GERUDO ARE DEAD - Defense Analysis ft.

[@TheBreadPirate]

Thanks so much for inviting me for this collab!! I can't get over how funny yet insightful your video is. 😆

[@Drakenwild]

Thank you so much for joining! I'd be so much drier without your wit ^^ And also would have a lower percentage of Roman Empire and we couldn't have that.

[@Giggledoorsfunny]

I am a massive fan bread! Also draken *please don’t obliterate me*

[@Drakenwild]

@@Giggledoorsfunny grrr

[@Wildgamer2205]

Can you do a breakdown of Fort Akala and Fort Hateno next

[@LarryDeskPlant]

My bones hurt.

[@MissFroggish]

this issue of pride among the gerudo also appears to be ancient, as the story of the 8th heroine demonstrates that even though they appreciated the help of the ancient hero, they were unable to memorialize him because he was a man. they could not see past their own pride and tradition, and instead opted to choose a secret shrine to the hero and hope he would one day find it to claim his prize.

[@Drakenwild]

Yeah, that is a common pattern with them. Their culture just keeps hurting people.

[@Aiedaeil]

They are like Sparta but female exclusive

[@Aiedaeil]

They are like Sparta but female exclusive

[@dallindespain5082]

@Aiedaeil Sparta was actually relatively egalitarian, not in their military but they did have rights in citizenship and they were expected to be strong to give birth the strong boys

[@dallindespain5082]

Not to mention their traditions led them to blindly following Gannon

[@Vihh_is_Violent]

The epitome of the Gerudo military system is; Gerudo: 'Wish I had the answer to this problem' Other person: *The answer* Gerudo: 'I'm not going to listen to YOU!'

[@greenb712]

Yeah and not to mention about the fact that sure man are rare to be in the gerudo but it's still People

[@ValueNetwork]

Another thing to mention: this might be the most “compromised” town in Hyrule since they literally have a monster outpost directly above the town inside some ancient ruins. And the worst part is the monsters are standing between their town and the ice house, a key part of the Gerudos survival in the desert! It’s a critical flaw to not have the ice house inside the town in the first place, but it’s a completely historic failure to have that ice house in enemy territory where innocent civilians (and me doing a BOTW side quest) have to risk their lives just to get ice so the gerudo don’t bake in the daytime.

[@arcticpossi_schw1siantuntija42]

They also don't have a proper road leading to the ice house. If they had a brick path with light posts for reinforcements, they could send a sand seal sled by the roadside to get the ice more safely

[@Drakenwild]

Both great points! They really should think about their infrastructure around the town more.

[@user-gh8sg7oc9r]

They really should have a subterranean road, since it would also protect the ice from the heat of the day 🤦‍♂️

[@RyuuNoGin]

The point that many Gerudo probably weren't born in the desert is an amazing observation. I doubt it was factored into the worldbuilding, but it makes so much sense.

[@HypercomboProduction]

Its sad too, because Ocarina and Majora actually covered that front. By having the Gerudo either keep men locked up in thier town or "steal a man's power", or something like that, then head home. This was also when they were still thieves on top of being warriors, so its also expected that they stole some supplies on the way back!

[@joelsytairo6338]

@@HypercomboProductionI think a lot of the gerudos background in the wild games was designed to avoid certain ethnic and cultural implications. Echoes of wisdom as a more minimalist game keeps a lot of their culture and history more ambiguous which I thought was in their favor tbh

[@HypercomboProduction]

@joelsytairo6338 so the Hylians and Gorons can keep thier real world inspirations but not the Gerudo? You know, because Gorons are based around sumo wrestling stereotypes and the hylians are a mix between Japanese and English culture depending on where you are in Hyrule.

[@joelsytairo6338]

@@HypercomboProduction the gerudo still keep their cultural inspirations in botw that is undeniable. The stuff about them being thieves and barbarians was just toned down

[@HypercomboProduction]

@joelsytairo6338 to the point where the Gerudo being barbarians is never mentioned and thier thievery background is glossed over. Where did you even get the barbaric background from anyway? That was never mentioned or stated in any Zelda game.

[@Weebash14886]

Link and ganon drinking coffee: "Gerudos HAHAHAHA" *SLLLUUUURPPP*

[@Åľŵąÿşřęmëmbēř_ø]

Gerudo ☕️

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

*Drinks coffee from the mug*

[@Austin-kt7ky]

"Heh. Vai." *sip*

[@owenbyrne9850]

To be fair, in Age of Calamity after "Urbosa"(Kohga) tells the Gerudo to kill Zelda after the party breaks into town, one of Urbosa's guards asks if Urbosa is all right and that she is acting rather unlike herself. That guard has more brain cells than the average gerudo

[@calebkaminski6951]

I think that's because the gaurd realized they would likely lose to the hyliens military ( basically just link practically speaking )

[@RGC_animation]

To be fair, I would also not want to kill the princess of a kingdom with a much more powerful military, and especially not when that very princess can chuck bombs out of her iPad.

[@Axecon1]

No wonder Ganondorf is their de-facto leader in the ancient past.

