Guardians are among the most dangerous enemies in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Especially at the beginning, a single energy beam is enough to take out Link. Later, these same machines become a major source of Ancient Screws, Ancient Springs, Ancient Gears, Ancient Axles, as well as the rare Ancient Cores and Ancient Giant Cores. You need these materials for improvements to the Sheikah Slate, the Ancient Armor and the powerful weapons from the Akkala Institute. There are significantly more types of guardians than just the well-known six-legged runners: In addition to guardian wrecks, aviators and guns, there are the Prupellas, which only appear during the Rudania mission, as well as four levels of nano-guardians. In this guide you will find all the guardians, their life points, Locations, possible loot and the best methods to specifically farm ancient materials.
All Guardians in Breath of the Wild
| Guardian | Life Points | Typical Locations | Special Loot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian (runner) | 1.500 | Hyrule Field, surroundings of Hyrule Castle, Tarrin Swamp | Up to the Giant Ancient Core |
| Guardian (aviator) | 1.500 | Hyrule Castle, Akkala Plateau, Akkala Fortress, Lomei Labyrinth Island Island | Up to the Giant Ancient Core |
| Guardian Turret | 1.500 | Especially Hyrule Castle | Up to the Giant Ancient Core |
| Decayed Guardian | 500 | Great Plateau, Hyrule Field, Hyrule Castle, numerous ruins | screw, spring, gear, axle |
| Sentry | 1.000 | Death Mountain during the Vah Rudania main quest | Up to the Ancient Core |
| Guardian Scout I | 13 | Shrines and Titans | Antique Screw, Antique Spring |
| Guardian Scout II | 375 | shrines, especially light tests of strength | screw, spring, gear, axle |
| Guardian Scout III | 1.500 | Medium strength tests | Up to the Ancient Core |
| Guardian Scout IV | 3.000 | Heavy tests of strength | Up to the Ancient Core |
For the rarest materials, guard runners, guard flyers and guard guns are particularly interesting. Only these large intact fighting machines can drop a Giant Ancient Core in addition to normal reactor cores. While Guardian Wrecks are much easier to defeat, their loot pool ends at the Ancient Axis. Nano Guardians 3.0 and 4.0 can drop normal Ancient Cores, but not Giant Cores.
Guardian Stalker – Locations and weaknesses
The Guardian runner is the best known variant and probably the most intimidating for inexperienced players. The six movable legs allow him to track Link over long distances, while his head can be rotated independently of his body. Runners have 1,500 life points and attack almost exclusively with their energy beam. You can find a lot of them on the Hyrule Field, around Hyrule Castle and in Tarrin Swamp west of Tarrey Town. For farming Ancient Materials, Runners are the best combination of easy access, large amounts of loot, and the chance of getting an Giant Ancient Core.
You don’t have to fight a runner head-on down to 1,500 life points. First shoot an arrow into his black eye. A hit interrupts the targeting and briefly stuns the machine. Then sprint to a leg and cut it off with a melee weapon. Each leg destroyed deals 100 damage regardless of the weapon used, stuns the Guardian again, and drops additional Ancient Materials. With antique or guardian weapons, the legs can be destroyed particularly reliably in one hit. Once you have removed all six legs, the runner can no longer flee and is a much easier target in close combat.
Guardian Skywatcher – Locations and propeller destroy
Guardian flyers also have 1,500 life points, but are more difficult to fight due to their altitude. They patrol along set routes and search the ground with a red beam of light. You will find a particularly large number around Hyrule Castle and at the Akkala Fortress. Other specimens fly, for example, on Lomei Labyrinth Island Island and on several islands off the coast of Akkala. Anyone who reaches the Akkala Tower for the first time will already encounter several planes around the ruins. You can find the complete route through the region in our guide to Akkala, the Akkala Tower and the Lomei Labyrinth Island Island.
