Hyrule Warriors Combat Strategies: Enemy Captains

Tips and tactics for beating Lizalfos, Big Poes, and Gibdos.

Hyrule Warriors has a collection of enemies that fans of The Legend of Zelda franchise will recognize, and each foe has its own tricks and weaknesses. The author of Prima’s official Hyrule Warriors strategy guide goes over a few enemies players will encounter early in the game.

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Lizalfo

Lizalfos are agile, reptilian enemy Captains that can breathe fire balls or create jets of flame that burst in front of and around themselves. They—and their stronger counterparts, the Dinolfos— are some of the more common enemy Captains you’ll face in the game. They don’t pose much of a threat, but they are tenacious and fast, so stay on your toes when facing one! When you encounter a Lizalfo, the best method for dealing with them is to attack them until they knock you back with a blast of energy. After that, they’ll perform a counterattack, which leaves them wide open for you to bring them down swiftly and mercilessly.

Big Poe

Big Poes are ghastly ghosts who carry lanterns that can throw spectral fire at their enemies. Unlike the Lizalfos, they prefer to attack at a distance and stay out of the fight. This means that if you begin dishing out some attacks, they’ll likely teleport away and respond with a counterattack. The best way to deal with Big Poes is to let them unleash their counterattack. Most of their attacks require them to charge their lantern, which leaves them vulnerable to attack. When waiting for their counterattack to charge, stand behind or to the side of Big Poes, then unleash a hurricane of attacks on them as soon as they loose their attack. Big Poes take more damage if you wait for them to attack rather than jumping them while they are charging. Follow my advice and you’ll exorcise these ghoulies right off the battlefield.

Gibdo

Gibdos are shambling mummies with giant swords, and they have the unfortunate ability to petrify anything close to them. Gibdos are generally easy Captains to defeat, but if you don’t pay attention to their visual cues you might get caught up in their aura of terror, leaving you as still as a statue for a few seconds. If you get caught between two Gibdos, then start praying to the goddesses, because you might be there for a while as each Gibdo takes its turn scaring you motionless.

The best way to deal with Gibdos is to dash away the second you see their breath turn blue-ish. That’s the sign they are filling their lungs and preparing to use their petrifying breath to freeze you and any of your nearby allies. The trick is to wait until they are done gathering the petrifying breath, and then rush forward to attack them. Make sure to stay on your guard, though; these mad mummies will almost always charge up another breath blast shortly after you begin attacking them. Patience and precision are all you need to make these undead pests rest in pieces.

Keep all of these tips in mind and you’ll be able to start Hyrule Warriors off on the right foot!

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Read more about Prima’s official Hyrule Warriors strategy guide. You can also pre-order the Hyrule Warriors strategy guide now.

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Author
Prima Games Staff
The staff at Prima Games.