Shield surfing is an exciting and quick way to move through Zelda’s Tears of the Kingdom, though not necessary to enjoy its world. Shield surfing offers fast progress while making for some extra danger!
Surfing requires donning a shield and pressing X. However, surfers must take caution as surfing quickly decreases shield durability.
Shields
Shield surfing can efficiently traverse long terrain stretches in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While shield surfing won’t drain your Stamina, your shields will degrade while being used; make sure you keep plenty of spare guards handy if this method will frequently become your preferred method for traversing terrain. It works best on downward slopes; otherwise, just walking your way across might be faster.
For an effective shield surf, equip and press ZL before pressing X to jump and A while in mid-air; this will cause Link to flip onto his shield and ride it downhill until it breaks or loses momentum. Should this occur while surfing, you will take falling damage if your shield breaks – To make the most out of this ability, find a steep hill with paved surfaces like Selmie’s Spot, allowing faster travel than walking alone.
One of the significant aspects of shield surfing is its adaptability; you can add various items to it to increase speed or change directions. For instance, adding a mine cart can allow you to move along rails more rapidly; similarly, fusing a spring makes reaching high ledges much simpler.
Pressing Y makes it possible to attack enemies while shield surfing. While unnecessary, this feature may be helpful when taking down large groups or bosses. Be mindful that shields can break if struck while resting on rocky surfaces; be careful if using this technique on such terrain; should your shield break in mid-shield surf, you will be propelled forward and may experience additional damage depending on how far your fall goes.
Controls
Shield surfing is one of the game’s most exciting traversal methods, allowing Link to glide effortlessly along steep inclines like he would skateboard without expelling stamina from his reserves. Tears of the Kingdom enhances this mechanic further through Fuse and other fun tricks, but to get the most from shield surfing, you must understand its workings, which buttons to press, and when and why to utilize it.
To surf, first, ensure your shield is equipped and you’re near an incline or mine cart rail. Press ZL and X to jump, followed by A to land both feet on the shield. Your travel direction can then be controlled using joysticks; your speed depends on which surface you use – snow and sand work best, while mountains or tall grass won’t help cover any distance.
Surfing can be an efficient way to travel quickly, but it’s important to remember that you are skating on top of a shield that may take damage over time and wear down its durability. If your shield breaks while surfing, you could take an equal distance in damage as you slide downhill. – Plus, fast movements could also throw you off balance; therefore, it may be prudent to slow down before trying it again.
While surfing, you can press Y to perform a spin attack against any enemies who come within range. While it won’t add a speed boost, this strategy can be helpful when confronting packs of enemies that come near. Remember that this animation only remains active until you jump off your shield or press B to cancel it; for extended surfing sessions, consider purchasing or attaching rockets – they cover more ground faster and make quite the statement in the arena!
Terrain
Shield surfing is an engaging and captivating way to navigate The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s vast world, providing players with another dimension of movement within its sprawling environment. Players can quickly descend mountains and slopes using their shields as makeshift snowboards; however, surfing successfully takes some practice and the appropriate equipment.
To start shield surfing, players must first equip a shield. This can be accomplished by visiting the inventory menu and selecting one from its list. After training, Link must jump to enter his surfing stance by pressing the action (X on Nintendo Switch) and shield parry button (A). When in midair, players must hold down both buttons while pushing forward on the left analog stick – the resulting momentum will determine their speed as they glide along the ground; grassy terrain typically produces faster speeds, while rocky surfaces may cause them slowdown or cause him breakage – Additionally, terrain or weather can influence how much friction exerted upon his shield during his journey across land or water surface he encounters while traveling over water surfaces or breaking through barriers in midair.
Players can add extra grip to their shields by fusing various materials and objects. This is especially beneficial when surfing over rough terrain, as merging items like minecarts and skateboards to your shield increases its versatility further.
Speed
Shield Surfing is an exciting feature of The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom that adds extra mobility. It provides a way for Link to traverse specific terrain, like deserts and snow, without using Sand or Snow Boots, which take time to equip. To perform it, raise your shield with ZL while pressing A to jump; once in the air, press A again to position Link into his surfing stance, where he can slide down hills or even fly up them with careful timing!
Surfing shields remain securely attached to your feet until you lose balance or press B, ending the action. Specific guards perform better for this than others; Gerudo and Lizal shields have low friction stats, which make them ideal for fast surfing. You could even add an optional Rocket attachment that temporarily adds surfing speed!
Shield surfing requires taking into account the terrain you are surfing on. Rocky surfaces will reduce your shield’s durability, while sand and snow will not. If your shield breaks while surfing, you could suffer severe consequences as you tumble downhill and suffer equal to how far it fell.
Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of shield surfing, it’s time to increase your speed. To do this, find yourself an appropriate slope – such as a mountainside or dunes – then get out your shield using ZL and jump using the X button before sliding downhill using ZL and pressing Y for spin attacks (which can hit enemies nearby and knock them out) while pressing R allows for expert drifting around curves.
