The servers have now closed, thus the Platinum is unobtainable if you didn't get the online trophy before that happened.

Road Map

Overview:

• Estimated trophy difficulty: 3/10 (Platinum Difficulty Rating)
• Offline trophies: 39 (29, 4, 5, 1)
• Online trophies: 1 (1 ) - Unobtainable
• Approximate amount of time to Platinum: 40+ hours (personal estimate)
• Minimum number of playthroughs: 4 (Once on any mode to unlock Nightmare difficulty, and once on Nightmare difficulty then on Score Mode and Time Attack, both of which require an additional playthrough).
• Number of missable trophies: 4. Unless you have a second controller, you won't be able to get any of the Team Survival related trophies. And (PS4 only) Unless you have a PS+ subscription, Newsworthy will also be unobtainable.
• Glitched trophies: 1, Newsworthy (AUS version)
• Does difficulty affect trophies?:Yes. (Complete story mode once on Hard and once on Nightmare. One playthrough on any difficulty is required to unlock Nightmare difficulty.)
• Do trophies stack?: Yes.
• Do cheat codes disable trophies?: No.
• Extra peripherals needed?: Yes, you need 2 controllers.

First off you're going to need to get a starter pack. This includes one Skylanders: Swap Force game disk, a (shiny new) portal peripheral, two Swap Force Skylanders, the WATER type Swash Buckler and the FIRE type Blast Zone, along with returning Skylanders veteran the LIFE type Stealth Elf. Like Giants in the previous game, the new Swap Force figs unlock new gates in this game.

Unlike before, the use of a second Playstation controller is required in order to get three trophies: Slings and Arrows, Enduring the Onslaught and Coming out Ahead. Don't worry if you're still playing solo as I will explain how to get the aforementioned trophies shortly, even if you're playing alone.

While you don't necessarily need a second player to aid you in your quest for the platinum trophy, having a friend chip in their spare time for a while will definitely help make certain levels and challenges, especially when attempted at higher levels, less difficult to overcome.

Something that must be stressed here is that you only need one save file. You can now change the difficulty from the pause menu at any time, thus you do not need to start a new file on Nightmare mode.

One last thing. While all the Skylanders from the previous two games will work with Swap Force, if you're willing to spend a few pound on getting a new Swap Force figure then I recommend you get the AIR type Free Ranger Skylander. His attack comes in handy a lot especially when dealing with the particular enemy types in this game.


Step 1: Playthrough 1 - Complete the game on any difficulty of your choice

If you're new to Skylanders, then I would recommend you try out Easy mode first to get a general feel for what the game will be like. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, then Medium difficulty is the way forward for you. If you want to go straight in head first, then Hard is the route ahead for you. On my first playthrough for PS4, I've chosen to start with hard mode straight off.

Regardless of what mode you choose, you should manage to snag these on your first time through:

Story related (can't be missed):
Welcome To Woodburrow
Chieftess Rescued
Swamp Secured
Ruins Romped
Glumshanks De-Evilized
Lawman
New Law in Town
Squid Squabble
Vexed Viper
Cold Caravan
Snowball Fight!
Blizzard Bailout
Puppet Master Pounded
Woods Wetted
Kastle Krashed
Kalamity Averted
Kaos Quashed
Champion of Skylands

If you decided to play on Hard mode straight off, you'll also acquire Times are Hard.

You should also take care of a few easy trophies that can be got in Woodburrow (the Dreadnought of this Skylander game):

Boom!
Perch Plunge
Newsworthy (Requires you to be signed into PSN and (PS4 Only) have a PS+ subscription. More on this here)

Lastly, depending on how much Golem brawlin' you've been doing, you should also pick up Golem Graveyard on your first time. Don't fret if you don't get it though; you're guaranteed to get it in your next playthrough.


Step 2: Choices

After beating the game once, you unlock Nightmare difficulty, as well as two sets of unique modes: Score Mode & Time Attack. Thus, you have a choice; will you brave nightmare mode to get your last story related trophy? (Knight of Nightmares) or will you try your hand at attempting these new modes that have become available to you? On my first time out on the ps3 version, I took on Nightmare mode straight off but I recommend you do the opposite.

