$500 to unlock
Raven’s Dome is a unique map that takes place on an aviary-like island that is invaded by a continuous stream of gunships. There’s simply not a lot of room to run around and evade enemies here, but the staircases on the side and the planters do provide some cover. Watch to see where the enemies originate from, flee to the opposite side of the Raven’s Dome, lay down traps, and ready your weaponry as dictated by the Blue Ribbon Challenge. Not all waves are limited to the dome, however. Some waves take place on a more sprawling rooftop configuration. This version of the map offers several helpful Decoy Tears, as well as cover inside a red-bricked structure. Nevertheless, you’ll need to watch for enemies approaching from all directions aboard gunships.
Wave 1
Enemies Present: Soldiers
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies with the Sky-Hook melee.
Equip the Burning Halo Gear and any other items you have that increase melee damage before starting the wave. Wait for the enemy gondola to arrive and retreat down the stairs to cover. Now, wait for your enemies to arrive. They’ll charge your position in groups of two. Hit them with a melee attack to set them aflame, then retreat to cover so your Shield can recharge. Continue these hit-and-run tactics until you’ve successfully killed each enemy in melee. Look for the signal over an enemy’s head indicating that it is primed for an execution. Melee executions earn you a nice reward bonus.
Wave 2
Enemies Present: Soldiers
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies with the Pistol.
This challenge requires you to use the Pistol, so don’t make the mistake of taking the Hand Cannon with you into battle, since this will cause you to fail the challenge. Equip Shock Jockey and the Pistol, then launch into battle. Shock enemies with the Vigor, then, while they’re relatively motionless, open fire on their heads with the Pistol. Loop the central building on the roof while taking out the enemies you encounter. Open the Tear for the Decoy to distract the enemies firing at you from the gondolas. Stay on the move and continue to use Shock Jockey and the Pistol to defeat the enemies as quickly as you can. It pays to have all of the upgrades for the Pistol, particularly the Clip Increase and Damage Boost 1 and 2.
Wave 3
Enemies Present: Soldiers, Volley Gunners
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies using only the Undertow Vigor.
The seven enemies arrive on the gondola. Ready your Undertow Vigor and sprint across the rooftop toward the gondola. Hit it with Undertow as soon as it’s in reach to knock several of the Soldiers to their death before they even have a chance to disembark. Chase down any remaining Soldiers and push them over the edge with Undertow. Volley Gunners require more effort—try to get to them before they head inside a building where there is less opportunity to be pushed over. If necessary, use Undertow’s pull ability to position a Volley Gunner closer to the ledge. Just remember to not fire any weapons or other Vigors at the Soldiers.
Wave 4
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers, Zealots
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies with Vigor traps.
If you’ve successfully completed the earlier Blue Ribbon Challenges that require you to defeat all enemies with Vigor traps, then you know how potent Murder of Crows can be. Unfortunately, Murder of Crows cannot harm a Zealot, so you’re going to have to use Devil’s Kiss along with it. Begin the wave by placing multiple Murder of Crows traps down on the rooftop below you and also right near the edge of your gondola. The Zealot will fly up to your position and even though he won’t be hurt by the trap, he’ll trigger it. Run away from him and loot the corpses of those that are slain by Murder of Crows. Replenish your Salts from the Tear, just beyond the large house in the center of the map, then lay down a couple of Devil’s Kiss traps near the stairs so you can bait the Zealot into them. Place a final Murder of Crows trap down if there are any enemies remaining after you’ve killed the Zealot.
Wave 5
Enemies Present: Soldiers, Handyman
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat the Handyman before any other enemy.
