your hapless foes.  From there, you are invincible and can hit thugs 
with their swinging arms for Rodeo Strikes (10 pts), charge forward with A, and
do a Titan Ground Pound with B.  If a Titan is the last foe, any stunning blow 
(generally any combo of 8) will KO it for good, even if you haven't done the 
stun cycle three times yet.  

===============================================================================
7. Combat Challenges special notes

For getting a high score on the Combat Challenges, incorporate the advice on 
moves and enemies above.  This section contains just a few pointers specific to
the Combat Challenges.

* Robin's Quickfire gadgets do not have to be used in ONE combo to get the 
variation bonus.  Using them anywhere in battle will work.  
* You cannot use the Snap Flash in each phase of a Combat Challenge, as you get
three darts and there are four stages.
* Combat is considerably harder overall than for Batman, Nightwing, or 
Catwoman.  The basic Strike-Redirect-Strike-Redirect loop works fine, but you 
don't have any good moves to mix in for big points except Snap Flash (limited 
use) and a scattering move followed by Ground Pound (always risky).
* If you are going to try out scatter-and-ground-pound techniques, FreeFlow 
Focus (red combo counter, 12 hits) helps a lot by increasing your speed.  
Jumping up 12 hits after a good Snap Flash is surprisingly common, so try it 
out after Snap Flash!
* When doing the Campaign mode, save Super Powered for levels with shields and 
stun prods, especially Prison Riot and Hell's Gate.  Robin's inability to break
these items (due to the lack of Disarm and Destroy) is negated by this bonus 
effect.  Also, the Predator version of the effect - crawl faster - is useless.
* Robin's weaker combat means you may want to rely on Shuriken (tap LT) as your
primary attack.  The Shuriken (even two Shuriken to even out the Critical 
Strike combo counter bonus) does less damage than Strikes will, meaning you can
keep thugs alive longer for greater combos.  Unfortunately on the XBOX 360, the
tap motion will tire your left index finger out...
* All of the simple projectiles, including Robin's Shurikens, Batman's 
Batarangs, Catwoman's Bolas, and Nightwing's Escrima Sticks and Wing Dings, 
interact oddly with the combo meter.  If you haven't just used a projectile, a 
projectile hit is worth 10 points and one combo counter.  If you did just throw
a projectile, it's worth points but no combo counter increase.  Intersperse 
your throws with Redirects (LS[towards foe]+A,A) to take advantage of this.  
* When you're down to one thug, you should use Beat Down (B,X,X,X...) or Ultra 
Stun (B,B,B) / Shield Bash (RT,RT) plus Ground Pound (RT+Y) for the finisher 
for the most points.  If your combo is low, use the former; if high, the 
latter.  This won't work on shielded or stun-prod-armed thugs.

Blind Justice (Medals at 6000, 12000, 24000)
This is just a warm-up level.  Opponents are thin on the ground, and shields 
and stun rods are not present.  You should do all your fighting in the upper 
area to the left of where you start to make thugs bunch up for better Group 
Attacks.

Survival of the Fittest (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
This level is so large and uniform that the scatter-and-Ground-Pound technique 
will work well here, so long as you don't throw them into the electrified 
fence.

Rooftop Rumble (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
This level is so large and uniform that the scatter-and-Ground-Pound technique 
will work well here.

Hell's Gate (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
Assassins are common here.  You can bunch thugs up on the stairs behind where 
you start to get better Snap Flashes and Group Attacks.

Funhouse Brawl (Medals at 15000, 30000, 60000)
This level is so large and uniform that the scatter-and-Ground-Pound technique 
will work well here.

Prison Riot (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
Shields and stun rods abound in this level.  Scatter-and-Ground-Pound works 
well along the long axis of the level.

Blind Justice (Extreme) (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
This is just a warm-up level.  Opponents are thin on the ground, and shields 
and stun rods are not present.  You should do all your fighting in the upper 
area to the left of where you start to make thugs bunch up for better Group 
Attacks.

Survival of the Fittest (Extreme) (Medals at 15000, 30000, 60000)
You'll face a Titan in stages 2 and 4.  This level is so large and uniform that
the scatter-and-Ground-Pound technique will work well here, so long as you 
don't throw them into the electrified fence.

Rooftop Rumble (Extreme) (Medals at 10000, 20000, 40000)
Assassins and Lieutenants are mixed in in this level.  This level is so large 
and uniform that the scatter-and-Ground-Pound technique will work well here.

Hell's Gate (Extreme) (Medals at 12000, 24000, 48000)
Assassins are everywhere in this level.  You can bunch thugs up on the stairs 
behind where you start to get better Snap Flashes and Group Attacks.

Funhouse Brawl (Extreme) (Medals at 15000, 30000, 60000)
You'll face a Lieutenant + Titan combo in stage 2, and a Lieutenant + 2 Titan 
combo in stage 4.  See my Titan and Lieutenant section above for further 
advice.  

Prison Riot (Extreme) (Medals at 12000, 24000, 48000)
Shields and stun rods abound in this level.  Assassins are mixed in as well.  
The space allows scatter-and-Ground-Pound techniques, but the enemy mix is poor
for it - there are too many weapons that make it less safe to get caught in 
Ground Pound.

Freight Train (Medals at 8000, 16000, 32000)
This is Robin's DLC Combat Challenge.  You *must* do this level to get his 
Achievements.  They tried to make it like a sidescrolling beat-em-up, but in my
opinion the combat engine works poorly in 2D.  There are very few foes in range
at any one time (or even in the level at all), making it hard to rack up 
combos.  Using your gadgets and getting in as many combat variations as 
possible is important.  You'll get at least half your points on the last stage,
which has a Lieutenant and Black Mask.  Black Mask has a large HP boost (as if 
he were armored); you can Beat Down both him and the Lieutenant to get your 
combo pretty high.  Throw is buggy in this level - sometimes Robin will try to 
throw the thug directly into the wall of the train and they can get caught up 
in the wall.  

