When last we left our hero Link, he had boarded the flying Divine Beast Vah Medoh. In this follow-up post, we cover activating the terminals in the mechanical eagle and fighting WindBlight Ganon to free Vah Medoh.
Dungeon Map
First things first: to access and activate the terminals, we’ll need to maneuver the beast, and that requires the dungeon map. The initial cut scene shows Link the path to the Guidance Stone, aka the map. But – okay, perhaps the map really isn’t the first thing.
The Real First Thing
We’re not big on getting all the treasure chests in a shrine or a dungeon. It’s not that we don’t want them, you understand, but wanting and acquiring them (with ease) is not always the same. Itzal is prone to admonish Demelza, through gritted teeth, “Eye on the prize,” which essentially means “I can’t get that treasure chest/Korok seed/what have you, but I’m not disposed to admit it, can we just move on and spare my ego?”
But when a treasure chest is right there for the taking, and when it contains a sapphire, why not? Before entering the beast, you’ll see some Malice (aka goo) with an eyeball in it. Shoot the eyeball to access the chest, and a sapphire is your reward.
Back to the Dungeon Map
Head into the beast and, spying more goo, locate and pluck out (shoot) the offending eye. Make your way over to the other side of the room, either utilizing wind drifts and your paraglider or Magnesis on scattered metal blocks. There’s a chest if you want it now or later. There’s also a Guardian scout waiting for you; once it’s defeated, activate the terminal. You now have access to the dungeon map and the ability to tilt the beastly eagle hither and yon.
(At this point, Itzal will no doubt mention that when we tackled Vah Medoh, Demelza initially was offering directions for the wrong Divine Beast. She will beat him to the punch and acknowledge the ever-so-minor and brief error, BUT at the same time point out that the opening instructions for both the right and the wrong beast were precisely the same: “Get to the other side of the room and activate the terminal.” Which we did.)
Manipulating the beast
As with other divine beasts, Link is able to manipulate the mechanical creature using the map. In Vah Medoh’s case, Link can tilt the eagle, causing things – metal blocks, carts, platforms – to travel this way or that, hitting triggers or providing a ride for Link, according to the circumstances.
Although we freed this beast second after Vah Ruta – for reasons related to geography and Mipha’s Grace – later we agreed that Vah Medoh, once boarded, was actually the easiest of the four beasts, because there was less manipulating of the controls. (We also agreed that offering directions from the wrong beast may make even this one harder.) (We? Demelza disputes the claim of agreeing to anything.) We found wings easier to visualize than elephant trunks. And the body of the beast was more streamlined than a camel or a salamander. You get the drift.
Malice and other annoyances
During your travels in Vah Medoh, you’ll encounter Malice, and if you don’t clear it, beware not only the goo itself but the floating skeleton heads that attack Link until the beast is free of the evil eyes. There are also a couple of Guardian scouts, which are passing annoying, but we do, after all, like the ancient things they drop.
In search of terminals
The glowing dots on the map indicate where a terminal in need of activation is located. Survey the interior for clues such as carts, blocks, and switches, then move the beast in the direction needed to achieve the objective. Once a terminal is activated, the corresponding light will go out on the map, and you can locate your next target.
Zelder Tip #1: One terminal, located outside the beast, is reachable when Link climbs aboard a trolley and tilts the beast to make the trolley move toward the terminal. But first, you must shoot an arrow at a glowing eye of Malice at the terminal’s location. In our experience, it wasn’t enough to get as close to the edge of the beast as we could; reaching that eye required using a distance bow such as the Phrenic bow. Have one in your inventory before boarding the beast!
Wind helps and hindrances
Not surprisingly, given the beast in question, wind is also a factor. For one terminal, you’ll need air to move a couple of windmills and open a gate, and you’ll find yourself using Stasis to hold a windmill briefly in place while wind from another moves a battering ram down to hit a switch.
Wind geysers can be used to fly up as needed (for example, when Link accidentally falls down to the wrong level needed to access a terminal).
Using bombs to access terminals
And then there’s our old friend the bomb. Not bomb arrows, which in our case were sadly depleted by Itzal’s poor aim in the pre-flight boarding procedures, just plain old round bombs, which you will drop into holes, then tilt the beast so they roll and detonate.
Treasure chests
As previously noted, we don’t often get all the treasure chests in a beast or a shrine. We have more of a low-hanging-fruit philosophy. Indeed, you should hear the sneer in Itzal’s voice when a chest contains a Claymore. On the other hand, when there’s a diamond or the holy grail Giant Ancient Core at stake, Demelza is single-minded in her nagging – er, pursuit. Thus, in addition to the previously mentioned treasure chest with a Sapphire, note that there’s a treasure chest inside Vah Medoh containing an Ancient Core (atop a platform reachable via a lattice-like wall) and another outside (might that be on his tail feathers?) holding a coveted Giant Ancient Core.
Windblight Ganon
Once you’ve activated all the terminals, it’s time to slay a blight. Use a wind geyser to fly to the top of the beast to activate the main unit. It’s here you’ll meet Windblight Ganon. True to his name, this enemy will summon tornados to battle Link. But he’s not limited to tornados, of course! No, he also has lasers at his disposal. Fortunately, the lasers are also his Achilles’ heel. When he’s shot several beams in a row, he’ll languish on the ground, winded – you should pardon the pun – and that’s Link’s cue to get in close and pummel him. When Windblight Ganon’s in the air, one can also use arrows to inflict damage.
As always, a wounded bear is a more dangerous one. After the blight loses half his health, he’ll offer up double tornados and lasers shot from satellites. Continue on with the previous strategy: attack the enemy when he’s on the ground and vulnerable; shoot him in the eye when he’s in the air.
Link’s reward –
When Windblight Ganon expires, Link is rewarded with an additional heart container and, better still, Revali’s Gale. Indeed, were we to do it over again (and we did), we would tackle this Divine Beast first solely for the hero’s gift.
Zelder Tip#2: You don’t receive Revali’s Gale until you respond definitively to the query at the Main Control Unit that you’re ready to depart and ne’er more return. That initiates a cutscene and the gift.
After leaving Vah Medoh, return to talk to the Rito Village elder. Kaneli will have another gift for Link, the Great Eagle Bow, which shoots three arrows for the price of one!
– And Zelders’ reward
For your valiant effort and drinking pleasure, we recommend a Kamikaze, which means Divine Wind in Japanese. What could be more appropriate for battle against the windy Vah Medoh?