Ashwinder Soldiers are one of the weaker enemies in Hogwarts Legacy, but that doesn't mean players should underestimate them. They are still dangerous Dark Wizards, and players will want to know how best to take these enemies on. They are particularly concerning when in large groups, but prepared witches and wizards will have no problem dealing with them.
As a member of the Ashwinders, Ashwinder Soldiers do the grunt work for Victor Rookwood, one of Hogwarts Legacy's three major antagonists. Players will encounter quite a few of these enemies, and while they aren't particularly dangerous, there are some tricks that players can use to make fighting them even easier.
What Are Ashwinder Soldiers?
Ashwinder Soldiers are a relatively common enemy in bandit camps and other areas of Hogwarts Legacy. They can easily be identified by their bright yellow bowler hats, which also give a hint as to what kind of spells will break their shield. They are described in the Wizard Field Guide simply as being "skilled at deflecting simple attacks."
How to Break Ashwinder Soldier Shields
Ashwinder Soldiers have yellow shields, meaning they can be broken by casting any Control Spell. This could be something as simple as Levioso or as advanced as Glacius or Arresto Momentum. Using any of these spells will leave the Ashwinder Soldier completely defenseless, allowing the player to use all other kinds of spells on them.
Ashwinder Soldier Attacks
In terms of offensive capabilities, Ashwinder Soldiers have two spells they will use to assail the player. When far enough away from the player, they will use Expulso, a curse that deals damage but is blockable. Alternatively, when they are close enough to the player, they will run up and cast Incendio, an unblockable, short-range fire spell. This must be dodged, or else the player will take damage and catch fire.
Ashwinder Soldier Weaknesses
Though it's easy enough to simply levitate an Ashwinder Soldier with Levioso before attacking, there is actually a way to use Ashwinder Soldiers against their allies. As the Ashwinder Soldier is charging up Expulso, cast Levioso at them instead of shielding with Protego to interrupt the spell. This will cause the Ashwinder Soldier to misfire and hit an ally with Expulso instead.
Of course, Ashwinder Soldiers are fully vulnerable to Ancient Magic and Petrificus Totalus regardless of whether or not they have their shield up. Both of these powerful attacks will instantly kill this foe, but it's sometimes best to save Ancient Magic for more powerful enemies instead.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4 and Xbox One ports are scheduled to release on April 4; the Nintendo Switch version is arriving on July 25, 2023.