History GameBreaker / TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild

%% This page will NOT cover glitches, only exploits of intended mechanics. This page is also NOT a manual: WalkthroughMode is to be avoided.

* While Magnesis is supposed to only be able to move metal objects, [[LoopholeAbuse nothing stops you from using your metal object to push other, non-metal objects.]] This can be used to push around [=NPCs=], relocate enemies, and even create a flying machine.
* You technically aren't supposed to be able to bring items to Eventide Island. However, you can drop them from your inventory, step onto the sand, and then pick them up after the monk strips you to your underwear.
* Speedrunners have found numerous ways to traverse the world, some glitchier than others. One that uses ''only'' intended mechanics is the stasis launch: using Stasis on an object, hitting it several times, and then jumping in front of it will transfer the forward momentum to Link's body, flinging him at speeds far in excess of what he could achieve normally.
* Bombs provide infinite free damage, which is useful in combat... but you can use the fact that they are free and don't consume any weapon durability for MundaneUtility. Need a distraction? Throw a bomb but don't explode it. Want to break rocks but don't want to use your weapons? Blow it up with a bomb. Picking apples from an orchard? Bomb. Catching fish? Bomb.

* The air bike is a simple build of two Fans attached to a Steering Stick. It's quick, easy to control, will not despawn from under you like Wings and Balloons do, and once you have Autobuild you can construct an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonaite. Terrain is rendered irrelevant, you can fly away from any enemies you don't want to face, and no location is out of reach.
* Ultrahand and Recall used together can be used to bypass many traversal puzzles. Take a plank, use Ultrahand to hover it out to your destination, return it to yourself, stand on it, and Recall the plank, which will return it to where you Ultrahanded it earlier. You are now across most small- to medium-size gaps.
* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, they could be difficult to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier than before to the point of being trivial. Some people derisively refer to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode, and others complain about Nintendo patching them out as soon as they get discovered.

* You cannot take out capsule Zonai devices inside of Shrines. However, for whatever reason, Zonai devices previously fused to your equipment are perfectly usable. Rocket shields can do a lot.
* You can help fix Addison's signs by using the (usually wooden) pieces nearby. Or you can shove a hover stone underneath and completely ignore ''every single Addison puzzle in the game.''

* The Menu Overload glitch. While the steps are a little complicated and the required items take a little bit to acquire (around 5 multi-shot bows and some shock arrows), it breaks the game ''wide open'' since it opens the door for even bigger glitches. For example, players can duplicate their inventory using the displays in Link's house (including the most powerful items in the game like the Hylian Shield and any weapon with an attack above 70 or 80) and transfer durability to damaged weapons to repair them. Needless to say, with the right equipment, you never have to worry about scrounging around for gear ever again.
** The Royal Guard's Gear are extremely powerful items found only in Hyrule Castle and normally have piss-poor durability, except the overload glitch enables us to transfer durability onto them. This means we can give Royal Guard's equipment the durability of a [[LethalJokeWeapon spring-loaded hammer]], which has a whopping 80 uses. Not only that, we can dupe them to no end, and by abusing a certain NPC, generate an infinite supply of rupees. There's a reason this set of gear is almost undoubtedly the best when glitches are factored in. The result is that the standard [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity +1 gear]] gets completely and utterly outclassed in both damage and possibly durability, since said [[InfinityPlusOneSword gear]] has severe limits on what buffs it can have.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJrlXfRMKw&ab_channel=Oyff "Intercontinental Ballistic Laser Beams"]] is a relatively simple construct that is little more than a homing cart and a [[BeamSpam whole bunch of lasers]]. It kills almost anything (up to and including a Gleeok) in seconds.
* A way to use Recall and Ultrahand is through "Recall Riding". Simply throw a spear, attach it to a plank of wood, Recall it, and stand on the plank. Watch as the spear is dragged backwards and then flings Link and the platform extremely high into the air, often rivaling the launches from the Skyview Towers!
* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, it can be difficult to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier than before to the point of being trivial. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. It became widespread enough that some people derisively refer to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode and others complaining about Nintendo patching them out whenever possible.
** The following three common duplications were patched out in version 1.1.2:
### One method was to save, drop a weapon, shield, and/or bow and equip another one, pause again very quickly, drop the equipped items again, then reload the save. If done right, the dropped items will carry over to the reloaded file, allowing for infinite duplications.
### For materials, the only requirements are the paraglider or a shield. While you're in the air and using one of them, hold the items you want to duplicate, and close the menu while sorting it at the same time. The items will drop without decreasing the counter if timed right, allowing for up to 21 copies in one jump before it starts despawning.
### Zuggling allows Link to hold multiple weapons at once, up to 20 weapons, effectively stacking their damage and enabling him to oneshot even bosses. This can be used to duplicate weapons by dropping them, similar to the first glitch but it doesn't require saving or loading. This glitch has further utility in speedruns by allowing Link to clip through the floor and skip areas when done enough times.
** These four were patched out as of the 1.2.0 update:
### Another method found after the last three were patched involved Link's house in Tarrey Town, using a shock emitter device and a weapon, shield, and/or bow display room, While a Zonai shock emitter is active and touching the display, you can display the item at the same time you walk into the beam and get shocked, which knocks the duplicate item out of Link's hand. When you get the timing down, you can copy your entire inventory with the most powerful items in only a couple minutes.
### You can also use another method that requires no timing, nor does it require getting the house or injuring Link: simply face a wall, ready a weapon to throw, save the game, then watch a memory enough times until Link appears to be unequipped in the menu. Reload the save, and whatever you were just about to throw will appear on the ground instead, duping the weapon.
### To dupe materials quickly, another exploit involves travelling to Tobio's Hollow Chasm (which is normally locked behind a 10-heart gate but can be accessed from the Depths). This method duplicates materials attached to arrows fired from a multi-shot bow into a load zone, turning them back into materials. It is considered the fastest duplication glitch in version 1.1.2.
### To make lots of money relatively early, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. Fuse at least 2 melee weapons with meat (preferably Gourmet Meat), use Ultrahand to stick the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Frozen Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.
* The huge circular pressure switches in Shrines of Light, intended to be activated by directing a ball into them through physics puzzles, can also be activated by a bomb flower, cutting out all of the puzzling time, and defeating some of the most notably obtuse scenarios the switches appear in. [[LoopholeAbuse This is presumably because the switches don't actually check for if a solid object hit them, they only look for sufficiently strong impacts, and bomb flowers just so happen to cause strong impacts.]]
* The air bike is a simple build of two Fans pointed downward at a 45 degree angle attached to a Steering Stick. It's quick, easy to control, can be used infinitely unlike Wings and Balloons, and once you have autobuild, you can construct an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonaite. Given how one of the game's main challenges revolves around navigating the environment, the air bike utterly trivializes this. No location is out of reach with this vehicle.
* Rock Octoroks make the BreakableWeapons system a complete non-issue thanks to their new ability to fully repair weapons they're fed. While each Rock Octorok can only repair one weapon before a Blood Moon, they're quite plentiful in the Eldin region, and the stronger weapons can last just long enough for a Blood Moon to happen before you run out of Rock Octoroks. Even legendary weapons can be repaired [[LoopholeAbuse if they're used as fusion material for a different weapon first]] before having Pelison separate them. You'll never have to worry about losing your favorite weapon again with these guys.
* Puffshrooms are essentially Link's smoke bombs. They explode into a large tuft of smoke big enough to encompass multiple enemies and linger for more than enough time for Link abuse sneakstrikes with impunity. Used in conjunction with an Eightfold blade (which offers more powerful sneakstrikes) fused with a strong enough material, even the bulkier silver enemies can be slain before the smoke clears. Once the smoke dissipates, there's nothing preventing him from throwing another one, not even being right in front of monsters. They can even stop a Lynel from attacking, though they cannot be sneakstruck. They also have incredible synergy with Forest Dweller weapons, which can let them be used without being consumed repeatedly.

* The air bike is a simple build of two fans pointed downward at a 45 degree angle attached to a steering stick. It's quick, easy to control, can be used infinitely unlike Wings and Balloons, and once you have autobuild, you can construct an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonaite. Given how one of the game's main challenges revolves around navigating the environment, the air bike utterly trivializes this. No location is out of reach with this vehicle.