In addition to the eyes, your weak point is primarily the drive. The three propellers can be damaged and destroyed separately. If the Guardian loses his rotors, he will crash and can be dealt with much more easily on the ground. With a good bow you can aim at the propellers from air time; Ancient arrows make the encounter even shorter. A direct hit to the eye from an Ancient Arrow instantly destroys a Guardian. Since Guardian Flyers have the same high-quality material table as Runners, Ancient Cores and Ancient Giant Cores are also possible for them.
Guardian Turret – the defense of Hyrule Castle
The guard gun completely dispenses with legs and is firmly attached to its location. So you shouldn’t underestimate it: with 1,500 health points and the same dangerous energy beam, it practically has the firepower of a runner without being able to pursue Link. Multiple guns secure the upper areas of Hyrule Castle. In the expansion pass you will encounter additional copies during the final trial.
Because guns cannot move, the environment determines the level of difficulty. Use walls and ledges as cover, wait for the laser to charge and then shoot in the eye. When fighting from a distance, a perfect shield block works particularly well. Turrets are also one of the few enemies that can drop an Giant Ancient Core. If you’re going to be searching Hyrule Castle for weapons and equipment anyway, it’s worth taking the guns with you along the way.
Decayed Guardian – 500 Health and Light Ancient Materials
Guardian Wrecks are badly damaged remnants of the devastation 100 years ago. Many of these are completely destroyed and can be easily examined, but some awaken as Link approaches. An active Guardian Wreckage has 500 health and cannot move. This makes it perfect for practicing blocking sentinel lasers. A cleanly reflected energy beam is enough to completely destroy the 500 life points.
You will encounter active wrecks particularly early on near the eastern abbey on the Great Plateau. Later you will find numerous specimens on the plains of Hyrule, in the ruins of the former capital, around Hyrule Castle and in other abandoned places. Your loot consists of Antique Screws, Antique Springs, Antique Gears and Antique Axles. Ancient Cores and Giant Cores are not part of the normal loot from an active Guardian Wreckage.
Investigate Destroyed Guardians and Find Ancient Parts
Not every guard model lying on the ground is an enemy. Completely destroyed guards can be examined with the A button and will give you an ancient item. Especially at the beginning of the game, this is an excellent way to get screws, springs, gears or axles without fighting. Many destroyed Guardians can be found east of the Great Plateau, in the ruins of the Hyrule Field and in Tarrin Swamp. If a completely destroyed guard is lying on or directly above a body of water, you can also partially lift it with a cryomodule block. Additional ancient parts are hidden under certain wrecks.
After a blood moon, not only are numerous enemies revived, but many searchable world objects are also reset. Therefore, you can revisit known guardian areas later. For large amounts of material, killing active runners is still much more productive, since when their six legs are destroyed, several additional parts fall out and then the opponent’s actual loot follows.
Sentry – Guardian at Death Mountain
The Prupellas are a special flying guardian variant that you only encounter during the ascension to the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. They have 1,000 life points and patrol the Death Mountain with large red searchlights. If the beam of light detects Link or Yunobo, the Sentry Vah alerts Rudania, whereupon the Titan bombards the area. Therefore, you should use cover during this passage and only continue Yunobo when the next patrol area is safe. You can find the complete path in our Breath of the Wild Walkthrough in the section about the fire titan Vah Rudania.
Prupellas can also be destroyed, leaving behind Ancient Screws, Springs, Gears, Axles, and possibly a standard Ancient Core. They cannot drop an Giant Ancient Core. Because these enemies are tied to a specific primary quest, they don’t make for a convenient standard source of Ancient Materials.
Guardian Scout I – the smallest guardian
Nano Guardians 1.0 are the weakest variant of the small Sheikah fighting machines. With only 13 life points, they are hardly a threat and appear in early shrines in the Great Plateau. Unlike the Great Guardians controlled by Ganon, the orange and blue glowing Nano Guardians were deliberately used by the Sheikah Priests as part of Link’s trials. You will therefore find them almost exclusively in shrines and some titans.
