| Default layout | Warriors Style |
|---|---|
| Attack / strong attack | Y / X |
| Evade | B |
| Special Attack | A (full yellow gauge) |
| Guard / item | ZL (hold) / ZR |
| Focus Spirit | R (full green Magic gauge) |
| Alternate layout | Zelda Style, chosen in Button Settings |
In the default Warriors Style on Nintendo Switch you attack with Y, use stronger attacks with X, evade with B and unleash a Special Attack with A once the yellow gauge is full. ZL guards, ZR uses your equipped item, and R starts Focus Spirit when the green Magic gauge is full. Fill the gauges, break enemy weak points and capture keeps, and the rest of the game follows from those habits.
Table of Contents
Button layout
Warriors Style
Warriors Style is the default. Y is the regular attack and X the stronger one; chain them in different orders to perform each weapon’s combos. B evades, and A performs a Special Attack. The same buttons are used by every warrior, but each one has different combos and a different Special Attack.
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Y | Regular attack |
| X | Strong attack |
| B | Evade |
| A | Special Attack, and Focus Spirit Attack while Focus Spirit is active |
| R | Activate Focus Spirit |
| ZR | Use the equipped item ( Bomb,  Bow,  Boomerang,  Hookshot,  Hammer or potion) |
| ZL (hold) | Guard |
| L | Lock on to an enemy; flick the  Right Stick to change target |
| D-Pad up or down | Switch the warrior you control |
| Right Stick press |  Fairy Magic when its icon glows |
 Left Stick press | Start co-op on the Select Warrior screen |
Zelda Style
Zelda Style swaps the face buttons into the layout familiar from the series. B is the regular attack, Y the strong attack, A evades and X performs the Special Attack. While Focus Spirit is active, X also performs the Focus Spirit Attack. Other buttons stay the same. Change the layout from the main menu with Settings, then Controller Settings, then Button Settings.
| Action | Warriors Style | Zelda Style |
|---|---|---|
| Regular attack | Y | B |
| Strong attack | X | Y |
| Evade | B | A |
| Special Attack | A | X |
| Focus Spirit Attack | A | X |
Combat basics
Combos and strong attacks
Every weapon has a set of combos built from regular and strong attacks. Mix the order up to find the strings that clear crowds fastest for each weapon, and note which ones knock back or stagger tougher enemies. Combo badges from the Bazaar add extra moves for a weapon type; see The Bazaar.
Evading and guarding
Press B to roll out of an attack. Hold ZL to guard against ordinary attacks; some enemies guard against you in the same way, and a warrior with Digging Mitts badges or the Guard Breaker mixture can hurt them anyway. Giant bosses and large attacks are better avoided than blocked.
Special Attack
Defeating enemies fills the yellow Special gauge, and Force Fragments dropped by enemies fill it as well. When it is full, press A (X in Zelda Style) to unleash a powerful Special Attack that clears the area around you. Din’s Fire badges fill the gauge faster and Fierce Deity’s Mask badges give extra gauges, so you can chain more than one.
Magic and Focus Spirit
The green Magic gauge fills when you pick up Magic Jars. Small jars come from grass, pots and defeated enemies, and each fills part of the gauge. When the gauge is full, press R to enter Focus Spirit. While it is active your attacks are stronger and faster, you are knocked back less, and defeating a certain number of enemies awards special bonuses.
While in Focus Spirit you can press A (X in Zelda Style) to spend the whole gauge on a Focus Spirit Attack. It topples enemies around you and exposes their weak points at once, which makes it the best way to set up a Weak Point Smash on tough enemies and giant bosses. Hover Boots badges make Focus Spirit last longer.
Weak Point gauge and Weak Point Smash
Certain enemies and all giant bosses show a Weak Point gauge after you hit them with something that leaves them open: a power-up item, a Focus Spirit Attack or a move that stops them. Attack while the gauge shows and empty it, and your warrior performs a Weak Point Smash for massive damage. If the enemy is knocked away just as the gauge empties, an orange ring marks the spot; run into the ring to finish the smash. Stamina Fruit badges and the Weak Point Smasher mixture drain the gauge faster.
Items
Press ZR to use your equipped sub-weapon. Bombs are your first item, and the Bow, Boomerang, Hookshot and Hammer follow as the story goes on. Picking up the matching power-up makes an item stronger for a short time, and Assist badges extend that time. Many keeps and chests need a specific item, so check Items when something blocks your way.
Battle and keep tips
Capturing keeps
A keep keeps sending soldiers at you until you take it. To capture one, defeat enough enemies inside to empty the Keep meter shown under the battlefield map. The Keep Boss then appears; defeat him and the keep is yours. Taking keeps stops enemy reinforcements, opens gates and often reveals chests. Farore’s Wind badges make this quicker.
If one of your own keeps comes under attack, a notice appears and your allies call for help. Go back and defend it rather than pushing on, because losing your Allied Base ends the battle in defeat. You can also swap to another warrior with the D-Pad, who may already be near the trouble.
Beginner tips
Use the whole roster. Different warriors are strong against different enemies, and some collectibles can only be taken by one of them, so swap often and try everyone; see Characters. Look at each scenario’s recommended element on the scenario select screen and pick a weapon of that element, since matching weapons deal more damage.
Spend Rupees as you earn them. Craft Empty Bottle I and a few cheap badges for the warriors you use, and pay for levels at the Training Dojo for any warrior who is behind. Use Bombs against cracked walls and boulders, since hidden Heart Containers, Pieces of Heart and Gold Skulltulas often sit behind them; see Heart Containers and Pieces.
Watch for bosses. Giant bosses have their own weaknesses, and hitting those with the right item, then breaking the Weak Point gauge, takes most of their health at once. See the Boss Guide. If a scenario is too hard, lower the difficulty or play in co-op; see Modes and Difficulty.
Fight giant bosses with company. When two playable warriors stand together, half of each of their Magic gauges fills at once, and attacking enemies refills the gauge afterward. When three warriors gather near a giant boss, its Weak Point gauges drain faster. Bring your party to the boss before you start the Weak Point Smash.