Wayne Manor Armory (Medals at 15000, 30000, 60000)
This is Nightwing's DLC Combat Challenge.  You can skip it as Robin to no ill 
effect.  The thug type is TYGER guards, you're in a large mostly square room, 
and there are a ton of blunt objects and knives available to the thugs.  There 
are no shields or stun rods.  You should be able to rack up huge combos with 
Redirect (LS[towards foe]+A,A), as the only foes you can't attack freely are 
the occasional armored thugs, and they stand out as red instead of black.  The 
huge number of knives makes scatter-and-Ground-Pound unsafe, since knife 
wielders lunge forward as they attack.

===============================================================================
8. Predator Challenges special notes

This section features a few pointers for the Predator Challenges.  After 
general tips are per-Challenge tips.  I don't offer walkthroughs in text 
because Youtube videos already do it better!

* Robin has many repeated Medals, unlike Batman but like Catwoman and 
Nightwing.  He has fewer gadgets and some environment tools are missing, and I 
guess the developers got lazy.  His Medals are usually the simplest of any 
character, although a few are very hard to get.
* Most air duct gratings are present.  They take time to remove so plan your 
escapes accordingly.  Air Vent Takedown is present, but there's no Medal for it
(Batman has one on Meltdown Mayhem (Extreme)).  Despite the apparent Batclaw 
base for Zip Kick, Robin does not have the ability to pull down air vent 
grates.  Some Predator Challenge air vent grates are missing to account for 
this (Top of the World near the start); some are not (Natural Selection along 
the lower level).
* Explosive Gel walls are present, and Explosive Gel is required for some 
Medals. 
* Either Ultra Stun or Snap Flash is an acceptable way to ground armored thugs 
for a Ground Takedown.  Neither method is as good as Nightwing's Electric Blast
or Catwoman's Whip Trip.  
* Heat Signature Conceal is supposedly built into the Batsuit but it works for 
Robin too!  So long as you don't move, you can't be seen by the thermal 
vision guys looking at Vantage Points (gargoyles).
* Speaking of Vantage Points, you have no Inverted Takedown.  It's my favorite,
so I miss it.  It was one of the better ways to get armored thugs in Predator.
You can't hang under Vantage Points either.
* Robin is missing the Sonic Batarang - this makes it tough to lure enemies to 
a particular location.  If you only need one thug, just let him see you and 
lead him there while keeping your Bullet Shield up - this is GREAT for getting 
them to the tops of ladders for easy What Goes Up, Shield Smash, and Zip Kick 
Off Medals.
* Robin has the most health of any of the 4 playable characters - he has a red 
normal health bar, the full four-section bonus health bar, AND a regenerating 
bullet shield.  He needs it, though...
* Robin's Zip Kick modified Batclaw won't allow you to do distance Ledge 
Takedowns like Batman and Nightwing - you're limited to close up ones like 
Catwoman.

For each Challenge, I've listed the Medal name, what it is/how to do it, and 
how hard it is on a scale of 1-10 (and if it's hard, why).  

Meltdown Mayhem
Start this level by running left straight off the hut's roof and gliding (hold 
A) and dropping (let go of A) just before you hit the wall.  Turn around 180 
degrees and Grapple (RB) up to the ledge in front of you.  A thug will shortly 
exit the hut, get the Ledge Takedown (Y) for Over the Ledge.  You can then drop
to the ground (B) and look to your left for another thug; Shield Bash (RT,RT) 
and then Ground Takedown him (RT+Y) for Shield Bash.  Turn around and run back 
up the stairs behind you, then follow the walkway on that level until you reach
a ladder going down (this is under the Vantage Point on the west wall, assuming
you start facing north).  The three remaining thugs will have converged on the 
Shield Bash victim; get their attention with a Shuriken and then put your 
Bullet Shield up and wait for them to come at you up the ladder.  Shield Bash 
them off one at a time as they climb for What Goes Up and a fast victory.  The 
individual Medal difficulties here assume you don't use this quick method.
* Shield Bash - Knock a foe to the ground with Shield Bash, then follow with a 
Ground Takedown.  (Knocking them off a ledge earns Shield Smash instead; if 
they shoot you first it earns Bullet Shield instead, but falls back to this one
if Bullet Shield is not an objective.)
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is not a hard Medal, but it's always noisy (so it 
attracts attention).  If you attack frontally you'll have to keep the shield up
to avoid damage.  If you try to do it on a walkway you may pitch them off the 
walkway entirely (which earns Shield Smash instead).  Do it on a flat open 
area.
* Over the Ledge - While hanging from a ledge, get a Ledge Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  This level has lots of narrow walkways on which to perform
this; the hard part is waiting for a victim to be in range and not covered by 
another thug.  See my advice for a fast opener.
* What Goes Up - Let a foe climb to the top of the ladder, then knock them off 
somehow for a KO when they hit the ground below.
** Difficulty 3/10.  Robin has the easiest time of all characters knocking 
people off ladders, so revel in this!  The easiest thing is to either Shield 
Bash or distance Zip Kick as they get to the top of the ladder, but three 
Strikes will usually work as well.  Stand with your Bullet Shield atop a ladder
and use a Shuriken to draw attention if needed.