[@Failuigi41]

Yknow, apparently in Japanese ganondorf in totk makes some points about Rauru and Hyrule's godlike technology leading to everyone relying only on them, and forgetting how to thrive on their own. Seeing how badly unprepared the various hyrule-allied towns are for warfare, i think he has a very good point. Every group relied on the unity of Hyrule and her army to protect them in war, and grew so fat on peace that they were totally exposed after Hyrule suddenly collapsed in the calamity

[@GhostWulf70792]

Ancient Gerudo from Ocarina of Time look upon their descendants in shame.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Big "Peace Dividend" vibes from that

[@denpadolt9242]

I feel like the defensiveness of Gerudo Town is best showcased by how it's the only populated settlement we visit in either game which has ALREADY been overrun before Link even gets there. We don't even need to come up with a hypothetical siege to test the town's defenses because it's already done that test and failed.

[@Drakenwild]

Very true!

[@almessasorrow4950]

They aren't 100% at fault here though. The timelines merged meaning in this timeline they: (Ganons seal) •helped seal Ganon(Oot) •framed by Hyrule(twilight) (Ganons revival) •They were left to die In a desert alone by hyrule, Ganon then is revived bringing darkness to the land(Twilight) •They were wiped out by a flood caused by the war between Hyrule and ganon(Oot)(Causes their extinction in wind waker) They have reason not to trust Hyrule, and they have reason to hate Ganon. It makes sense their society is in shambles, since even back in oot there was a hatred of the gerudo. Unlike the rest of the cultures of Hyrule they weren't ever treated like hyrulians, only outcasts. ​@@Drakenwild

[@LarryDeskPlant]

Not to mention the fact that the only way into the Gerudo desert is the Gerudo canyon so if that was somehow occupied by any kind of military it would be impossible for trade to reach Gerudo town, which is pretty bad for a town in a desert as they would pretty much rely on trade for most things other than maybe fruit as they have dragon fruit and hydromelons. Their stockpiles wouldn't last long and in weeks of any military occupying the small area that is the Gerudo canyon they'd be forced to surrender!

[@TheBreadPirate]

Great point!!

[@Drakenwild]

Yo, we did not think of that but you're so right! This means an enemy of the Gerudo could just go ahead and lay siege to the whole desert with very little effort, that's such a massive weakness! Also, thank you for the Super

[@arcticpossi_schw1siantuntija42]

The Yiga clan literally has an outpost in the canyon and could blockade it any time

[@LarryDeskPlant]

@@Drakenwild Your welcome, keep up the good work!

[@ashtongiertz8728]

You DO realize that the occupying force would also need food and water, correct? And without an oasis like the one in Gerudo Town, they would be suffering from the heat of the desert. Limited though the city's stockpiles may be, they will be greater than that of a military force. They only need to let the occupiers bake in the sun for a little while before flushing them out.

[@princesscadance197]

The giant hole in the back of the throne room would have me paranoid to sit there if I were Riju. The Yiga are a perpetual threat, and their entire theme is stealth. No wonder the Thunder Helm got stolen in the previous entry. The Yiga probably just either disguised as a Gerudo citizen, pretending to need to speak with the ruler, then grabbed it and ran off with it, or just snuck up from behind, entered the giant hole in the wall, and teleported out.

[@Drakenwild]

It's not even a difficult climb there either, it's one of the lowest points on the whole wall.

[@VampiricFox37]

Altho considering Link gets noticed no matter where he's at in botw regardless of where he's at in relation to the guards, they'd have to have sent a female. I doubt they'd be able to get inside that hole.

[@loremipsum1972]

@@VampiricFox37 the Yiga who disguise themselves as women (and might actually be women, too) aren't any worse at fighting than the others. I don't see any reason they would struggle to get into the throne room.

[@BlizzyAdeline]

To give a little, very small amount of credit to the gerudo, in age of calamity they at least have doors on the entrances and other small fortifications in the town, so at least 100 years ago it was slightly more safe didnt stop master kohga and like 200 yiga soldiers from breaking in and posing as urbosa, but hey its something

[@AAZ-yu5ss]

To be fair the Yiga Clan are just built different, bros can literally just teleport 💀

[@thajocoth]

I figured that the "fountain" thing was meant to be a natural structure that they built around... So while yes, those columns are hollow, lowering them would result in a much higher water pressure geyser in its place.

[@boowho817]

Damn, y'all really exposed them frfr. No wonder Ganondorf was evil, his people were mad incompetent where it counts.

[@WhereNajaDoesStuff]

New Drakenwild/TBP ToTK castle defense analysis: releases. Me: *speed click*

[@LarryDeskPlant]

Yes

[@TheBreadLord_]

9:44 some Roman consuls DID come up with good tactics, but the other consuls where very hot-headed leading to defeat.

[@TheBreadPirate]

Very true! Fabius was smart enough to know NOT to attack Hannibal. But he was the exception during that time period.

