- Mirror's Edge Catalyst secret tricks hinge on one rule: never break Flow between chained moves.
- Coil jumps after a wall-run or slide preserve momentum and add distance on long gaps.
- Quick Turn plus Mag Rope swings open shortcuts that skip entire street-level detours.
- Speed-scaled attacks let Faith one-shot most K-Sec guards without stopping.
- Chipsets from Dashes and Billboards fast-track the skill tree to unlock these tricks.
Why Secret Tricks Start With Flow
Most players learn Mirror's Edge Catalyst's basic moves in the opening chapter and stop there. The hidden layer of the game is the Flow system: chaining jumps, wall-runs, vaults, and slides without stopping fills Flow, which physically extends Faith's jump distance and unlocks ledges that look unreachable. Every trick in this guide assumes you keep that chain alive — one stalled second on a rooftop costs more time than a long detour.
Runner Vision highlights the suggested path in red, but the fastest lines are usually one step off it. Learn the intended route first, then look for cuts the red path ignores.
| Flow State | Jump Reach | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Broken (standing start) | Short | Cannot reach mid-tier ledges |
| Partial chain | Medium | Standard wall-run gaps only |
| Full Flow | Long | Far ledges, coil landings, air takedowns |
Movement Tricks That Change Your Routes
The core secret tricks separate average runners from leaderboard contenders. Each one preserves Momentum where a normal jump would kill it.
Coil Jump
- Tuck mid-air off a wall-run or slide
- Clears long gaps at low height
- Pairs with Quick Turn for redirects
Wall-Run Chain
- Link two wall-runs across a corner
- Avoids dropping to street level
- Key Downtown race trick
Kickslide Chain
- Slide under obstacles without stopping
- Feeds directly into a jump
- Faster than vaulting low barriers
| Trick | Best Location | Speed Gain | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coil Jump | Downtown gaps | ★★★★★ | Medium |
| Wall-Run Chain | Anchor facades | ★★★★ | Medium |
| Kickslide Chain | Stair sets, interiors | ★★★ | Easy |
| Mag Rope Swing | Cross-district gaps | ★★★★★ | Hard |
| Quick Turn Redirect | Any corner route | ★★★★ | Easy |
Never drop to street level in races. Re-climbing costs far more time than any rooftop detour — vertical momentum is the most valuable resource in Glass.
Skill Unlocks That Enable the Tricks
Several secret tricks are literally locked behind the Upgrade Chip system. Chipsets come from hard-to-reach parkour spots plus star ratings in Dashes, Time Trials, Billboards, and Security Zone events, so side activities are the fastest path to a trick-ready Faith.
| Skill | Branch | Trick It Unlocks | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Turn | Traversal | 180-degree Momentum redirect | ★★★★★ |
| Fast Climb | Traversal | Ledge mantling without Flow break | ★★★★★ |
| Skill Roll | Traversal | Drop from height, keep running | ★★★★ |
| Mag Rope Enhancements | Gear | Swing shortcuts across districts | ★★★★★ |
| Runner Vision Upgrades | Gear | Clearer path cues while routing | ★★★ |
Farm Dashes Early
Star ratings in player-made Dashes and developer Time Trials reward Chipsets quickly — race the ghost lines near the hideout first.
Buy Quick Turn and Fast Climb
These two Traversal chips remove the most common Flow breakers: slow turns and slow mantles.
Upgrade the Mag Rope
Extended reach and new swing points open shortcuts that jump-only runners cannot take.
Add Skill Roll
Height drops stop punishing your routes, letting you take aggressive descents during chases.
A clean three-star Dash line can pay out more Chipsets in five minutes than an hour of searching rooftops for hidden pickups.
Combat Tricks and Escape Tech
Faith never uses guns — which is the trick itself. Attack damage scales with speed: a strike launched from a sprint, wall-run, or slide hits far harder than one thrown from a standstill.
- Speed-scaled strikes: most standard K-Sec guards fall to a single hit delivered at full Momentum.
- Last-moment dodge counter: dodging as the enemy's red flash lands triggers a slow-motion counter window.
- Wall-run and slide takedowns: knock out staggered or unaware enemies without breaking your run.
- Disruptor escapes: stun a cluster of guards and run — most encounters allow you to simply leave.
| Enemy | Frontal Hit | Trick | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-Sec Guard | Works at speed | Sprint strike | Instant knockdown |
| Sentinel | Blocked | Heavy hit after wall-run | Stagger then takedown |
| Riot Shield | Blocked | Vault or flank, strike behind | Opens guard |
| Group | Risky | Disruptor, then run | Escape lane |
The Pacifist-style escape — Disruptor plus a clean exit line — is often faster than winning the fight. Fighting in Motion means the best combat is the fight you skip.
Trick Mastery Checklist
Master These Before Leaderboards:
- Chain a full-Flow line across Anchor without stopping
- Land a coil jump over a gap the red path routes around
- Perform a wall-run takedown on an isolated guard
- Unlock Quick Turn, Fast Climb, and Mag Rope upgrades
- Earn three stars on a Downtown Dash using ghost replays
Consistency beats risky shortcuts on the leaderboards — a clean line with zero Flow breaks usually outperforms one flashy jump. Study the ghost replays of top runners, exploit ziplines and launch pads, and treat every district as a route-building puzzle.
FAQ
Q: What is the most useful secret trick in Mirror's Edge Catalyst?
The coil jump chained from a wall-run or slide. It preserves Momentum across long gaps that a normal jump cannot clear, and it forms the backbone of nearly every top Time Trial line.
Q: How do I unlock the tricks that need skills?
Earn Chipsets by scoring star ratings in Dashes, Time Trials, Billboards, and Security Zone events, then spend them on Upgrade Chips — prioritize Quick Turn, Fast Climb, and Mag Rope Enhancements.
Q: Can Faith beat enemies without stopping?
Yes. Attack damage scales with speed, so strikes from a sprint, wall-run, or slide hit far harder. Takedowns on staggered or unaware enemies also keep your Flow chain alive.
Q: How do I find faster routes than Runner Vision?
Learn the intended red line first, then check one step off it for wall-run chains, coil cuts, and Mag Rope swings. Watching ghost replays of leaderboard runners reveals cuts the game never marks.