Police Brutality
You can knock out (ha ha) Smash Landing and Feet First quickly if you're 
willing to take some damage.  You start the level facing north.  Immediately 
hop east onto the glass panel below the Vantage Point.  Wait for the Takedown 
prompt and go through the glass for Smash Landing.  Immediately Grapple to the 
level of the glass (not the Vantage Point) and run north and east to the 
railing above the doorway into the room you just KOed a thug in.  Climb onto 
the railing above this door and get Feet First (use the Knockout Smash for 
speed) as a guy enters the door - the timing on this is really tight.  You'll 
take a few bullets but it's worth it.  After that, escape (Smoke Pellet helps) 
and get Bullet Shield at your leisure.
* Bullet Shield - Block a thug's bullets with the Bullet Shield, then Shield 
Bash him and Ground Takedown for the KO.  
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is Shield Bash plus a bullet-blocking requirement.  
Do not hit the thug over a ledge or it will be Shield Smash instead and not 
count.  Wait for an isolated thug, as the thug must see you to do this and will
draw other thugs.  The window between when you block and when you Shield Bash 
is short, so don't be slow.
* Feet First - Do a Reverse Ledge Takedown from a walkway on a thug below
** Difficulty 6/10.  This is an easy move to perform but may require extreme 
patience.  The only place to get it is the doors in and out of the lower room 
on the south side of the room; getting it just after Smash Landing guarantees 
traffic through those doors.
* Smash Landing - get a takedown through a glass ceiling panel
** Difficulty 6/10.  This is an easy move to perform but may require extreme 
patience.  The only places to get it is the panels on either lower enclosed 
area on the north and south sides of the room, and you have to wait for guards 
to patrol in there unless you get the one right at the beginning.

Natural Selection
Natural Selection just begs you to Grapnel up to the bridge (RB) and get a 
Double Ledge Takedown to start the level.  I say go for it, then Grapnel clear 
across the level to the northmost Vantage Point (assuming you started looking 
north).  There will be one thug to your west up the stairs; he's a good 
candidate for Knock Knock.  After you get him, punch through the wooden wall in
the alcove behind you (drawing thugs), paint an R with Explosive Gel on the 
concrete wall, then drop through the floor and hide in a grate.  Watch for a 
thug to pass the wall for Blast Zone, and get Zip Kick on whoever's left.
* Zip Kick - Use the distance, Robin-flies version of Zip Kick to knock a thug 
to the ground and follow with Ground Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  Make sure you keep your distance for this move, the short-
range Zip Kick that acts like Batclaw Pound won't work.  If the thug sees you, 
repeatedly Quickfire the move until it works.  It's noisy so beware.
* Blast Zone - KO a thug by blowing a wall up on him with Explosive Gel
** Difficulty 6/10.  This move may require lots of patience for a victim to 
come into range.  There are three walls here you can get this with (one in the 
upper alcove, two in the SE corner) but the upper alcove is your best bet.
* Knock Knock - Distract a thug with a Shuriken and then get a Silent Takedown 
while they're distracted.
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is one of my favorite Medals - the Shuriken use is so
gratuitous, but it's amusing.  Make sure to hit a wall in front of the thug, 
beyond where you are, so they look forward instead of turning and seeing you.

End of the Line
Hurry to your left as the level starts through the door and up the short 
stairs.  Hop into the grate, then pass under the wooden wall.  You'll have an 
opportunity for Grate Moves at about 10 seconds in.  Then Grapnel up to a 
Vantage Point and work on High Speed Impact until you're nearly out of thugs, 
and Shield Smash whoever's left.
* Shield Smash - Shield Bash a foe over a ledge; they'll be KOed as they hit 
the ground below.
** Difficulty 5/10.  This is the perfect level for Shield Smash - it's half 
ledges and railcar roofs (which are high enough to count).  Just make sure you 
aim them off the ledge as best you can.
* High Speed Impact - Use a fully boosted Remote Control Shuriken (RT while in 
RC mode) to knock a thug off a ledge; they'll be KOed as they hit the ground 
below.
** Difficulty 5/10.  This is the perfect level for this Medal too.  It's half 
ledges and railcar roofs (which are high enough to count).  It works best if 
you line up from at least a railcar's length away so the Shuriken has time to 
get up to speed.  It also works more easily off railcars than ledges (no 
railing to catch them).  Hitting them off a railing-protected ledge so they fly
through the air in slow motion is a treat!  You can fire Remote Control 
Shuriken from a Vantage Point pretty much indefinitely without them seeing you 
- it won't impact on a line from where you threw it so they won't know where to
look.
* Grate Moves - leap out of a floor grate for an Instant Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  The move is easy, waiting for a target is boring.  You're 
invisible while waiting, assuming there's no body nearby and the AI isn't 
boosted by Extreme mode or Increased Aggression to remember your grate tricks.
It's a noisy move so escape fast.

Lost City
The order in which you do these doesn't much matter.  I usually go for Aerial 
Assault immediately, but waiting for a patrolling guard to pass an extinguisher
for Fire Hazard is probably a better idea.
* Snap Flashed - Plant a Snap Flash mine, fire it to stun the thug, then get 
the Ground Takedown.  (You can wait between the first and second steps if 
desired).
** Difficulty 2/10.  The mine is guaranteed to knock the thug down, the 
Quickfire mine placement leaves him interrupted so he can't attack, and the 
manual placement can be done silently.  Just get the Ground Takedown quickly 
and escape before the thugs converge.
* Fire Hazard - detonate a fire extinguisher (with a Shuriken or Remote Control
Shuriken) and get a Silent Takedown on a thug panicking in the smoke.
** Difficulty 5/10.  Your Detective Mode (LB) will highlight the fire 
extinguisher locations.  The easiest is the one on the east wall (assuming you 
start facing north) under the Vantage Point; hit it from the Vantage Point when
a thug is in range then hop down for the Silent Takedown.  The second easiest 
is the one just north of that; lure thugs there by standing brazenly visible 
with your Bullet Shield up, then hide behind the corner and hit the 
extinguisher as they close.  If you mess up those two, abuse the Bullet Shield 
at any other extinguisher to lure them close, or be patient.  I believe any KO 
in the smoke may work, so if you detonate the extinguisher with an Explosive 
Gel that should be OK (I'm not sure).  Note that heat vision thugs can see you 
in the smoke (with the goggles) and will be happy to shoot you - however they 
don't seem to remember they saw you if you leave before the smoke clears.
* Aerial Assault - Glide Kick a thug then Ground Pound for the KO
** Difficulty 2/10.  This is easy from any Vantage Point; just escape 
afterwards as the move is noisy and draws attention.

