Achieving the Dyno-Might Master trophy in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves—specifically the Remastered version within the Nathan Drake Collection—stands as one of the more specific technical challenges for completionists. While many combat trophies require cumulative kills over time, this specific silver trophy demands a single, high-impact moment: killing five enemies with one single explosion. This is a significant step up from the original PlayStation 3 version, where the requirement was merely three enemies at once, performed five times.

Understanding the mechanics of explosions, enemy spawn patterns, and the strategic use of game tweaks is essential for anyone looking to add this to their collection without hours of frustrating trial and error. The following sections break down the most effective locations and methods to trigger this achievement in the current gaming landscape.

Understanding the Core Requirements

In the Remastered edition for PlayStation 4 and subsequent compatible consoles, the criteria for Dyno-Might Master are strict. You must ensure that five separate enemy entities are eliminated by the same blast radius. If four die and the fifth is only wounded, the trophy will not pop.

Difficulty selection plays a massive role here. On higher difficulties like Crushing or Brutal, enemies are more prone to flanking and spreading out. For the purposes of trophy hunting, setting the game to "Easy" or "Very Easy" is highly recommended. Not only do enemies have less health—ensuring that a peripheral blast from an explosion is still lethal—but they also tend to be less aggressive in finding diverse cover, often clustering in ways that are beneficial for an explosive multi-kill.

The Strategic Use of Tweaks and Rewards

For those who have already completed the game on any difficulty, the "Tweaks" menu becomes your greatest ally. Under the Rewards section, you can enable specific modifications that turn this difficult task into a trivial one.

  1. Weapon Select (RPG-7 or M32 - Hammer): Being able to spawn a high-yield explosive weapon at will eliminates the need to carry one through long stretches of a chapter.
  2. Infinite Ammo: This allows for repeated attempts at the same group of enemies without needing to restart the checkpoint due to lack of ordinance.
  3. One-Shot Kill: While this primarily affects bullets, it ensures that any splash damage from an explosion is maximized against enemy health pools.

If you are attempting this on a first playthrough without access to tweaks, you will need to rely on specific chapter locations where the game naturally provides explosive weapons and high-density enemy spawns.

Method 1: The Chapter 12 Train Station Huddle

Chapter 12, titled "A Train to Catch," offers what is widely considered the most reliable spot for Dyno-Might Master. This method is exceptionally fast because the opportunity occurs within the first ten seconds of the chapter.

The Setup

Load Chapter 12 via Chapter Select. If you have tweaks, equip the RPG-7 and enable infinite ammo. If you do not have tweaks, this chapter is still viable because of the enemy layout, though you will need to rely on well-placed grenades or find a grenade launcher in the preceding area.

The Execution

Immediately as the chapter starts, Nathan Drake is positioned on a high vantage point overlooking a courtyard where a large group of soldiers is congregating. Below you, specifically to the right of the central area, there is a cluster of five soldiers standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder as they prepare for the upcoming skirmish.

Do not jump down. Instead, aim your RPG or throw a Mk-NDI grenade directly into the center of this huddle. Because they are in a scripted idle state before they notice your presence, they will not scatter immediately. A direct hit with an RPG in the middle of this group will almost certainly kill all five instantly. If the trophy doesn't trigger, simply restart the checkpoint; you will lose only five seconds of progress.

Method 2: The Chapter 6 Urban Warfare Truck

Chapter 6 provides an alternative that is excellent for players who haven't unlocked weapon tweaks yet. This method utilizes the scripted arrival of reinforcements on a transport truck.

The Setup

Play through Chapter 6 until you reach the point where you encounter the first heavy truck with a mounted turret. After dealing with the initial wave of enemies in the street, you will eventually move toward a building where Chloe stays behind to provide cover.

The Execution

As you progress through the building and reach the upper floors, a cutscene or a scripted event will trigger where a second truck arrives, filled with soldiers ready to jump out and engage. The key here is timing. As the truck slows down or just as the soldiers begin to leap from the back, they are technically in a very tight formation.

Firing an RPG-7 (which can be looted from a soldier earlier in the level) at the bed of the truck or tossing a grenade just as they hit the ground will catch all five in the blast. The advantage of this location is the confined space; the walls of the street help contain the blast and prevent enemies from diving away effectively.

