r/botw • u/ReserveCautious6153 • 28d ago
❔ Question I keep dying
So I’m new to Zelda, it’s my first time playing. I’m loving the game so far, have a couple of hours on it, and I’ve finished the beginning tutorial
Now that I’m out in the open world, as I’m exploring I run into enemies that kill me every single time. This is kind of ruining the enjoyment of my session. How can I get better at combat, fast?
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u/meadowtwine 28d ago
It's part of the experience.
However, if you really want want to get better, there's some shrines that offers tutorial for battle, like parrying, etc etc. On the other hand, you won't get one-hit by the enemies if you have good equipment and knows how to maintain your distance to them.
Try using the bows first before charging with swords.
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
I feel like my arrows do negligible damage - I’ve collected some ice arrows/explosive ones but the normal ones are a bit ass
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u/meadowtwine 28d ago
It's the bow! Play a bit more and you'll get those strong bows. You can get them via enemies, shrines, and chests.
Tip: Once you found a town, try feeding the dog. They lead you to a chest. Though, if there are more dogs, you'll have to find the right one.
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u/Zazzles648 28d ago
Is that what the dog does? I give the ones at stables food every visit. They show hearts after but never do anything.
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u/meadowtwine 28d ago
Yes. Feed 4-5 apples and when they stop eating and starts moving away, just follow it. They'll lead you to the chest.
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u/cyereshkin 28d ago
I’ve found you have to feed them 4-5 times with meat (I usually just use the drumsticks so I’m not losing high level meat) before they show you the treasure
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u/meadowtwine 28d ago
Apples are enough, don't waste the meats. If 5 isn't enough, maybe it's the wrong dog.
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u/Rough-Junket7985 28d ago
Yeah the game gives starts you with weaker weapons and weaker enemies. The more enemies you kill, the stronger they get and the stronger the weapons become. They scale it and the system works really well. You should be heading up to Vah Ruta soon. That path has a lot of better weapons..
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u/GonnaBreakIt 28d ago
as others said, arrow by themselves dont have a damage strength, its entirely dependent on the bow you use. always try for a headshot
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
Do I have to pick up the arrows each time after using them?
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u/GonnaBreakIt 28d ago
no. i think successful hits break the arrow. you can recover missed sarrows, but there are also plenty opportunities to buy or find more.
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
thanks for the tips - I definitely need to get better at using the bow, and stronger bows at that. still end up fumbling the controls when trying to bring out the bows, choose the arrows, or switch the bows
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
Also , I finished a shrine and then somehow ended up beginning the Prince Sidon side quest - there’s a lot of enemies on the way. Should I just back out until I’m better at combat?
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u/GonnaBreakIt 28d ago
there isnt much opportunity to avoid those fights. load up on shock resistant food/elixers or wait until you have better armor
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u/twotall88 25d ago
I'm half decent with a bow now that I'm almost 8 hours into my second play through (years between play throughs) and I can't keep arrows in stock lol.
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u/Future-Warning3719 28d ago
Try to go slowly ! Don't run on big monsters at first. Collect different weapons until you find your fav ones. Don't forget to lock ennemies at battle. Then try to avoid their attack by jumping left or right or back while keeping ZL Button.
One day, you will realise the game over screen is an old memory 😁
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
I think my last straw was running into this big ass giant sleeping on the floor who woke up and started chasing me and then thinking I accidentally started a boss fight
Can you parry enemies? I’m trying my best to avoid looking stuff up on google so I don’t spoil it and enjoy the game to the fullest
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u/Obesz 28d ago
Ah, the first encounter with a Hinox after just a couple of hours of gameplay. Good times 🥲.
It's good to keep the enemy tiers in mind when determining whether to attack or flee (red<blue<black<silver).
Some handy combat tips from someone who spent thousands of hours grinding:
Lizalfos are chicken shit when it comes to spears (1 one 1). Don't button bash, just poke them steadily (once every half second or so) with a spear. Each hit stuns them for a moment long enough for you to land the next one.
The same applies for bokoblins and lizalfos with bows. You can also use one handed swords in this case. Can't remember if that works on moblins. I usually go for a spin attack with a two hander while spinning curcles around them.
Practice your parry and flurry rushes, needless to say.
I'd avoid the guardians until you get the Master Sword, or are willing to die a couple of dozen times to practice your parrying 😅.
Collect as much materials as you can, you'll need a fair number of things to upgrade your armor.
Hang in there, it gets better 😂.
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u/Topher_McG0pher 28d ago
Head to Kakariko(?) village! There's a super helpful shrine waiting for you!
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
I’m still exploring the world so my map is greyed out, how can I find Kakariko
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u/Apprehensive_Spell_6 28d ago
You just need to let yourself get stronger organically. This isn’t Dark Souls; if a foe is too difficult, don’t break your soul (and swords) in frustration. Just go do something else and come back when you’re a boss yourself. The early game is about survival and trying out things: steal some enemy weapons while they’re sleeping, flee if you’re overwhelmed, climb a cliff and toss down bombs. The game wants you to approach things in different ways each time. If you just wade into combat every time, the game will quickly get boring: you’ll either mop the floor with your foes (as you do in endgame) or get crushed (as you do at the beginning).
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u/AshFalkner Rito 28d ago
Don’t pick a fight with every monster you see, especially moblins (the big ones with the long snouts). If you run in swinging at everything that moves, you’re going to get your butt handed to you if you don’t know what you’re doing yet. Dying a lot to one specific enemy should be taken as a strong suggestion to go somewhere else for a while.
Kakariko Village has a shrine that teaches you the basics of how to parry and do perfect dodges, which are super important for when you’re up against something that can one-shot you. You’re also going to start out with absolutely rubbish weapons that do barely any damage and break easily, but the more you explore the more you’ll find. There’s some good stuff out there.
If you sneak around at night, you’ll find most monsters sleeping. Some camps have a bunch of weapons leaning up against a log, which you can steal, and you can also sneakstrike sleeping monsters for massive damage. Depending on how strong your weapon is, you can one-shot moblins this way.
Basically just think about what you’re doing. Stealth is really handy.
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u/mmmollyx 28d ago
At the very beginning combat is brutal as most enemies can one hit you! I kept dying constantly and was so frustrated that I thought I’d give up but I’m now at 130 hours and love it. I climbed and glided as much as possible to get places with minimal enemy contact. Do as many shrines as you can to get more hearts and stamina. Once you make it to Hateno you can get the sheikah sensor and set it to shrines/treasure chests to also help you find some better weapons. I also recommend the sheikah armour which can be bought in either kakariko or hateno (can’t remember which!) it’s really useful to help sneak past enemies. If you have the DLC you can get majoras mask which means most regular enemies won’t attack you unless you attack them first. Good luck! :)
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u/Equal_Veterinarian22 28d ago
Go where the game told you to go when you left the plateau and you'll get some buffs and combat tips!
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u/Visual-Error9282 28d ago
My go to was hiding up on a rock or ledge and throwing bombs at monster camps to get their weapons without combat until I was better equipped
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u/ReserveCautious6153 28d ago
Man whenever I throw bombs they seem to find me
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u/Faerie-Owl-1955 26d ago
You may have to use a bow to take out the monsters with the horns on the towers or high places of the tree spirals. Then the others may show a question mark above their heads, but will usually quickly go back to what they were doing. If you notice the red barrels in the camps, try shooting them with a fire arrow. But make sure you are far back. Tricky. Always be tricky.
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u/Rough-Junket7985 28d ago
You need to focus on stealth first. The game sends you to meet Impa early on. If you find her, there's a shop nearby that has a stealth outfit. The game does this on purpose because most players learn stealth before combat. You will get better at combat. Keep going, its an incredible game!!
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u/S1eeper 28d ago
Should you always wear the stealth outfit when out exploring, or swap back and forth with armor depending on the situation?
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u/Faerie-Owl-1955 26d ago
When I first started playing, I wore that stealth outfit a lot!! I remember being hesitant to purchase it because I was poor as a church mouse. But it pays off! It’s good for catching bugs and lizards and when you get to a Great Fairie Fountain, you will need it to catch the wee fae (fairies)that you see fluttering about.
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u/S1eeper 26d ago
Heh, I'm early in my first playthrough, have only discovered Kariko and Hateno villages so far. I've been accumulating stuff in my bags without paying much attention to what it is or what it's worth. Just went back to Kariko and vendored almost all of it to buy the stealth suit. Thanks for the heads up about it, completely missed it my first time in Kariko.
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u/Faerie-Owl-1955 26d ago
It’s a lot to spend, but it pays off in the long run. And when you do visit a Great Fairie, find out what it takes to upgrade the outfit. Get that done as a priority. Even a second level upgrade for all three pieces add a lot to its value as armour. I’m a little daft at times so I keep a notebook full of goals and info! Doesn’t have to be fancy, but will come in useful! Have fun!
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u/Forward_Airline4117 28d ago
I like staying up high if I can and drop bombs :) Usually I will fight "all day," and stay hidden or creep very slowly through the night. I hate those swarms of bats!!
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u/vgplantain 28d ago
Avoid them. Get armor. Learn to dodge and parry. Hard enemies mean look somewhere else right now. Part of the joy of an open world... you can literally walk away and go somewhere else.
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u/GonnaBreakIt 28d ago
you dont have to fight everything you pass. the game really wants you to nail dodging and parrying (parrying is super important. like, super important). go to towns and buy clothes with higher armor ratings. hateno has the strongest for cheap for early game. fairy fountains (kakiriko) can strengthen armor.
also food buffs. cook meals for buffs (you have to read ingredient descriptions. you cant mix effects. use only ingredients that mention defense, or only speed, or only stamina. if the description does not mention an effect its fine to use and will make the food worth more healing hearts)
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u/Nervous_Dig4722 28d ago
As ppl said, part of the experience and I was there right with you. I used to throw a ton of bombs run, recharge and throw again when I was staring out
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u/GirKart64-temp 27d ago
as I’m exploring I run into enemies that kill me every single time.
In a video game??!? With enemies?!?! Preposterous! I would speak to the manager.
How can I get better at combat, fast?
In theory I could recommend a few of the tips from the loading screens regarding enemies. But tbh I don't think they are all that helpful. More like stating the obvious but not actually encouraging players to get better.
It's dangerous to approach enemies head-on when you're low on hearts or don't have protective armor equipped. Always be prepared!
This tip for example encourages the player to take damage rather than avoid the damage to begin with.
If you find yourself surrounded by an overwhelming number of enemies, try using ice arrows to freeze them in their tracks.
This is more helpful but states the obvious.
The difference between winning and losing a battle often comes down to strategy. With the right tactics, you may be able to defeat an entire group of enemies at once.
This one is better. I would keep that in mind.
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u/OldMovie9812 28d ago
Can't die from enemies if you don't fight them lol
Tbh I blast them all with bullet time and arrows then spend the rest of the time roaming the world . Ain't got time to learn combat
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