[@LunaP1]

Link is the ultimate test of their security and competency. 😂

[@thajocoth]

In Breath of the Wild, when Pokki was exhausted and nearly passed out, across the desert from Gerudo Town, telling her that there's a cold adult drink waiting for her in town got her to *_run_* across the desert and all the way back to town to drink it. In heels. Considering that she didn't even trip (let alone twist an ankle), there's gotta be some magic in the shoes... Maybe Gerudo heels all have the same enchantment on them as the Sand Boots? Though it feels weird to enchant everyone's shoes, but not all the military's weapons... Especially in wartime... Sandals are easier to craft and require no magic. --- I guess they could all be putting all the weight on their toes with every step and never using the actual heels of their shoes, but that feels bad too... You lose some of the functionality of foot-based propulsion when only using 1/3 of the foot, decrease your balance, and this puts extra strain on a variety of muscles. Snowboarding requires leaning on the heels and toes to turn, and just doing _that_ has given me pain in foot and leg muscles I didn't previously know I had. It was still fun, and I still recommend it, but keeping certain muscles engaged all the time like that just won't feel great.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

The only thing is that given there history as the bad guy group through most of Zelda games, having a showy, incompetent equipped military ensures trade instead of like a hylian king deciding to march of gerudo to put down the growing threat

[@Drakenwild]

I am so here for your analysis of Gerudo heels. Bravo!

[@Daedalus-Inc]

It really looks like the walls were carved out, rather than built. Also, looking forward to the Goron analysis. They seem to have made next to no effort on defense, but being fireproof rock people in an active volcano seems more than enough in most cases. No ranged weaponry though, so death ray dragons pose the same amount of problem for Gorons as they did the Rito, but at the same time, they eat rock. They can live in any cave they want, multiple tens of meters of rock below the dragons.

[@Drakenwild]

I'm honestly not sure if dragon death rays can do anything to a Goron. Gorons are the Nokias of Hyrule.

[@ditto7047]

​@@Drakenwild Ya know, I'm don't quite remember, but I'm pretty sure the eruption of Death Mountain in BOTW didn't really affect the Gorons that much; it just made it impossible for anyone else to traverse the region without heat protection. The Gorons are a very physically hardy people, so I wouldn't be surprised if the whole marbled rock roast thing happened because Ganondorf decided the best way to deal with them was to mentally cripple them.

[@Drakenwild]

@@ditto7047 exactly.

[@happysmilesworldandgames8755]

They arent like the ocarina of time ones that prefer starving over eating a rock that isnt the special gourmet ones from the cavern with monsters

[@AFancyApe]

@@happysmilesworldandgames8755 pretty sure starvation and desperation can lead the Gorons to ignore their tastes, and eat rocks

[@HighTechToast]

Also, irl sandstorms are fairly common. What defenses do the gerudo have against nature? Walls. And a few doors. Even though they have the hidden emergency base, when sand covers every exit, they are entirely stuck inside with limited food and water, and that isnt even mentioning cleaning out sand from the city! With how common sandstorms are irl, its a wonder that 90% of the gerudo arent full-time janitors.

[@Drakenwild]

Just imagine trying to do janitorial work like that in high heels, too.

[@happysmilesworldandgames8755]

They even made a door in all sides to make sure the sandstorm enters the town no matter the direction of the wind

[@Jellyfishlady]

finally someone is talking about the gerudo's questionable defences, i love them but still...

[@Drakenwild]

I was questioning it ever since BotW, that window is nonsense.

[@raphaelchan7574]

⁠@@Drakenwildthe one at the back of the throne room? Yeah like don’t they realise a yiga member can just sneak up and headshot buliara with their very long range bows through the window, and boom there goes the chief’s bodyguard

[@Cretaceous158]

@@raphaelchan7574good thing the Yiga are incompetent in everything besides making vehicles.

[@raphaelchan7574]

@@Cretaceous158 doesn’t even have to be a yiga member, any monster with a long range bow can do that

[@emeralddragon2980]

@@raphaelchan7574 Hylia forbid it's a red Bokoblin; imagine the dishonor.

[@FrancisWigham]

The lack of brain cells always just makes me laugh. Yeah, go on and find that shrine in the middle of the boiling desert without weapons while being pursued by a massive sand shark, and without any drinking water. You go do that.

[@gnostic2459]

They put a literal child on the throne without bothering to appoint, you know, a regent or something. It should go without saying that these ladies are not terribly bright.

[@FluffyEclairs]

The regent is super easy to choose, barely an inconvenience too. It would be her top guard you always see with her.

[@ashtongiertz8728]

Reminds me of Ringmond from Dragons of Dorcastle. It had a statue of soldiers stepping on imperial troops, but in reality the real reason the Imperials failed to conquer Ringmond was due to the barren wasteland surrounding it. The mage Alain also noted how the statue's plaque appeared to be gold, but on closer inspection you can see that it's only gold-plated iron. "The illusion of wealth, on top of the illusion of victory"

[@datonederpyfrog]

Dude I love both these channels even when taking a break from the Zelda community, they are always the best channels to come back to

[@ritmitnit]

also since they have a big enemy of a yiga that makes the walls almost completely useless cause even if the yiga cant just walkin in disguised they can TELEPORT ONTOP OF THE DAM WALLS

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Good point but how the fuck to you design a town around the fact that their enemy can teleport?

