As they await the next Breath of the Wild game, Legend of Zelda fans are gobbling up Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity which is released in two waves: the first, called “Pulse of the Ancients,” in June 2021, and the second, called “Guardian of Remembrance,” in November 2021.
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Vicious Monster Battles are a new type of fight introduced in the first wave of the Season Pass DLC for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know so that you’re not left guessing about how to take on these brand new, intimidating opponents.
How To Unlock Vicious Monster Battles In Age Of Calamity
The Vicious Monster encounters don’t start as soon as the DLC is activated. You’ll need to progress through a few of the challenges in the EX Royal Ancient Lab.
In order to fight Vicious Monsters, complete the quest towards the bottom of the web, entitled “The Menace of Vicious Monsters.” Once that’s finished, you’ll start to see the red, glowing icons on the map.
Now you can see and participate in the Vicious Monster fights – but you don’t know who you’re up against before you go in. To get that information, complete the challenge directly to the right of “The Menace of Vicious Monsters,” which is called “Analyzing Vicious Behaviour.”
Types Of Vicious Monster Battles
You’ll run into three types of Viscious Monster encounters, once they’re unlocked. They are always recommended for heroes who are level 78 or higher.
The first type asks you to run around a large, sprawling map in order to locate the Vicious Monster. It could be anywhere on the map, making it quite a chore to check every nook and cranny. It’s made even more complicated by the fact that other, smaller bosses will be waiting for you around the area as a distraction.
Thankfully, two heroes are allowed on these missions, so you can order the NPC to help cover more ground – or just have a friend help you out!
The second type is more direct: you’ll fight a smaller boss and capture an outpost (in no particular order) before reaching the Vicious Monster. Thankfully, this allows you to charge your special attack on a few grunts before reaching the real challenge. Unless you’re in two-player mode, only one hero will be able to go on this quest (so choose the hero you’re most familiar with).
The Bonus Type
The unique type is the Battle-Tested Guardian fight. It takes quite some time to work through the EX Royal Ancient Lab challenges but once you qualify for the Battle-Tested Guardian trial it will appear as a Vicious Monster Trial in north-eastern Hebra.
Once you beat it once, you’ll be able to go back and continue challenging it. It does not behave like a normal Vicious Monster fight – you only fight the Battle-Tested Guardian, no other opponents.
How To Fight Vicious Monsters In Age Of Calamity
When you reach the vicious monsters in one of the normal encounters, you’ll need to defeat between one and three bosses; one at a time or all together, depending on the opponents. The game does an excellent job of indicating which ones are the Vicious Monsters but if you need an extra hint, they’re also marked with a goofy nickname like “Stronger Than Strong” or “Health Advocate.”
You could go up against any of the bosses you’re familiar with from the game, plus the special new boss (a huge Chuchu). It might be a:
- Stone Talus
- Guardian
- Chuchu
- Wizzrobe
- Hinox
…and more!
Tip: They’re often elementally charged, making your rods extra important for these fights. You’ll find that you have a surplus of energy available to you during the DLC, so don’t be shy to use it against your opponents!
Calling In Support
As you bring down your opponent’s health bar, the Vicious Monster will call in smaller bosses to help it out. These may be smaller bosses that don’t appear as Vicious Monsters or less powerful versions of the Vicious Monster:
- Moblins
- Less powerful Wizzrobes
- Flying Guardians
…and more!
It’s up to you whether you want to leave these smaller enemies alone and focus on the Vicious Monster or take them out so that you’re not dealing with damage from behind while you’re in another fight.
Tip: the small bosses are also often elementally charged, so they’ll provide energy for your rods. If the small boss will provide energy that the Vicious Monster is weak to, kill it to get that bonus!
Rewards For Defeating Vicious Monsters
Your rewards for defeating the Vicious Monsters will be a combination of rare items (like gemstones) and more common items (like cooking ingredients).
You’ll also get DLC-specific items and a trophy for each Vicious Monster you killed (which are essential for a number of the EX Royal Ancient Lab challenges).
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