There are a ton of spells to learn and use in Hogwarts Legacy, but the one that players will likely find themselves using most often is Protego, the Shielding Charm. Protego is a defensive spell capable of nullifying damage from incoming attacks, and it is unique in that it has no cooldown and can be followed up with Stupefy, the Stunning Spell. Players should learn how to use both Stupefy and Protego during the tutorial in Gringotts Wizarding Bank at the start of the game, but it's easy to forget something one learns while being assailed by countless living statues.
If players are finding themselves taking a lot of hits during combat or relying solely on the dodge roll to avoid enemies in Hogwarts Legacy, then it's time for a refresher on how to use Protego. What's more, the accompanying Stupefy spell can help tremendously with dealing more damage to some of Hogwarts Legacy's tougher enemies.
Hogwarts Legacy: How to Use Protego
Hogwarts Legacy is currently available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, with Switch, PS4, and Xbox One versions on the way. The control for Protego is different on each system.
- To cast Protego on PS5, press Triangle
- To cast Protego on Xbox Series X, press Y
- To cast Protego on PC, press Q.
Players can extend the duration of Protego slightly by holding the button, protecting them for a bit longer than if they just tap it instead. The controls for Hogwarts Legacy on Switch are not yet known, but Protego will most likely be the X button.
Hogwarts Legacy: Getting the Most Out of Protego
Any time the player is targeted by an enemy attack, a colored ring will appear above their character's head. The red ring indicates an unblockable attack, so Hogwarts Legacy players should use dodge roll to avoid this. Yellow rings, on the other hand, indicate attacks that can be blocked.
How to Execute a Perfect Protego
Using Protego before a yellow ring attack hits will negate all damage from the attack, but with some precise timing, it's possible to execute a perfect Protego. Activate Protego just before the attack hits the player, and the shield will reflect enemy spells back at the caster. When used against melee attacks, perfect Protegos do damage to the assailant as well as negate incoming damage.
To time this correctly, watch the yellow ring above the player's head. When the alert first appears, there will be two yellow rings that approach one another. Once the two rings align and start to glow, use Protego to perform a perfect Protego.
Talents that Improve Protego
Once the player unlocks talent points in Hogwarts Legacy, there are several talents available that improve the effectiveness of Protego. All of the following talents are considered Core Talents.
- Protego Absorption - Level 5 - Successful Protego blocks fill the Ancient Magic meter, and perfect Protegos fill it even more.
- Protego Expertise - Level 16 - Blocking a spell with a perfect Protego sends two projectiles back instead of one.
- Protego Mastery - Level 22 - Perfect Protego causes a shockwave that damages nearby enemies and breaks enemy shields.
Hogwarts Legacy - How to Use Stupefy
The Stupefy spell is both simple to use and incredibly effective. Whenever the player blocks an enemy attack with Protego, they can follow up with a counterattack by continuing to hold down the Protego button.
This will cause the player's character to launch a Stupefy spell at whoever they are locked onto. Stupefy stuns the enemy it hits and makes them take critical damage for the duration of the stun.
Getting the Most Out of Stupefy
It's worth noting that Stupefy targets whoever the player is locked onto, not the enemy that the player blocked with Protego. This means it's possible to use the attacks of weaker enemies to stun tougher enemies that may primarily use unblockable attacks.
For example, using Protego to block a Dark Mongrel's charge would allow a player to stun a Forest Troll with Stupefy.
Talents That Improve Stupefy
There are also several talents that improve Stupefy spread out between the Dark Arts Talents and Core Talents sections.
- Stunning Curse - Level 5 Dark Arts Talent - Stupefy curses enemies, causing them to take more damage.
- Stupefy Mastery - Level 16 Core Talent - Stupefy's stun effect has increased duration.
- Stupefy Expertise - Level 22 Core Talent - Stupefy also damages targets on impact.
Hogwarts Legacy: Protego and Stupefy
Combining Protego and Stupefy with the talents listed above makes these spells just as deadly as they are defensive. Players can execute a perfect Protego on an enemy's Confringo, causing two Confringo bolts to shoot back at the caster thanks to Protego Mastery.
This also triggers Protego Expertise, damaging and dispelling the shields of all nearby enemies. If the player keeps holding the button, this will lead to a Stupefy, which can damage, stun, and curse whoever the player is targeting. Using these spells is key to improving at Hogwarts Legacy's complex combat system.
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.