[@Drakenwild]

You really can't. Even if you put guards on the wall, what's stopping the Yiga from teleporting past that, too? You'd need protective magic of your own to counter something like this, like DnD warding spells.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

@@Drakenwild tbh, I think the biggest gripe is the open air nature of gerudo. What stopping from a feral and/or starving modulga from vaulting over the walls and trashing around, breaking market stands, putting everything into a frenzy. Gerudo needs doors and roofs along with the underground section.

[@Drakenwild]

@@PJDAltamirus0425 a very good point as well!

[@captainx3347]

One thing that really annoys me, you brought up the fact that the gerudo can't handle the heat in the desert THAT THEY LIVE IN! But the thing is they have the ability to. Need an example? The desert voe armor literally grants you immunity to the heat. Not partial like the gerudo vai set. COMPLETE IMMUNITY. But for some reason, they decide that they don't need it.

[@Drakenwild]

I guess they discarded the magic on account of their cultural hatred of men? Which is stupid but in line with their string of stupid decisions.

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

Well, another explanation is modesty. For the gerudo vie set to work you have to expose a nipple. They are more afraid of exposing tittie and would rather die of the heat than expose a boob

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

@@Drakenwild Tits. Look at the Voe set, they don't want to go around partially topless. :P

[@michaellane5381]

On topic of their clothes, how did the sand/snow boots become lost arts? That was the explanation in BotW... At least in TotK they seem to have reacquired the art but still... And how is a secret club the most secure door in town?

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

@@michaellane5381 Ummm... maybe before the calamity it wasn't and the boot maker was killed. Or before then, gerudo just got used to traveling via sand seals that they didn't care the practicallity of their footwear cus sand seal travel. Also, thier is one cutscene that at some point, gerudo domesticated/tamed Modulgas. Buses

[@skullton3292]

I guess this explains why Ganon replaced them with Monsters lol. Though, I guess it's likely that the societal issues were his fault. He seems like the kind of guy who would punish someone for questioning him. That might be why they have a hierarchy where just suggesting something to your superior can get you punished.

[@clarksjoint768]

Without anyone telling me I knew right away that the Gerudo's military might was not what it once was but I didnt realize how hard they had fallen until i saw this video

[@RedBkoboi]

When she said "I'll obliterate you" scared me with her accent and all

[@Drakenwild]

Too close to Russian? xD

[@RedBkoboi]

Omg thank you for replying

[@DOCTORmakenstuff]

@@Drakenwild lol didn't scare me i felt something a bit different...xoxo

[@merlin2.085]

I remember playing BotW a few weeks ago, after watching the videos on lookout landing, zora’s domain and Rito village, and decided to have a look at the town from this perspective. The moment I saw the back of the throne room I thought “everyone is dead. A single lizfalos with a bomb arrow, and the gerudo are dead.” (I should also bring up that the lazfalos seem to be massively undervalued in these videos; they can camouflage, climb walls, swim (In quicksand!), and are intelligent enough to use metal weapons. And that’s not going into the different varieties.)

[@andrewaftontheandroidhedge2780]

lizards op

[@dbweinhaus]

Gerudo writing adorns the Yiga hideout, the Blademaster cave, and the canyon is full of ancient walls and arches. I think before the Calamity the Gerudo lived in all those places.

[@Drakenwild]

Good point!

[@dbweinhaus]

​@@Drakenwildthe ancient Gerudo also built themselves a fortress: the Lightning Temple, lost under sand like so much of their empire. My guess is Gerudo was once greener, like the Sahara, and their population and cultural knowledge dwindled over centuries.

[@ACW-dn9wb]

@@dbweinhaus Gerudo region was never greener. Its been a desert aaaaallllll the way back since Ocarina of Time's era. And probably long before then as its most likely the same area as Lanaryru Desert from SS, just renamed.

[@yodaflyz]

​@@ACW-dn9wb Skyward Sword actually directly said it was once an ocean but the Garudo as a race didn't first appear until well after that game so to the Garudo that area was always a dessert.

[@ACW-dn9wb]

@@yodaflyz Indeed. It was an ocean in the past (as many deserts often are), but by the time SS came around its had been desert ever since. The point i was making was that its was desert when the Gerudo started inhabiting it, not a lush green field.

[@TheRealMerbirb]

The Gerudo seem to be going for a glass cannon bluff strategy: feigning overwhelming military power in an effort to scare off anyone who would otherwise dare to attack them. To their credit, this has worked to their benefit: unlike just about every other population in the BotW trilogy, the Gerudo have only been directly attacked by three groups: - the Yiga, who live in the same territory and who know the Gerudo defenses better than almost anyone - the Gibdo, who were literally engineered by Ganon to be difficult for them to take down - Ganondorf's army, who are also Gerudo The other tribes all have constant monster run-ins, and in some cases (like the Zora) have actually been reported to have been in domestic wars with said monsters. The Gerudo have not, because their reputation as a military people is enough to scare off the smaller, weaker mercenay groups who wouldn't have the knowledge or strength to do anything about it.

[@Drakenwild]

That was the strategy adopted by Russia few centuries ago (or at least I think it was Russia? I took my history classes a while ago, lol). They projected military might and other European countries feared it, that is until Russia got into a conflict and failed miserably. Afterwards other powers didn't take it too seriously for a while. The spectacular failure of Gerudo to defend against Gibdo could potentially be opening a door to harrassment from smaller groups.

