Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty:5/10
- Offline: 38 [985]
- Online: 1 [15] [see "Newsworthy"]
- Approximate amount of time to 1000: 30-35hrs
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 4 - [Any/Nightmare/Time Attack/Score]
- Missable achievements: 0
- Does difficulty affect achievements?: Yes - One Nightmare Playthrough
- Unobtainable/glitched achievements: None
- Extra equipment needed?: Yes - Skylanders Portal and a 2nd controller [Extra figures optional]

Introduction:
Welcome to the Achievement Guide and Roadmap for Skylanders Swap Force (SSF from here on) on the Xbox One. SSF is the third game in the Skylanders franchise and introduces a new feature with the figurines, the ability to interchange figures to create new Skylanders.

Developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision, the game was met with good review scores all round. SSF was released on the 22nd November 2013. The game features two player local co-op with all achievements obtainable by both players.

Figurines
The starter pack of SSF ships with three Skylanders; a series 2 Stealth Elf, Blast Zone and Wash Buckler. The latter two feature the swap force property and can be interchanged to create Blast Buckler and Wash Zone.

Extra figures are optional and not required to earn the 1000g, however, the more figures you have, the easier you will find the game, especially on Nightmare mode. Every extra Skylanders you posses is essentially an extra life per level.

I will not go into too much detail on the 'best' Skylanders to buy as they are fairly balanced, and at the end of the day, it is personal preference. However, I will list three good skylanders to have. Out of the starter pack, Blast Zone is by far the best bet here as he has decent STR/HP and a nice main attack. As extras, I would recommend Magna Charge, Smolderdash and Cynder. Cynder is a great help for the time attack run due to her dash; Smolderdash is incredibly strong and Magna Charge is a must for score mode.

Abbreviated Walkthrough:

Step One: Play the Campaign
Play through the campaign on any difficulty you desire. Nightmare mode is locked until you have beaten the game once, so choose from easy, medium, or hard difficulties. Your aim here is to complete all seventeen levels. You will gain most miscellaneous achievements without trying, and those you miss are always available in Woodburrow. They can be accessed at any time.

Step Two: Bonus Levels
The game requires you to complete five bonus levels and earn three stars on each. These are single player only and take approximately five minutes each to complete.

Step Three: Team Survival Arenas
Your goal is to earn three stars on three different team survival arenas. This requires two controllers as it is designed as a local co-op mode. However, it can be done solo with an idle controller.

Step Four: Score Mode
Complete every chapter in the game under 'score mode' conditions. This is where you earn multipliers by defeating enemies and lose multipliers by being hit. You must hit the required three star score on all seventeen chapters.

Step Five: Time Attack Mode
This is similar to the previous step, except you are now getting three stars in every level in Time Attack mode instead of Score Mode. This is purely a measure of how fast you can finish each level. Beat the three star time on all seventeen chapters to complete this step.

Step Six: Nightmare mode
Complete the game in Nightmare mode. The difficulties stack, so it will unlock any achievements related to lower difficulties if you did your first run on easy or normal difficulty.

Step Seven: Mop-Up
The only achievements you are likely to have missed are some easy ones located in Woodburrow. Now is the time to load your game up and knock them out.

Mop-Up:
The only achievements you are likely to have missed are some easy ones located in Woodburrow. Now is the time to load your game up and knock them out.

Conclusion:
Overall, Skylanders is a relatively easy game for the most part. Nightmare mode and Score Mode inflate the difficulty rating slightly, and depending on the number of figurines you have, can either have an easy time or a hard time.

The game is great fun to boot; the only downside is that after four full playthroughs, it feels very repetitive.

[XBA would like to thank Lavindathar for this roadmap]

Skylanders Swap Force Achievement Guide

Printable Guide
Show completed achievements
Show secret achievements

There are 39 achievements with a total of 1000 points

  • Complete Mount Cloudbreak

    Story related and cannot be missed. Simply complete the first level 'Mount Cloudbreak' in any difficulty.

  • Complete Cascade Glade

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the second level 'Cascade Glade' in any difficulty.

  • Complete Mudwater Hollow

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the third level 'Mudwater Hollow' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Rampant Ruins

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the fourth level 'Rampant Ruins' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Jungle Rumble

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the fifth level 'Jungle Rumble' on any difficulty.

    This level is the boss fight versus Evilized Glumshanks.

  • Lawman

     

    15

    Complete Iron Jaw Gulch

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the sixth level 'Iron Jaw Gulch' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Motleyville

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the seventh level 'Motleyville' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Twisty Tunnels

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the eighth level 'Twisty Tunnels' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Serpent's Peak

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the ninth level 'Serpent's Peak' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Boney Islands

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the tenth level 'Boney Islands' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Winter Keep

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the eleventh level 'Winter Keep' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Frostfest Mountains

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the twelfth level 'Frostfest Mountains' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Mesmeralda's Show

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the thirteenth level 'Mesmeralda's Show' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Fantasm Forest

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the fourteenth level 'Fantasm Forest' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Kaos' Fortress

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the fifteenth level 'Kaos' Fortress' on any difficulty.

  • Complete Motherly Mayhem

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the sixteenth level 'Motherly Mayhem' on any difficulty.

    This level features a boss fight versus Kaos' mother.

  • Complete Cloudbreak Core

    Story related and cannot be missed. Complete the seventeenth and final level 'Cloudbreak Core' on any difficulty.

    This level features the final boss fight versus Kaos himself.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in 3 Team Survival Arena levels

     

    This is for completing three team survival arenas at a three star rating. This is a local co-op achievement, but can be done solo if you play smart. Playing solo still requires a second controller plugged in with a Skylander activated on it.

