Are Moblins making your life a misery? Keese bringing you down? The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest is tough all right, but don’t despair: our handy tips will turn you into a worthy hero in no time.

To attain Master Rank in any quest, you only need to do one thing: reach the end unscathed. Lose a heart and you lose your chance of Master Rank, but put these tips into practice and you’ll be well on your way to Battle Quest mastery.

Swing into action

First things first – choose your weapon wisely. Grip the Wii U GamePad to go into battle as an eagle-eyed archer, or sync a Wii Remote Plus (sold separately) to swing it like a sword. Make sure you’re familiar with your weapon before diving into the Master Rank challenges – one false move can spell disaster!

The Hero’s Bow proves that the best defence is a good offence – a fully charged shot can take out several enemies in a line and even destroy wooden shields, leaving some enemies totally defenceless! While charging your Mii character stops moving forward, which can buy you a little extra time against oncoming enemies.

If you’d rather wield some steel as a swordsman, raising your shield to block using the B Button should be your best friend. You won’t take any damage from enemies while blocking, and as there’s no time limit in Battle Quest mode you can block for as long as you need to before picking the perfect moment to strike!

A swordsman can also charge a powerful strike by holding the controller aloft until the blade glows, but you don’t need to swing right away – you can raise your shield to block an attack, then respond with a souped-up strike without needing to charge again. Most enemies are vulnerable right after attacking, so block and counter for massive damage!

It's dangerous to go alone – take friends!

Perfecting these skills will certainly help you on your way to Master Rank, but you can give your chances an even bigger boost by teaming up with a few friends. Three swords and one bow form a mighty defence against the forces of Ganon, but your best weapon is communication – let your team-mates know when enemies are approaching and which targets they should go for. Speak up, work together and share the glory!