[@ryanaugenstein761]

@@Drakenwild You are correct, it was definitely Russia that had this strategy. Russia was flaunted as so strong for so long then failed to beat Japan, not even in full on war, but just in securing a river in China and Korea (and given racial ideas of the time of Asians being inferior, this loss was ESPECIALLY embarassing), and then also massively underperformed in WW1 to the point that they were forced to make peace with Germany and was heavily responsible for the Russian revolution that led to communist takeover.

[@joshuawells7415]

​​@@DrakenwildDo we really need to look that far in history to see an example of the Russian military failing? The whole current conflict is full of them; especially when it comes to their warships and tanks.

[@emeralddragon2980]

@@joshuawells7415 Habitual Line Crosser makes excellent videos that frequently involve roasting Russia over these conflicts, if anyone needs examples.

[@joshuawells7415]

@@emeralddragon2980 That he does. Especially liked the video roasting them for the state of their warships. They were the only country that was supposed to be a near peer to the US and now we're finding out that all their shit has been moth balled with no maintenance since WW2.

[@eebydeebyz]

I love niche Zelda analysis videos, like HOW the rivers work, turns out, Hyrule is just a basin. This series is the best!!

[@Drakenwild]

Thank you! :D

[@theballoonfamily9539]

So i wanted to bring up something about the rock perches with water that wasn't mentioned in the video. And that's regarding the bows Gerudo use. They are specifically SNIPER bows. The Gerudo could use those rocks as a perch

[@ggholdengo]

Now that all there's left to analyze are the gorons and the hylians in terms of main races, i would like to craft my theory on the precious rock bois. Physically speaking, gorons are undoubtedly the strongest race in hyrule, with a huge bulky stature and sandbag fists more than capable of knocking down any foes with a few blows, their body, which are more or less composed of solid rock also would greatly benefit them both offensively and defensively. This makes it so that they would almost certainly win most one-to-one battles with other races with daunting advantage. Although Goron city is not the most fortified facility, the terrain more than makes up for this, even though the lava had receded since the events of totk, most hylians are observed to still be in need of heat protection equipment to explore the landforms; although one may argue that the gate to the city is wide open, the gorons can still adopt the simple method of rolling downhills and squishing through any foes in their path. Perhaps the most glaring weaknesses of the gorons is how they are the only race to lack a proper military, this could be made up for thanks the to the goron's natrualborn physical advantages but the lack of proper training and military tactics could prove fatal for the gorons in case they were caught in the middle of an unpredictable battlefield. Another weakness comes in the lack of weaponry, as their primary armament are stone crushers designed for mining, and even though they hold massive destructive power when wielded correctly, it is the only weapons the gorons got, completely lackluster in long range combat such as bows and bomb barrels, i myself would also find it difficult to convince me that the goron blacksmiths can even make bows suitable for the goron's stature. In the end, the goron's best friend are the terrain, magma and their strength, and even if they were to get outsmarted by the enemies utilizing long-ranged options such as bows, with enough brute force and perhaps a little bit of wit, they might just be able to defend their homeland for another day.

[@aphato2770]

pretty sure yiga and shiekah defenses havent been analyzed yet

[@Drakenwild]

We had a cursory look at Gorons with Bread and our conclusion was that the Gorons are the Nokias of Hyrule. There is a reason why Ganondorf decided that the optimal way to take them out of the conflict in TotK was getting them addicted to a rare rock.

[@Weebash14886]

@@Drakenwild Ganon looked at them and said "koga, we are going to pull a Rogan on them, prepare the crack stones"

[@JustALittleGhostOfHallownest]

Friendly reminder that gorons have cannons

[@Shinntoku]

I think I've heard that this exact hierarchy problem is something that happens in some Japanese companies, which can lead them to being stubborn about change. I wonder if that was intentional.

[@Drakenwild]

Could be. Japanese games often include commentaries on the struggles with traditional hierarchy and problems it creates. Art is an outlet for those frustrations. I'm not qualified to speak about that at length though.

[@XFadedXSunX]

10:24 why isnt school teaching me this. actually, sir. can you become my history teacher. this is better than any lesson ive had on france

[@Twelveswampylogs]

Now compare this to the Yiga Clan’s defenses and army, and the entire city is clearly doomed.

[@Warrior-Of-Virtue]

Something that has bugged me ever since I played Wind Waker is Ganondorf's claim that he wanted to bring his people out of the desert and into the temperate regions of Hyrule. It was strange enough that the Gerudo remained in the desert throughout Ganondorf's seven year reign in Ocarina of Time. But in Breath of the Wild, pretty much the _entire_ kingdom has been up for grabs for a _century._ What's stopping the Gerudo from marching out in force to establish a new settlement in the grasslands? What the hell, Nintendo?

[@Drakenwild]

I NEVER thought about that. You're absolutely correct! It wouldn't even be a declaration of war at this point, Kingdom doesn't exist anymore, and Naboris is pestering them, so why stay there, in harsh conditions and all? The only reason I can think of is tradition but even then, that's not a very reasonable justification.