* Dazzle Fruits are a fairly easy material to find and are extremely helpful against most enemies you'll face. When thrown or fired via bow, they will blind all nearby enemies temporarily, letting you mop them up with ease. They also instantly kill [[GoddamnBats any Stal-type enemies]] (except for Stalnoxes) caught in the blast, providing an instant solution for them during nighttime attacks. They also inflict the same effect as shooting an arrow into the eye of a Hinox, Stalnox, or Frox, making fights against them trivial as long as you have a good supply. They ''also'' activate the light switches that appear every once in a while, allowing you to completely ignore most of the tedious mirror puzzles.
* Gloom weapons (Gloom Sword, Gloom Spear, Gloom Club) are very high-damage weapons intended to be balanced by [[CastFromHitPoints them Glooming away your hearts every few strikes]]. You can, however, Fuse them to the ends of other weapons, thus taking advantage of their extremely high damage without any downside at all.
* Building a simple air bike out of two fans pointed downward at a 45 degree angle attached to a steering stick completely trivializes travel and any instance where you have to escort koroks to their friends. Once you have autobuild, you can construct an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonite. It's not good for carrying heavy items like shrine crystals, but there you only need to build a vehicle with more fans.

* Gloom weapons (Gloom Sword, Gloom Spear, Gloom Club) are very high-damage weapons intended to be balanced by [[CastFromHitPoints them Glooming away your hearts every few strikes]]. You can, however, Fuse them to the ends of other weapons, thus taking advantage of their extremely high damage without any downside at all.
* Building a simple air bike out of two fans pointed downward at a 45 degree angle attached to a steering stick completely trivializes travel and any instance where you have to escort koroks to their "friends". Once you have auto build you can construct an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonite. It's not good for carrying heavy items like shrine crystals, but there you only need to build a vehicle with more fans.

* Building a simple Air bike out of two fans pointed downward at a 45 degree angle attached to a steering stick completely trivializes travel and any instance where you have to escort koroks to their "friends" Once you have auto build you can summon an air bike anywhere for only 9 pieces of Zonite. It's not good for carrying heavy items like shrine crystals, but there you only need to build a vehicle with more fans.

* Gibdo Bones are a material you'll be able to acquire once you start exploring the Gerudo Desert. They're very fragile and thus break after one strike, so they're not useful on melee weapons, but the +40 attack bonus they provide is immense. If you attach one while using a 3-shot or 5-shot bow (i.e. a Savage Lynel Bow), you get a reasonably plentiful material that can let you shred even the toughest enemies with a few volleys.

* Dazzle Fruits are a fairly easy material to find and are extremely helpful against most enemies you'll face. When thrown or fired via bow, they will blind all nearby enemies temporarily, letting you mop them up with ease. They also instantly kill [[GoddamnBats any Stal-type enemies]] (except for Stalnoxes) caught in the blast, providing an instant solution for them during nighttime attacks. They also inflict the same effect as shooting an arrow into the eye of a Hinox, Stalnox, or Frox, making fights against them trivial as long as you have a good supply.

* The Menu Overload glitch. While the steps are a little complicated and the required items take a little bit to acquire, around 5 multi-shot bows and some shock arrows, it breaks the game ''wide open'' since it opens the door for even bigger glitches. For example, players can duplicate their inventory using the displays in Link's house (including the most powerful items in the game like the Hylian Shield and any weapon with an attack above 70 or 80) and transfer durability to damaged weapons to repair them. Needless to say, with the right equipment, you never have to worry about scrounging around for gear ever again.

* The Menu Overload glitch. While the required items take a little bit to acquire, around 5 multi-shot bows and some shock arrows, it breaks the game ''wide open'' since it opens the door for even bigger glitches. For example, players can duplicate their inventory using the displays in Link's house (including the most powerful items in the game like the Hylian Shield and any weapon with an attack above 70 or 80) and transfer durability to damaged weapons to repair them. Needless to say, with the right equipment, you never have to worry about scrounging around for gear ever again.

* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, it was a little complicated to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier to pull off than before to the point of being trivial. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. This led to some people derisively referring to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode as a result.

* The huge circular pressure switches in Shrines of Light, intended to be activated by directing a ball into them through physics puzzles, can also be activated by a bomb flower, cutting out all of the puzzling time, and defeating some of the most notably obtuse scenarios the switches appear in.

### To make lots of money relatively early, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. Fuse at least 2 melee weapons with meat (preferably Gourmet Meat), use Ultrahand to stick the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.

### To make lots of money relatively early, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. Fuse 2 melee weapons with 2 pieces of meat (preferably Gourmet Meat), use Ultrahand to stick the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.

### To make lots of money relatively early, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. You also need at least 2 pieces of meat (preferably Gourmet Meat) and 2 melee weapons. Fuse the weapons with one meat each, fuse the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.

## One method was to save, drop a weapon, shield, and/or bow and equip another one, pause again very quickly, drop the equipped items again, then reload the save. If done right, the dropped items will carry over to the reloaded file, allowing for infinite duplications.
## For materials, the only requirements are the paraglider or a shield. While you're in the air and using one of them, hold the items you want to duplicate, and close the menu while sorting it at the same time. The items will drop without decreasing the counter if timed right, allowing for up to 21 copies in one jump before it starts despawning.
## Zuggling allows Link to hold multiple weapons at once, up to 20 weapons, effectively stacking their damage and enabling him to oneshot even bosses. This can be used to duplicate weapons by dropping them, similar to the first glitch but it doesn't require saving or loading. This glitch has further utility in speedruns by allowing Link to clip through the floor and skip areas when done enough times.
** These four were patched out as of the 1.2.0 update
## Another method found after the last three were patched involved Link's house in Tarrey Town, using a shock emitter device and a weapon, shield, and/or bow display room, While a Zonai shock emitter is active and touching the display, you can display the item at the same time you walk into the beam and get shocked, which knocks the duplicate item out of Link's hand. When you get the timing down, you can copy your entire inventory with the most powerful items in only a couple minutes.
## You can also use another method that requires no timing, nor does it require getting the house or injuring Link: simply face a wall, ready a weapon to throw, save the game, then watch a memory enough times until Link appears to be unequipped in the menu. Reload the save, and whatever you were just about to throw will appear on the ground instead, duping the weapon.
## To dupe materials quickly, another exploit involves travelling to Tobio's Hollow Chasm (which is normally locked behind a 10-heart gate but can be accessed from the Depths). This method duplicates materials attached to arrows fired from a multi-shot bow into a load zone, turning them back into materials. It is considered the fastest duplication glitch in version 1.1.2.
## To make lots of money relatively early, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. You also need at least 2 pieces of meat (preferably Gourmet Meat) and 2 melee weapons. Fuse the weapons with one meat each, fuse the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.

* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, it was a little complicated to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier to pull off than before to the point of being trivial. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. This led to some people derisively referring to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode as a result. There are six widely-used variations, with the former three being patched out:

## To make lots of money early in the game, the "frozen meat" glitch can be done after you unlock Autobuild. You also need at least 2 pieces of meat (preferably Gourmet Meat) and 2 melee weapons. Fuse the weapons with one meat each, fuse the meat weapons together, then save it as a template. Go to someplace snowy (Snowfield Stable is a popular location) and simply select (not build) the template, and in 3 seconds, the game will "freeze" your unbuilt meat weapons and spawn frozen meat. For best results, create a template with 21 meat weapons to spawn 21 Gourmet Meat at a time, collect the meat, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, you'll have 10,000+ rupees worth of frozen meat.

