Previously, we’ve covered an article regarding a beginner’s guide for the new Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. While that is dedicated to help new players of the franchise to settle into the game, there are still other parts of the game we did not go fully in-depth.
One of them is, of course, combat. Like with many open-world games, combat is an essential part of the game’s experience. Not knowing how to fully utilise the game’s combat system can lead to a subpar gameplay.
Not to worry though, we’re here to help. For today’s article, we have taken the liberty in providing our fellow readers with a combat guide for the Tears of the Kingdom game. So, if you need some friendly tips and tricks in the combat department, read away!
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Let’s start!
Blocking and Parrying
They often say that the best offence is the best defence. Well, this is true in Tears of the Kingdom because being able to efficiently block and parry goes a long way. To perform this action though, you will need a shield equipped.
So, once you’ve done that, try to master your blocks and the enemy together. Admittingly, this requires some practice but trust us, it’s worth the effort. If you manage to successfully pull off a parry, you will—for a brief moment—stun the enemy, giving you a window of chance to strike it freely.
As such, being able to proficiently parry enemy attacks will eventually make you a great combat player. It will negate most damage and in return, gives you a lot of opportunities to attack however you want when they are disabled by your block.
Elemental Usage
If you are familiar with Genshin Impact, you will know that using the environment around you can lead to a huge advantage. Good thing Tears of the Kingdom has this mechanic as well, making combat a lot more fun and devastating for the enemies.
It is a mechanic that the players can abuse a lot and on many occasions, deal significant amounts of damage to the enemies. The common ones that you can use are Ice, Fire and Shock. Each of which can assist you through different means.
For Fire, it can cause a Burn in the enemy, Ice will then Freeze the enemy while Shock will temporarily stun the enemy. As you can tell, these status conditions are really good for crowd control (especially the latter two). They are great for set-ups and if you use them correctly, you will almost destroy any normal enemies without them laying a finger on you.
Knowing Link’s Abilities
This isn’t exactly a combat tip but it doesn’t hurt to know more about Link’s unique set of skills. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link is blessed with four of them and here’s what they do.
Ascend
Allows Link to sort of levitate in the air. Usually used outside of combat but with some thought, it can be used to catch enemies off guard. Play around with it and you’ll see that it can come in quite handy during skirmishes.
Fuse
We love this ability. It is like a mixture of Kirby’s unique skill but this time, Link is able to use it for his weapon. The Fuse ability allows you to merge both object and weapon together to form something new. This will usually result in a stronger form of weapon which will help you greatly in chomping down enemies.
Recall
Now that we have Kirby’s ability, let us throw in some time-bending ability as well! The Recall ability is very disruptive for the enemy if the player can use it properly. Rewinding an attack can come in very clutch so use it whenever you want to interrupt an attack that might be fatal.
Ultrahand
Ultrahand is somewhat like Fuse but is used for objects. Its use is primarily seen for Zonai devices. However, using Ultrahand to make new weapons can also prove to be extremely useful.
Understanding the Weapons
Link is pretty talented and with it comes his proficiency in wielding multiple weapons. Each weapon Link is capable of using serves different purposes. First, let us breakdown these weapons and see how they are best applied
Two-Handed Weapons
Two-handed weapons are strong. They tend to do crazy damage and to a lot of enemies on top of that. Essentially, they are amazing for clearing hordes but they do come with a downside. Since Link will need to use both hands to wield them, Link won’t be able to use a shield at the same time. So, you will be vulnerable to attacks with a two-handed weapon equipped.
One-Handed Weapons
A more classic approach. While a one-handed weapon might not have the firepower of their two-handed counterparts, they are generally more favoured due to their flexibility. Again, a large part of that is Link being able to hold a shield with it so the player will have both offensive and defensive coverage.
Bows
Not liking close-combat in this game? Sure, downing enemies from a distance works using a bow. It is a much safer approach but is a bit more time-consuming because you won’t have the attack coverage of a melee weapon. So, you’ll be commonly shooting down one enemy at a time.
Spears
When it comes to coverage, spears are arguably the best. They can be thrown and can be used at a melee distance. The only thing spears lack is their damage output. They are just about average but the variety of attack methods is there.
Shields
As mentioned earlier, Shields are needed to perform parries and they are one of the most important combat mechanics in the game. Being able to parry properly means you’ll be taking less damage while also potentially dealing a lot more because of the stun provided by the parries.
Locking On with Focus
Whiffing your attacks are a one-way ticket to disaster town. When you hit at nothing, this gives the enemies around you the chance to strike you while you miss midway. Many inexperienced players fall for this and they usually occur during panic moments.
Reduce the chance of this happening with the lock-on function. All you need to do is hit the ZL button when you are in sight of your target. Holding on to the ZL button will keep your attacks locked on to that enemy which gives you some leeway in button mashing. This is a great way for you to not miss your attacks and can even prioritise a target you want to take down first.
Final Thoughts
Hey! We’ve managed to reach the end of our combat guide for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We hope that our guide has helped you be better at combating in this game. Of course, the ultimate guide will be from in-game experience, so play more and in time, you’ll do better.
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