There are only four enemies in this wave, including the Handyman. However, the others will track your position, so you have to work fast. Ride the Sky-Line up to the lone house and use the Undertow’s pulling ability to yank the Handyman up to your position. Don’t wait for him to chase you on his own, as the Soldiers will do the same. Continue to hit him with Undertow or Devil’s Kiss to stun him while you open fire on his heart with the Hand Cannon or Machine Gun. With some luck and good aim, you’ll finish him off before any of his attacks accidentally damage the approaching Soldiers with Friendly Fire. You must kill the Handyman before any other enemy dies, even by Friendly Fire. Finish off the other enemies to complete the challenge.
Wave 6
Enemies Present: Soldiers, Patriots
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat five enemies via Friendly Fire.
Equip Possession and ensure that you have all of the upgrades so you can cast it multiple times. You need to move around the map quickly, casting Possession first on the Motorized Patriot, and then on all of the Soldiers you see. Open the Rocket Automaton while the Motorized Patriot is close, then have Elizabeth open the Tear for either the Mosquito or Gun Automaton while the enemies converge on your position. Kills from Possession and Tears both count as Friendly Fire deaths, so use both methods. You shouldn’t have too much trouble, as long as you don’t fire any weapons or Vigors other than Possession until the challenge is completed.
Wave 7
Enemies Present: Soldiers, Snipers, Volley Gunners, Zealot
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat the Volley Gunner and the Zealot before damaging any snipers.
Ride the Sky-Line up to the building with the trees and grass and wait for the Zealot and Volley Gunners to meet you up there. Use Undertow to move them to the edge and knock them to their deaths. There are two Volley Gunners that you’ll have to deal with in this spot, then you can ride the Sky-Line around to the other side of the map to target the other Soldier. Stay clear of the Snipers (one is near the Decoy and the other is up above by the mansion). Use Undertow to knock the Snipers from the roof or cast Murder of Crows at them to distract them long enough for you to move in with the Shotgun.
Wave 8
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies with turrets or environmental hazards.
This is one of the most difficult Blue Ribbon Challenges in the game because many of the Soldiers can be killed by Friendly Fire by the RPG Soldiers. This will cause you to fail the challenge. The RPG Soldiers only fire their rockets when they see you, so you’ll need to stay on the move and try not to get too close to the other Soldiers within sight of the RPG Soldiers. Keep that in mind as you Sky-Line over to the garden area where the Tesla Coil and Gun Automaton are located. Use these two Tears to kill the Soldiers while they disembark the gondola in pursuit of you. Stay on the move and lure them toward the Tesla Coil. Keep the Tesla Coil open so it traps the Soldiers in its range and electrocutes them to death. Stick near the garden area and continue baiting the Soldiers toward the Tesla Coil. Open the Gun Automaton if necessary. You can find Medkits near the mansion if you need them. This challenge requires patience and a good amount of luck; expect it to take multiple tries, as the RPG Soldiers are very likely to kill one of the other Soldiers. You can use Bucking Bronco and Return to Sender’s shield ability to prevent damage.
Wave 9
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers, Firemen
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies in 60 seconds using Vigors only.
There are only five enemies in this wave, but they’re spread apart on multiple gondolas. Fortunately, the gondola you begin on cruises right past them, allowing you to use Undertow to pull multiple enemies off their gondolas. Yank pairs of enemies toward your position, and then use Undertow to push them overboard. Don’t fire any weapons and don’t leap to a Sky-Line or any freight hooks. Just continue to ride your gondola toward the other enemies and rely on Undertow to bring the enemies to you.
Wave 10
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers, Firemen
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Take no damage for 30 seconds.
This is one of the easiest challenges at Raven’s Dome because it’s possible to hide behind cover right from the start. The concrete planter to the right of your spawn point provides excellent cover. As long as you don’t poke your head out, you should be able to avoid being shot. You can also cast Return to Sender for use as a shield if you are particularly worried about being exposed.
Wave 11
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers, Volley Gunners, Firemen
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies with the Shotgun.