Now then, Score Mode and Time Attack. How to approach these modes? It's simple, really:

For Score mode: This is the trickier of the two modes. While it sounds like a walk in the park, trust me, it ain't. The aim is simple; smash and bash every enemy in sight! The more enemies you lay waste to without getting hit, the higher your 'Combo Score' will be. Thus, pay attention here folks; you see that big, bulging bar that appears in the top left-hand side of your screen when you play a level in this mode? Pay. Very. Close. Attention.

You need to try and get as high a score as possible to smash the 3rd star record and set you on the road to getting the Score Mode related trophies. Contrary to belief, at least the first half of the levels should be played on Nightmare mode; you get bonus points and without it, obtaining three stars on a lower difficulty is nearly impossible. I've certainly come in underscore one too many times for my liking.

Score mode can be accessed by selecting it from the Portal Master section of the Pause screen or talking to Wheellock (or is it Wheeljock?) in Woodburrow.

For Time Attack: It's all a matter of speed. First, select Time Attack from your Portal Master selection screen or simply talk to Arvil in Woodburrow to bring up the levels screen and pick a stage to play. You're up against the clock here so take out your Stealth Elf from your starter set and spam her Arboreal Acrobatics attack (provided you've purchased this upgrade, if not, get it as soon as possible!) to cartwheel through the levels, shaving off as much time as possible. Obviously the higher levelled she is and the more upgrades she's got, the smoother things will go for you.

On my run, I had a Series 2 Stealth Elf left over from Giants so mine was nearly fully upgraded to begin with.

The game doesn't entirely put you up the time-clock creek without a paddle, though; in place of where treasure chests, legendary treasures, hats, etc were, you will find special tokens that will freeze the clock for a precious few seconds.

I recommend that Time Attack should be attempted on easy difficulty.

If you have decided to tackle the Score Mode & Time Attack trophies, then you should have these beauties bagged:

For Score Mode:
Reach for the Sky
Racking Up the Points
High Roller
Winning Streak

For Time Attack:
Race to the Finish
Mad Dash
Speed Demon
Fastest One Around


Step 3: A Reprieve Before The End

Granted that you'll be wearing a bit thin from all these playthroughs I suggest we take a break from attempting Nightmare mode and our fourth and final playthrough to snag the last remaining trophies before the all important Knight Of Nightmares and the .

Some of the last things to check out on our list are the Bonus Missions and Team Survival Arena matches.

Bonus Missions: These remind me a lot of the Heroic Challenges from the last two games. They're quite similar; do a random mission or another, although they don't award any status bonuses. Bonus missions can be found as Maps behind random elemental gates and the new 'Swap Force' exclusive gates, so simply secure five of these and you're on your way to getting these trophies.

Maps can also be purchased at Tuk's Emporium.

New Challenger
Up and Coming
Rising Star
Heroic Champion

Team Survival Arena: Just as Bonus Missions resembled Heroic Challenges, these 'arena' trophies are a lot like the ones in Skylanders Giants, only the focus is on two player co-op this time out.

This is what a second controller is needed for. You cannot even attempt to try Team Survival Arena with a single controller, because it will be locked. On the bright side, you can leave the corresponding second Skylander to die and carry on by yourself in order to meet the requirements for these trophies.

Slings and Arrows
Enduring the Onslaught
Coming out Ahead

Step 4: The other choice!

Now's the time to take the other path; the (not-so) nightmarish Nightmare mode! This mode is more annoying than hard. Regardless, you do need to be on your game here, and remember to dodge all projectiles as much as possible (because they will send you reeling before you know it).

Hats are a must to wear. I had the Knight Helm from Giants, so which one you wish to wear or none at all, is entirely up to you. If you've got legendary treasures and free pedestals around town, don't be afraid to use them. The last playable level and the last two bosses are parts to watch out for and as always the more Skylanders you have, the better.

After all is said and done, you should have Knight Of Nightmares & NO WAY! bagged. Congratulations!