Arkham Combat: When to Counter (Triangle) and When to Dodge
This is freeflow combat, not classic LEGO mashing. Players keep getting hit and dropping combos because they treat Triangle as a panic button - or try to counter attacks that must be dodged.
The rule: red-glow prompt + melee swing = press Triangle once, right as the strike lands. Projectile, spin attack, or no prompt = dodge with Circle. Direction + a combat button snaps you to the nearest enemy in that direction - that is how you stay in the flow.
1Controls
| Action | PS / Xbox |
|---|---|
| Attack | Square / X |
| Counter | Triangle / Y (same button builds out of combat) |
| Dodge / vault | Circle / B |
| Takedown (Focus full) | R1 / RB |
| Quickfire Batarang | R2 / RT |
2How to Counter
-
1
Watch for the red-glow prompt over the enemy's head.
It appears right before they swing - not during the wind-up.
-
2
Press Triangle once, as the strike is about to land.
Not when they start winding up, and not after you already got hit. A late press is just a missed block.
-
3
A good counter keeps the combo alive and builds Focus.
Same muscle memory as the Arkham games. Players coming from older LEGO games lose fights by mashing Square and ignoring the prompt.
3Attacks You Must NOT Counter
| Enemy / attack | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Guns | Dodge (Circle) | Shots break combos and cannot be parried |
| Sword spin / line cut | Dodge | Players report these as unblockable |
| Brutes / big wind-ups | Dodge, then punish when they whiff and go dazed | Normal counter does not work |
| Shield in front | Double-tap dodge toward them to vault behind | Front attacks bounce off |
4Decision Points in a Real Fight
Common Mistakes
- Mashing Triangle with no prompt. You waste the window and still get hit.
- Trying to counter guns and sword spins. Dodge those.
- Standing in front of shields. Vault or you bounce.
- Dumping Focus Takedowns on trash mobs. Then nothing is left for the shielded or sword enemy.
- Ignoring direction + button. You stay glued to one guy while two others hit you from behind.
- Farming Counter Measures in a mixed street fight with shooters. Use the Cauldron South cluster near a combat trial - mostly shield types, so you are not shot out of the combo.
▶Watch the Counter Challenge
Counter Measures: location, waiting for the shield pack, timing Triangle without taking damage: