A Link Between Worlds Ice Ruins Guide

Ice Ruins was the first Lorule dungeon that I did in A Link Between Worlds. It can get really confusing really quickly, so I’ll try to label the floors constantly. The boss is also tougher than the Hyrule dungeons, so I will have a more in-depth guide to beating it.

Required Items:

• Fire Rod – Upgrade recommended but not required.

Optional Items:

• None

This guide will cover the Ice Ruins including:

Reaching the Ice Ruins: How to get there.

1st, B5, and B2 Floors: What to do when you first arrive.

Basement Floors of Ice Ruins: Navigating through the confusing mess that is the Ice Ruins.

Ice Ruins Boss: What he does and how to beat him.

Reaching the Ice Ruins

• Head east from the Death Mountain world link, then north into a cave.
• Get on the moving platform and keep switching platforms until you get to one you can’t walk on.
• Wall merge, then move around and exit when it reaches the next platform.
• Defeat the enemies with fire, then wall merge to another platform.
• Defeat the enemy with fire, then get on the moving platform to the north. Follow them until you reach a platform with a cave, then go through.
• Follow the path until you are outside, then head northeast. Keep going east until you reach the Ice Ruins.

1st, B5, and B2 Floors Guide

• Melt the big ice-cube with the fire rod as you enter, then pull the statue’s tongue to activate the moving platforms in the middle.
• Ride them down to the 5th basement floor, then grab the boss key from the big chest.

• Go back to B2, then melt the ice to the south to grab a key.

Basement Floors of Ice Ruins Guide

B1 Floor

• Go up to B1, then open the locked door to the north.
• Pull the left tongue to open the door to the east. Defeat the enemy, then head through.
• Defeat all the penguin enemies in the next room, then light the 4 torches in the middle to activate a key to the east.

• Head south out of the room, then grab the chest with a compass in the next room.
• Go east up the skinny ice platform, then north towards the key in the previous room. Wall merge inside to the beam to grab the key.
• Go back to the south, follow the platform around to the door to the west, then open it.
• Wall merge to the northeastern platform to grab a chest with 5 rupees.
• Continue wall merging west to a platform with a statue. Pull the tongue to push the middle platform down to B2.

B2 Floor

• Drop down to B2, then head through the eastern door.
• Defeat the enemy, then melt all the ice. Step on the switch to the south to open all the doors.
• Go up the stairs, then wall merge to the southeast to a room of fairies that can heal you.
• Head back around, then go through the door north of the stairs. Drop down to B4.

B4 Floor

• Go west on the moving platform, then south to the next area.
• Get on the revolving ice platform, then light the torch when you pass it to activate an elevating platform.
• Get on the eastern platform and follow it to a chest with monster guts.
• Go back around, then ride the elevating platform back to B3.

B3 Floor

• Go south until you can see the chest below. Position yourself, then jump off to the platform with the chest for 50 rupees.
• Go back to B3, then south and around until you get inside.
• Melt the ice to the east, then go back around to the elevating platform.
• Head to the east of the elevating platform, through the doorway.
• Wall merge to the east and hit the switch to activate an elevating platform. Get on to go back to B2.

B2 Floor

• Head around to the west, destroy the skull to reveal a switch that opens the east door.
• Pull the tongue in the next room, then drop down to B3 and grab a stamina scroll in the big chest. It permanently increases your energy gauge.
• Go west off the platform, then ride back up to B2.
• Head back to the east, then wall merge to the east wall and jump out.
   Head east through the door.
• Go up the stairs, then through the western door.
• Jump off to the statue, then pull the tongue to lower the middle floor. Jump down to B3.

B3 Floor

• Go towards the western door to summon penguin enemies. Defeat them to activate a shortcut portal, then go through the western door.
• Go carefully along the ice to a statue. If you stand on one spot too long, it will break. Fire will also melt it, but they will come back either way.
• Pull the tongue, head back to the previous room, then head through the eastern door.
  
• Light the torch in the middle, then head south out of the room.
• Step on the switch to open a door to the south.

• Wall merge on the southern wall, then go west around to the south platform. Jump through the hole to get the chest with a small key.
• Head west and step on the switch to activate platforms to the north and west. Go north and ride up to B2.

B2 Floor

• Head east, then up the stairs and open the locked door.
• Drop down to the platform with ice, melt it to activate a wind current, then step in.
• Pull the tongue on the statue when you land to lower a platform in the northern room.
• Go north to the room, then jump to B4.

B4 Floor

• Go north along the path, melt the ice, then continue south. Another ice bridge will be there with an ice-cube you have to melt at the end.
• Keep going south, then light the torch to the east as you cross another ice bridge to activate platforms to the west.
• Go west, then north to a statue and pull its tongue to activate a platform to the north.

• Step on the switch to the north to activate more connecting platforms, then go west and open the big door.
• Drop down the middle to fight the boss.

Ice Ruins Boss Guide

This boss will encase itself in ice that you must melt before you can attack. It has two different attacks.

One attack involves shooting 3 balls of ice at you like a boomerang. It has limited distance, so you can just run away from him.

His second attack will summon 3 ice points that form a triangle. Stay out of the triangle to avoid damage.

He will constantly move around and get faster as you do more damage. Towards the end, he will summon 2 triangle at once and 4 balls of ice.

The trick is to avoid his triangles because he pauses afterwards. That is your chance to melt his ice easily.

• Melt the ice around the boss until it is all gone, then attack while it flails around.
• Repeat until defeated.
• You will get the portrait of Rosso the miner and free him for completing the ice ruins.

The Ice Ruins is finally complete. Lorule seems like a much harder and complicated place so far, but also fun. If you had some trouble, don’t worry, I’m here to help and will have guides for every dungeon in Lorule eventually. Refer to my Guide to all Guides for additional help.

If you need any more help with Ice Ruins, suggestions, or know anything I missed, then let me know in the comments!