After the forgettable implementation of Shields in Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces a slew of choices and a totally new Fuse Mechanic that gamers can use to transform their run-of-the-mill shields into one thing totally different fully.
The power to experiment is on the core of Tears of the Kingdom’s gameplay loop, and Shields are a core a part of it. To fuse one thing to a Defend, stand close to the fabric you propose to make use of (or drop it if it is in your stock) and choose Fuse from the skills menu. Then, press ZL to fuse.
Up to date by Hamza Haq on July ninth, 2023: Tears of the Kingdom has been out for a while now and gamers have had an excellent whereas to seek out out new and attention-grabbing defend fusion combos. With new discoveries being delivered to gentle, we have up to date the checklist to incorporate the most recent information about probably the most helpful supplies that may be fused to a defend, altering the sport in stunning methods.
20 Stone Slab + Defend
Stone Slabs are sometimes discovered within the Depths in conveniently positioned caches of reusable supplies Hyperlink can use as wanted. As an alternative of leaving these behind to assemble mud after you’re accomplished with them, slap one on a defend for some added sturdiness.
Stone Slab Shields are additionally fireproof, providing you with a option to reliably tank the hits of a Hearth Gleeok with out having to resort to dodging. In the proper circumstances, these shields can flip a tough battle in your favor.
19 Spring + Defend
The Spring Zonai machine permits your Defend to turn into a leaping pad you should utilize to get an instantaneous increase in top, helpful for when you want to attain one thing simply out of attain.
Nevertheless, Spring attachments are a one-time deal, use it as soon as, and it is gone. To make use of a Spring Defend to get a lift, draw your Defend out by urgent ZL, then leap by urgent X, after which press A to have Hyperlink transfer the Defend below his toes. If accomplished with a daily defend, this may can help you defend surf.
18 Mirror + Defend
Shields fused with a Mirror Zonai machine are fairly helpful in the proper state of affairs. If there’s a gentle supply to attract from, the Mirror Defend will redirect the sunshine in a targeted beam at no matter you are aiming in the direction of.
Enemies hit by this beam of sunshine are dazzled. They cowl their eyes and cease transferring as they cannot see. With this, you possibly can cease an enemy in its tracks and drive it to offer you a second to breathe and reorient your self.
17 Sled + Defend
Talking of defend browsing, getting round Hyrule is made a lot, a lot simpler through the use of your Defend as a skateboard within the locations that enable it. Deserts, snowy landscapes, and mild slopes are all good for defend browsing.
You possibly can fuse your Defend with a Sled—a Zonai machine—to get some extra mileage whereas browsing. With enough apply, you possibly can surf indefinitely on the proper panorama. Hylian Defend is the right candidate for a Sled Defend as a result of it by no means breaks.
16 Octo-Balloon + Defend
Like in Breath of the Wild, Octo-Balloons have the power to raise something they’re hooked up to, giving it a modest increase in air time. You possibly can fuse these to your defend to get your self a couple of toes of top.
The Rocket Defend does basically the identical factor however higher. Nevertheless, the Octo-Balloons are a extra frequent useful resource and also you won’t wish to use your valuable rockets for one thing like this.
15 Rocket + Defend
Rocket Shields do the identical factor as Spring Shields and Octo-Balloon Shields however solely in a way more… explosive means. They’re simpler to make use of as nicely. Simply fuse any defend with a Rocket and draw it out by holding ZL.
The Rocket will activate and propel you upwards for a good distance earlier than the battery runs out. Utilizing the rocket energy does drain the sturdiness of the Defend, so attempt to fuse this with weaker shields which can be simply meant to get replaced by higher ones down the highway.
14 Wing + Defend
If you want to get some air time, Wing Shields are right here to assist. Should you fuse a Wing Zonai machine with any Defend, it’ll type the Wing Defend. If you attempt to defend surf with this machine, you’ll end up leaping far greater than pure.
Use this to climb to larger heights or collect some much-needed momentum if the slope you’re planning on defend browsing on just isn’t ideally suited. Wings are one of many extra frequent Zonai units you’ll discover, principally within the Sky Islands.