Top of the World
This level is bizarre in that it's very poorly suited for the Medals demanded.
The open lines of sight and terrible escape routes indoors make the Medals 
harder than they would be elsewhere.  There's an easy opening for Over the 
Ledge.  Generally, you should get Over the Ledge first, then thin the herd 
quickly to make Zip Kick off and Round the Bend safer.  Both Zip Kick Off and 
Round the Bend are best gotten at the tops of the ladders, so try to get them 
on consecutive ladder-climbers.
* Zip Kick Off - Distance Zip Kick a thug off a ledge; they'll be KOed as they 
hit the ground below.
** Difficulty 6/10.  There are two ladders inside which are the best places to 
get this.  Assuming all foes are on the lower level, stand at the top of a 
ladder with your shield up to attract attention, then run back and set up for 
the Zip Kick as someone climbs.  You can combine this with Round the Bend at 
either ladder - both will draw attention to the top of the ladder, which is a 
prime spot for both Medals.  You can't get this on the ladder near the hostage 
if a hostage is active (the game won't Zip Kick).
* Over the Ledge - While hanging from a ledge, get a Ledge Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  Get this as the level starts - turn 180 degrees and 
Grapple up to a Vantage Point, and continue counterclockwise until you find a 
platform with a guy on it.  Drop into air (not onto the platform) with B, then 
quickly look up at the receding platform and Grapnel to it (RB).  This puts you
in place for the Ledge Takedown.  If you fail this, wait for a heat vision thug
to scan a Vantage Point and get him instead.
* Round the Bend - get an Instant Takedown from Corner Cover
** Difficulty 6/10.  This is really easy to get...on other levels.  Here, all 
the corners are badly exposed from most angles, so you'll have to wait until 
the number of remaining foes is few.  The best place is to wait along the 
walkways along the windows just beyond ladders, and get a thug just after he 
climbs to the top - from here few thugs can see you.  You can combine this with
Zip Kick Off at either ladder - both will draw attention to the top of the 
ladder, which is a prime spot for both Medals.

Meltdown Mayhem (Extreme)
Friends Fly Free makes for a very tough Challenge.  I have a method for it that
works about 50% of the time.  Zip Kick Off and Have a Nice Trip are trivial by 
comparison.  I suggest you start the level by leaping (north) and left (west) 
and then Grapneling up to the Vantage Point on the left, then on to the Vantage
Point opposite where you started (above the armored and sniper thugs, north 
wall).  Look down.  As the armored thug reaches the westmost (rightmost) side 
of his patrol path, toss a Shuriken at the fire extinguisher, then hop down and
get a Silent KO (with noisy Knockout Smash) on the sniper in the smoke.  Try to
stand as close to the center of the platform as you can - you want his body to 
be as close to the middle as possible.  Crouch (RT) and get a Climb Down (A) - 
but avoid Corner Cover (also A).  This will leave you hanging from the ledge.  
Try to be as far west as you can, but DO NOT MOVE as you hang.  There is a thug
near the windowed hut in the NE corner who may see you.  Hopefully the Knockout
Smash will have caused him to run towards the smoke so he won't see you.  Wait 
for the smoke to clear, then someone will see the sniper and thugs will come 
running (if they didn't run for the Knockout Smash).  You'll have easy pickings
for the armored thug and one other for Friends Fly Free.  The main risk is 
someone near the NE room may see you.  
* Zip Kick Off - Distance Zip Kick a thug off a ledge; they'll be KOed as they 
hit the ground below.
** Difficulty 5/10.  This is a good level for it, with many walkways.  I prefer
the ladder near the NE hut.  Use your shield to deflect bullets as you draw 
attention to make thugs climb the latter.  
* Have a Nice Trip - Slide kick (hold LS+A to run, RT) a thug, then get a 
Ground Pound.
** Difficulty 6/10.  It's an easy move to perform, but you're very vulnerable 
while you do it and they often see you coming.  Don't try to get it near stairs
- if they fall down stairs it will auto KO them from the fall and you won't get
the Medal.  Wait until the last thug to get this.
* Friends Fly Free - get a Double Ledge Takedown
** Difficulty - 9/10.  This is preposterously hard.  Thugs always spread out 
unless you do something to bring them together.  If you don't use the sniper's 
body as bait, get a noisy KO (or noisy, nonlethal Glide Kick) on walkway to 
draw attention, escape, then sneakily return from below to get in position for 
the Double Ledge Takedown.  Be careful of Robin moronically Grapneling onto the
walkway directly instead of into the ledge position.  

Police Brutality (Extreme) 
This level has a Jammer Backpack thug.  You're stuck with him, because if you 
get him first, the interrupted patrol routes make Two for Two too luck 
dependent.  Ugh.  Generally I hide out in the N/W corridor so that they can't 
sneak up behind me until I get the Jammer Backpack taken out.
* Shield Bash - Knock a foe to the ground with Shield Bash, then follow with a 
Ground Takedown.  (Knocking them off a ledge earns Shield Smash instead; if 
they shoot you first it earns Bullet Shield instead, but falls back to this one
if Bullet Shield is not an objective.)
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is not a hard Medal, but it's always noisy (so it 
attracts attention).  If you attack frontally you'll have to keep the shield up
to avoid damage.  If you try to do it on a walkway you may pitch them off the 
walkway entirely (which earns Shield Smash instead).  Do it on a flat open 
area.
* Two for Two - Take down two different thugs by blowing up (with Explosive 
Gel) two different walls simultaneously.
** Difficulty 9/10.  I have *no clue* how to get this one, other than the 
strategy I am about to describe, and it isn't great.  All of this is timed to 
be as fast as possible.  You start on the south side of the level.  Grapple to 
the Vantage Point on the south wall, then over to the east wall.  Fly down just
beyond the staircase near the north wall into the lower alcove area.  You 
should be in flight between 6 and 8 seconds on the clock (2:23-2:21 if Time 
Limit is active).  You have to land behind the stairs so an oncoming thug won't
see you.  Crouch-walk (hold RT and LS) past the table to the back side of the 
weak wall and plant an R in Explosive Gel (one laid); do not detonate it.  You 
should start spraying at 15 seconds (2:15 in Time Limit).  Crouch-walk back to 
where you entered by the stairs and cross the open space to the doorway into 
the small hall on the east side of the room.  There is a thug right next to the
door - if you pass the door at about 25 seconds (2:05) he won't see you.  Pass 
him by going straight until you can hide behind a stubby wall in front of you.
He'll shortly turn around and walk north.  Follow him at a distance (stay 
crouched) and spray the weak wall with Explosive Gel as soon as he turns the 
corner.  Detonate immediately (the marker will show 2 in range) for Two for 
Two, then escape ASAP any way you can.  I usually Grapple up to the north 
Vantage Point, cancel halfway with B, and then run into the N and W hallway and
hide in the ceiling.
* Smoke Detector - Use a Smoke Pellet and get a Silent Takedown as a thug 
panics in the smoke.
** Difficulty 4/10.  Getting the KO is easy, but you only have one Smoke Pellet
chance.  It's often convenient to get it while running from Two for Two.  Note 
that heat vision thugs can see you in the smoke (with the goggles) and will be 
happy to shoot you - however they don't seem to remember they saw you if you 
leave before the smoke clears.