** One method was to save, drop a weapon, shield, and/or bow and equip another one, pause again very quickly, drop the equipped items again, then reload the save. If done right, the dropped items will carry over to the reloaded file, allowing for infinite duplications.
** For materials, the only requirements are the paraglider or a shield. While you're in the air and using one of them, hold the items you want to duplicate, and close the menu while sorting it at the same time. The items will drop without decreasing the counter if timed right, allowing for up to 21 copies in one jump before it starts despawning.
** Zuggling allows Link to hold multiple weapons at once, up to 20 weapons, effectively stacking their damage and enabling him to oneshot even bosses. This can be used to duplicate weapons by dropping them, similar to the first glitch but it doesn't require saving or loading. This glitch has further utility in speedruns by allowing Link to clip through the floor and skip areas when done enough times.
** Another method found after the last three were patched involved Link's house in Tarrey Town, using a shock emitter device and a weapon, shield, and/or bow display room, While a Zonai shock emitter is active and touching the display, you can display the item at the same time you walk into the beam and get shocked, which knocks the duplicate item out of Link's hand. When you get the timing down, you can copy your entire inventory with the most powerful items in only a couple minutes.
** You can also use another method that requires no timing, nor does it require getting the house or injuring Link: simply face a wall, ready a weapon to throw, save the game, then watch a memory enough times until Link appears to be unequipped in the menu. Reload the save, and whatever you were just about to throw will appear on the ground instead, duping the weapon.
** To dupe materials quickly, another exploit involves travelling to Tobio's Hollow Chasm (which is normally locked behind a 10-heart gate but can be accessed from the Depths). This method duplicates materials attached to arrows fired from a multi-shot bow into a load zone, turning them back into materials. It is considered the fastest duplication glitch in version 1.1.2.

* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, it was a little complicated to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier to pull off than before to the point of being trivial. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. This led to some people derisively referring to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode as a result. There are five widely-used variations, with the former two being patched out:

** Another method found after the last two were patched involved Link's house in Tarrey Town, using a shock emitter device and a weapon, shield, and/or bow display room, While a Zonai shock emitter is active and touching the display, you can display the item at the same time you walk into the beam and get shocked, which knocks the duplicate item out of Link's hand. When you get the timing down, you can copy your entire inventory with the most powerful items in only a couple minutes.

* While item duplications were possible in the previous game, it was a little complicated to pull off. In this game, however, they are ''far'' easier to pull off than before to the point of being trivial. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. This led to some people derisively referring to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode as a result. There are four widely-used variations, with the former two being patched out:

** The most recent one involves travelling to Tobio's Hollow Chasm (which is normally locked behind a 10-heart gate but can be accessed from the Depths). This method duplicates materials attached to arrows fired from a multi-shot bow into a load zone, turning them back into materials. It is considered the fastest duplication glitch in version 1.1.2.

''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', are very open-ended games, to say the least. Of course, such games are usually expected to have [[GameBreaker a few items that break it in varying degrees]]. And they both definitely have their fair share.
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[[foldercontrol]]

!! Both games
* All of the elemental weapons are good thanks to how ElementalRockPaperScissors work with their FireIceLightning set up. Any ice attack against a fire based enemy will be a OneHitKill, and vice versa, while lightning has no obvious exploit. Fire and ice weapons also serve a MundaneUtility, as an ice weapon can cool Link down in Gerudo Desert, while a fire weapon can keep Link warm in the Hebra region or in other colder areas. A fire weapon can also help slowly but surely melt ice blocks that hide items or Korok seeds simply if Link stands nearby, without using up any durability.
** Ice weapons can also freeze an enemy solid, letting Link get free hits off while they're helpless, or they can help Link flee in a pinch. Only a few EliteMooks, such as Lynels and Hinoxes, are immune; you can turn the tides on massive hordes of enemies with just a few swings.
** Electric weapons are more situational due to their lack of the above-mentioned MundaneUtility, but it makes up for it by being ''lethal'' against any enemy that uses weaponry. When shocked, anything that's not an ''EliteMook'' will drop their weapons temporarily. With quick use of Runes (or just being gutsy and running right in), you can easily disarm your enemies, forcing them to rely on significantly-weaker melee attacks.
** Shock Arrows have the hidden bonus of being more powerful in the rain, as well as electrifying entire bodies of water if shot into them.
** Nock a fire arrow and walk into a bundle of wood to create a campfire. ''You do not even need to shoot the arrow.''
** ''Tears'' removes inherently magical weapons, but in exchange, you can recreate the magic rods' effects by attaching a gemstone (ruby for fire, sapphire for ice, topaz for lightning, opal for water, and Star Fragment for light) to any melee weapon - including magical Rods (one-handed), Scepters (two-handed) and Staffs (spear) that get extra synergy with them. A spear with a sapphire tip can melt enemy health bars thanks to its rapid strikes and keep them effectively stunlocked for ages, while a weapon adorned with an opal can easily get you through anything to do with the sludge blanketing Zora's Domain, including both of the bosses you fight there.
* While elemental Chuchus are rare, there's a simple trick to mass-harvest jellies of any element. Simply find the much more common non-elemental Chuchu, and kill it with an elemental weapon; it'll drop the elemental version instead. You can also convert normal jelly into an elemental one; just drop it on a fire or in icy water, or use a magic rod near it. This makes upgrading several armor sets significantly easier, since you don't have to wander around in hopes of finding the right kind of Chuchu.
* The Sneakstrike skill is [[DifficultButAwesome tricky to use but is extremely effective when executed]]. Performing this technique deals a 8x modifier to the target - powerful on its own, but what it stacks with attack buffs from gear and food, which can potentially lead to OneHitKill scenarios, with even Gold tier enemies being susceptible with the right setup. This lets you save on weapon durability, which is very important early on in Master Mode and in the 'Trial of the Sword' dungeon.
** Additionally, Sneakstrikes do not cause any noise, even if the attack kills the target, so you can easily assassinate an entire camp of sleeping mooks if you can sneak up to them without making any loud noises, and can do it again and again if you can quickly get out of the target's line of sight while its recovering from being knocked down. And if you can avoid their collective line of sight the whole time, you can easily wipe them all out, even in broad daylight with the whole camp being wide awake.
** In 'Breath of the Wild', you can use sneakstrikes to effectively StunLock mooks by abusing [[ArtificialStupidity the fact that they do not immediately aggro unless they have line of sight of Link when engaged]]. Thus, you can quickly run in front of the enemy while it is recovering from the sneakstrike hitstun and [[StunLock perform the attack again and again until it dies]]. Assuming no outside interruptions, even Gold-tier enemies can be easily eliminated this way, especially if it is isolated.
* Pretty much the entire cooking system. If you know what you're doing, you can fill your inventory with a massive amount of food that grants full heals and potions that grant long-lasting stat bonuses.
** Meat skewers are simple, but effective. Five Prime Meats will create a Prime Meat Skewer, which heals for 15 hearts, and sells for 210 rupees. Five Gourmet Meats will create a Gourmet Meat Skewer, which will fully heal Link no matter how many hearts he has, and will sell for 490 rupees. The ingredients for both can be easily found throughout the game (wolves, deer, buffalo, caribou, woolly rhinos, and bears, will drop Prime or Gourmet and all go down with a single headshot), and Prime Meat can be farmed from a minigame in Hateno Village.
** Hearty and Enduring items. Hearty items temporarily raise Link's maximum health and grant him extra hearts, while Enduring items do the same for stamina. However, they ''always'' fully restore those stats too, rendering all other items that primarily heal hearts and stamina obsolete. Cooking a single Hearty or Enduring item will yield a dish/elixir that fully restores your hearts or stamina as well as giving you the extra ones; toss five Hearty or Enduring items in the cooking pan, and you can get recipes that grant Link +25 extra hearts or two full extra stamina wheels. And Hearty and Enduring ingredients aren't exactly rare either - they can readily be found in many areas and are even sold by some merchants.
** High-level Attack Up foods in general. None of the ingredients are particularly rare[[note]]sizable groves of Mighty Bananas can be found in the Faron region, Mighty Thistle grows in many spots near Central Hyrule, and Razorshrooms are very common in forests[[/note]], but a recipe that centers around them give you a huge boost to attack power, increasing the total by 50% at the highest level. Also, the above mentioned Faron Tower is directly north of a sizable grove of them, making stocking them as easy as the Hearty Durians. Just as effective are the Razorshrooms, which can be found all over the Woodlands and the northern part of the Ridgelands. Regularly farming both Mighty Bananas and Razorshrooms ensures you have enough Attack Up foods to shred through any encounter.
** Elixirs made from dragon parts are extremely long-lasting. While scales can only give a minute and a half, claws give a little over ''ten'', and the horn gives ''thirty minutes''. Half an hour of extra speed, attack power, elemental resistance, whatever it is, dragon horn parts are incredibly useful in this regard. They're also not too hard to find once the player finds a good spot to farm them, and any dragon's horn shard will do. One popular farming location is the Riola Spring: there's a Shrine for easy warping, and a waterfall that is easily ascended with the Zora armor. Farosh will spawn near there daily, only a minute or so after the "morning" option you can select when resting at a campfire, making its parts the easiest to farm (for both ingredients and rupees, as dragon horns sell for a whopping 300 Rupees).
** Monster Extract. While its effects are random, sometimes making the resulting recipe ''worse'' than it'd normally be, it's possible to get the same half hour bonus that a dragon horn would give. It can be obtained without having to encounter any dragons either, and the player can just save before cooking and then [[SaveScumming reload]] if the result was not desirable.
** High-level Hasty items may not allow you to instagib enemies or become MadeOfIron for a time, but they still have their uses. For example, using one in battle allows you to become a LightningBruiser with the right armor, allowing you to literally run circles around tough enemies. It can also be used to dodge attacks more efficiently; Lynels' aim with their fireball attack already sucks, but Guardian blasts are far less liable to hit you if you zip off to the side before they can shoot at 1.5x your normal speed. In addition, you can use it to escape a jam, such as with lots of tough enemies; combining this with an Ice or Thunder weapon works best. Exploring an area with no horses in sight, and the Master Cycle is too risky, such as the upper reaches of the Hebra Mountain? The Haste effect works wonders for traversal, too. Just down a Hasty item and you'll get where you need to be in a snap, since it works for running, climbing and swimming. It's telling that, when viewed from the side, Link's running animation almost looks like a WheelOFeet.
** With sufficient hearts and decent armor, high-level defense meals can see you stonewalling dangerous boss enemies with their maximum damage per strike becoming a ''quarter'' of a heart, allowing you lots of time to attack the boss worry-free, especially if your weapon attack power is low enough that time alive is your greatest asset toward winning the fight.
** For half an hour from 11:30 to midnight on a Blood Moon, ''all'' dishes cooked will be critical cooks and have amplified effects. Stocking up on ingredients and waiting for a Blood Moon allows you to craft buffing dishes that have three times the potency and several minutes' duration. The mentioned Mighty Bananas, which are found in bulk in the Yiga Clan hideout and also in abundance in southern Hyrule? Toss five of them into a cooking pan for a triple Attack Up dish that lasts more than four minutes.
* Many Shrines have high ceilings and can thus be [[DungeonBypass bypassed]] by going over the walls. A few well-placed bombs can enable speedrunners to solve shrines in mere seconds.
* The Travel Medallion can completely break the game in several aspects. The Travel Medallion, as the name states, can allow Link to place markers on certain spots and he can instantly travel to them much like with the shrines and towers. What makes this item so broken is the fact that these items can be played almost ''anywhere'' in the entire game! Want to farm for certain items like caves containing a lot of ore that could respawn at a given time? Place a Travel Medallion in that cave to warp there anytime. Need to get to the Lynel Colosseum in order to face them at any time for valuable drops? Place one right outside the door to get there quickly! The Travel Medallion can also completely trivialize the labyrinths by simply placing one at the very top and moving around the labyrinth in until you are able to find the terminals to activate. Also, it should be mentioned that the Robbie can upgrade the Travel Medallion in ''Tears of the Kingdom'' so you can place ''three'' of them at once!