After they are destroyed, Antique Screws and Antique Springs are usually left behind. Reactor cores cannot drop these smallest models. Nano guards 1.0 are therefore uninteresting for targeted farming; You should still always collect their materials during normal exploration.
Guardian Scout II – light test of strength
The Guardian Scout II has 375 life points and can already wield a guardian weapon. You will mainly meet him in easy tests of strength and various normal shrines. His melee attacks are great for practicing evasive maneuvers and perfect blocks. If he moves back and begins a rotating attack, stand behind a pillar. If the guard collides with it, he is defenseless for several seconds.
Its material pool includes antique screws, springs, gears and axles. In addition, there is his equipped guard weapon, which you can pick up after the fight. These weapons deal increased damage against Guardians, making them a good preparation before tackling the big runners on the Hyrule Field.
Guardian Scout III – medium strength test
With 1,500 life points, the Guardian Scout III already has the resistance of a large Guardian Runner. He wields two pieces of equipment and appears primarily in medium strength tests. Stronger versions of the Guardian Swords, Guardian Lances, Guardian Axes and Guardian Shields are used. The combat phases also become more dangerous: in addition to melee attacks, the Guardian uses a quick rotating attack, a circular laser and, towards the end of the fight, several charged energy beams.
In addition to the four common Ancient components, a Guardian Scout III can drop a Ancient Core. This makes medium force tests a possible source for normal reactor cores. You can also collect his Guardian Weapons +. After a Blood Moon, many completed Trials of Strength can be revisited and their Nano Guardians fought again.
Guardian Scout IV – heavy test of strength
The Guardian Scout IV is the strongest small guardian variant and has an impressive 3,000 life points. You can find him in the heavy tests of strength, including well-known shrines such as Tena Ko’sah, Goma Asaagh, Hia Miu, Tutsua-Nima and Saas Ko’sah. These enemies can use three pieces of equipment at the same time and carry the best regular Guardian weapons from the shrines: Guardian Sword ++, Guardian Lance ++, Guardian Ax ++ and Guardian Shield ++.
The material pool extends up to the normal Ancient Core. However, you won’t get an Giant Ancient Core from Nano Guardians 4.0. Nevertheless, heavy tests of strength are excellent farming spots because you get ancient materials and high-quality guardian weapons at the same time. The corresponding enemies return after a blood moon and can then be defeated again.
Defeat guards with the shield – reflect lasers perfectly
The most cost-effective method against large guardians does not require rare weapons or ancient arrows. Hold the shield in front of Link with ZL and press A at the moment the laser beam arrives. If timed correctly, Link will execute a perfect block and reflect the energy beam right back at the Guardian. Against a runner, the reflected beam deals 500 damage. A fully healthy Guardian Runner with 1,500 life points will therefore fall after three successful reflections; a Guardian wreck with 500 life points after just one.
Timing depends on distance. If you’re standing close to the guard, press A at about the moment the blue light flashes in the eye immediately before the shot. At long distances, the laser takes longer to reach Link, so you have to block later. A perfect block does not consume shield durability. However, if you miss the timing, the beam can instantly destroy a weak shield. You can practice particularly well on an immobile guard wreck.
Ancient Shield – Auto-reflect Guardian Laser
If you have trouble finding the perfect block, you can have the Ancient Shield made at the Akkala Institute later. If you simply hold it in front of Link, he can automatically reflect the energy beams of large guardians without you having to hit the perfect parry window. However, unlike an actual perfect block, this automatic reflection costs shield durability. The Ancient Shield requires 1,000 Rupees, ten Ancient Gears, 15 Ancient Feathers and an Giant Ancient Core.
Instantly defeat Guardians with Ancient Arrows
The quickest method against a guard is an Ancient Arrow straight into the eye. If the arrow hits the central blue lens of a normal Guardian, the machine is instantly destroyed – even a fully healthy Guardian walker, flyer, or turret. This is particularly useful when farming in areas with multiple enemies or around Hyrule Castle. If you miss the eye and only hit the body, the Ancient Arrow does massive damage but doesn’t guarantee the same instant kill.
