Perfect Dodge & Flurry Rush
While holding ZL to lock onto an enemy, you can jump backwards or sideways to dodge their attacks. If you time the dodge perfectly—just as the enemy's weapon is about to strike you—time will slow down and you will be prompted to press Y repeatedly to perform a Flurry Rush.
- Vertical Attacks: If an enemy swings down at you vertically, you must Side Hop (Left/Right + X).
- Horizontal Sweeps: If an enemy swings horizontally, you must Backflip (Down + X).
A Flurry Rush allows you to land several free hits without the enemy being able to block or retaliate. It is essential for defeating Lynels and bosses.
Perfect Guard (Shield Parry)
While holding ZL to block with your shield, pressing A will cause Link to swing his shield outward to parry. If timed perfectly against an incoming attack, you will perform a Perfect Guard.
A Perfect Guard deflects melee attacks, disarms smaller enemies, and completely negates damage to both Link and the shield itself. Even a flimsy Pot Lid can parry a lethal blow without breaking!
The most famous use of the Perfect Guard is reflecting Guardian laser beams. Lock onto the Guardian, and the exact moment you see the blue flash around its eye (and hear the "beep"), press A. The laser will bounce back and deal massive damage to the Guardian. It takes 3 parries to destroy a Stalker, and 1 to destroy a Decayed Guardian.
Environmental Combat
The physics engine in Breath of the Wild is your strongest weapon. Use the environment to your advantage:
Fire & Updrafts
Lighting tall grass on fire (using fire arrows or a flint) creates an updraft. Jump into the updraft and press X to open your paraglider and launch into the air. From there, you can pull out your bow to enter "bullet time" (slow motion) and rain arrows down on enemies.
Thunderstorms
During a thunderstorm, lightning will strike anything metallic. If you are facing a tough camp of enemies, throw a rusty broadsword or metal shield into the center of the camp. The enemies might pick it up, or the lightning will simply strike the metal object, obliterating everything nearby.
Water & Ice
If enemies are standing in shallow water, shooting the water with a Shock Arrow will create an AoE dome of electricity that shocks everyone in the pool. Additionally, freezing an enemy with an Ice Arrow triples the damage of your next physical attack against them.
Sneakstrikes & Criticals
Sneaking up directly behind an enemy without being noticed allows you to perform a Sneakstrike (press Y when prompted). This deals 8x normal damage.
Weapon Breaking Criticals: When a weapon is badly damaged (flashing red), the very next hit that breaks the weapon is guaranteed to deal double damage. If you know a weapon is about to break, throw it (hold R) at an enemy for a massive critical hit!
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!