Ready to take your earthbending to the next level in Avatar: The Last Airbender Earth Rumble?

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This game guide breaks down the fundamentals of earthbending, from maximizing your core moves to adapting against each fighter in the arena. Learn these tips, and you’ll be ready for anything the Earth Rumble throws your way.

Mastering the Fundamentals

Our last blog covered how to perform each bending technique. Now it’s time to dive into the details of when it’s best to use each move.  

Offensive Moves

Small Rock Bending

Quick, rapid strikes that pressure your opponent from a distance. The quicker you move, the more rocks you’ll throw. As your fastest attack, small rock bending will be your safest option if you have an opportunity to do some damage. 

• Best for: Interrupting attacks and building momentum.
• Watch out for: Spamming. While small rock bending is fast, sometimes enemies are invulnerable. If you’re spamming small rocks during these moments, you’re not dealing any damage, AND you’re not defending against oncoming attacks.
• Pro tip: Mix this with defensive moves for well-rounded gameplay.

Large Rock Bending

Raise your knee and stomp the ground with your left foot to raise a large chunk of rock that you can strike toward your opponent.

• Best for: Getting big damage once you have an opening. Breaking rock shields in one hit. 
• Watch out for: Raising Rock attacks—they’ll stop you from completing this move. ‍
• Pro tip: Try striking right after stomping to launch a large rock attack instantly. The timing is a little tricky and will require some practice (especially if you’re aiming high or low), but you’ll save a lot of time.   

Raising Rock

Raise your knee and stomp the ground with your right foot to send a rift surging toward your opponent. Raise your hands to raise the earth and send them flying. 

• Best for: Knocking opponents off their feet. 
• Watch out for: Standing still and watching your rift. You can move freely after creating the rift—use that freedom to reposition yourself for an advantage. 
• Pro tip: Mix this between other attacks to give your opponent multiple threats to deal with. 
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Defensive Moves

Dodge

Move left and right to dodge projectiles coming your way.

• Best for: Repositioning yourself on the field. 
• Watch out for: Moving without purpose—you could be missing a key moment to attack. 
• Pro tip: With good timing and a little speed, you can dodge homing moves like Large Rock Bending.
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Block

Clasp your hands below your belly and raise them together to create a shield of rock.

• Best for: Preventing damage if you can’t dodge. 
• Watch out for: Staying behind your shield too long—it doesn’t last forever. And if you’re hiding behind a shield, you won’t see Raising Rock attacks coming until they hit you. 
• Pro tip: If you’re already ducking, simply raising your hands will create a shield.

Jump

Avoid low attacks and shockwaves by jumping. Not able to jump? Try simulating the movement by quickly throwing your arms up in the air.

• Best for: Getting out of the way of unblockable low attacks. 
• Watch out for: Jumping too late.
• Pro tip: You’ll need some time to get in the air, so jump slightly before an attack reaches you to successfully avoid damage.
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Duck

Slip below high attacks by ducking low to the ground.

• Best for: Preventing damage from high attacks.
• Watch out for: Accidentally ducking when trying to jump.
• Pro tip: Some attacks can be avoided by ducking or blocking—choose the option most convenient for you. 

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If you ever forget how to do any of these moves, press back on your Playground controller during a match to review your bending techniques.

Now that you’ve mastered the fundamentals, let's look at how to take on each opponent in the arena. 

Conquering the Earth Rumble

Before you step into the ring, you need to know who you’re up against. Consider this your scouting report, breaking down each fighter’s strengths, habits, and how to take them down.

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As a general rule, when a fighter looks rocky, they’re invulnerable and can’t be damaged. Most opponents will also change tactics after the first round, displaying new moves and becoming more dangerous as the fight goes on.

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Use this knowledge to stay one step ahead in every match.
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Toph “The Blind Bandit” Beifong 

You may know how to earthbend, but facing Toph is the final test that proves you’re ready for the Earth Rumble. 

