Essential Tactics to Defeat Lynels in Breath of the Wild (BOTW)

Lynels are among the toughest enemies in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” With immense strength and a variety of powerful attacks, they can be a challenging adversary. However, with proper preparation and effective strategies, you can defeat them. Here’s how:

Preparation

Upgrade Your Gear: Before facing a Lynel, upgrade your armor and weapons. Visit the Great Fairy Fountains in Kakariko Village, Lake Akkala, Gerudo Desert, and Totori Lake in the Tabantha region. Enhanced gear significantly improves your defense and attack capabilities. (Lifewire)

Equip the Right Weapons and Armor: Use a one-handed weapon and a durable shield to maintain mobility and defense. Heavy armor and two-handed weapons should be avoided as they slow you down. Equip light gear such as the Soldier’s Armor for better agility.

Gather Essential Items: Stock up on meals and elixirs that boost your strength, defense, and health. Big Hearty Radish dishes are particularly effective, providing full health restoration and temporary extra hearts. Collect fairies for automatic revives if you fall during battle. (IGN)

Practice Combat Skills: Perfect Guard is a vital technique: hold ZL to target the Lynel and press A just before an attack hits to perform a Perfect Guard. This move stuns the Lynel, giving you a precious opening for counterattacks. Mastering the timing for parrying and dodging is essential for avoiding damage and positioning yourself for effective strikes. (IGN)

Types of Lynels and Their Challenges

There are five types of Lynels in BOTW: Red, Blue Lynels, White, Silver Lynels, and Gold. Each type increases in difficulty and drops more valuable items. Red Lynels are the easiest, while Gold Lynels, exclusive to Master Mode, are the most challenging.

Lynels are highly intelligent and can detect Link from a great distance, regardless of whether he is on foot, horseback, or mid-air. Their detection range and aggressive attacks make them formidable foes at any point in the game. Some Lynels maintain the same difficulty level, while others increase in difficulty as Link defeats more enemies.

 

Lynels can carry various melee weapons, including swords, crushers, and spears. Each requires different strategies to counter. They may also have shields and bows. Red Lynels will use standard Lynel weapons. Blue Lynels carry Mighty Lynel weapons. White Lynels and Silver Lynels have Savage Lynel weapons.

Lynel Drops

Lynels drop Lynel Guts, Lynel Horns, and Lynel Hooves when defeated. Silver Lynels can also drop star fragments or rare gems. Silver Lynels and Gold Lynels may drop Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, Star Fragments, and Topazes and the standard guts, horns, and hooves. White Lynels may have Mighty Lynel weapons as a rare drop.

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Combat Tactics to Defeat Lynels

Maintain close proximity to the Lynel to avoid its powerful long-range attacks. Engage it in melee combat where you can more easily dodge and counter its attacks.

Use the Stasis rune to freeze the creature temporarily, allowing you to land several hits before it recovers. This ability is particularly useful when the Lynel charges at you.

Utilize Elemental Arrows: Use Ice Arrows to shoot the Lynel in the head, and freeze it temporarily. This allows you to climb on its back for additional attacks. Fire and Shock Arrows also work well for dealing damage and stunning the Lynel.

When the Lynel’s fireballs create updrafts, use them to paraglide and shoot arrows from the air. This tactic keeps you out of reach and allows for precise headshots, which can further stun the Lynel.

Defeat Lynes with Specific Techniques

After performing a Perfect Guard, the Lynel will be momentarily stunned. Use this opportunity to land powerful counterattacks. Repeating this process will gradually chip away at the Lynel’s health.

Aim for it’s head to stun it, creating openings for melee attacks. Use Ice Arrows for an extended stun effect, allowing you to climb on the Lynel and deal significant damage without risking your weapon’s durability.

Take advantage of updrafts created by the Lynel’s fireballs to glide above and shoot arrows from the air. This method keeps you mobile and harder for the Lynel to target, while delivering continuous damage.

Lynel Locations

Lynels can be found in various regions including:

• Akkala Wilds (Deep Akkala)
• Central North Tabantha Snowfield (Tabantha)
• Coliseum Ruins (Central Hyrule)
• Deplian Badlands (Central Hyrule)
• Drenan Highlands (Central Hyrule)
• East Deplian Badlands (Eldin)
• First Gatehouse (Hyrule Castle)
• Gerudo Summit (Gerudo)
• Great Plateau (Great Plateau)
• Hebra West Summit (Hebra)
• Kamah Plateau (Faron)
• Lanayru Road – East Gate (Necluda)
• Laporah Mesa (Laporah Mesa)
• Lodrum Headland (Lanayru)
• Nautelle Wetlands (Faron)
• Northern Tabantha Snowfield (Tabantha)
• North Akkala Valley (Deep Akkala)
• Northeast Tabantha Snowfield (Tabantha)
• Oseira Plains (Faron)
• Ploymous Mountain (Lanayru)
• Rowan Plain (Hyrule Field)
• Second Gatehouse (Hyrule Castle)
• Tabantha Bridge Stable (Central Hyrule)

Lynels in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” are formidable foes. With proper preparation and effective strategies, you can conquer them. Upgrade your gear at Great Fairy Fountains, and equip a one-handed weapon and durable shield. Stock up on health-boosting items. Use Perfect Guard to stun Lynels. Utilize elemental arrows, and take advantage of updrafts for aerial attacks. Follow these tactics to improve your chances of defeating Lynels and mastering the game. By integrating these detailed strategies and tips, you can improve your chances of defeating Lynels in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”

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