13 Star Fragment + Defend
Should you’ve collected some Star Fragments over the course of your adventures, you recognize that if there’s one factor that Star Fragments do, it’s that they shine brilliant. Just like the Miner Armor, a Defend fused with a Star Fragment will function an impromptu gentle supply that you may carry round in your again with out sacrificing an armor slot.
That is extremely helpful if you’re out and about exploring the depths. Whereas a Star Fragment Defend will not provide you with clairvoyance, it’ll give off sufficient gentle that you may see what’s proper in entrance of you. Not one thing that’s straightforward to return by within the Depths. And, since this can be a passive characteristic, you will not be consuming your Defend’s sturdiness.
12 Spike Ball + Defend
Spike Balls are uncommon supplies you could find round Hyrule in case you look onerous sufficient. Within the overworld, they seem as giant, menacing balls of spiked metal simply twice Hyperlink’s top. When fused with a Defend, they get quite a bit smaller however no much less lethal.
A Spike Ball Defend has the distinctive performance of damaging any enemy that hits it. That means you possibly can successfully turn into a spiked hedgehog that damages enemies by getting hit. That is notably helpful for coping with mobs of weak enemies like Keese and Mokoblins.
11 Mine Cart + Defend
A Mine Cart Defend does the identical factor as a Sled Defend however higher. Not solely can gamers use it as a drastically superior shield-surfing automobile than another kind of defend, they will additionally use it to experience the rails within the Depths.
The Depths can also be residence to the overwhelming majority of Mine Carts in Tears of the Kingdom and gamers can simply discover a lot to mess around with. Slap a cart in your weakest defend and go online!
10 Any Weapon + Defend
Fusing weapons to shields would possibly seem foolish at first look, however what in case you had been instructed this is among the higher fusions accessible to shields? Fusing a weapon to a defend permits your bash or parry movement to wreck enemies standing in the way in which.
The harm dealt on this means straight corresponds to the weapon’s base harm. So in case you fuse a wood follow a defend and bash with it, you may barely be tickling the enemy. However change that wood keep on with a Royal Claymore, and you will be dealing some severe harm.
9 Treasured Stone + Defend (Ruby/Sapphire/Topaz/Opal)
The commonest use for precious ores like Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, and Opal in Breath of the Wild was to be bought for an excellent chunk of money. That is nonetheless the case in Tears of the Kingdom, however in addition they make for wonderful fusion materials. Any defend fused with a Sapphire will launch a blast of freezing chilly on being struck that turns enemies into ice cubes. Topaz releases a wave of electrical energy, Ruby does a small explosion, and Opal douses them with water.
Shields (and weapons) fused with Ruby or Sapphire even have the property of affecting the close by temperature. Lowering it (Sapphire) or rising it (Ruby) in case you have the defend fused with the respective stone the stone geared up. Use this to navigate excessive climate situations with out having to commit any sources.
8 Emitter + Defend (Flame/Frost/Shock/Beam)
There are 4 kinds of Emitter Zonai units, all of which could be fused to a defend to superb impact. The Flame Emitter Defend spits out a persistent flamethrower in case you maintain the Defend out by urgent ZL. The Frost Emitter Defend releases a torrent of freezing air, and the Shock Emitter converts your Defend right into a Tesla coil.
Lastly, the Beam Emitter produces a skinny beam of laser that offers harm to any enemy it hits. It has a for much longer vary than the opposite kinds of emitters. Take observe that utilizing an Emitter Defend by activating its distinctive results reduces the Defend’s sturdiness even when no enemy is actively hitting you.
7 Like Like Stone + Defend
Fusing Elemental Like Stones right into a defend is among the finest makes use of for this materials within the recreation. The Like Like stones deal harm in an space comparable to their ingredient. With a Like Like stone hooked up, you possibly can deal with your Defend as an offhand attacking one, one which applies elemental results on command.