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With access to the same moves as you, this mirror match challenges your understanding of each technique’s strengths and weaknesses. In later rounds, she raises the stakes with more powerful attacks—her Raising Rock becomes wider, and she can even deploy a sandstorm to obscure the battlefield. 

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Stay light on your feet, trust your fundamentals, and don’t overcommit. The key to victory is adapting faster than she does.
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The Gecko

This is a true cat-and-mouse fight. The Gecko relies on speed, evasiveness, and forcing you to chase him. 

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Once you push him below half health in the final round, he shifts tactics. He’ll become temporarily invulnerable and retreat to the high ground, perching atop a rock spire. While elevated, he’s out of reach, repositioning frequently and waiting for you to make a mistake.

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Stay patient. Watch for the moments when he pauses to catch his breath—those brief windows are your only chance to strike. When the opportunity comes, act fast and commit. A well-timed Large Rock Bending attack will maximize your damage before he slips away again.
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The Gopher

This fight is all about controlling the ground beneath your feet. The Gopher mixes standard attacks with sudden ambushes, burrowing underground and resurfacing without warning to catch you off guard.

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When the fight begins, he uses his tunneling sparingly, just enough to disrupt your rhythm and punish careless positioning. Stay alert and avoid overcommitting while he’s underground, as his pop-up attacks are designed to catch you mid-action.

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In the final round, the fight changes completely. At half health, The Gopher refuses to surface, staying buried and forcing you to flush him out. The only way to make contact is by using Raising Rock. Stomp to send a rift across the arena, then time your follow-up to raise the earth as it intersects with his tunnel path to land a hit. 
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The Big Bad Hippo

If there’s one word to remember in this fight, it’s shockwave.

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The Big Bad Hippo relies on devastating ground slams, launching himself into the air before crashing down and sending shockwaves across the arena. These attacks can’t be blocked—jumping is your only way to avoid damage.

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Early on, you might be able to absorb a hit or two, but that won’t carry you through the fight. His pressure builds quickly, and mistiming a jump can cost you the match.

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Stay focused on his wind-up and be ready to react. Once you learn the rhythm of his jumps, you can avoid the damage and create openings to strike back.
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The Boulder

Despite his flair for drama, The Boulder starts with a surprisingly straightforward approach. His attacks are direct, powerful, and easy to read, but things escalate quickly. Stay sharp in this opening phase and prepare for what’s coming next.

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In the later stage of the fight, everything changes. The Boulder shifts into a parry-focused showdown where offense takes a back seat to timing and precision. He’ll launch a massive rock toward you, and when it flashes blue, that’s your moment to strike it back.

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Some sequences require multiple successful returns in a row, testing both your timing and consistency. Miss the window, and you’ll lose your momentum.

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Stay calm and focus on the rhythm. Each successful parry sends the attack back with force, and after enough clean returns, you’ll overpower The Boulder and knock him out of the ring.
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King Bumi

Facing King Bumi will require you to use all the skills you’ve learned throughout the tournament. Don’t let his age fool you—he’s an unpredictable and masterful earthbender who incorporates techniques from other fighters, including The Big Bad Hippo’s shockwaves.

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In his final phase, Bumi shrouds the arena in a swirling sandstorm, obscuring your vision and forcing you to rely on more than sight alone. 

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That’s when Toph Beifong steps in with a reminder: listen to the Earth.

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By stomping the ground, you’ll send out vibrations that reveal Bumi’s position. Use this to track him through the storm, line up your attacks, and finish the fight on your terms.

Put Your Earthbending to the Test

Everything you need to become the next Earth Rumble champion is right in your hands. Now, it’s time to step into the arena and prove you have what it takes. 

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Your entry into the tournament starts with Play Pass—giving you access to Avatar: The Last Airbender Earth Rumble, along with 50+ games on Playground that keep the fun going long after you’re crowned champion. 

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Are you ready to experience the power of earthbending? Grab Play Pass today and jump in. The arena is waiting.

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