Natural Selection (Extreme)
This is the most excruciatingly frustrating Predator Challenge of any character
due to Crowd Control (although not the hardest, which is Nightwing's End of the
Line (Extreme) for Switch Hitter).  Robin has no appropriate thug-drawing 
tactics that don't require a thug to waltz by the necessary point for a noisy 
KO - and they won't walk near two of the three weak walls with any reliability!
I suggest starting by Grappling to the bridge and getting the Ledge Takedown on
the sniper, then inching left and dropping, then climbing up into the upper 
alcove from the hole in the floor.  Plant Explosive Gel on the inside of the 
alcove, then exit and loiter around the outside side of that weak wall.  Get a 
noisy KO (Snap Flashed will suffice) on a thug wandering by that wall, then 
hide somewhere and pray your proximity counter on the Explosive Gel will hit 
three, then detonate for Crowd Control.
* Snap Flashed - Plant a Snap Flash mine, fire it to stun the thug, then get 
the Ground Takedown.  (You can wait between the first and second steps if 
desired).
** Difficulty 2/10.  The mine is guaranteed to knock the thug down, the 
Quickfire mine placement leaves him interrupted so he can't attack, and the 
manual placement can be done silently.  Just get the Ground Takedown quickly 
and escape before the thugs converge.  Use the explosion to draw thugs in for 
Crowd Control.  If you get a choice, target the armored thug (he's harder to 
take down otherwise).
* Smoke Detector - Use a Smoke Pellet and get a Silent Takedown as a thug 
panics in the smoke.
** Difficulty 4/10.  Getting the KO is easy, but you only have one Smoke Pellet
chance.  Note that heat vision thugs can see you in the smoke (with the 
goggles) and will be happy to shoot you - however they don't seem to remember 
they saw you if you leave before the smoke clears.
* Crowd Control - KO three thugs in the explosion from taking down one wall 
with Explosive Gel.
** Difficulty 10/10.  Patience is not enough - you will NEVER get three thugs 
together near a booby-trapped wall without cunning.  My advice above is the 
best I can give; I've tried a lot of other strategies that never worked.  Send 
yours in if you have a better one!

End of the Line (Extreme)
This level is tricky, but fortunately there's a way to get Triple Snap Flashed 
and the Jammer Backpack thug at once.  I suggest starting by moving forward 
either to the right wall and hopping into the floor grates, or (if Scattered 
Weapons is active) into the right train car to the first door on the right, and
then to the floor grates.  Go to the far end of the grates and wait for the 
armored Jammer Backpack thug to come along (47 seconds).  Once he passes, hop 
out of the grate, silently (manually) plant a Snap Flash on his back, hop back 
IN the grate, and then do a Grate Takedown.  Hide in the (thankfully grateless)
air vent beyond where the guard came from and wait for thugs to examine his 
KOed body - once you have 5 armored thugs (that's all the non-sniper thugs 
remaining), fire the Snap Flash for Triple Snap Flashed.  Depending on how they
fall, you have time for one or two Ground Takedowns on these thugs.  After 
that, climb back through the duct, and though the far side to the train doors.
Enter the train, turn right, go to the end, and Grapnel into the sniper nest 
from below.  This lets you get the nest sniper in the back by planting 
Explosive Gel at his feet for the KO.  The easiest way to get the other sniper 
is with Over the Ledge's Ledge Takedown as he travels along the bridge area 
between his two waiting points; you can also lay a Explosive Gel booby trap 
anywhere on his route to blow him over the edge.  Thin thugs out with Explosive
Gel traps and boosted Remote Control Shuriken (to the back of their heads, as 
they're armored) before going for Fists of Fury.
* Triple Snap Flashed - stun 3 thugs with one Snap Flash.
** Difficulty 8/10.  The best way to do this is to mine a thug, then KO them 
without activating the mine, then detonate the mine as thugs investigate the 
body.  My advice above will show how to get it on the Jammer Backpack thug.  
I've tried mining the snipers and blowing them over the ledges with Explosive 
Gel, but the thugs investigate the gel instead of the body and you don't get a 
good group.
* Fists of Fury - take out a thug with Beat Down
** Difficulty 3/10.  The move is easy, but it's noisy and leaves you 
vulnerable, so do it on the last thug.
* Over the Ledge - While hanging from a ledge, get a Ledge Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  I suggest either getting it on the non-nest sniper, if 
he's relatively isolated while moving along the bridge, or just leaving it for 
the penultimate thug.