[[folder:Weapons and Shields]]
* The Master Sword. It has durability like any other weapon, but when it "breaks", it simply goes on a cooldown for a while, meaning once Link has this, he'll always have some weapon on hand, even if he has to wait a bit. [[MundaneUtility This also makes it a good tool for mining and logging]] should Link lack the proper tools. The sword itself has a good attack power of 30, which doubles to 60 when in the presence of Malice or Malice-infused enemies like Guardians. The only caveat is that Link needs 13 permanent hearts to obtain it unless one wants to use the acquire glitch[[note]]Put some kindling nearby to the Master Sword, stand between the two and light it, then look straight up at the sky before selecting to sit/rest at this campfire - if done properly, as the game loads back in there will be a brief flash of 'Take', during which the player mashs the A button and (if successful) acquires the Master Sword. The associated quest won't officially resolve itself until you pull it out the intended way, yet characters will still react to Link having it on his person.[[/note]] but it's well worth acquiring.
** The Trial of the Sword DLC upgrades it further. The trial has three stages, and each one adds 10 extra points of damage to the Master Sword's base power, so once it's fully cleared, it'll permanently be in its glowing, double attack state even against non-Malice foes. Its durability also shoots up through the roof to '''200''', ''5 times as durable'' as the base form's already above-average durability of 40. The only issue is that the trials are quite difficult - [[HarderThanHard especially on Master Mode]] - but if the player is skilled enough, it's possible to power up the Master Sword right after obtaining it, thus giving Link an incredibly powerful sword for the rest of the game.
* Ancient and Guardian weapons are some of the strongest and most useful weapons in the game. They're all effective against Guardians, so Link can slice off the legs of a Guardian Stalker to debilitate it and get more Ancient parts. The Ancient Arrow can [[OneHitKill instantly kill any Guardian]] if aimed at their eye, and will also vaporize any other enemy, although they will not leave behind any loot that way. These weapons are also effective against the four Blight Ganon bosses as they also have Guardian technology. They can be even stronger if Link has the Ancient Armor set upgraded to have the Ancient Proficiency effect, which boosts the power of these kinds of weapons by a whopping +80%, which can then stack with attack buffs. Give Link an Ancient Bladesaw or Guardian Axe++, start swinging, and watch the carnage. Finally, as a nice little bonus: Ancient and Guardian weapons are neither wood nor metal, so they will not burn up in the Eldin region, and they will not attract lightning in a thunderstorm, making them pretty safe in any weather. Guardians in Shrines will regenerate every Blood Moon, giving the player plenty of chances to harvest them for their weapons and Ancient parts. The Guardians in Major Tests of Strength in particular tend to carry either three weapons or two weapons and a shield, allowing Link to quickly stock up on parts, weapons, and shields.
* Ancient Arrows. They are basically this game's equivalent to the Light Arrows, being able to OneHitKill almost anything they touch. Any organic, living monster is instantly vaporized upon being hit by one of them. From the Yiga guards in their base, to the ferocious Lynels, one Ancient Arrow shot will do them in. The only downside is that they will not drop any loot. Guardians will not be destroyed in one hit unless their eye is struck [[PercentDamageAttack (instead dealing fixed damage equal to 1/3 of the Guardian's max HP)]], so they just require a bit more aiming (or not, if you carry a bow that shoots 3 or 5 arrows, as only 3 need to connect with any part of the guardian to kill it). And unlike the Light Arrows of old, these can be obtained pretty easily. All of the resources needed to make Ancient Arrows are obtained when a Guardian is destroyed, so as long as the player can aim their shots well, the player will have a nice self-sustaining loop. Purchase Ancient Arrows from Robbie, destroy Guardians with them, use the materials to sell for rupees and to use for buying more Ancient Arrows, and repeat.
* Multi-fire bows. These seemingly strong-but-not-overpowered weapons fire anywhere from three to five arrows per individual shot, with one major caveat- each shot still uses ''one arrow per firing''. While this includes the Great Eagle Bow, which also has a [[MoreDakka fast firing rate,]] (80% faster than conventional bows) the Savage Lynel Bows are what's especially broken in this regard. Savage Lynel Bows boast good attack power, but they can fire at least three times. Some of these can get a Five Shot Burst effect, letting them fire ''five times''. With proper aiming and use of updrafts, Link can just arrow spam and annihilate any Lynel or Guardian if he aims for their respective weak spots. Each arrow can be a CriticalHit, which can help Link fell these enemies without breaking a sweat. Combine a multi-fire bow with the aforementioned Ancient Arrows and the end result is something like a shotgun blast; even if your reticle misses your immediate target, you'll still kill it. Yes, even Guardians.
* Ice Rods, and their more powerful version, Blizzard Rods. Take the above-mentioned power of freezing enemies, and now make it work in a dome around Link whenever he swings it. One attack can leave an entire horde of enemies stuck in place for a few crucial seconds. While their durability is low, they're easily re-obtained by Ice Wizzrobes. Note where they spawn on your map, raid them every Blood Moon, and you'll have a massive advantage against everything you fight for the rest of the game.
* Savage Lynel weapons. While Lynels are [[BossInMookClothing incredibly tough to defeat]], they drop some of the strongest weapons in the game. The Savage Lynel Crusher and Sword can easily reach over 100+ Attack with the right bonus, the Savage Lynel Bow is the only bow that can fire up to five arrows at once, and the Savage Lynel Shield ''does damage'' when you shieldbash at close range.
* The Hylian Shield. It is the best shield in the game, with a high defense rating of 90, and the highest durability of ''800''. For comparison, the second most durable shield is the Daybreaker, with only 60 durability. In the hands of a skilled player, the Hylian Shield is all one would ever need. In the very rare occasion that it breaks, another one can be purchased at Tarrey Town once it becomes a full settlement. It's also not too difficult to obtain, if the player is brave enough to venture to Hyrule Castle. It can even be obtained almost immediately after getting off the Great Plateau if the player is brave and skilled enough.
* Bokoblins and Moblins [[SuperDrowningSkills can't swim]], and die instantly if knocked into deep water. Even [[EliteMook silver and gold]] ones have no defense against this. Yes, this means that a Korok Leaf - an item that you can get at the beginning of the game that does one point of damage - can kill a gold Moblin.
* Stone Smashers have a base [42] attack with a durability of 40, which makes it one of the sturdiest weapons in the game. This also makes it a DiscOneNuke, since it can be acquired immediately after leaving the Great Plateau by heading straight to Hyrule Castle - which has TWO of them. Getting them early allows you to farm multiple ore deposits and Stone Taluses back-to-back. By the time either of your Stone Smashers ''[[SuperToughness finally]]'' breaks, there'll usually be a Blood Moon, so all it takes is a quick return trip to Hyrule Castle to replace it. If you're lucky, you might even get one that has an [Attack+] modifier. The highest you can get for a Stone Smasher is [Attack+17], which will give it a base attack of [59]. At that point, it goes from being a DiscOneNuke to an InfinityMinusOneSword.
* Even better than the Stone Smasher is the Boulder Breaker, Daruk's signature weapon. All you need is the flint x5 and diamond standard for the other 3 Champions' weapons, as well as a conveniently located Cobble Crusher right next to the Goron blacksmith's house, which, even MORE conveniently, respawns each Blood Moon like the above Stone Smashers. It's even stronger and more durable than the Stone Smasher, being one point stronger than a fully upgraded Stone Smasher. And considering the entirety of the Cobble Crusher line is pretty much MadeOfIndestructium, that's saying a lot.
