Readers who have been wondering “Where is Itzal?” will be pleased to hear that he recently returned to the House of Demelza for a mini-break weekend of Nintendo play and Zelder, umm, drinking. (Readers who have enjoyed Itzal’s absence will be disappointed by this news and shall, no doubt, go about muttering about how Itzal mansplains.) (Readers who care not a tinker’s damn for the whereabouts of Itzal or the adventures of Demelza but are instead muttering “What about some tips to defeat this bloody Waterblight?” should pipe down and read on.)
With the three Lanayru EX Champions’ Ballad shrines revealed and solved (yes, by Demelza on her own), it was time for Link to return to the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.
In our case, however, Demelza had first to show Itzal around Lanayru and regale him with her tales of solitary derring-do. (We would have returned to Eldin for more such tales, particularly about her amazing defeat of the Igneo Talus Titan and chasing rings of light through lava, but that would have required a costume change for Link and, well, Itzal didn’t feel like it.)
Impatient Itzal, nodding approvingly, heaped praise upon the champion Demelza, going so far as to encourage her to keep the controller in hand for the battle with the Waterblight. (It’s a trick, Demelza! Don’t fall for it! He intends to mansplain!)
“Hard pass,” snarked Demelza, adopting Itzal’s favorite refrain. “I already tried-and-died. And it’s all about flying ice blocks and Cryonis, which you’ve done before. So you’re up. But I have research tips!”
Well, then, apparently there will be no mansplaining ahead. Ahem.
Pre-Battle Preparation
Zelder Tip #1 – Eat a Defense Up or Attack Up meal before you approach Vah Ruta. This is not to say, eat a meal whilst you lollygag about Lurelin Village waiting for Urbosa’s Fury to recharge (more on this in a moment). No, that will get you SHOUTED AT by your Nintendo partner, as the seconds tick away on your Defense or Attack buff. Rather, travel to the Divine Beast and move cautiously toward the giant machine – but not too close lest you activate the coming cutscene and GET SHOUTED AT – then pause, consume your chosen meal or elixir, and proceed.
Zelder Tip #2 – You’ll want a full complement of Urbosa’s Fury charges for the battle with the Waterblight. If you have only one or two charges, first use those up; then while away the recovery time in Lurelin Village, always a welcoming and enjoyable locale, until you have the maximum three (3) charges. Then return to Zelder Tip #1. While you’re at it, make sure you have Mipha’s Grace and Daruk’s Protection at the ready. Can’t hurt.
The Battle Itself
The battle with the Waterblight, which Itzal (after a cocktail or two) insists on calling “WaterPik Ganon” in a dramatic and, in his mind, hilarious set-up to “Underbite Ganon,” a play on Thunderblight Ganon, whose demise yet lies ahead in the return to Gerudo, and – oh, my – what has happened to this sentence? Where’s the verb? Ahem. Starting over…
The battle with the Waterblight isn’t awful (there we go, hello, verb – and an adjective,[1] too!), at least, not at first. It deteriorates somewhat when flying blocks of ice enter the picture.
In the first phase of battle with the WaterPik Blight, it’s relatively easy to whale away with your Lightscale Trident alone. Remember, you are stripped of your typical choices of armor, food, and weapons for this battle, just as with the other Blights, who did not have the benefit of a hilarious nickname from Itzal since he was either absent or not hilarious. You do have a trident, however. Three, in fact. Rely on them in the first phase.
The second phase of the battle is reminiscent of your battle with Vah Ruta the first time around. Itzal advises standing on a safe platform in the water[2] and pointing the Cryonis rune at the ice blocks as they come your way. When they turn pink, hit them with the little cartoon hammer, and voila! “Voila” being French for “they break and you are safe.”
Demelza says ignore Itzal’s advice about little hammers, which she never mastered, and instead use Urbosa’s Fury in this phase of the battle. Strategically, of course. Not like poor dumb Itzal in round one when he got disoriented and gave a (safe) platform what-for with an untimely Urbosa’s Fury, all while WaterPik Ganon skipped away unharmed. (The Regular Reader will know what Demelza had to say about that.) Rather, a well-timed and well-directed Fury will deprive the blight of much of its health, blessedly removing the need to use cartoon hammers and triggering the final phase of the battle.
Zelder Tip #3 – Do not be Itzal! Save all three of your Fury charges for later phases of the fight.
Yes, because ice blocks thrown at Link apparently are not enough, the (sadistic) game designers of Nintendo arm the Blight with a laser that shoots from his sole, baleful blue eye.
Parry the laser back with your shield or rely on Daruk’s Protection, if your perfect parries are less than perfect. Then – without shrieking in surprise, as we did, when it strikes true – race forward and finish off the monster.
Après Le Battle
The Blight dead, and gum disease apparently on the rise (without the WaterPik, people, without the WaterPik…follow along with the mansplaining hilarity, please), enjoy your new gift, Mipha’s Grace +, and celebrate with a Blue Margarita and some snackage.
Then steel your courage for EX Champion Urbosa’s Song.
Warning: Yiga Clan Hideout ahead!
[1] A predicative adjective, clarifies Demelza, in manner of Hermione lecturing Ron and Harry, neither of whom ever read Hogwarts: A History, no matter how many times so admonished.
[2] As opposed to “stand on an unsafe platform,” we suppose. Not that any platform is truly safe.