You can have ancient arrows made after activating Cherry at the Akkala Institute. A single arrow costs 90 Rupees, two ancient screws, an ancient axle and a normal arrow. The five-pack is more interesting for regular use: for 400 Rupees, five ancient feathers, five ancient axes and five normal arrows you will receive five ancient arrows.
Master Sword vs Guardian
The Master Sword is also ideal for guard hunting. When Link is near Ganon-corrupted Guardians and other areas imbued with Ganon’s power, the weapon awakens and its attack power increases from 30 to 60. This allows you to quickly sever a walker’s legs and then attack the body without using high-quality normal weapons. If the Master Sword runs out of energy, it does not break permanently, but instead recharges itself after a waiting period.
All Ancient Materials and their Locations
| Material | Selling price | Typical source | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Screw | 12 Rupees | All Guardians, destroyed Guardians | Very common |
| Antique Feather | 15 Rupees | All Guardians, destroyed Guardians | Very common |
| Ancient Gear | 30 Rupees | Guardians of higher levels, destroyed Guardians | Commonly |
| Antique axle | 40 Rupees | Big Guardians, Stronger Nano Guardians | Commonly |
| Ancient Core | 80 Rupees | Large Guardians, Nano Guardians 3.0 and 4.0, Treasure Chests | Rare |
| Giant Ancient Core | 200 Rupees | Guardian Runners, Guardian Flyers, Guardian Guns, certain Treasure Chests | Very rare |
All six items belong to the ancient materials. You can sell them, trade them for mon, use them for medicine, or use them in several important crafting and upgrading recipes. In particular, you should avoid selling reactor cores and giant cores during the first half of the game. The pure ruby value is significantly less than its later use for modules, armor, bows, shields and weapons. You can also find an overview of all raw materials in our ingredients and materials in Breath of the Wild.
Farming Antique Screws
Antique screws are the most common guard component. You can get them from practically every type of guardian and when examining completely destroyed machines. Therefore, there is usually no reason to specifically look for screws. Run through the Hyrule Garrison Ruins, the outskirts of Hyrule Castle, or other ancient battlefields and examine any Guardian remains. As soon as you actively hunt runners later, the supply will grow very quickly anyway.
Farming Ancient Feathers
Antique feathers are also among the most common loot. However, they are needed in large quantities for the Ancient Shield, Ancient Bow and other items from the Akkala Institute. You get a lot of them when you dismantle Guardian Runners. If possible, cut off all six legs before the final hit, as additional components may fall.
Farming Antique Gears
Antique gears are a little rarer and are mainly needed for ancient weapons and ancient armor. Great Guardians are the most reliable source. Nano Guardians from level 2.0 can also leave behind gears. If you also need guardian weapons, it is best to combine material farming with revisiting completed tests of strength after a blood moon.
Farming Ancient Axes
Ancient Axes are used, among other things, for Ancient Arrows and several weapons from the Akkala Institute. Runners, fliers and guns can drop them regularly. They also have stronger nano guards in their loot pool. Because a single pack of five Ancient Arrows costs five axes, supplies can quickly dwindle with frequent use. For larger quantities, the guardian hunt on the level of Hyrule is also worthwhile.
Farming Ancient Cores
Antique reactor cores are significantly rarer than screws, springs, gears and axles. You need them early on, among other things, to improve the stasis module and later in larger quantities for ancient equipment and various weapons. Reactor Cores can be dropped by intact Large Guardians as well as stronger Nano Guardians. In addition, there are several guaranteed reactor cores in Treasure Chests various shrines. If you are only missing a few pieces for a specific improvement, an unopened shrine chest can be faster than hours of guardian farming.