* The Great Thunder- and Flameblades, not so much by themselves but due to an Outside-the-Box Tactic. If you swing one and then drop it midswing, they become a constant conductor of their element. Dropping a metal item or Chuchu jellies on the former will make a trap that will constantly [[StunLock shock non-immune enemies until death]] (including the [[ThatOneBoss Shrine Guardians]]), while the latter can be used to light wood to create campfires at any time, harm enemies and by extension, accelerate the rate you kill mobs stuck in a shock trap (i.e. shrine guardians).
* Royal Guard's Gear. These extremely powerful items are only found in Hyrule Castle, and have piss-poor durability, except a [[GoodBadBugs glitch]] enables us to transfer durability onto them. This means we can give Royal Guard's equipment the durability of a [[LethalJokeWeapon spring-loaded hammer]], which has a whopping 80 uses. Not only that, we can dupe them to no end, and by abusing a certain NPC, generate an infinite supply of rupees. There's a reason this set of gear is almost undoubtedly the best when glitches are factored in. The result is that the standard [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity +1 gear]] gets completely and utterly outclassed in both damage and possibly durability, since said [[InfinityPlusOneSword gear]] has severe limits on what buffs it can have.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Armor]]
* In general, the armor upgrade system can help Link become tougher, stronger, and grant him all sorts of effects. Defense is based on a subtraction system, as in: ''Damage Received = (Enemy Strength + Weapon Strength) - Armor''. With lower defense levels, enemies can still one-shot Link, but as Link continues to upgrade his armor, he'll take less and less damage, letting him stand up to even the toughest of enemies. Some armor sets also include bonus effects when each part of the set has been upgraded at least twice. Also, because ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction, you can, for example, keep your best defensive armor on until the enemy is stunned or you get a Flurry Rush in, swap to Barbarian Armor to get an attack boost while you pummel it, then swap back to a defensive set before it gets a chance to hit you--effectively using two sets of armor simultaneously, much like [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY a certain sword Pokemon]] attacks in an offense stance with tons of power, then switches to a defensive stance before the enemy attacks.
* The Ancient Armor set. It gives an incredible amount of defense, and also helps Link withstand Guardian attacks better. Its set bonus is Ancient Proficiency, which gives a massive ''+80%'' damage boost'' to Ancient and Guardian weapons, which also stacks with attack buffs. Said weapons are also effective against Guardians themselves, allowing Link to tear them to absolute shreds. It can be quite [[CatharsisFactor cathartic]] given how dangerous they are early in the game. The Champion amiibos come with their own Ancient helmet that's based off of the Divine Beast that they are associated with. Not only do they also grant the Ancient Proficiency bonus, they can also be dyed like most regular armor, and they also come with other cool effects that match the Champion's region, like flame resistance for the Vah Rudania Helm, or cold resistance for the Vah Medoh helm. They also let Link view an enemy's remaining HP, just like the Champion's Tunic.
* The Champion's Tunic has the highest defense rating in the game, with a defense of 32. With a bit of patience and a lot of Rupees, it can be upgraded to max pretty quickly, like say, right after obtaining it, making it a DiscOneNuke of sorts. It also lets Link see how much health an enemy has left, to help give the player an idea of how much longer the fight will go on for.
* The Thunder Helm. While it requires a lot of effort to obtain, requiring every side quest in Gerudo Town to be completed, it lets Link NoSell any lightning damage. No lightning strike will harm Link, and he won't have to fear dropping his weapons around electric based enemies. Your enemies will also effectively take periodic heavy damage in a thunderstorm if you're holding metallic items, since the lightning will hit you with no ill effects, blasting your surrounding foes, who are ''not'' protected by a magic hat, much like the Skyward Strike. You can even drop your weapon when it starts sparking, then "trick" the lightning into hitting the nearest Bokoblin with Magnesis a la Thunderblight Ganon's boss fight. The Rubber Armor set provides the same effect as a set bonus, and can be obtained before stepping foot into a Divine Beast, but it requires the whole set to be worn while the Thunder Helm can still allow for Link to wear other armor. The Rubber Armor will also not protect Link against Vah Naboris.
* The Zora Armor. The helm lets Link do a swimming attack, the top lets Link swim up waterfalls, and the whole set increases his swimming speed, with the set bonus increasing his swimming stamina. The ability to swim up waterfalls is especially great in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Hyrule Castle]], which has some conveniently placed waterfalls, allowing Link to bypass most of the dungeon and traverse it with ease.
* The Flamebreaker Armor set has a Fireproof set bonus, turning Shrines that rely on flamethrowers as their obstacles into a BreatherLevel, as Link would not need to fear burning up. It's also very useful on the Eldin region in general, and against any fire enemy as the set allows Link to flat out ''NoSell'' Fire damage.
* The Barbarian Armor set. While it is hard to obtain, being hidden in enormous mazes throughout Hyrule, and requiring Lynel parts to be upgraded, it permanently increases Link's attack power, giving him a permanent +50% attack buff while it's worn. Its set effect cuts down stamina cost when using charged attacks, like say, the spin attack, giving Link more opportunities to use it in combat. On top of that, given that it acts as a permanent attack buff, this means Link can take on other buffs, like say a speed buff, to make Link a LightningBruiser, being both fast and strong.
* The Fierce Deity armor set is the exact same as the Barbarian Armor, with the same effects. It just requires different materials for upgrades, and it requires the [[BribingYourWaytoVictory Majora's Mask]] Link amiibo to obtain. However, this means it's far easier to obtain as the player just needs to scan the amiibo a few times and get lucky. It's also worth it to be able to cosplay in-game as ''Fierce Deity Link''.
* The Phantom Armor set is a DLC DiscOneNuke version of the above two sets. It can't be upgraded, but it offers the same Attack buff effect when worn. Each part has a decent 8 defense, making it good in the early game, especially when backed by defense buffs. This makes it especially helpful in [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]].
* Majora's Mask. It is a DLC helm that lets Link blend in with Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, and even Lynels. The majority of enemies in the game consist of the first three groups, letting Link walk up to most enemy camps without fear, steal their weapons, or defeat them easily. It can be obtained almost immediately after hopping off the Great Plateau, and can act as a DiscOneNuke for [[HarderThanHard Master Mode]] in particular. The monster masks from the base game also count, as you can get them Kilton straight after leaving the Great Plateau and each is useful in different situations. The Bokoblin Mask is great against Mounted Bokoblins, who have a massive aggro range and can outrun a non-mounted Link. The Moblin Mask is great when wandering at night, when Stalmoblins love to pop out of the ground in groups of three. The Lizalfo Mask makes any area infested with Lizalfos, such as the road to Zora's Domain and [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Hyrule Castle]], a cake walk. And the Lynel Mask grants enough time to safely pass by [[DemonicSpiders Lynels]] (or [[CombatPragmatist get the jump on them while they're checking you out]] if you wish to harvest them for parts.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Abilities and Techniques]]
* The Champion abilities. They are all very useful and effective spells, aiding Link in either combat or exploration. They have quite lengthy cooldowns, making them feel like they're TooAwesomeToUse at times. However, Hyrule Castle has a hidden property where the cooldowns are cut down to a ''third'' of their original duration as long as Link is within the Hyrule Castle area proper. If the player's waiting for the spells to recharge, the player can just have Link warp to Hyrule Castle quickly, like perhaps warping to the Shrine there, wait a bit, perhaps restock on items or weapons, and the spells will be recharged very quickly. The Champions' Ballad DLC hastens the cooldowns even more after clearing the specific trials tied to each Champion. This stacks with the Hyrule Castle effect: the once lengthy Mipha's Grace now recharges in two minutes and forty seconds. Daruk's Protection takes two minutes, while Urbosa's Fury takes a minute and twenty seconds. Revali's Gale, the most useful spell for exploration, will recharge in only ''forty seconds''.