So, a Shock Like Like Stone will deal electrical harm to an enemy. This additionally applies element-specific results to the enemies as nicely. So, an enemy hit with a Shock Like Like stone can be shocked and drop all their weapons and shields. Equally, an Ice Like Like Stone will freeze them, and a Hearth Like Like Stone will burn.
6 Bomb Barrel + Defend
There are many Bomb Barrels throughout Tears of the Kingdom’s huge open world, and now you possibly can have some enjoyable with them. If an enemy strikes a Bomb Barrel Defend, the barrel will explode, dealing huge AoE fireplace harm to enemies caught within the blast.
Usually, these barrels are situated in or round Mokoblin camps, which means you possibly can run in with nothing however a defend to your title, fuse it with a barrel, lure all the camp of enemies to 1 space, tank one hit on the Defend, and watch the world burn. Oh, and in addition, you might be utterly proof against the following explosion.
5 Puffshroom + Defend
As showcased within the trailer, the Puffshroom Defend is made by slapping a Puffshroom on any defend. If an enemy hits your Defend whilst you’re holding it out, the Puffshroom is activated, releasing an enormous cloud of white fuel that blinds enemies.
Blinded enemies could be taken down by sneaking behind them and dealing backstab assaults for enormous harm. You possibly can lure a complete horde of enemies in a Puffshroom cloud and take them out one after the other fairly simply.
4 Icy Meat + Defend
Icy Meat in Tears of the Kingdom has a curious property: no friction. This is among the areas the place the sport’s physics would not fairly make sense. In any case, how can meat haven’t any friction if it has been frozen? Nevertheless, what issues is that this property is inherited by any defend that’s fused with an Icy Meat.
Defend Browsing with an Icy Meat defend is arguably the quickest option to get down a slope that gamers have discovered thus far. You possibly can create an Icy Meat to fuse by killing an animal that usually drops a variation of meat utilizing ice harm. This harm can come from any supply like a White Chuchu Jelly or an icicle-fused weapon.
3 Cannon + Defend
The Cannon Zonai machine is among the finest fusions for a defend. If a defend fused with a Cannon is held out in entrance of Hyperlink, the Cannon will bear a small animation to point out its charging up, after which it’ll launch an enormous cannon shot that offers AoE explosive harm to enemies on the level of impression.
The cannon shot will decrease the Defend’s sturdiness, however it may be very helpful when combating excessive HP targets. You will come throughout Cannons usually in Zonai constructing hubs and puzzle-solving shrines. As an alternative of leaving them to assemble mud, fuse them along with your sturdiest Defend to at all times have a trump card in your again pocket.
2 Firebreath/Icebreath/Electrical Lizalfos Horn + Defend
Hearth-breath, Ice-breath, and Electrical Lizalfos will drop elemental horns on defeat. If fused to a defend these horns turn into an makeshift offhand weapon for Hyperlink that may additionally deal harm.
In contrast to Sapphire, Ruby, and Topaz Shields, Lizalfos Horn shields do not react when hit by an enemy. As an alternative, they permit Hyperlink to make use of the parry maneuver to deal a small quantity of AoE harm of their respective ingredient. An Ice-breath Lizalfos Defend, for instance, can freeze any enemies in vary on command, simply with a swing of the defend. Extremely helpful in fight encounters.
1 Muddle Bud + Defend
Muddle Bud is a flexible mushroom in Tears of the Kingdom that may massively flip a battle in your favor if used proper. It is among the finest arrow fusions within the recreation, however for clearing out teams of enemies, fusing it with a Defend could be much more efficient.
Maintain out your fused Muddle Bud Defend when dealing with an enemy and look forward to it to assault. If hit, the Defend will launch a small puff of pink fuel that may confuse any enemy caught in its impact. Confused enemies assault anybody in sight, together with different monsters. A simple option to clear a Mokoblin camp is to lure all of the enemies in a bunch in the direction of you, tank one assault, and watch your enemies kill one another for you. With this, you possibly can clear whole camps with out having to raise a finger.
