Decayed Guardian
Decayed Guardians are Stalkers that died a century ago and never got their legs back. They litter Hyrule Field and the roads toward the castle. A dark shell is a parts pile. A shell with a live eye can still lock on and fire, just with less health behind the shot.
Tell the dead ones from the live ones
Walk in with the camera or just watch the eye. No glow and no hum means you can smash it for screws and springs without a fight. A red targeting laser means it is one of the live wrecks. That beam is easier to parry than a walking Stalker's, and one clean reflect is often the whole kill.
If you do not want to parry, the Master Sword or any ancient weapon cuts them down in a few hits, because they cannot reposition. An ancient arrow to the eye also works, and is a waste unless you are crossing a field of them with no shield left. Keep a metal shield for the reflect. A wooden shield will not send the beam back.
Farming the field without waking the walkers
The decayed shells and the live Stalkers share the same grassland. Loot the shells at the edge of the Stalker's vision, not through the middle of its patrol. Ancient screws and springs are the common drops. Gears and cores are why you come back after a blood moon.
A live decayed Guardian that you parry is the cheapest ancient-core practice in the game. Learn the timing here, where a mistake costs a shield hit, before you try the same parry on a Stalker that will chase you across the plain.
Field notes
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where | Hyrule Field and the castle roads |
| Drops | Screws and springs, sometimes gears and cores |
| Answer | One parry if the eye is live; otherwise just loot |