* Revali's Gale creates instant, tall updrafts where Link stands, giving him incredible vertical height. This can only be used three times before going on cooldown, but proper timing and planning can trivialize a lot of climbing sections and even dungeons, including [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Hyrule Castle]]. It also has combat application, as Link will go into BulletTime when he draws his bow in midair, letting him destroy his foes by simply [[SpamAttack spamming]] [[RainOfArrows arrows]] [[AttackItsWeakPoint at their target's weak point]]. Link just has to be mindful of his stamina.
* Urbosa's Fury casts a tremendous thunderstorm that deals massive damage and stuns enemies in an enormous range around Link. This also has three uses before going on cooldown, but it is perfect in a pinch when Link is surrounded, or if there is a strong enemy that needs to be subdued. Not only do enemies stay stunned for quite a while, but they are also disarmed and drop their weapons, letting Link loot them. And unlike many such abilities in the game, boss monsters, up to and including Calamity Ganon's second form, lack ContractualBossImmunity to its stun effect.
* Daruk's Protection creates a BeehiveBarrier that surrounds Link while he targets an enemy. This protects him from three attacks, and anything that hits the barrier gets reflected back at the attacker. It's basically a perfect shield bash without any need for proper timing. After that, it goes on cooldown. This can especially help immensely if Link is surrounded by Guardians. It also emits enough light to make the [[BlackoutBasement Typhlo Ruins shrine quest]] much easier.
* Mipha's Grace revives Link when he falls in battle, and it also grants Link some extra hearts upon revival. At lower maximum health, this doesn't sound like much, but at higher heart counts, it is a full heal and is nothing short of miraculous. This spell is the only one with a single charge before going on cooldown, given how effective it is.
* Arrow spamming while using an updraft makes for a simple but effective way of destroying foes, and the easiest way to get an updraft is with Revali's Gale. However, this can be done even without Revali's Gale. Simply lay down five bundles of wood and light them all on fire, or lay down a Spicy Pepper and a Flint, let the flint's sparks hit the pepper, and either method gives you an updraft. The former is longer lasting, while the latter is quicker and doesn't necessarily require a source of fire. This works anywhere except in Shrines, and the materials are very easy to obtain.
* Shield bashes. While they are difficult to master, they are very effective against Guardians since a shield bash will reflect their lasers right back at them, which can destroy them very quickly. This makes them far less threatening and much easier to deal with. Just be mindful on Master Mode, as they have a tendency to delay their shots to throw off the player's timing. Daruk's Protection can also be used for this effect, as the player just needs to hold down ZL and watch the Guardians destroy themselves as the lasers will auto-reflect. It can only be used three times this way and will have to go on a cooldown afterwards however. The Ancient Shield can also do this. It requires Guardian parts to even create, but it can auto reflect Guardian lasers without the need for a shield bash, so simply holding it up will do the job. This will damage the shield, but it is a very safe option against them as well. And that's before using them in one-on-one situations, where Link can effectively NoSell nearly all attacks, up to and including a Lynel's ''explosion''.
* [[TimeStandsStill Stasis+]]. It can be used to put a stop to any enemy coming at Link, even [[DemonicSpiders Lynels]]. Simply stop it, hit it quickly, and it'll be stunned briefly, letting Link get in some damage on it. It can also be used to stop a Guardian from firing at Link, giving Link time to move out of the way, [[OneHitKill or line up a shot with an Ancient Arrow.]]
* Bombs, especially Square Bomb+ and Round Bomb+.
** Thanks to the games RagdollPhysics the blast from a bomb is almost certain to scatter a group of small enemies with ease. Stal monsters are scattered instantly with one and killed with another, while Keese and Chuchus are wiped out instantly. Smart use of bombs can save your weapons and arrows from being drained, and they are able to be used while gliding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other]]
* The Master Cycle Zero. While it borders on BraggingRightsReward, it's still very useful for traversing Hyrule. It is faster and easier to control than the average steed, and it can be summoned almost anywhere much like what the Ancient Saddle allows, but it also doesn't have the horse AI to contend with. There's also no risk of losing it as horses are vulnerable to enemies. The Master Cycle just requires some refueling every now and then, but that's easily doable as it can take any material - in particular, Apples are highly common and fill up the tank by a good amount. It also negates fall damage to a point, as Link can ride off of a tall cliff and as long as he's still on the bike as it hits the ground, he'll be safe. If the drop is too high however, Link will automatically dismount, so he'll have to take out the Paraglider pretty quickly. Finally, it has good combat application: simply summon it, ride up to some enemies, hop off it and start firing away in BulletTime, then hop back on and repeat the process. If that's not your thing, you can use the burnout function on it, line up the cycle with your target, jump off, and watch as you launch the Master Cycle to run over your foes. Even better, you can use certain materials to boost the amount of fuel produced from items. For example, using Monster Parts will be improved by adding Kilton's Monster Extract.
* The Paraglider renders all other modes of transport moot if you exploit it (and have the stamina to sustain your flight, either naturally and/or via food). Towers, mountains, updrafts, and other high vantage points are plentiful. Just climb the nearest one, choose your destination, and set sail. You can glide across open chasms and large bodies of water in only a fraction of the time it'd take by raft, or horseback. Even the Master Cycle Zero can't cover as much ground in as little time.
* The various stats a horse can have can make them this if they're high enough, although there are drawbacks in some cases (a horse with five stars in speed ''will'' be fast, but also difficult to steer with precision even with maxed-out affection). It's generally agreed, though, that two of the special horses found in the game are the best. The white stallion is considered the best all-around horse, with decent stats and good control. The giant horse is slow but by far the strongest, able to trample enemies with ease and kill most animals in one hit even without being able to gallop (saving on arrows while hunting, as it's still faster than the wildlife).
** The 4-4-5 horse[[note]]4 strength, 4 speed, 5 stamina[[/note]] can be found on the mountain range that overlooks the Serene Stable. Its stats make it the best horse in the game, thanks to its [[LightningBruiser speed, handling, and resiliency.]] It can even survive two direct blasts from a Guardian. If you outfit it with the Ancient Bridle and Saddle (requires the Champions Ballad), its stamina will increase to 7, which allows it to sustain its top speed for longer periods ''and'' makes it even more of a tank than it already is. Plus, you'll be able to summon it wherever you are.
* If you're in a shrine at midnight when a [[RespawningEnemies Blood Moon]] would normally occur, it gets postponed until the next night. Any enemies you've killed will stay dead, letting you explore areas you've already cleared out at your leisure. You can repeat this every night until you're ready to let the Blood Moon occur normally. Just beware that using this tactic means that enemies will never fall asleep.
* Normally, [=NPCs=] will give you various foods or materials as a reward if you help them fend off monsters attacking them before they get knocked out. Should you come across a person being attacked, though, you can lure them towards other NPCs, who ''barely'' need to witness the battle to still give you some useful rewards.