Lost City (Extreme)
Snap Flash Trap is about the most complicated Medal in the game.  The Challenge
as a whole is not hard for an Extreme challenge.
* Shield Smash - Shield Bash a foe over a ledge; they'll be KOed as they hit 
the ground below.
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is a good level for Shield Smash, as almost any hit 
on the uppermost circular walkway will work.  I go after the thermal goggles 
thug on the upper level - try to get him just as he is about to leave the 
northern walkway intersection halfway between his first and second Vantage 
Point patrol points.  If he goes over the ledge, great!  If he doesn't, plant a
Snap Flash for Snap Flash Trap and get someone later.
* Snap Flash Trap - Knock a thug to the ground, plant a Snap Flash on them as 
they are stunned, let them get up, and fire the Snap Flash when a different 
thug is nearby to stun the other thug.  ~whew~
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is not hard to do - ground someone with Slide Kick, 
Shield Bash, Zip Kick, or any other method, plant the flash, and escape.  
Someone will run to them as they get up and you can detonate the trap then.
* Grate Moves - leap out of a floor grate for an Instant Takedown.
** Difficulty 4/10.  The move is easy, waiting for a target is boring.  Punch a
wooden wall to draw thugs downstairs to make targets.

Top of the World (Extreme)
The hard part of this challenge is getting the Backpack Jammer KOed early to 
give you a free hand.  To accomplish this, turn 180 degrees when the level 
starts and Grapple up to a Vantage Point, and continue counterclockwise until 
you find a platform with a guy on it.  Quickfire Shuriken him to draw attention
(you should fire at about 8-9 seconds in).  Drop into air (not onto the 
platform) with B, then quickly look up at the receding platform and Grapnel to 
it (RB).  This puts you in place for a Ledge Takedown.  The thug should stand 
up and announce "enemy device found", at which point the Backpack Jammer thug 
will run over into Ledge Takedown range.  Shimmy left to try to get another 
Ledge Takedown or just drop to escape (you'll climb up somewhere else in the 
level with no harm done).  
* Bullet Shield - Block a thug's bullets with the Bullet Shield, then Shield 
Bash him and Ground Takedown for the KO.  
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is Shield Bash plus a bullet-blocking requirement.  
Do not hit the thug over a ledge or it will be Shield Smash instead and not 
count.  Wait for an isolated thug (preferably the last thug), as the thug must 
see you to do this and will draw other thugs.  The window between when you 
block and when you Shield Bash, so don't be slow.
* Round the Bend - get an Instant Takedown from Corner Cover
** Difficulty 6/10.  You should have already gotten this in non-Extreme Top of 
the World.  This is really easy to get...on other levels.  Here, all the 
corners are badly exposed from most angles, so you'll have to wait until the 
number of remaining foes is few.  The best place is to wait along the walkways 
along the windows just beyond ladders, and get a thug just after he climbs to 
the top - from here few thugs can see you.  Stand ready with your Bullet Shield
atop the ladder to draw attention if necessary.
* Fire Hazard - detonate a fire extinguisher (with a Shuriken or Remote Control
Shuriken) and get a Silent Takedown on a thug panicking in the smoke.
** Difficulty 5/10.  Your Detective Mode (LB) will highlight the fire 
extinguisher locations.  The easiest is the one next to the ladder nearest the 
start location, several thugs' patrols take them by this extinguisher.  Other 
than that, try for extinguishers along the outer windows on the upper narrow 
walkways.  I believe any KO in the smoke may work, so if you detonate the 
extinguisher with an Explosive Gel that should be OK (I'm not sure).  Note that
heat vision thugs can see you in the smoke (with the goggles) and will be happy
to shoot you - however they don't seem to remember they saw you if you leave 
before the smoke clears.

Black Mask (Sionis Meat Packing Factory)
This is Robin's DLC Predator Challenge.  You must do this level for his 
Achievements.  You will notice that this level, like Nightwing's DLC Wayne 
Manor Main Hall, is HUGE for a Predator level.  Escape will rarely be an issue.
I go for Shield Bash to set up Window Pain like so: First, go up and left along
the west wall (assuming you start facing north).  Crouch and travel up to the 
wall with the window and go around this room to the right, circling in through 
the other door and behind the thug exiting to the south.  Hit him in the back 
as he leaves the door for Shield Bash (not Shield Smash; keep him on the 
walkway).  Hide in the room you just left and wait for a Window Pain 
opportunity.  Once you have that, you can Zip Kick Off immediately if you're 
feeling gutsy, or escape and wait in the center platform for a better chance.
* Shield Bash - Knock a foe to the ground with Shield Bash, then follow with a 
Ground Takedown.  (Knocking them off a ledge earns Shield Smash instead; if 
they shoot you first it earns Bullet Shield instead, but falls back to this one
if Bullet Shield is not an objective.)
** Difficulty 4/10.  This is not a hard medal, but it's always noisy (so it 
attracts attention).  If you attack frontally you'll have to keep the shield up
to avoid damage.  If you try to do it on a walkway you may pitch them off the 
walkway entirely (which earns Shield Smash instead).  Do it on a flat open 
area, or just in the doorway of the upper room as I suggest.
* Zip Kick Off - Distance Zip Kick a thug off a ledge; they'll be KOed as they 
hit the ground below.
** Difficulty 4/10.  There are lots of appropriate ledges here.  If you stand 
on the raised center platform, thugs won't see you, but you can Zip Kick them 
from the higher vantage to their doom.
* Window Pain - get an Instant Takedown through a window.
** Difficulty 6/10.  This is largely a question of patience in waiting for a 
victim.  You can draw thugs with your Shield Bash victims to make it easy (see 
above).