Method 3: The Chapter 22 Temple Siege

In the chapter "Desperate Times," there is a prolonged combat sequence outside the entrance to the monastery. This area is chaotic, but it provides multiple opportunities for multi-kills due to the sheer volume of reinforcements.

The Setup

This is best done with an M32 Hammer (the semi-automatic grenade launcher). The rate of fire on the M32 allows you to blanket an area with explosions if the first one doesn't catch all five targets.

The Execution

During the fight in the main courtyard, transport trucks will periodically arrive. Watch the far end of the plaza. When a truck pulls in, wait for the animation of the soldiers jumping off the back. Since there are usually exactly five or six soldiers on these transports, a well-timed M32 shell or two will clear the entire squad.

Alternatively, look for the armored soldiers who tend to group up near the bridge. While armored enemies are harder to kill, on "Easy" difficulty, a single RPG shot or two M32 shells in quick succession will still bypass their protection and count toward the requirement.

Advanced Tactics: Managing Explosion Physics

To maximize your chances, it is helpful to understand how Uncharted 2 calculates explosive damage. The game uses a radial falloff model. This means the damage is highest at the epicenter and decreases as it moves outward.

When aiming for Dyno-Might Master, you should aim for the ground in the center of the group rather than a direct hit on a single enemy's torso. A direct hit often causes the body to absorb much of the initial blast, potentially shielding the enemies standing directly behind them. By hitting the floor, the blast wave expands horizontally in a 360-degree arc, reaching the feet of all five enemies simultaneously.

Furthermore, environmental hazards can be used to augment your explosions. In Chapter 6 and Chapter 5, there are numerous red propane tanks and oxygen cylinders. While these rarely have five enemies standing around them naturally, you can "herd" the AI. By firing a few warning shots or staying behind a specific piece of cover, you can bait the AI to move toward a specific flanking position—right next to a red tank. If you combine a grenade blast with a tank explosion, the combined radius is much larger and more likely to secure the five kills needed.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Many players find themselves frustrated when they clearly see five bodies fly into the air, yet the trophy fails to unlock. Here are the most common reasons why this happens:

  1. Death Order: If one enemy dies from the physical impact of a grenade hitting them before it explodes, or if the explosion triggers a secondary chain reaction (like a barrel) that kills the fifth person, the game may count them as two separate damage events. The five kills must come from the same initial explosion.
  2. Difficulty Delay: On some older versions of the hardware, there might be a slight delay in the trophy notification. It is always best to check your trophy list manually if you are certain you succeeded.
  3. Enemy Health: On Hard or Crushing, the blast radius for a "kill" is much smaller than the blast radius for "damage." An enemy might stumble and fall (playing a death-like animation) but actually survive with a sliver of health. Always verify the kill count in the in-game statistics menu if possible.

Comparison with the Original PS3 Version

It is worth noting for returning players that the trophy landscape has shifted. On the original PS3 release, the "Dyno-Might Master" medal was actually easier in one sense but more tedious in another. It required you to kill three enemies with one explosion, but you had to do this five times throughout your playthrough.

In the Remastered version, Naughty Dog and Bluepoint Games streamlined many trophies to be single-event challenges. This shift makes Chapter 12 the definitive choice for modern players. The original PS3 strategy of farming kills in Chapter 4 (the crashed plane area) is less effective now because the enemy density there rarely hits five in a single tight cluster, making the Chapter 12 station start the superior modern meta.

Final Recommendations for the Platinum Hunt

The Dyno-Might Master trophy is often one of the last combat-specific trophies players earn before the Platinum, alongside "Steel Fist Expert" and "Survivor." Because it requires a specific set of circumstances, it is best approached as a standalone task via Chapter Select rather than something you hope to get naturally during a Crushing difficulty run.

By focusing on Chapter 12, lowering the difficulty to the minimum, and utilizing the RPG-7 tweak, the average player can secure this silver trophy in under two minutes of actual gameplay. Once the trophy pops, ensure the game saves by reaching the next sub-checkpoint or manually saving before exiting to the main menu to ensure the progress is registered toward your Platinum trophy requirements.

In the broader context of Uncharted 2’s trophy list, this challenge serves as a reminder of the game's dynamic combat engine. While the series eventually moved toward more stealth-oriented gameplay in later entries, Among Thieves remains a masterpiece of high-octane, explosive action. Mastering the timing of a single grenade or rocket is a fitting tribute to the cinematic chaos that defined Nathan Drake’s second outing.