Help beating gannon!!!

[KickinBird]

Ok, I've beaten this guy like a million times.... I'm not even kidding. I can beat this buy with my eyes closed, both arms tied behind my back, while having my hair pulled out by a pack of raging squirrels on steroids without losing a single heart or using any magic potions. But when I'm trying a 3 Heart Challenge, I can't for the life of me manage to beat this guy. It's driving me CRAZY!!!!

I get to the second phase of the battle (when you get the Master Sword back) and he seems to have INFINITE life! No matter how many times I hit him, he never goes down! I use up all my 20 Deku Nuts and 20 Bombs before switching to my Light Arrows/ Megaton Hammer Jump Attack combo, running through four full extended magic meters' worth of Light Arrows (two Green Potions, plus a refill using the ruins' drops), and 80 Arrows, well maybe about 20 actually being used to hit his Tail to directly cause damage. When I finally run out of equipment, I die to his one-hit-killing swings trying to use my hookshot or rolling through his legs.
I'm absolutely dumbfounded by how much damage he's taking. On all the other times I've fought him, I never remember this battle taking SO long.

I kind of had a crazy idea occur to me: what if the Master Sword HAD to be used to defeat him in the battle? I always use items like Deku Nuts, Arrows, or the Megaton Hammer to attack his Tail, since actually using the Master Sword seems like a waste seeing as how the Hammer deals twice the damage. I think this is implausible, because I know I've beaten him using only the Biggoron Sword on files where I have it. But still for some reason I get a feeling like he shouldn't be taking so much damage.

If anyone can help me with this dilemma, I'd be very grateful. This one battle is all that's keeping me from completing my first 3 Heart Challenge!

 

[insanity76]

So once you retrieve the MS you still use the Hammer to attack him? I'm guessing then yes once you get to that 2nd phase of the battle, the only weapon that does damage to him is the sword, though I was led to believe/under the assumption it's only needed to deal the 'final blow.' I'd give it a go using the MS once you get it, and if you do eventually knock him to his knees for the final blow then apparently the hammer doesn't phase him once you get the Master Sword.

 

[KickinBird]

I think this would make a lot of sense in the game, but the problem is I've used the Biggoron Sword to defeat him too. Maybe the "final blow" has to be dealt with one of your Swords? I'd like conformation on this first, though. I'm getting sick of fighting this guy.....

 

[Wild Thing]

Maybe your not hitting him as much as you think, use nayru's love and light arrows it shoud be quick but i am pretty sure you have to use the master sword in the 2nd phase

 

[KickinBird]

I continue to use the Megaton Hammer during the 2nd Phase because it deals more damage than the Master Sword.... But I've always kinda wondered of the MS deals more damage against Ganon than your other weapons? I've never heard any sort of confirmation for this so I have no idea. I would think there would be a guide somewhere out there that finds this out, and I haven't seen any yet. I think maybe the game just puts the Biggoron Sword and Master Sword in the same category; one of the two can be used to kill him, but your other items alone cannot. I'll try it out, after I get the nerve to continue this fight again.

 

[Vanessa28]

I always use the Megaton Hammer at the second part. Never had a problem. Are you sure you have hit him at the right spot? Sometimes it's a bit more tricky and you think you hit him at his tail but accidentally could have missed the right spot. I don't say you did but it could be possible, right?
Just my two cents. And otherwise use Din's fire or light arrows

 

[Kybyrian]

I would advise that you use a sword to attack him, because I know well that I've done it using the Biggoron's Sword and the Master Sword, so you should be able to do it using one of them. I've never used any other weapon aside from a sword on him before, so I'd just try doing that come the second stage. And, you know, it seems that are certain bosses you can only finish off with a sword. When fighting Phantom Ganon in the Forest Temple, I used arrows to deal damage to him after he went down, but no matter how many arrows I put into him, he didn't die. Then I went up there and hit him once with the sword and he died.

Also, I'm going to provide a little extra tip to you here: If you have no magic, you can easily roll under his body if you run straight up to him, and you'll end up right by his tail behind him.

 

[Aelic7]

Here's what I do: Shoot Ganon's face with a Light Arrow. Run behind him to his tail, then slash at his tail with Biggoron's sword. Repeat. You'll probably run out of Magic Power, but the ruins can be bombed, which yields many magic jars sometimes. The Longshot also works pretty well to stun Ganon. However, as mentioned above, you can also roll through his legs.

 

[KickinBird]

Well I've always rolled between his legs before, but since one slash from his sword kills you with only 3 hearts, I'm avoiding it for now. Which really sucks. But is that true about Phantom Ganon? Maybe I'll just stick with the sword then. I avoided the Biggoron sword on this file to make it harder for my 3 Heart Challenge, but I might consider getting it anyway.

 

[hylianbeast]

Just do this:
Light arrow, Nayru's love, run
Light arrow, attack, run
Light arrow, blue potion (if you need more magic) run

Just do this:
Light arrow, Nayru's love, run
Light arrow, attack, run
Light arrow, blue potion (if you need more magic) run

 

[KickinBird]

I didn't get Nayru's love to make the 3HC harder, and a blue potion wouldn't really help me if any attack he does to me instantly kills me haha. I use Green potions but I'm telling you, 4 entire extended magic meter's worth of Light Arrows and he still isn't going down. I haven't even fought him again since so maybe I'll try again soon

 

[SheikahWarrior]

I finshed this on my 3 heart run without light arrows or nayru's love, just run between his legs and whack his tail there I never got hit once!

 

[KickinBird]

I used to always do that and never get hit. Now I try with only 3 hearts, and he gets me every time! Makes NO sense!

 

[insanity76]

It's just the Zelda rule of thumb that seems to happen in every Zelda I've played ... the more damage you can afford to take, the less the damage you actually do take. It's probably just psychological ... we're "trying" too hard to not get hit instead of just playing it as if 1 hit isn't the end of the world (literally).

 

[KickinBird]

It's just the Zelda rule of thumb that seems to happen in every Zelda I've played ... the more damage you can afford to take, the less the damage you actually do take. It's probably just psychological ... we're "trying" too hard to not get hit instead of just playing it as if 1 hit isn't the end of the world (literally).

Thank GOD I'm not the only one that's noticed this! I knew I wasn't going crazy....