[@aidanhammans9337]

@@DrakenwildNaboris WAS close to the Gerudo Canyon, maybe if it sensed them attempting to leave, it would block the way?

[@generaltechnomage306]

@@Drakenwild Yeah, the Rito were able to come up with better justification for their traditions, by comparison.

[@LordSiravant]

Nintendo doesn't actually care about the lore.

[@NuiYabuko]

​@@LordSiravant They wanted a settlement in the desert, that's it. If the Gerudo had moved I bet there'd be a lot of complaints about why they don't live in the desert anymore. Also, who's to say that the Gerudo themselves ever wanted to move? Moving as one person can be hard, now imagine a whole people moving to a new place. They might also feel an obligation to the Royal family, essentially watching over Arbiter's Ground. The thing with these theory and analysis videos is usually that them being games gets ignored. If everything would be based on logic you'd soon have no game or at least none that's all too interesting.

[@Zagreat-The-Dragon]

I wonder if this ultimately stems way back to when Ganondorf was in charge

[@boowho817]

Should we poke holes in the Yiga defences next(prove how much better they are that everyone else)?

[@Drakenwild]

@@boowho817 fun fact - that was the initial idea for the companion video. We scrapped it because the vast majority of Yiga architecture in TotK is transparently gameplay elements, without any real thought put into it. And the five on the surface aren't really defensive structures anyway, they're meant to just be hidden (and fail at it).

[@boowho817]

@@Drakenwild Aw man...Not even the main hideout in Karusa Valley? Regardless, still enjoyed the video, love your content. You best know I've subscribed.

[@Cretaceous158]

⁠​⁠@@boowho817that thing was barely defended. They just had a few guys go out and attack someone.

[@ZdinoYT2]

I’m so sad I forgot about this channel but bread pirate reminded me of it so I subbed

[@s7moOolh]

Babe wake up, a new drakenwild video dropped

[@Bradman1978]

Well, the Gerudo are cursed in canon. Every 100ish years, a boy is born to tell the women what to do, and most of the time, he's evil. So, take that as it is.

[@beans-t1h]

I never thought about how foolish the Gerudo soldiers were

[@8FootGamer]

Happy to see a new video and a collab at that!

[@FuryJack07]

3:00 this is entirely due to the reason that Zelda was a good friend of Urbosa, a past Gerudo Chief and the Gerudo champion choosen by the king of Hyrule of the time

[@sayosatella3447]

Link is more of powerful little gremlin in this game than a hero, I swear.

[@joelsytairo6338]

Awesome video. If the gerudo were competent link would have nothing to do haha so it pays off

[@EPadraigM]

hey new draken video!! (also im glad you pointed out the heels because WHY)

[@Drakenwild]

The heels are a blight on fantasy women designs. Just go ahead and give them stilettos, why won't you? -.-

[@castonyoung7514]

@@Drakenwild But if they're so terrible, why do women wear them IRL?

[@Drakenwild]

@@castonyoung7514 because pretty. Also because they don't plan on walking in them anywhere that isn't paved and mostly flat.

[@elias.bouchard]

​@@castonyoung7514most women who wear heels are probably not active soldiers 😅

[@remingtonspitz5311]

These defense analysis videos are some of my favorites

[@legin_lord_of_the_void]

I must say, this information is very useful. It brings up good military strategies. I also never really thought about how unstable those stone pillar structures are. I'm quite sure that with enough preparation and attention to this, any potential invaders would have a real advantage in a military conflict against the Gerudo.

[@rolandswift4311]

Something I want to submit for consideration is that there might be more than just pride at fault for the poor choices. There might also be an element of shame. Something I've only ever heard offhandedly mentioned once in regard to the whole "fantasy high-heeled armor" thing is that it could potentially make sense for a cavalry type combatant, which is actually what lead me to this train of thought. If their military was built to prioritize cavalry style raids; it would explain why they have heels and minimal upper body covering. Heels can help you stand and pivot in the saddle by essentially hooking ono either side of the stirrups so the foot doesn't slip out, and explain the exposed upper body by the added height making it less of a risk that enemies would reach. The shame I mentioned could come from the fact that Ganondorf has been shown at various points throughout the series to make use of mounts in combat, along with just generally being a good tactician. It could be that the Gerudo have tried to make a point of avoiding tactics he favored in order to distance themselves from their historic evil tyrant, unfortunately rejecting their best tactical options in the process.

[@Drakenwild]

The cavalry heels aren't high heels though. They are nowhere near what Gerudo wear, it's just not necessary for them to be that high even for the saddle. And upper body armor is still important for riders. Spears and bows still can reach on top of a horse just fine.

[@rolandswift4311]

@ true; spears are constantly regarded as being the bane of cavalry. Arrows, however, could potentially be dealt with through the use of shields. As for the size of the heals; I’ve seen people analyze the types of horses the Gerudo are suggested to favor. The conclusion was that they tend to prefer draft horses, and with how big they can get; the heels might be necessary just for mounting. It’s also worth mentioning that the sand and snow boots are Gerudo in origin, so they do have other styles of footwear for their infantry out on loose sand or up in their highlands.

