Alexis Kestler
Hey friend, it‘s your resident Gotham Knights expert here with the inside scoop on mastering smoke bombs in the game. These handy gadgets can totally transform how you approach missions, but the game doesn‘t explain their finer points too clearly. Never fear – I‘ve put together this comprehensive guide so you can vaporize the competition with smoke bomb skills.
Smoke Bombs 101 – How They Work in Gotham Knights
Let‘s start with the basics. Smoke bombs temporarily fill an area with smoke, obscuring vision and disorienting any enemies caught inside the cloud. This creates openings for you to either escape sticky situations when surrounded, or discreetly pick off foes while they‘re stunned.
The smoke only lasts around 5-7 seconds, but that‘s ample time to grapple away or take down isolated targets. Their area of effect ranges between 10-15 feet in diameter depending on upgrades. You can carry up to 30 smoke bombs, with a cooldown of around 12 seconds between uses.
To actually deploy one, you first need to grapple up to an elevated perch or gargoyle using R2/RT/LMB. Once hanging from a vantage point, hold down L1/LB/F to drop a smoke bomb and jump off simultaneously. The grapple mechanic limits how you can use them compared to Batman‘s free-thrown smoke pellets.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Grapple up to a high perch when the anchor icon appears.
- While hanging from the perch, hold L1/LB/F.
- Smoke will be released below you as you immediately jump off.
It takes some timing to get the hang of smoking and escaping in one smooth move. But pull it off reliably, and you‘ll have a key new tool for chaotic battles.
Advanced Combat Tactics and Strategies
Now that you understand the basics, let‘s delve into some pro tips and advanced combat tactics for smoke bombs:
Multi-Bomb Chaining
When confronting large groups, bomb them from multiple vantage points to confuse them even more. The smoke stacks, covering a wider area and letting you pick off more goons.
Countering Enemy Grapples
Foes will often grapple up to your position – predict this and drop smoke right as they reach you to gain the upper hand.
Getaway Tool
Smoke bombs are great escape options when you‘re low on health and surrounded. Break line of sight then grapple away.
Blinding Bosses
While bosses recover quickly, a well-timed smoke bomb can interrupt their deadly combos and super attacks.
Dizzying Duos
In co-op, have your partner distract foes with another ability like a stun grenade right after you smoke them.
Disorient and Destroy
Smoke, then rapidly grapple boost between different perches for disorienting hit-and-run aerial attacks.
Smoke Bomb Mastery for Each Hero
Smoke bombs are useful for every playable hero, but their fighting style impacts ideal strategies:
| Hero | Smoke Bomb Perks | Ideal Tactics |
|---|---|---|
| Batgirl | – Ambush ability – Rapid grappling |
Covertly take down blinded foes |
| Nightwing | – Wide area attacks – Escape artist |
Hit multiple foes then vanish |
| Red Hood | – Deadly ranged attacks – Less agile |
Set up lethal pistol headshots |
| Robin | – Bo staff knockouts – Stealthy |
Isolate and dispatch from darkness |
As you can see, smoke bombs complement each hero‘s unique skills. Batgirl and Robin can capitalize most on the confusion to remain hidden. Meanwhile Red Hood benefits from lining up clean shots.
Smoke Bomb Secrets the Game Doesn‘t Tell You
After extensively playing Gotham Knights and researching player strategies online, I‘ve uncovered some clever tricks that aren‘t obvious:
- Smoke will blind enemies beneath grates and other semi-transparent surfaces.
- With proper timing, you can combo smoke bombs with the Disruptor for added chaos.
- Upgrading creates larger, longer-lasting clouds that can cover multiple floors.
- Enemies will still investigate smoke and may fire randomly – so don‘t linger too long.
These insider tips can give you an edge. But overall, don‘t be afraid to experiment – that‘s how the most game-changing strategies are discovered.
Smoke Bombs in Gotham Knights vs the Arkham Series
Veterans of the Batman Arkham games will notice some key differences with Gotham Knights‘ smoke bombs:
- In Arkham games, smoke pellets can be thrown freely, whereas Gotham Knights limits you to grapple points.
- Smoke effects seem to dissipate faster in Gotham Knights.
- You can carry far more bombs in Gotham Knights – up to 30 vs just 3 in Arkham.
- Gotham Knights bombs create a brief blinding effect that wasn‘t present in Arkham.
So while the classics offer more freeform targeting, Gotham Knights emphasizes grapple-smokes for verticality and mobility.
Community Tips from Fellow Players
I always like to learn from other gamers, so I checked out Reddit and gaming forums to find what advice players had. Here are some top community smoke bomb tips:
- "Use smoke when outnumbered to grapple away safely – it breaks enemy combos."
- "Upgrade radius as soon as possible for more flexibility."
- "Against bosses, wait until they charge a big attack, THEN smoke bomb to ruin it."
- "Smoke then grapple boost into a glide kick destroys grouped enemies."
Small refinements like these from veterans can really increase your success. Constantly improving tactics and sharing knowledge is what creates elite players.
The History of Smoke Bombs in Warfare
Smoke bombs may seem like fantasy gadgets, but they have a long history of real world use in warfare dating back centuries! Some fascinating facts:
- Primitive smoke screens were used in China as early as the 4th century BCE.
- Modern smoke bombs were first widely used by the United States in the Pacific during WWII.
- Colored smoke is created by adding chemicals like zinc or sulfur.
- Smoke bombs have utility for signaling, obscuring, and marking targets.
So Gotham Knights‘ smoke bombs draw inspiration from militaries worldwide using them for cover and confusion. Knowing this history adds appreciation for how they lend Batman‘s team an edge.
In Closing
Mastering smoke bombs in Gotham Knights takes your abilities to the next level. Use these stealthy gadgets to blindside enemies, escape dire straits, and pull off impressive combos. I hope my guide has provided you with plenty of tips and tricks to dominate Gotham‘s streets. Now get out there and show these villains who really owns the night!