Wayne Manor Main Hall
This is Nightwing's DLC Predator Challenge.  You can skip it as Robin to no ill
effect.  The Medals are all simple, so take them in any order you choose.  I 
prefer to go up and right to the further tripwire, glide down into the NE 
corner (you start facing north) and sneak around the southmost thug to start 
with Shield Smash.  I wait at the corner of the NW stairs for a Smoke Detector 
victim running up because of Shield Smash, then Zip Kick whoever's left.
* Zip Kick - Use the distance, Robin-flies version of Zip Kick to knock a thug 
to the ground and follow with Ground Takedown.
** Difficulty 3/10.  Make sure you keep your distance for this move, the short-
range Zip Kick that acts like Batclaw Pound won't work.  If the thug sees you, 
repeatedly Quickfire the move until it works.  It's noisy so beware.
* Shield Smash - Shield Bash a foe over a ledge; they'll be KOed as they hit 
the ground below.
** Difficulty 6/10.  This is not a great level for Shield Smash-they have to be
standing pretty close to a ledge for it to work, and the walkways are wide.  
That said, it's not Extreme, so you have lots of health to work with to 
reposition them for the KO.
* Smoke Detector - Use a Smoke Pellet and get a Silent Takedown as a thug 
panics in the smoke.
** Difficulty 4/10.  Getting the KO is easy, but you only have one Smoke Pellet
chance.  Note that heat vision thugs can see you in the smoke (with the 
goggles) and will be happy to shoot you - however they don't seem to remember 
they saw you if you leave before the smoke clears.

===============================================================================
9. Campaign special notes

Here, I have listed the campaign conditions, what order you should take them 
in, and why.  I may be missing positive conditions (Replenishing Health and 
Takedown Projectiles) because they are irrelevant if you are good at the 
levels; take them when you need them.  First, some notes on conditions in 
general:

* Negative conditions matter a lot less on Combat Challenges than Predator 
Challenges, so get used to loading up on negatives there.
* Time Limit: You should always take Time Limit on Combat Challenges.  Unless 
you aim for record times, Predator Challenges are best done calmly and slowly.
* Increased Aggression is an iffy positive for Combat Challenges, because 
enemies will have more health.  More health means they take more hits, which 
means greater combos.  However, Robin is weaker at combat than the other 
characters, so your health might run low by the end of an Increased Aggression 
(Extreme) level.
* Increased Aggression and Time Limit pair poorly, especially on levels with 
Titans (Survival of the Fittest (Extreme) and Funhouse Brawl (Extreme)).  It's 
doable, but you have to cut some corners and KO as fast as possible to make up 
for the slow Titan rides, or kill the Titans last.
* Super Powered is useless in Predator (extra crawl speed) but excellent in 
Combat (stun rods, shields, and armor no longer prevent attacks).
* Decreased Health is much worse in Predator (start with a sliver of health, so
you can take no hits) than Combat (start with a weak normal health bar, but 
with the split bullets/punches bonus health full).  
* Avoid using Beat Down while One Hand Tied is active - not seeing incoming 
counterable attacks makes the move harder to pull off.  Against Lieutenants and
Titans, position the camera carefully and jump around as much as needed.
* Gadget Malfunction is suicide on Predator maps - no Detective Mode!  It's 
also suicide in Combat maps - no Snap Flashes!  Robin makes this condition a 
real challenge.
* Generally Gadget Malfunction and Danger Zones pair poorly in combat - you'll 
want Shuriken to deal with distant gunners.
* You get infinite retries on the first level of each campaign, but only four 
tries altogether for the latter two.  Front-load hard conditions onto the first
level, and don't waste Free Medal early!

Search and Destroy
* Meltdown Mayhem
* Blind Justice (Protective Aura and Time Limit)
* Police Brutality (take Replenishing Health if you didn't yet)

Street Justice
* Rooftop Rumble (Decreased Health, One Hand Tied)
* Natural Selection (Takedown Projectiles)
* Survival of the Fittest

Offensive Maneuvers
* Funhouse Brawl (Danger Zones, Scattered Weapons)
* End of the Line (Free Medal, Replenishing Health)
* Hell's Gate

City Invader
* Top of the World (Increased Aggression)
** Increased Aggression is a bonus on Combat maps, but take it here because the
other three conditions are best handled on Prison Riot.
* Prison Riot (Gadget Malfunction, Decreased Health, Super Powered)
** Gadget Malfunction and Decreased Health are both very hard to handle in 
Predator but no issue in Combat.  You can swap Increased Aggression for Super 
Powered if you like.
* Lost City

Midnight Assault
This is the Tough Choices campaign.  The first map, Natural Selection 
(Extreme), has Robin's worst Medal, Crowd Control.  The third map, Meltdown 
Mayhem (Extreme), has the tough and unreliable Friends Fly Free Medal.  I HATE 
Crowd Control so I took Free Medal on Natural Selection (Extreme), but I had to
waste a lot of retries on Meltdown Mayhem (Extreme).  Pick your poison.
* Natural Selection (Extreme) (Free Medal for Crowd Control if desired; if so 
take Danger Zones and Increased Aggression too)
** If you take Free Medal, load up on Danger Zones and Increased Aggression too
to soften Hell's Gate.  Leave Increased Aggression for Hell's Gate if you're 
really good at Robin's combat.
* Hell's Gate (Extreme) (Scattered Weapons, other remaining negatives, 
Replenishing Health if needed)
** You may have enough negatives here to make survival hard.  Play 
conservatively and hit the gunmen with Shurikens as necessary.
* Meltdown Mayhem (Extreme) (Free Medal if needed, Replenishing Health if 
needed)
** If you take Free Medal here, ignore Friends Fly Free.  If you have 
Replenishing Health, you can afford to keep re-trying Friends Fly Free by Glide
Kicking a thug to draw a crowd.

