The world map in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is huge and you’re bound to run into all types of enemies along your journey. You’ll also come across a lot of different weapons to help you during your adventure, but there’s a lot of information about battling and weapons in Breath of the Wild that may not be as clear while you play.
In our Breath of the Wild battle guide, we’ll explain how weapon durability and power is determined and some advanced shield techniques to dodge and parry enemy attacks.
BASICS/CONTROLS
Players can pick up all types of weapons in Breath of the Wild , from swords and axes to tree branches and mops. Simply go up to an item and press A to pick it up. You’ll need to be aware of how many inventory slots you have.
For melee weapons, you only have six slots. Shields get six and Bows get six as well. If you have all slots full, you won’t be able to pick up new weapons. You will either have to wait until an item breaks or you can drop a weapon from the Inventory menu by pressing the Plus button.
To attack, simply press the Y button and you’ll swing your melee weapon. Hold the Y button to perform a charge attack. While it takes time to perform, a charge attack will deal more damage and knock enemies’ shields away.
The L button will lock onto opponents to make it easier to hit your enemies and will also raise your shield if you have one equipped. If you hold the L button and move from side to side, Link will strafe around the opponent.
There are also some shield moves you can perform that allows Link to parry and dodge attacks. Holding L and pressing A just as your opponent is about to attack will knock the enemy back and leave them startled.
Holding L and then strafing left or right and pressing the X button just as an enemy is going to attack will allow Link to jump to the side and temporarily slow down time, allowing you to deliver a combination of attacks.
Hold L and direct Link backwards, then press X just as an attack is coming to make Link perform a backflip to avoid incoming attacks.
RUNES
Link will have the Sheikah Slate from the beginning of the game, and the device is more than just a map. It actually holds weapons called Runes that Link can use in battle and in the overworld. Link can use these Runes as often as he likes, but each has a cooldown time. Access your Runes by pressing Up on the control pad.
There are five Runes that can be used as weapons:
Bombs – this classic weapon allows Link to throw or place a round Bomb. Its round shape allows it to roll down slopes. You can catch enemies off guard if you throw Bombs from the high ground and detonate them when you want.
Remote Bombs – These Bombs are square-shaped and easier to place without having to wonder about the wind or gravity moving them. Use Remote Bombs when you are waiting for an enemy to walk by or if you’re trying to break down a rock that may have hidden treasures behind it. Just detonate when you’re ready.
Magnetism – Link can pull out a magnet that lets him move metal objects. You can use this to lift metal chests from the water or you can even take away an enemy’s shield and metal weapons in battle.
Stasis – This Rune allows Link to freeze time. When using this Rune, anything that becomes highlighted in yellow can be frozen in time. Link will only have a few seconds after something is frozen to take advantage. One way to use this is to freeze an explosive barrel and strike it a few times to send it flying toward a group of enemies.
Ice – This Rune allows Link to freeze water and create pillars. Use this Rune to hurt enemies who happen to be swimming or use it to give you a platform out of reach of enemies.
WEAPONS
In Breath of the Wild , weapons degrade depending on how often you use them. Each weapon has a description in the Inventory menu that details its durability. There’s also a number in the top right corner of each weapon that signifies how strong it is.
If a weapon is on the verge of breaking, the game will notify you on-screen. If you continue to attack with it, the weapon will break, or you can throw the weapon at an enemy using the R button. Land this hit, and the enemy will take major damage.
There are certain types of weapons that Link will find in Breath of the Wild . Every weapon is grouped into Melee, Shields and Bows. Melee weapons consist of swords, axes, boomerangs and lances.
Swords- There are one-handed and two-handed swords. One-handed swords allow Link to perform fast strikes. Two-handed swords are stronger but have slower strikes. You can also knock enemies’ shields with this weapon. Link will also have to put the sword away if he wants to use his shield by pressing B.
Axes – Like two-handed swords, axes can knock shields out of enemy hands, but are slower in striking speed. Link can also use axes to chop down trees.
Lances – Lances also have fast strike speeds but they have a longer reach and are great for throwing at enemies.
Boomerangs – Players can strike enemies from a distance with boomerangs. These small melee weapons don’t have the striking power as other weapons but if they are thrown, they will return to Link without breaking.
Bows are used by pressing the RZ button. You can switch between bows just like you would your melee weapon and like your other weapons, bows have a finite durability.
There are five types of bombs (normal, fire, electric, ice and bomb) that range in effect and power. Arrows are not as abundant as melee weapons in Breath of the Wild so be sure to use them sparingly.
You can, however, pick up stray arrows shot by you or enemies if they don’t hit you.