Farming Ancient Giant Cores
The Giant Ancient Core is the rarest normal guardian component. You get it as random enemy loot from Guardian Runners, Guardian Flyers and Guardian Gunners. Sentinel Wrecks and Nano Sentinels cannot drop a Giant Core as normal combat loot. However, some shrines contain guaranteed Ancient Giant Cores in their Treasure Chests, meaning you can be sure to get several copies before extended farming rounds.
Giant Cores are primarily needed for the highest quality items in the Akkala Institute and the final upgrade level of Ancient Armor. The Ancient Bow and Ancient Shield each cost one Giant Core. For each piece of ancient armor you need an additional two giant cores at level four. Therefore, only sell them if you are sure that all planned purchases and armor improvements have already been completed.
Best Locations for Farming Guardians
| area | Guardian | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Hyrule Field | Lots of runners and wrecks | Very good for all antique materials |
| Surroundings of Hyrule Castle | runners, planes, guns, wrecks | Best mix of high quality guards |
| Tarrin Swamp | runners and numerous destroyed guards | Very good for large quantities of normal components |
| Akkala Fortress | Several fliers and guard remains | Good for fliers and high quality drops |
| Heavy tests of strength | Guardian Scout IV | Reactor Cores and Guardian Weapons ++ |
For a big farming round, it’s best to start on the level of Hyrule. There, several runners are relatively close to each other and numerous wrecks provide additional materials. You can then move towards Hyrule Castle, where more runners, fliers and guns are waiting. If you want it to be safer, first search through the many destroyed guards and only fight against individual active specimens. After a Blood Moon, enemies will revive so you can use the same route again.
Tarrin Swamp – Guardian Farm at Tarrey Town
A particularly handy location is west of Tarrey Town in Tarrin Swamp. The former battlefield is full of destroyed Guardians and is also home to active runners. The proximity to Tarrey Town and the fast travel points in Akkala makes it easy to visit the area repeatedly. In Tarrey Town, the Side Quest “Pastime for the Newly Rich” also leads you to exactly two active Guardian Runners in this area. If you are looking for further content in the region, you can find it in our detailed Akkala guide.
Ancient materials for the Sheikah Slate
Long before you consume large amounts of components in the Akkala Institute, Purah in Hateno Village requires some of them for the improved Sheikah Slate modules. For the improved Sheikah sensor module three antique screws are required. The upgraded bombs cost three Ancient Axes. For the particularly useful Stasis Module+, Purah requires three Ancient Cores. Stasis+ is extremely useful later in the guard hunt because you can briefly freeze active enemies and thus gain a favorable position more easily.
Ancient materials in Akkala Institute
After activating the Akkala Institute and bringing the Blue Flame to Cherry, you can have some of the best tech items in the game crafted there. In addition to Rupees, this requires large amounts of ancient materials. That’s precisely why you shouldn’t thoughtlessly sell guard parts you found early.
| Item | Rupees | Required Ancient Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Antique Arrow | 90 | 2 antique screws, 1 antique axle, 1 arrow |
| 3 Antique Arrows | 250 | 6 antique screws, 3 antique axes, 3 arrows |
| 5 Antique Arrows | 400 | 5 antique feathers, 5 antique axes, 5 arrows |
| Antique short sword | 1.000 | 15 Antique Springs, 5 Antique Axles, 2 Antique Reactor Cores |
| Antique shield | 1.000 | 10 Antique Gears, 15 Antique Springs, 1 Antique Giant Core |
| Antique Great Blade | 1.000 | 15 Antique Screws, 5 Antique Axles, 2 Antique Reactor Cores |
| Antique lance | 1.000 | 15 Antique Gears, 5 Antique Axles, 2 Antique Reactor Cores |
| Antique sheet | 1.000 | 10 Antique Gears, 15 Antique Springs, 1 Antique Giant Core |
| Antique Helmet | 2.000 | 20 Antique Gears, 5 Antique Axles, 3 Antique Reactor Cores |
| Ancient Armor | 2.000 | 20 Antique Gears, 5 Antique Screws, 3 Antique Reactor Cores |
| Antique Leg Guard | 2.000 | 20 Antique Gears, 5 Antique Screws, 3 Antique Reactor Cores |
Completely upgrade ancient armor
The Ancient Helmet, the Ancient Armor and the Ancient Leg Guard can each be improved four times with the Great Fairies. For each piece of armor you need five ancient screws and five ancient springs for the first level. The second upgrade costs 15 Ancient Feathers and ten Ancient Gears. Level three requires 15 Ancient Axes and five Ancient Cores. Finally, the fourth and final level requires one Star Shard and two Ancient Giant Cores per piece of armor.