* Here's some Trial of the Sword stuff:
** You still have unlimited use of your Runes. Upgrade them and you can make many things considerably easier.
** Food buffs will follow you into the Trial of the Sword. Consume a Hearty item for the temporary extra hearts and an Enduring item for the extra stamina wheels, add a triple strength attack up or defense up food (your choice) that lasts for at least 10 minutes, and have fun.
** If you are having difficulty finding enough healing items: cut or bomb trees and collect the wood. When you get to a cooking pot, cook each piece of wood one at a time. They will become Rock Hard Food, which restores one-quarter of a heart each. This adds up.
[[/folder]]

* Ultrahand can be used to create some absurdly powerful contraptions. As long as you have the right parts, you can travel Hyrule and devastate enemy camps in various ways with the only limit being your imagination. And sometimes even if you ''don't'' have the right parts, they can be temporarily simulated with Autobuild in exchange for just 3 Zonaite per outlying part.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJrlXfRMKw&ab_channel=Oyff "Intercontinental Ballistic Laser Beams"]] is a relatively simple construct that is little more than a homing cart and a [[BeamSpam whole bunch of lasers]]. It kills almost anything (up to and including a Gleeok) in seconds.
** While not as flashy as a giant machine made of dozens of Zonai parts, a [[BoringButPractical simple long bridge made by sticking together everything available]] can bypass a lot of the game's puzzles and platforming challenges.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBeuZCESE8 The hoverbike]] is by and large the most efficient means of travel in the game. It's quick, it flies, and it consumes very little energy, making it ideal for distances and height alike, and helping massively in both spotting and reaching unlit Lightroots in the Depths. All you need is a Steering Stick and a pair of Fans, and even if you don't have them on hand, 9 Zonaite per Autobuild is chump change.
** Autobuild can simulate ''anything'' attached to a previous Ultrahand build. This includes objects and items found in the wild, Fused weapons/shields that were attached to a build, even things only found in Shrines.[[note]]To transport parts easily (even out of Shrines!), you can Fuse them to weapons/shields, then have them separated by asking the Goron NPC at Tarrey Town for 20 Rupees apiece.[[/note]] The only things it doesn't seem to work on are objects built directly into a Shrine's architecture; anything else, however big or small, is fair game.
** Building a fishing trawler is incredibly useful for mass farming fish that grant buffs when cooked. The simplest design involves a raft with a wooden plank that descends into the water, with an shock generator attached to that. The shock generator will kill fish in large area, and you can just run into them to get them onto the raft using the wooden plank. Notably, the game gives you a schematic for this build, albeit it's much smaller and less practical than the ones you can build by hand.
* The Eightfold Blade was given a significant buff, which doubles the sneakstrike damage modifier from x8 to ''x16'', which solidifies it as ''the'' sneakstrike weapon of choice. With a 'Silver Lynel Horn', the game's best fuse material at +55 Attack, this blade can have either 61 or 70 Attack[[note]]Depending on whether the sword is decayed(6 Base ATK) or not(15 Base ATK) respectively[[/note]], this translates to dealing 976 or ''1120'' damage when using a sneakstrike. This is enough damage to one-shot even Silver Moblins, the bulkiest enemy that you can perform this skill on in [=TotK=]. With a base 26 durability, and fusing granting an additional 25 durability, this sword can last a ''very'' long time if used exclusively for performing Sneakstrikes.
* Many physics puzzles and difficult climbs can be trivialized with Ascend and Recall, and whether or not it is not the intended solution, the game rarely stops you from doing so.
* Ultrahand is powerful. Recall is powerful. Using them together can border on ridiculous.
** The simplest, but arguably most effective use of Ultrahand and recall is the "floating elevator" technique. Simply take any Ultrahand-able object, place it along the ground, raise it up to the maximum height (or to wherever you want to go) and then drop it down. Switch to Recall and Recall your object, and it will instantly trace a path into the air. Stand on the object you Ultrahanded and bam, makeshift transportation platform. What makes it even better is that Recall barely has any cooldown and can be reused almost immediately after the timer runs out, which lets it keep objects in the air indefinitely like a pseudo-Stasis. This can absolutely ''destroy'' several of the game's traversal challenges, and can even sequence break certain shrines.
** Ultrahand/Recall can also be used to launch gliders without needing rails or rockets. Pick it up, Ultrahand it in the air for several seconds, put it back down in front of you, climb on, Recall, then cancel the Recall in midair.
** Recall can also be an effective strategy against enemies and giant bosses. Just pick up a large object with Ultrahand, start swinging it around and hit enemies with it, then use Recall and it will do the same thing in reverse.
** Another powerful way to use Recall and Ultrahand is through "Recall Riding". Simply throw a spear, attach it to a plank of wood, Recall it, and stand on the plank. Watch as the spear is dragged backwards and then flings Link and the platform extremely high into the air, often rivaling the launches from the Skyview Towers!
* Fuse can create very powerful weapons extremely early on, if you use it correctly. For example, fusing two weapons together will combine the length and power of each, letting you craft powerful weapons from weaker ones. What the game ''doesn't'' make clear, though, is that it also keeps the weapon type of the first one used, meaning you're able to fuse a spear or two-handed weapon to a one-handed weapon, giving you its power and reach while still being able to swing it faster and use a shield at the same time. (Just be aware that only the ''fused'' part applies characteristics such as "blunt", "cutting", "tree cutting", etc. so that you don't ruin your tools.)
** Zora weapons double attack power when Link gets wet, which also multiplies the attack power of the material fused to the weapon. With how many options there are of getting wet at any given moment (bodies of water, materials with a water effect, rain, etc.), this effect can be up nearly all of the time. Even more ridiculous is Sidon's Sage powers practically makes Link wet on demand, quite possibly making this combination the most broken combo in the game.
** Gerudo weapons on the other hand, double the attack power of the fused material alone, at the expense of durability. This has the benefit of not needing other conditions (getting wet, staying at low health, decreasing weapon durability to last three hits) and is thus the easiest damage bonus to achieve.
** Gloom weapons will not [[CastFromHitPoints damage your hearts]] if they are fused to the end of another weapon. This allows you to get up to 53 additional damage that will not instantly break upon impact like a Gibdo bone would.
** With Revali's Gale removed, Fuse (particularly used with shields) has been the option for cheap and efficient upward vertical movement in open spaces. Octorok Balloons and Rockets give Link considerable height when holding out his shield, while Bomb Flowers and Zonai Springs do the same when he shield-surfs.
** Korok spears and sword allow for burst items that are normally one time use to be used until the weapon breaks, including puff shrooms (mentioned below) the potential uses for this are in legion.
* The game introduces some options for crowd-controlling enemy mobs, which are so potent that they remove much of the difficulty, especially in the newly-introduced enemy camps:
** Puffshrooms are essentially Link's smoke bombs. They explode into a large tuft of smoke big enough to encompass multiple enemies and linger for more than enough time for Link abuse sneakstrikes with impunity. Used in conjunction with an Eightfold blade (which offers more powerful sneakstrikes) fused with a strong enough material, even the bulkier silver enemies can be slain before the smoke clears. Once the smoke dissipates, there's nothing preventing him from throwing another one, not even being right in front of monsters. They can even stop a Lynel from attacking, though they cannot be sneakstruck.
** Muddle Buds can serve as automated enemy killers and durability/health savers. Hitting enemies with them unseen surrounds them in a haze of confusion that makes them attack and potentially kill each other. Tossing or shooting a Muddle Bud at the strongest enemies in the camp can potentially let you sit back and watch while they kill all of the weaker enemies on their own, and they can take off chunks of health out of similarly strong monsters near them. This can save you a lot of potential weapon durability and hit points you might lose in clearing out a camp. It has the caveat of enemies still focusing on Link if he's seen, and Muddle Buds are useless on solo enemies, but in the right context and when out of alerting range, it becomes a matter of shooting camps from afar and watching the carnage. In addition, both Muddle Buds and Puffshrooms are everywhere in the Depths, so this tactic isn't classed out of practicality by poor material availability.
** Sage's Vows not only give Link the abilities used by the Sages, they allow him to summon them as followers and can participate in fights, as well. A single one is unlikely to affect much in the way of combat, since they attack rather infrequently, but completing more of the Main Quests allows for no less than five allies to gang up on anything standing in Link's way. They can even divert attention from him, which is tremendous given how they lack health bars, and thus cannot be knocked out.
** The Earthwake Technique makes dealing with Ganon's minions short of a Hinox or Lynel a walk in the park, even at higher tiers, and it can be done with no weapon equipped and therefore the player won't be using up any weapon durability. Link will charge a GroundPunch for about half a second, and when he does punch, it creates a plume of dust that travels along the ground fairly quickly, either directly to a ZL-targeted enemy or controlled by the directional stick, draining stamina the further it goes. It does a respectable amount of damage, nothing spectacular, but it launches light-enough enemies upward or stuns them. This allows any Sage spirits to utterly whale on them while they're down. In addition, the stun lasts long enough for Link to charge up another use of the technique, allowing him to stunlock/juggle enemies until they're dead. Did we mention it's got slight AOE? So if enemies are bunched together, they'll ''all'' get launched. Its only vulnerability is that Link is essentially a sitting duck while he uses it, but this means that it really shines against one monster or a small group, when they'll all be stunned by this technique and unable to punish Link.
* Some returning equipment from the last game have been buffed thanks to new mechanics:
** Multishot bows have returned and are perhaps even stronger with the addition of fusion materials. They still only use one material and arrow at a time, making them excellent for resource management. Gibdo bones are one-use materials that harbor strong attack power, making them great ammunition. Gems are rare but powerful items which can be used in a pinch for a great area of effect burst of their respective element. One particular fusion even allows arrows to gain the OneHitKill ability of Ancient Arrows.
** Both the Barbarian Set and the Fierce Deity set have been made available in caves, as opposed to being exclusive to Labyrinths and Amiibo in the previous game. The Fierce Deity Set's Questline will also net Link a 38 attack power weapon, which dwarfs most of the weaponry found in the world.
** With the introduction of various bone materials that are easier to stockpile than bone weapons previously, the Radiant and Evil Spirit set have inherited the role of the Ancient Armor set when it comes to multiplicative damage bonuses, also giving a whopping 80% boost to bone weapons, including those fused to bone materials, which stack multiplicatively with attack buffs and inherent weapon abilities. The Radiant set does not falter when it comes to defense either, with each piece giving 20 defense when fully upgraded.
** The Dusk Bow returns. While its base damage of 30 is middle class, it keeps its enormous range, which can even be amplified by fusing arrows with wings. This enables Link to snipe monsters from such a long distance that they aren’t even able to spot him. Also, unlike in Breath of the wild, the bow isn’t amiibo exclusive anymore, but instead spawns in an easy to access location in Hyrule castle. And unlike most unique weapons, it’s not placed in a treasure chest, meaning it will respawn every time a blood moon occurs.
* The Mystic Armor Set behaves exactly the same as the Magic Armor from the HD version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', subtracting Rupees instead of health when Link gets hit, and is similarly broken with a large enough wallet. This has an extra use when combined with weapons that get double attack power when Link is at low health, combining great offense and defense. The downsides are that, unlike the Magic Armor, there is a limit to how much damage can be blocked (nine hearts' worth) and it can't be upgraded for more defense.
* The Zonaite Armor set decreases energy use for Zonai Devices. With all three pieces on, energy usage is reduced to half, effectively doubling the time used for Zonai Devices, and its set bonus increases energy cell recharge when devices are not in use. It can even be used even after maxing out the energy cell, which means it will always provide maximum benefit no matter the amount of upgrades. The set even has added versatility in being one of the strongest armor sets defense-wise.
* Rock Octoroks (found on Death Mountain) have a special ability to both repair and give weapons upgrades through traits (though legendary weapons, such as those belonging to the Champions, will require some workarounds to be repaired and cannot be upgraded) with the caveat of only being able to repair one weapon at a time until they are killed and respawn after a Blood Moon. This effectively gives players free rein to abuse their strongest weapons, as several Rock Octoroks can be found at a time.
* Item duplication exploits became popular almost immediately after they were discovered, since they break the game in half. You can pretty much become the richest man in Hyrule and buy whatever you want with duped diamonds, make yourself immortal with duped fairies, cook the best food with duped ingredients, and upgrade your armor to the max or fuse your duped weapons with the most powerful duped materials with next to no grinding. This led to some people derisively referring to anybody using the exploits as playing on easy mode as a result. There are four widely-used variations, with the former two being patched out:

