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Ready to take your earthbending to the next level in Avatar: The Last Airbender Earth Rumble?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Move left and right to dodge projectiles coming your way.
Clasp your hands below your belly and raise them together to create a shield of rock.
Avoid low attacks and shockwaves by jumping. Not able to jump? Try simulating the movement by quickly throwing your arms up in the air.
Slip below high attacks by ducking low to the ground.
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.
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.
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.
Use this knowledge to stay one step ahead in every match.
You may know how to earthbend, but facing Toph is the final test that proves you’re ready for the Earth Rumble.
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.
Stay light on your feet, trust your fundamentals, and don’t overcommit. The key to victory is adapting faster than she does.
This is a true cat-and-mouse fight. The Gecko relies on speed, evasiveness, and forcing you to chase him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If there’s one word to remember in this fight, it’s shockwave.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some sequences require multiple successful returns in a row, testing both your timing and consistency. Miss the window, and you’ll lose your momentum.
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.
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.
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.
That’s when Toph Beifong steps in with a reminder: listen to the Earth.
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.
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.
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.
Are you ready to experience the power of earthbending? Grab Play Pass today and jump in. The arena is waiting.
