A Major Test of Strength is the hardest regular combat shrine in Breath of the Wild. No puzzle, no tricks: you walk in, a Guardian Scout IV rises from the floor, and it attacks with several Guardian weapons at once. It hits hard and spins like a blender. It also pays out some of the best weapons in the game, and it comes back for more every Blood Moon.
Here’s the full breakdown: where all eight shrines are, how the fight works, and how to farm them once you have the rhythm down.
What Is a Major Test of Strength?
Test of Strength shrines come in three tiers. Each one puts a stronger Guardian Scout in an arena.
| Tier | Enemy | Weapons it uses |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Guardian Scout II | Basic Guardian weapons |
| Modest | Guardian Scout III | Guardian weapons + |
| Major | Guardian Scout IV | Guardian weapons ++ and Guardian Shield++ |
(Pro tip: the Scout IV is not a fight for your first few hours. Come back with more hearts, decent armor and a few attack meals.)
All 8 Major Test of Strength Shrines
| Shrine | Region |
|---|---|
| Saas Ko’sah | Hyrule Castle (the docks) |
| Tena Ko’sah | Tabantha Frontier |
| Mozo Shenno | Hebra Mountains, below the Biron Snowshelf |
| Goma Asaagh | Hebra Mountains |
| Hia Miu | Hebra Mountains |
| Kema Kosassa | Gerudo Highlands |
| Chaas Qeta | Necluda Sea |
| Tutsuwa Nima | Akkala Highlands |
Three of the eight sit in the Hebra Mountains, so pack cold resistance when you go hunting there.
What to Pack
Here’s how to walk in ready instead of hoping for the best:
- Attack food: Mighty Bananas, Mighty Thistle or Razorshroom dishes give Attack Up.
- Hearty food: A Hearty dish fully restores your hearts and adds bonus ones, a perfect emergency button.
- Fairies: A fairy in your inventory revives you automatically if you go down.
- Spare weapons: Guardian Scouts chew through durability. Carry a few strong backups and a shield you do not mind breaking.
- A bow: Handy for chip damage while you wait out the spin.
Grab whatever you can from that list. You do not need all of it, but every item makes the fight more forgiving.
How to Beat the Guardian Scout IV
The Scout IV holds several weapons and mixes quick strikes, combos and a long spinning attack. Your best bet is patience and Flurry Rush.
Step 1: Eat Before You Enter
Cook an attack meal (think Mighty Bananas) and a defense or hearty dish as backup. Attack Up makes the fight dramatically shorter.
Step 2: Read the Opening
When it rises, do not charge in. Watch the first swing or two. The Scout telegraphs most attacks with a clear wind up.
Step 3: Perfect Dodge Into Flurry Rush
Backflip or side hop right as a swing lands to trigger a Flurry Rush, the slow motion counter that lets you land a string of free hits. This is your main source of damage.
Step 4: Respect the Spin
The spinning attack is where most hearts disappear. When it starts spinning, get out of range or behind cover and wait for it to stop. It is vulnerable for a moment after the spin ends, so move back in.
Step 5: Finish It
Keep cycling dodge, Flurry Rush, reset. Nailed it? The Scout falls apart and drops its weapons and parts.
Rewards
- Guardian Weapons++: The Scout IV’s weapons are yours: Guardian Sword++, Guardian Spear++ or Ancient Battle Axe++, plus the Guardian Shield++. These are some of the strongest one handed and two handed weapons in the game.
- Ancient parts: Screws, springs, gears, shafts and sometimes cores. Spend them at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab on Ancient armor and arrows.
- Spirit Orb: From the altar. Four buy a Heart Container or Stamina Vessel at a Goddess Statue.
- Chest: Many of these shrines also hide a chest. Look around the arena before you leave.
Farming the Major Tests
Here’s the part most players miss: Test of Strength shrines reset with every Blood Moon. The Scout IV comes back with a fresh set of Guardian Weapons++, so the shrine becomes a reliable weapon farm.
- Pick a close one: Every shrine is a fast travel point once activated, so farm whichever one sits nearest your usual route.
- Ancient armor helps: The Ancient set from the Akkala lab boosts the damage of Guardian weapons, which turns the farm into a quick loop.
- Keep a Guardian weapon on you: Bring a Guardian weapon from the last loop into the next fight.
Oh, and the Champions’ Ballad DLC adds a Major Test of Strength+ in Ruvo Korbah Shrine on the Great Plateau, where you face several Scouts with the One-Hit Obliterator. That one is a different beast entirely.
Major Test of Strength FAQ
How many Major Test of Strength shrines are in BOTW?
Eight: Saas Ko’sah, Tena Ko’sah, Mozo Shenno, Goma Asaagh, Hia Miu, Kema Kosassa, Chaas Qeta and Tutsuwa Nima.
Do Major Test of Strength guardians respawn?
Yes. The Guardian Scout IV and its weapons come back after every Blood Moon.
What does the Guardian Scout IV drop?
Guardian Weapons++ (Sword, Spear or Ancient Battle Axe), the Guardian Shield++ and Ancient parts.
What is the best way to beat a Guardian Scout IV?
Eat an attack meal, perfect dodge its swings for Flurry Rush, and get away from the spinning attack until it ends.
Once Flurry Rush clicks, these shrines go from scary to routine. Pack a meal, pick a shrine, and start stocking up on Guardian Weapons++. Your call where you start.
