Breath Of The Wild: How To Shield Surf & 9 Other Tricks To Exploring Hyrule
Exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild can be a daunting task, especially for new players. It doesn’t help that the game never really teaches players the best tips and tricks for making the most out of the world, or if it does offer a tutorial, it is often hidden away in some obscure corner of the map behind one of many NPCs.
Players don’t need the perfect horse, the best shield, or the ultimate armor to get around Hyrule, but understanding Breath of the Wild’s systems will turn Hyrule from a terrifying death trap into an incredible playpen full of possibilities.
10 Shield Surfing
Finding extra gear in Breath of the Wild is like finding pennies on the street. Link may pocket them for a while, but eventually, they’ll be set aside. Shield surfing offers players another option for how to utilize every ounce of durability from the trash shields they find on the ground and really get some good mobility out of them.
As Split/Screen on Youtube explains in their shield surfing guide, holding down the shield button, jumping, and pressing “A” will catapult link forward sliding around on his shield. This is a great trick for speeding down the huge hills of the Hebra Mountains.
9 Paragliding Tricks
With an increased stamina pool, one of the best ways to traverse Hyrule is to find the tallest landmark you can see and jump off of it. Paragliding can help Link reach hard to climb areas, cross terrain filled with baddies, and escape the beams of those dreadful guardian laser beams.
Additionally, players can avoid taking fall damage by opening up the paraglider right before hitting the ground. Say Link glides all the way to the perfect spot but is still too high up in the air? Just let go and open up the glider right before Link hits the ground.
8 Sailing Up The Eastern Coast
The eastern coast of Hyrule is littered with secret islands, interesting trials, and even a few villages. But the path up the coast is filled with enemies and swimming just isn’t an option, so what should players do?
Hitch a ride on a sailboat! Using a korok leaf, players can send funnels of wind into the sail pushing the boat forward into the open sea. Just be sure to stock plenty of leaves so you don’t end up stranded in the middle of the ocean.
7 Ride A Horse
Having a horse makes traveling across Hyrule on foot faster, safer, and most importantly less lonely. However, catching a horse can prove tricky for new players. Make sure to equip the Stealth Armor you can buy in Kakariko Village for 1,800 rupees, crouch, and voila! Link is right next to the pretty black stallion he’s always dreamed of.
To catch a horse just mount and button mash the soothe button until it settles down. The better the horse, the more stamina Link will need, so stock up on some yummies that will keep Link going as long as you need. Don’t worry about the horse’s quality early on. For new players, it won’t really make a difference as Link starts off exploring.
6 Learn To Cook
Cooking in most video games is an optional system to create minor bonuses. In Breath of the Wild, it is absolutely essential to making the most out of all that Hyrule has to offer.
RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Whether you eat meals to boost your stamina, provide extra hearts, or boost any of the other crucial stats in Breath of the Wild like heat resistance, cold resistance, attack damage, or Link’s defense, Hyrule will transform from a land of danger and fear, into a playpen of wonder and discovery.
5 Climb The Towers
Filling out the map is crucial for players to know where they are and where they’re going, so players should have an immediate goal of climbing every tower they can to reveal as much of the map as possible. Expanding the map will give players a better sense of the region's topography, and will even reveal some interesting spots players might not find otherwise. The towers also make great checkpoints to guide yourself around Hyrule.
P.S. Remember that tip about paragliding? Most towers are pretty high off the ground and make great jumping-off points for a paragliding adventure.
4 Don’t Be Afraid To Fast Travel
Early on, players won’t miss anything by fast-traveling. Hundreds of hours can be spent walking meticulously across Hyrule finding every nook and cranny, but in the beginning, Link just needs to stay alive.
Players should be sure to activate every shrine Link passes so that when returning to an area for a more in-depth investigation, they'll know where they’ve been and will have a place to start. It can also be helpful to have safe zones in various villages and stables across Hyrule. This gives players a place to buy equipment, restock on arrows, and cook up some helpful grub.
3 Find The Climber’s Armor
Let’s face it, Hyrule is a hilly and mountainous land, and so there is no better way to cut through the continent than to climb. Each piece of the Climber’s Armor can be found in shrines across Hyrule. The Climber's Bandana can be found in The Dahee Shrine. The Climbing Gear is the reward for Chaas Qeta Shrine.
Finally, the Climbing Boots are found in Tahno O'ah Shrine. This armor increases your climb speed and wearing an upgraded set will decrease the stamina drain of Link’s climbing jump, a crucial skill for speeding up monotonous cliff scaling or for reaching that last just out o french ledge.
2 Defeat Divine Beast Vah Medoh
All of the Divine Beasts offer Link new abilities that help him throughout his journey, but overcoming Vah Medoh up in the Hebra Mountains will make exploration infinitely easier.
Defeating Windblight Ganon atop Vah Medoh will free Revali, earn a heart container, and gift the player Revali’s Gale. This ability propels Link into the sky after holding the jump button. This saves Link precious stamina when climbing up walls or mountains. In a game with so much to climb, this ability opens up a world of possibilities.
1 Wear The Appropriate Armor
The weather of Hyrule is finicky and dangerous, and having the appropriate armor for each environment is crucial for keeping Link alive. In the arid Gerudo Desert wear the Desert Voe Armor set. Up in the snowy Hebra Mountains stay warm in the Snowquill Armor set. In the fiery Death Mountain chill out in the Flamebreaker Armor. And never forget those terrible thunderstorms.
Early on, taking off Link’s metal armor and unequipping his metal weapons can keep Link alive, but when players are in the middle of a fight or freezing cold, try the Rubber Armor set or the Thunder Helm. They’ll make Link immune to lighting and shock damage and keep the armor he needs to stay alive.
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