** For materials, the only requirements being the paraglider or shield. While you're in the air and using one of them, hold the items you want to duplicate, and close the menu while sorting it at the same time. The items will drop without decreasing the counter if timed right, allowing for up to 21 copies in one jump before it starts despawning.

* While the dragons no longer have daily schedules that make it easy to track them, they ''do'' allow Link to land on them and walk all across their bodies (though elemental resistance will be needed for three). Landing on the dragons means, with patience and free time, a player can grab a dragon part and get back on the dragon and just stand there and ride it for ten minutes until its timer allows you to take another part, turning grinding dragon parts into less of a guessing game than the new system could easily make it into. It's made even easier with the Light Dragon, who doesn't dive into the Depths or have elemental hazards, which is welcome since it has such a wide flight range and its parts are needed for all of the Champion's Leathers upgrades. Simply setting aside time to ride the Dragons and wait can cut down on all of the randomness factor of encountering them and reduce your time harvesting parts.

* The Glide Suit armor set, when fully pieced together, is essentially a faster-falling but stamina-free substitute for the paraglider, as it allows for falling and gliding across significant distances that can extend a glider flight that's run out of stamina, or even negate the need for the glider in many scenarios. Its set upgrade bonus effect, Impact Proof, feels like another rule-breaking power, since it entirely removes falling damage while Link wears it, in any kind of distance or falling scenario. Gliding with the suit from a height? Perfect harmless landing. Knocked off a sky island and ragdolling? Only hurt by the thing that knocked you off.

* The Eightfold Blade was given a significant buff, which doubles the sneakstrike damage modifier from x8 to ''x16'', which solidifies it as ''the'' sneakstrike weapon of choice. With a 'Silver Lynel Horn', the game's best fuse material at +55 Attack, this blade can have either 61 or 70 Attack[[Note]]Depending on whether the sword is decayed(6 Base ATK) or not(15 Base ATK) respectively[[/note]], this translates to dealing 976 or ''1120'' damage when using a sneakstrike. This is enough damage to one-shot even Silver Moblins, the bulkiest enemy that you can perform this skill on in [=TotK=]. With a base 26 durability, and fusing granting an additional 25 durability, this sword can last a ''very'' long time if used exclusively for performing Sneakstrikes.