Marvel’s Wolverine has six Special Techniques, and you can equip four at a time. They activate with hold L2 plus a face button, and they recharge through Rage rather than on a timer.
Two things players often get wrong: it is four slots, not six, and they unlock by player level, not by mission.
All Six, With Unlock Levels
| Technique | Level | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado Spin | 2 | Cleaves surrounding enemies with a high-damage multi-hit spin. Hits build Rage. |
| Knee Breaker | 4 | Bashes an enemy in the head to Stagger them. Interrupts all attacks. |
| Relentless | 7 | Focuses the healing factor to recover health faster for a limited time. |
| Spiral Strike | 13 | Drills through enemies with a high-damage attack that breaks you out of being surrounded. |
| Overwhelm | 22 | Charges forward to tackle and mount an opponent. |
| Brutal Assault | 25 | Dashes to a target and delivers a combo that breaks through all enemy defences. |
Each has level 2 and level 3 upgrades bought with Technique Points, adding extra uses, more damage, longer duration, area effects and recharge-on-kill. Our upgrades guide covers where those points come from.
They Run on Rage
Techniques recharge through Rage, and they recharge faster at higher Rage Tiers. The Enraged Recharge Adaptation speeds that further while you are in Tiers 2 and 3.
That creates a genuine loop: parrying and attacking builds Rage, Rage recharges techniques, techniques generate more Rage. Our combat guide covers the tiers.
The Best One Depends on What You Are Fighting
This is the useful distinction, and it is a real split rather than a hedge.
For crowds and general play, Brutal Assault is the standout, because it breaks through shields, parries and the hard armour of elite enemies while building Rage. Overwhelm and Tornado Spin follow.
For bosses, Knee Breaker is the pick, and it is not close. It interrupts attacks outright, including unblockable ones, and dumps heavy Stagger, which is the resource every boss fight in the game is built around. Our all bosses guide explains why Stagger matters more than damage.
Knee Breaker also unlocks at level 4, meaning it is available for Omega Red, the first boss.
The awkward part of that split is timing: Brutal Assault arrives at level 25, against a base cap of 36, so the strongest crowd tool only shows up in the back half.
One Technique That Does Not Exist
You may see “Bull Rush” listed among the techniques. It appeared in pre-release coverage but is not in the shipped game, so it was either renamed or cut. Any guide listing seven techniques including Bull Rush is working from old material.
Similarly, “Healing Strike” is sometimes used to describe what is actually Relentless.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Special Techniques can I equip?
Four at a time, out of six total.
How do I use them?
Hold L2 and press a face button.
How do they recharge?
Through Rage, and faster at higher Rage Tiers. The Enraged Recharge Adaptation speeds it up further.
What is the best technique for bosses?
Knee Breaker, because it interrupts attacks and builds heavy Stagger, which is how boss damage windows open.