Combat Tips & Techniques in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW). Guide includes combat techniques, tips, how to control battle, deal high damage, and more!
Table Of Contents
Combat Tips
Aim For Headshots
If you hit an enemy with an arrow to the head, you can deal double damage and stun them. By hitting them with a series of arrows while they are stunned, and then dealing another headshot as they stand up, even strong enemies can be defeated fairly easily.
Can Also Aim While In The Air
By using the bow while in the air, you activate slow motion as long as the Stamina Wheel is in use. Aiming from the air is also recommended because it is easy to aim for a headshot and you can hit the target in quick succession. If there are no cliffs around you, you can use Revali's Gate to go up.
| Tips! | Aiming with the bow from the air is also a good way to take advantage of the terrain. if there are cliffs around you, it is recommended taking them by surprise from the sky, or if you are near water, use Cryonis to create a foothold and jump |
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More Powerful When Combined With A Continuous-Fire Bow
If you use a Bow with continuous fire, which allows you to fire multiple arrows at once, will deal damage more efficiently. Depending on the situation, it may also be easier to aim for a headshot.
Stasis Stops Movement
Once you strengthen Stasis, you will be able to stop the enemy's movement as well. The time it takes to stop depends on the enemy, but it is excellent because it can create breathing room, even if only for a moment. Combined with headshots, it is easier to take advantage of the effect.
Stasis Guide - How To Upgrade And UseFight To Your Advantage With Weapon Effects
| Attribute | Effects |
|---|---|
| Thunder | ・20 additional damage ・Electrocutes the enemy ・Drops the equipped weapon |
| Ice | ・10 additional damage ・Freeze an enemy ・Triple damage when attacking frozen enemies ・Kills an enemy with a single blow to the flame |
| Fire | ・10 additional damage ・Causes the enemy to burst into flames |
Attacking with a weapon with an attribute will cause additional effects. When the electrocution and freezing state wears off, it can be inflicted again, making it possible to continue to attack continuously. Do note that the additional effect of the attribute cannot be applied to enemies that are resistant to that attribute, such as Lynel.
Swap Weapons To Suit The Situation
| How To Replace Weapons | ・Select with the right of the four-way controller ・ + button to select the weapon in the menu |
|---|---|
| When To Replace | ・When an additional effect of the attribute is given ・When you want to use Flurry Rush ・When you want to set up the Shield |
It is easy to forget to switch weapons during battle. By quickly switching to a high-attack weapon during a Flurry Rush or when an abnormality occurs, you will be able to inflict damage more efficiently. Switching to the Sword during combat and then to the Great Sword (High damage weapon) after Perfect Guard is performed is also effective.
Summary Of Combat Techniques
Guard & Lock On
With ZL's Guard & Lock On, you can fight safely while always facing the direction of the enemy. The Shield can only be held in Sword or Sword Hold, but it is easy to prevent unexpected attacks. However, be aware that if there are multiple enemies, the camera will focus on one of them.
Perfect Guard
When holding the Shield with ZL, you can activate Perfect Guard by playing an enemy attack with A at the right moment. When Perfect Guard is applied to a physical attack, the enemy will be stunned, giving you a chance to attack. Also, Guardian beams can be bounced back to inflict heavy damage.
Failure To Do So May Damage You
If you activate Perfect Guard too early, you may lose the Shield's durability and take on damage. If the Shield is guarded normally, the Shield will lose its durability and break. Since the Shield's durability is not consumed when Perfect Guard is activated, practice by fighting the same enemy over and over again.
Evade
Jumping and stick operation during lock-on allows the player to perform a Side Hop or Backflip. If you can dodge at the right time, you will be able to perform an evade, which will result in slow motion and lead to a Flurry Rush.
List Of Evasion Commands
| Side Hop | ZL + L Stick Sideways + X |
|---|---|
| Backflip | ZL + L Stick Down + X |
Flurry Rush
Flurry Rush is triggered when the player succeeds in evading. While the Flurry Rush is in effect, the enemy goes into slow motion, during which time you can perform a series of attacks by repeatedly pressing the Y Button. You can also switch weapons, so quickly switch to a high-attack weapon!
Sneakstrike
Sneakstrike can be performed by approaching a sleeping enemy or by crouching and walking behind it without it noticing. Sneakstrike can inflict heavy damage with a single blow, so aim aggressively.
Jump Strike
When a weapon attack is made while in the air, it becomes a jump strike and creates a shockwave around the attacker. If it is just a simple jump, the range is not great, but from above, it can frighten a wide range of enemies.
BoTW Useful Guides and Articles
Early Game Guide