[@wyattprice9364]

i'd love to be sent to the totk world with these videos glory for master kogah

[@ColaFueledGamer]

Draken, thank you for doing these deep dives into botw and totk i really enjoy them 😊

[@Prominent96]

This is so good! Love how you too work together to explain things so well also your voice is really satisfying for some reason I can’t quite place but it just adds to how good the video is

[@meatballdivino8955]

Been lovin these analysis form both of ya, btoh informative and fun to watch, hope to see more in the future

[@GoodNeutralEvilChaos]

This was a great video. I might actually use this for a fun military idea.

[@John_lock3647]

HECK YEAHAAAAGHHHAAGHAGA LETS GET IT! Ive been waiting quite awhile if you cant tell

[@northerntube31]

12:16 So true. Plus it could give risk for a damaged ankle.

[@scarfstrings.134]

The ice house has to be closer to the shadow of the mountains and the highlands, where the ice presumably comes from. It's a crucial strategic location, despite a dangerous road between (as all roads seem to be in hyrule). It's conceivable that they moved their town from the ruins that are closer to the highlands for military strategic purposes. Invading forces from beyond hyrule (the northwest mountain border you can't go beyond) would have the high ground advantage and pummel the town with seige weapons or even avalanche. Anyone approaching from the south, southeast, or west would be visible for at least a day and have to cross the hot sand of the desert (not to mention dealing with moldugas and other monsters) before laying seige to the town. They are canonically a warrior race, so a 300-esque narrow canyon to defend against advancing forces from the north seems reasonable, especially since they have outposts between it and the unforgiving desert town with a water supply (presumably from the nearby oasis). Which also speaks to the food supply issue. Warriors have been known to eat what they can in times of need. Surviving off of hydromelons, voltfruit, and sand seal meat might sound harsh, but such is the life of a warrior race in times of tribulation. But, unless they were completely surrounded by an overwhelming force, they have 4 cardinal directions to resupply, from routes (albeit treacherous ones) to the easy and southeast. To my knowledge, the only one who knew or cared about the 8th heroine was the guy trying to get a date by showing off snow/sand boots. No other Gerudo gave him the time of day, let alone to hear him tell them about their own idolatry. Fortunately, their regional nemeses the Yiga utilize hit and run tactics. They would be far less likely to occupy the canyon, rather than take pot shots or rocks life. Which presumably a company of gerudo warriors could eventually clear (not without casualties, granted). Not many others seem to be jumping at the opportunity to pick a fight with a tribe of born and bread warriors who stand 1.5x the height of many other races in hyrule. -Ju99z on reddit

[@Soulmaster36]

Thank you so much for the great video!

[@r-dragon2538]

I just found your channel from the rito video and was sad that you didn't upload anymore, and then i see this in my recommendations 😲, and that even with the topic i was wondering about

[@Drakenwild]

Gerudo's stupid window has been haunting me for years now, good to have gotten this off my chest. xD

[@Roosauec]

You've earned a subscriber. I love all of your criticisms about their military, and I love Rome.

[@TheBreadLord_]

Just came from the bread stream! Still, @TheBreadPirate , do a bread reveal!

[@MoblinFanLikesMoblins]

Good vid! Also, I love the use of the a hat in time ost :D

[@LordAlduin]

So glad to see you guys again

[@Eyepokai]

On top of being a really entertaining video, your voice is really nice to listen to, Draken! (sorry if this is weird :P)

[@MedicTF2-lx8ne]

The bokos bring one ladder and gerudo city is cooked.

[@Drakenwild]

they don't even need a ladder honestly, at that one spot out back they can just boost each other.

[@MedicTF2-lx8ne]

@@Drakenwild yeah or jump kind of high

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

I've never seen a video of yours before, and you probably get this a lot, but you have a wonderful voice. (I hope you don't get it enough to annoy you. If so, sorry!) Great video!

[@raffymcdaffy]

I didn't even know I had to choose defenses in the Gerudo Town Gibdo Infestation so I just brute forced it in one try 😅

[@GreyBokoblin3]

Great video, if I had one complaint, it is that it isn't nearly long enough.

[@Iisratty]

AGHHHHH YOU DID IT AGHHH YESSS AGHHHHHHH IM CRYING RN I ACTUALLY SUGGESTED IT AND IT HAPPENED AGHHHHHHH

[@Drakenwild]

:)

[@Iisratty]

@@Drakenwild YOUR SO COOL!!!!

[@Purple_Brownies]

So excited for this vid!!! ❤❤❤

[@Amazin_O]

I have waited for this for so long

[@happysmilesworldandgames8755]

6:23 this was funny

[@malikevans634]

Really put the Gerudo on blast with this one.

[@Luca_9175]

i think another reason for the gerudo innaction during BoTW is a sort of fear of loss. if you really think about it the yiga clan is in a heavily fortified cave have soldiers using weapons that create wind that could kick up sand and lower visibility while also bieng able to teleport, magically disguise themselves, and be supplemented by soldiers with quick firing bows and fast to attack light weapons. on top of that the yiga are highly agile and the gerudo are trying to fight in sand with high heels on with NO ARMOR. couple that with the dialog about how they dont want to admit theyve been bested by a different desert faction and i genuinely think that the reason they say the entire army was too tired to do anything is because theyre quite literally to scared to admit that if they were to launch an attack on the yiga hideout they would lose BADLY.