For the complete three-piece set, the rarest materials alone add up to 15 Ancient Cores and six Ancient Giant Cores. In addition, there are large quantities of common components. The investment is worth it: all three parts have a high defense against guard attacks. Once each piece has been upgraded at least twice, the full set also activates its Ancient and Guardian Weapon proficiency bonus. Further values and Locations all items of clothing can be found under all armor in Breath of the Wild.
Guardian Weapons and Ancient Weapons – what’s the difference?
The blue glowing weapons of the Nano Guardians and the ancient equipment produced at the Akkala Institute belong to the same technological family, but are not identical. You can get Guardian Swords, Guardian Lances, Guardian Axes and Guardian Shields directly from Nano Guardians in the shrines. The stronger the Nano Guardian, the better the equipped variant is usually. For example, a Guardian Scout IV can drop Guardian Sword ++, Guardian Lance ++, Guardian Ax ++ or Guardian Shield ++.
Cherry’s ancient weapons, on the other hand, are specially developed replicas based on the old Sheikah technology and cause particularly high damage against guardians. Guardian weapons already have a damage bonus against Guardians; the ancient weapons from the institute are even more effective. If you later combine it with the set bonus of the ancient armor, which has been improved at least twice, the damage can be increased significantly. This means that even guard runners and stronger opponents quickly become manageable sources of material.
What to do if multiple Guardians attack at the same time?
The real danger around Hyrule Castle rarely comes from a single guard. It becomes problematic when several runners, fliers and guns target Link at the same time. In this case, use walls, ruins and differences in terrain so that only one opponent always has a clear line of fire. Hit a runner’s eye with a normal arrow to briefly interrupt their lasers, then focus on one enemy at a time. Revali’s Gale helps you gain altitude quickly and land precise eye shots in slow motion. Urbosa’s Fury can also stun Guardians and deal massive damage.
Farm Guardian again after the Blood Moon
After a blood moon, most defeated enemies Hyrule’s return. This also applies to sentinel runners, sentinel flyers, turrets and most nano sentinels of the tests of strength. This means that all large guard areas remain permanently usable as material sources. Once you have completely farmed the plains of Hyrule and the surrounding area of Hyrule Castle, you wait for the next blood moon and can then take the same route again. The guardians in tests of strength can also be defeated again in this way, which means you get ancient materials and new guardian weapons at the same time.
Don’t rush to sell antique reactor cores
An Ancient Core brings 80 Rupees from the dealer and an Giant Ancient Core brings 200 Rupees. This seems attractive at the beginning, but in the long term it is a bad exchange as long as you still want to improve modules, ancient weapons or ancient armor. Rupees can be easily earned in Hyrule through gems, hunting, mini-games, and other methods. Reactor cores, on the other hand, depend on rare enemy drops or certain Treasure Chests. In particular, save Giant Cores until the Ancient Bow, Ancient Shield, and any desired armor upgrades are paid for.
The best method against guards
At the beginning, the perfect shield block is the most important technique because it requires practically no resources. Once you have more powerful weapons, cutting off a walker’s legs becomes particularly lucrative, as it gives you additional materials and also immobilizes the machine. Later, an ancient arrow in the eye is the quickest solution. If you farm materials specifically and are not under time pressure, you should dismantle the Guardian Runner as completely as possible: stun the eye with an arrow, remove all six legs and only then destroy the body. This way you can get significantly more ancient components out of a single enemy than by shooting them immediately.