This challenge requires you to only use the Shotgun in combat. You can’t use any Vigors, nor can you use the Sky-Hook. Purchase an extra life from the office and start the wave. There are only six enemies to deal with. However, since the Shotgun’s effective range is so short, this can be a very tricky fight. Use the mansion for cover and have Elizabeth open the Tear for the Medkits in the corner. The enemies tend to congregate just outside the mansion, at the base of the stairs. Bait them closer to your position and make hit-and-run attacks on them to soften them up. Don’t worry about trying to isolate a particular type of enemy. Focus on whichever one is closest to where you’re taking cover. Retreat whenever your Shield is depleted, wait for it to recharge, then attack again. Friendly Fire will not negate the challenge, but using offensive Tears or even defensive Vigors will. If possible, try to damage the Fireman enough for him to self-destruct in the vicinity of other enemies.
Wave 12
Enemies Present: Soldiers, Firemen
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat the wave without picking up weapons or looting corpses.
Just as you did in the similar challenge at The OPS Zeal, the only thing you need to do to earn this Blue Ribbon is to remember to not pick up any weapons or loot corpses until after you’ve defeated the last enemy. You could play it extra safe and use Undertow to throw enemies to their death, ensuring there are no corpses to loot, but this isn’t necessary. Use the Shotgun or Volley Gun along with Murder of Crows and wait until the ribbon is awarded before you loot the corpses.
Wave 13
Enemies Present: Snipers, Patriots
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat all enemies while they are distracted with a Booker Decoy Tear.
Purchase a Continue and equip the Sniper Rifle and Carbine, since you’re going to need to keep as far away from the enemies as possible for them to focus their attention on the Decoy. Stay in the mansion and open the Tear for the Decoy down below. Scan the gondola and rooftop ahead of you for a sniper. Take him out while he takes aim on the Decoy. Open another Tear to refresh the Decoy, then open it again and take out the other Sniper who will likely be closer. Be sure to fire your Sniper Rifle before the enemy Snipers (or Motorized Patriots) destroy the Decoy, else you could end up failing the challenge. When it comes time to destroy the Motorized Patriots, you only need to fire the fatal shot while they are distracted by the Decoy. Soften them up first, then open the Decoy Tear. Use the freight hook to safely leap down toward the Decoy and lure the Motorized Patriot over to it. Take aim at the Patriot’s gears with the Carbine or Machine Gun while it is distracted to complete the challenge.
Wave 14
Enemies Present: Soldiers, RPG Soldiers
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat each enemy with the same weapon-type it wields.
Equip the Shotgun and Machine Gun, since they are the two most commonly used Soldier weapons. Deploy the Return to Sender shield as you loop around the garden area to the first two Soldiers. Pause to see which one is using the Machine Gun and target him from afar using the same weapon. Swap to the Shotgun and take out the other enemy. Stay on the move to avoid the RPG Soldiers—you’ll want to save them for last. With some luck, the RPG Soldiers will accidentally kill off some of the other Soldiers. Continue to use the Machine Gun and Shotgun to pick off the Soldiers using these weapons first. Equip an RPG from the Tear near the Tesla Coil, open the Decoy Tear, and use Return to Sender’s shield to keep you alive as you pepper the remaining enemies with RPG rockets.
Wave 15
Enemies Present: Firemen, Handyman
Blue Ribbon Challenge: Defeat each enemy with a different weapon.
There are only three enemies in this wave, so you don’t need to worry about equipping to combat multiple enemies. Consider starting off with the Hand Cannon and Volley Gun. Put the Return to Sender shield up constantly and go after the Fireman with the Volley Gun. Track which of the two Firemen you are attacking and immediately switch weapons if you notice one of the Firemen is killed. The Handyman will often kill off one of the Firemen with its attacks and you may even luck into a second Friendly Fire kill when the Fireman self-destructs. By using the Return to Sender shield and running laps around the rooftop, you should be able to orchestrate at least one Friendly Fire death. Conveniently, this doesn’t cause you to fail the challenge. Once the Firemen are defeated, switch to the Hand Cannon and take aim at the Handyman’s heart.