[@Trixie_Lavender]

Glory to Master Kohga and Gerudo nepotism

[@Drakenwild]

Glory to Master Kohga!

[@yodaflyz]

Even before watching this I thought the big gaping hole in the wall behind the throne room was a problem. Honestly, its no surprise the Yiga got the helm so easily. That back entrance allows you to avoid literally ALL the security in the town. Probably the only reason Riju is still alive & hasn't been killed by a Yiga sniper with a bow (A common weapon for Yiga) is because she has lots of hearts. Unlike in real life, you have to hit your target multiple times to kill someone in the Zelda universe.

[@altermann1991]

Yeah one of my biggest gripes with the design of the towns in the new Zeldas is that they don't feel like they could actually defend themselves against the harsh wilderness of the world.

[@neosuduno]

I am amazed you haven't done as much work on the Gorons, but mostly the rito and the gerudo.

[@justme14357]

very cool that youre back

[@Drakenwild]

I also like being alive, yep! :D

[@StefClaassen]

You really need to do this kind of video about Hyrule Castle

[@Jigmaga]

0:29This is literally what i say to people but I only encourage people to subscribe to someone else not me

[@Its_Squiddd]

on my first playthrough i didnt even realize you could actually fortify gerudo time i thought the game was just letting you get all your stuff ready (like getting bomb flowers and weapons before u start the fight) which i still didnt do

[@venkelos6996]

This was a fun video, but i kinda wish it could lead to one discussing Gdorf's own forces? Even with perpetually resurrected troops, and in pretty goid numbers, with decent diversity, they don't seem particularly close to conquering Hyrule. Various units lack leadership, or integration/involvement with other cells of their peers. Some of them seem practically mindless, and have junky equipment, even with the good weaoons now being corroded. Most of them are chaotic, random, and uncoordinated, while their leader, who is FINALLY back...is doing nothing. Even without a lot of targets they'd need to beat, to win, I wonder if they could really pull it off? In typical LotR fashion, I guess they only NEED to win a few fights, with practically infinite chances to keep trying, until they do, but that seems like a dumb way to win.

[@shardinhand1243]

facinating the most of the garudos problems are weaknesses in theyre culture, not theyre biology or enviroment itself, they need proper wilderness survival and navigation training, the proper military trianing, they need to change theyre atire and armor standards adopt long range weapons like the rito to help them better manage in the coverless vast desart, rather than trying to run down enemies in the desert heat, bows would make running from the garudo almost hopeless, gorudo also need a proper cavelry presence, another boon to traveling a desert, finaly they need to restructure theyre cities defences, gates, lots of gates, and watch towers, they would also benifit from more sorces of water that could come from the previously mentioned zora aqua duct to transport more water. and of corse the introduction of balista's and hot air balloons would give better define and open air travel and the posibility to send out people if the worst happens and an army lays siege to the city.

[@AvatarToren]

I love your voice and your Candor Draken. You're great😂

[@funnature8679]

3:13 that Gerudo is normally dehydrated(if you know, you know, I assume children may view this), plus dehydrated Now for the clothing subject on how well it helps the body; the Gerudo Vai set for Hylians and Gerudo only it is only suitable for average desert temperatures that is around 32 C,(or in game it's a level 1 heat resistance), they need better ways for deeper in the desert, or else they need a ice-tool or weapon fused with something cold for the 121 degrees F or with a Gerudo Voe outfit. Link can still feel the heat even with the gerudo vai set and can still overheat. Still they can do way better(with some builders making a thin-layer wood shading)

[@fatalwaffle1715]

Awesome 🏜 🌩 ⚡️ Video!

[@soapy247]

MOONLIGHTER OST MENTIONED?! That games OST is so good very underrated

[@Drakenwild]

David Fenn's output is just wonderful all around!

[@mrgerund3060]

was already wondering why the music sounded so familiar, didnt see it was Macadamia Mayhem because the card only showed up for a second

[@gundamwarrior]

Will one of these be done about the great plateau? I'd like to see one done about what the plateau at its height would've been like when it comes to defense analysis.

[@joe-and-pippi]

if drakenwild was a wings of fire character, she would totally be glory. Sarcasm? Check. Hilarious faces? check. Smarter? check. glory.

[@Streetcleanergaming]

In the past, they had Urbosa. Thats it thats the entire reason they are woefully undergaurded. She could come up with cuning plans and take out entire armies by herself they didnt need to make defenseive structures or repair the old ones it simply wasn't needed [to them at least pride still made them not think about that.]

[@thegreatgoobert5847]

And now they're pretty much completely reliant on link bailing them out whenever their leadership does something stupid and shortsighted.

[@kathrynwoodruff354]

Yeah I think all of their problems truly stem from their pride, it makes a lot of sense.

[@Epicboy099]

Babe wake up, a new hyrule town defense analysis just got dropped.

[@youtubeviewer8063]

I swear I never noticed the high heels until this video; I could have sworn they wore sandals.

[@Drakenwild]

@@youtubeviewer8063 the more you know