    You can three star any three arenas, so the easiest way is to use level 20 Skylanders on arenas rated Lv1-5. The first three arenas are the best to use.

    To three star an arena, you must hit the required score. This is done by increasing your multiplier by defeating enemies whist avoiding being hit (which lowers your multiplier). The maximum multiplier is ten, so aim to stay as close to this for as long as you can.

    You can start team arenas from the level select menu.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in any Team Survival Arena level

     

    See "Coming out Ahead" for more information.

  • Complete your first Team Survival Arena level

     

    See "Coming out Ahead" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-Star rating in 5 Bonus Mission levels

    This is obtained by completing five bonus missions at a three star rating. Bonus missions are unlocked by finding collectible maps within the games main levels or bought from the Emporium depending on your portal master rank. They are single player missions where you have to fulfill an objective within a time limit.

    Simply beat the score listed for three stars on five different levels. Just complete the objective as fast as you can, and you should earn here stars with no trouble.

  • Earn a 3-Star rating in 3 Bonus Mission levels

    See "Heroic Champion" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in any Bonus Mission Level

    See "Heroic Champion" for more information.

  • Complete your first Bonus Mission Level

    See "Heroic Champion" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in all Score Mode Levels

    This is earnt by completing every level in the game in score mode. Score mode follows the same principle of earning multipliers by defeating enemies, up to a maximum of 30. If you are hit, you will lose one on your multiplier count. Keep collecting multipliers and dodge as many enemy attacks as you can to hit the required score for three stars. Be warned, that if you die, your multiplier will reset to zero. Once you have the required score, you are free to finish the level as fast as you want skipping enemies as your score sticks.

    To make these scores accessible, you are more than likely going to have to play the level on Nightmare difficulty until you reach the required score before dropping it down to easy difficulty to finish the level off. Some scores do not seem possible unless you play on hard/nightmare.

    Score mode can be accessed from the level select menu in Woodburrow.

    If I had to give one piece of advice, despite it costing you additional money, it would be this: buy Magna-Charge. Score mode, for a kids game is surprisingly difficult. Magna-Charge makes this an awful lot easier for a few reasons: He can crowd control enemies with grab; He can magnetise x1 powerups and coins from a distance; he's a ranged character with a gun, and finally, he has the ability to one shot 90% of the enemies in the game regardless of difficulty by throwing them off the map. If you want this achievement, go get him.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in 3 Score Mode Levels

    See "Winning Streak" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in any Score Mode level

    See "Winning Streak" for more information.

  • Complete your first Score Mode Level

    See "Winning Streak" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in all Time Attack levels

    To earn this you must complete every level in the game in Time Attack mode. The only objective in Time Attack mode is to finish the level as fast as you can. Simply finish the level in the required time for three stars on all seventeen levels.

    The best tactic is to simply skip all enemies and sprint to the finish. Using a high level Skylanders with a dash ability, like Cynder would be a smart move.

    Time attack mode can be launched from the level select menu in Woodburrow.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in 3 Time Attack levels

    See "Fastest One Around" for more information.

  • Earn a 3-star rating in any Time Attack level

    See "Fastest One Around" for more information.

  • Complete your first Time Attack level

    See "Fastest One Around" for more information.

  • View the Message of the Day (online only).

    This can be completed after level four in the story mode and takes place in Woodburrow. You must be connected to Xbox Live for the message of the day to appear.

    In Woodburrow, in the central area, you will see a signpost in front of the pool. Simply walk up to it and view the sign. The current message of the day will appear and offer you a daily bonus, and your achievement will unlock.

  • Complete all main chapters in Story Mode on Nightmare difficulty

    (2)  

    This is unlocked by completed every level of the story in Nightmare mode. Nightmare mode is only unlocked once you have beaten the story on another difficulty, so this can't be done on your first playthrough.

    The difference between Nightmare and Normal difficulties is only in the amount of enemies give and recieve....they hit harder and take more damage before death.

    Nightmare can be made much easier by simply having more Skylanders. Simply put, the more figures you have, the easier it is as every Skylanders counts as an extra life for your playthrough. It's much easier to have twenty lives as opposed to three.

    Completing the story on Nightmare mode will unlock achievements for any lower difficulty.

    The levels can be accessed via the level select in Woodburrow.

  • Complete all main chapters in Story Mode on Hard Difficulty

     

    See "Knight of Nightmares" for more information.

  • Complete all main chapters in Story Mode on any difficulty

     

    See "Knight of Nightmares" for more information.

  • Dive off the tree in Woodburrow

    This is an easy achievement that can be obtained once the air docks in Woodburrow are unlocked. Just behind Tuk's Emporium, you will see a set of stairs winding up the tree. Simply climb these stairs to the top of the tree and approach the edge. Hit the button prompt, and your Skylander will jump off the tree to a secret zone, also unlocking your achievement.

  • Boom!

     

    10

    Light the Fireworks in Woodburrow

    This is another easy achievement located in Woodburrow. The fireworks are located just before you jump off the tree, so, climb the same steps as in 'Perch Plunge' achievement to the top of the tree. Just before the edge you will see a stack of fireworks. You will now need to use a fire attack to light the fireworks. Blast Zone from the starter pack (or any other skylander) will suffice for this. Once the fireworks are lit, the achievement will unlock.

  • Defeat 10 Golems

    This will come with natural progression of the story as there are probably fifty Golems on a normal playthrough. Golems are the large enemies that come in many different guises; rock, fire, ice etc.

    Simply kill ten of these to unlock the achievement.

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