Hostile Takeover
* Prison Riot (Extreme) (Decreased Health, One Hand Tied, Time Limit)
** Frontload the hard conditions since you have infinite retries.  Prison Riot 
features the most shields and stun rods, making Super Powered great, but the 
Titans and Lieutenants in Funhouse Brawl (Extreme) make Decreased Health a 
hazard there.  Time Limit and One Hand Tied both make those Titans tougher too.
* Police Brutality (Extreme)
** Super Powered may screw up the move timing of my suggested Two for Two path.
Increased Aggression will cause enemies to be too smart for my path to work.
* Funhouse Brawl (Extreme) (Super Powered, Protective Aura)

Double Jeopardy
* Lost City (Extreme) (Protective Aura)
** Restart if Protective Aura lands on the Shield Smash thermal goggles guard 
target.  Otherwise this is a slow and patient level so Protective Aura is no 
threat.  
* Rooftop Rumble (Extreme) (Gadget Malfunction, Scattered Weapons, Increased 
Aggression)
* End of the Line (Extreme) (Free Medal, Takedown Projectiles)
** Go to town with the Takedown Projectiles!  Feel free to ignore any one 
medal; Triple Snap Flash is the hardest to get.

Ruthless Vengeance
The big question for this campaign is whether you have more trouble getting 
medals with the small number of foes in Blind Justice (Extreme), or if you have
more trouble with surviving the Titans on Survival of the Fittest (Extreme).  
Take Danger Zones on whichever gives you less trouble.
* Survival of the Fittest (Extreme) (Decreased Health, Gadget Malfunction, 
Danger Zones?)
** You don't want to deal with Time Limit with Titans around, and One Hand Tied
limits your ability to block incoming attacks while waling Titans, so take the 
other negatives here instead.  You won't have Snap Flashes so you'll have to 
work hard for your points, but there are many foes so you have a cushion.
* Top of the World (Extreme) (Super Powered)
** Super Powered doesn't help, but it doesn't help much on the Combat 
challenges either.  It's most useful on Blind Justice, but that is the easiest 
challenge, so it's already loaded with negative conditions.
* Blind Justice (Extreme) (Time Limit, One Hand Tied, Danger Zones?)

Combat Expert
* Survival of the Fittest (Time Limit, Danger Zones)
** You can swap Increased Aggression for Time Limit.  They're dangerous 
together because the extra health keeps enemies alive too long.
* Funhouse Brawl (Increased Aggression)
** I prefer Increased Aggression here to hit the high score targets.  Note with
Increased Aggression in play, you can avoid the Lieutenant if you prefer and 
leave them until late in the stage - you'll get plenty of points from the large
numbers of extra-health thugs.  
* Prison Riot (Replenishing Health, if not needed elsewhere)

Predator Expert
* Meltdown Mayhem (Gadget Malfunction, Scattered Weapons, One Hand Tied)
** There are few thugs in this level, and it's pretty open, making it your best
bet for Gadget Malfunction.  My method for this level doesn't lead you near 
proximity mines or use Silent Takedowns, the other negative conditions are fine
as well.
* Lost City
* Top of the World (Takedown Projectiles)

Combat Master
* Blind Justice (Extreme) (Decreased Health, One Hand Tied, Scattered Weapons)
* Rooftop Rumble (Extreme) (Gadget Malfunction)
** This level has a Lieutenant to beat on to buff your score, so take Gadget 
Malfunction here.
* Hell's Gate (Extreme) (Super Powered, Protective Aura)
** Hell's Gate features the most shields/armor/stun rods of this triplet, so 
save Super Powered for last.

Predator Master
This campaign requires balancing what conditions will make which medals 
impossible.  There are some tough choices.  
* Police Brutality (Extreme) (Time Limit, Scattered Weapons?)
** This is the best level for Time Limit, as you'll get two KOs 30 seconds in 
for Two for Two, and after that you can afford to play frantically.  I put Time
Limit timings in the Two for Two section above.  It's also the first level so 
you can retry if you run out of time.  Of the remaining negatives, Increased 
Aggression and Danger Zones both ruin my Two for Two strategy, and Protective 
Aura has a sizable chance of ruining it as well.  Scattered Weapons won't 
affect Two for Two much, but you can leave it for End of the Line (Extreme) 
equally well.  
* Natural Selection (Extreme) (Increased Aggression, Danger Zones, Free Medal)
** I strongly suggest skipping Crowd Control via Free Medal.  This leaves you 
with two easy objectives (Snap Flashed and Smoke Detector), so load up two 
negatives.  You don't really need the Vantage Points here like you will in End 
of the Line (Extreme), so take Danger Zones.  Increased Aggression's AI is 
irrelevant to your medal objectives so take it too.
* End of the Line (Extreme) (Protective Aura, Scattered Weapons?)
** You'll spend most of the level on Vantage Points or the high-visibility 
upper walkways, so Scattered Weapons isn't a threat.  Protective Aura will only
disrupt you if the initial Backpack Jammer target is invincible when you want 
to Grate Takedown him - and you can always wait for him to come around a second
time.  

Black Mask Campaign (needed for Achievements) 
* Black Mask (Super Powered, One Hand Tied, Gadget Malfunction?)
** There are few enough, and non-Extreme, foes that Silent Takedowns aren't 
needed, and Super Powered has no use in the weapon-light Freight Train.  
* Freight Train (Gadget Malfunction, Reduced Health)
** Gadget Malfunction is least damaging to Robin in this oddly shaped level.  
You'll never get a good place to use Snap Flash anyway so its loss won't hurt.

Wayne Manor Campaign (not needed for Achievements)
* Wayne Manor Armory (Protective Aura, Scattered Weapons)
* Wayne Manor Main Hall (Danger Zones, Takedown Projectiles)
** Danger Zones is irrelevant here; there are tightropes on the ceiling that 
work as Vantage Points but are not booby trapped, so you can avoid the trapped 
Vantage Points.  

===============================================================================
10. Copyright, acknowledgements and contact info

Thanks to:
eulbedoc - Counter advice

You can contact me with corrections, suggestions, strategies, or proofreading 
edits at stillnotelf ==at-symbol== gmail ==you-know-it's-a-dot== com.  

Copyright 2012 Steven Lewis.  I have borrowed GameFAQs' suggested copyright 
notice: This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for 
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise 
distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on 
any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, 
and a violation of copyright.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document (such at Batman, 
Nightwing, Catwoman, and the game title Batman: Arkham City) are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.


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