The boss of the Earth Temple, Scaldera is the second boss fight in and the first major encounter to feel like a puzzle battle i💛n the game. Where Ghirahim introduced you toꦅ the intricacies of swordplay in Skyview Temple, Scaldera forces you to fight for your life in an arena that is stacked against you on every meaningful level. One of Skyward Sword’s greatest strengths is the fact that it’s the rare 3D to actually challenge players, something Scaldera runs wild with.
Scaldera is a surprisingly difficult boss for a number of factors: you won’t have that many Hearts this early in the game, Bomb Bowling can be a hard mechanic to get used to, and Scaldera is constantly aggroing itself towards you. ca﷽n get aggressive when it comes to combat and Scaldera readies you for an entire game of♍ demanding boss fights. Anyone expecting to hold their hand the whole way through is in for a rude awakening once they meet the Pyroclastic Fiend himself.
Phase 1
The first phase against Scaldera starts off tense – with the bo🅰ss immediately chasing after you – but you actually have control of the battle. As soon as the fight starts, run up the slope behind you to cut some distance and then turn around to toss a Bomb right into Scaldera. If you manage to time it right, the Bomb will knock Scaldera down the slope he’s been chasing you.
♚Once Scaldera lands at the bottom, the fire around his body will fade out and he’ll start inhaling like a Dodongo. In typical Zelda fashion, pull out a Bomb and toss it into Scaldera’s mouth. The Bomb will detonate, breaking off a chunk of Scaldera’s shell and revealing an eyeball underneath. Strike the eye with your sword as much as you can before Scaldera recovers and covers itself in fire again.
Once Scaldera is back in fighting shape, turn around and run up the slope again. Like before, create some distance and then toss a Bomb behind you to knock Scaldera all the way down. Follow it to the bottom of the slope, throw another Bomb into its mouth once it starts inhaling, and then aim for the eyeball again (be precise with your strikes so as to avoidꦅ the shell, though).
Phase 2
The rest of the boss fight plays out more or less the same, but Scaldera will start tricking you up in terms of attack pattern. Instead of running back up the slope, Scaldera will first sta✱y put on the bottom level and inhale again. If you instinctively run, you’ll miss an opportunity to throw a Bomb. Instead, stay put, toss a Bomb, and then aim for the eye again.
As you break away more of Scaldera’s shell, his movement will become more erratic. Scaldera will start chasing you up the slope a🌃gain, but his eye will start moving to avoid your sword strikes, 🏅requiring even more precise attacks. As it’s near death, Scaldera will stand on its legs to walk above you to the top of the slope and then roll down.
Avoid the roll attack by moving to the side and then prepare a Bomb for when Scaldera reaches the bottom of the slope. Detonate Scaldera, aim for the moving eye, and then ℱrepeat the process until Scaldera is dead. So long as you’re patient during the second phase and time your strikes accordingly, you’ll be able to take Scaldera down.