The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is already considered by many to be one of the greatest games ever made. It’s not hard to see why, either. Breath of the Wild returns the series to its roots in such an extreme manner, that one can’t help but applaud Nintendo for taking a formulaic franchise in such a bold direction.
Breath of the Wild’s open-world also stands out as one of the best designed open worlds in gaming. Every little detail exists for a reason. There’s no fluff and Hyrule is interconnected in a way that both makes sense and is logical. Naturally, any adventurer embarking on their quest is going to need some items, but not everything purchasable is worth the Rupees. A little guidance goes a long way.
Sheikah Set
The Sheikah gear offers Link one of the best sets of armor in Breath of the Wild, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook considering you’re bound to run into them before you so much as have enough Rupees to buy a single piece. Given that Sheikah armor has low defense values, it seems like an even worse purchase early in the game – but it’s probably the smartest thing you can buy immediately.
A fully equipped Sheikah set allows Link to stealth by virtually anything and everything without catching their attention. This is not only extremely helpful for avoiding unnecessary combat (doubly useful for Master Mode), bugs won’t flee when you walk up to them now. This makes gathering ingredients for armor upgrading so much easier in the long run.
Soldier Armor Set
The Soldier Armor set can be purchased as early as the Sheikah set, offering a considerable amount of defense out the gate. While Soldier Armor does make Link vulnerable to lightning strikes during thunderstorms, it’s hard to ignore the sheer defense you get from having the whole set equipped. Even just having one-piece equipped (usually the Grieves since they’re the most aesthetically pleasant) can buff Link’s defense better than most equipment.
Monster Extract
Kilton’s Monster Shop is a unique storefront in Breath of the Wild that deals in Mon instead of Rupees. By trading in any dropped monster materials to Kilton, you’re rewarded with Mon that you can spend on different equipment (several detailed down below). The cheapest item you can purchase with Mon is Monster Extract – a very handy ingredient to have on hand. Monster Extract adds a completely random Heart buff to whatever dish it’s added to. This adds a risk/reward element to cooking where just about any meal has the potential of fully healing Link. Monster Extract won’t always pay off, but they’re cheap enough where it helps you have a few on hand.
Radiant Set
The Radiant set is a unique set of armor that can only be purchased in the Gerudo Secret Club. The Radiant set not only costs 2,400 Rupees to purchase, you need to trade in 9 Luminous Stones in total to actually forge the gear. When equipped, a full Radiant Set makes it so you can comfortably pass by Stal-enemies at night. Similarly, bone weapons gain a considerable attack buff – turning Breath of Wild’s least useful items into some of the strongest.
Desert Voe Set
The Desert Voe set is an extremely expensive (and obscure) set of armor that can only be purchased at the Gerudo Secret Club. The set costs a total of 2,400 Rupees to purchase and is essentially the male version of the Gerudo Vai set you need to get into Gerudo Town. That said, the Desert Voe Set can actually be upgraded – making it the overall best set of armor to equip when traversing hotter regions. The Desert Voe set costs a pretty penny to buy, but it’s worth it and is a better version of the Vai set at the end of the day.
Produce
Cooking is a rather important aspect of Breath of the Wild, but it’s one that you can very easily (and conveniently) ignore. With enough Hearts, the difficulty curve takes a plummet and cooking more or less feels unnecessary. It’s a fun part of the game, though, and Master Mode does incentivize it a bit more often.
Naturally, being able to cook comfortably also means have the necessary ingredients at all times. It is never a bad idea to stock up on produce from merchants. Anything that can be used as an ingredient, buy it. There’s no reason not to have produce on Link at all times, especially since they’re so cheap.
Arrows
Arrows, like produce, never stop being useful, but they’re arguably far more important in the grand scheme of things. Swordplay in Breath of the Wild isn’t bad, but arrow combat steals the show. Link’s pseudo-bullet time makes taking out enemies feel great, and gyroscopic aiming is top-notch, giving players the means to make quick, snappy movements on the fly.
Unlike produce, there is a limit to how many arrows Link can purchase, but so long as you diligently buy arrows whenever you see a merchant, there’s never a good reason to actually run out. Make sure to stay stocked up.
Lynel Mask
Lynels are notoriously the most difficult enemies to fight in Breath of the Wild, with variants that put up a better fight than Calamity Ganon himself (though that’s not actually saying much). Lynels can be incredibly overwhelming to fight, and running into one at the wrong time is a game over waiting to happen. They make exploration tense.
Thankfully, those weak of heart can purchase a Lynel Mask from Kilton’s Monster Shop. The Lynel Mask tricks Lynels into believing Link is one of their own. That said, it’s never a good idea to linger when a Lynel’s around. Either start swinging or start running.
Dark Armor Set
Another goodie courtesy of Milton’s nifty little Monster Shop, the Dark Armor set makes Link look exactly like Dark Link from Ocarina of Time while also bestowing upon him the power of super speed so long as it’s night.
Plus, it’s just cool to play as Dark Link. This is the real deal, visually, perfectly emulating how he appeared in Ocarina of Time. It’s a nice little detail and secrets like these have kept Breath of the Wild thriving long after its 2017 release.
Flamebreaker Set
Another armor set, albeit one you should purchase over the course of the game, The Flamebreaker set essentially makes traversing incredibly hot areas possible. There are other means to stay cool while scaling Death Mountain, but the Flamebreaker set is the most convenient (and definitive) workaround.
Unfortunately, the set is quite expensive so get ready to shell out some Rupees. Those who head to Death Mountain first might find themselves strapped for cash. Alternatively, those who save Death Mountain for last will likely find their wallets overflowing with Rupees, ready to be spent on armor.
Snowquill Set
Practicality is the name of the game when it comes to buying anything from a merchant. Beedle and the other shopkeepers won’t be selling weapons, but the armor sets they do sell can make quite a difference. The Snowquill Set can be found in Rito Village and it keeps its practicality throughout the whole game.
It’s the set of armor for cold weather traversal, and it actually has decent stats to boot. Not just that, the Snowquill Set is one of the more stylish armor sets in the game. Link can stay warm and show off his inner fashionista in one fell swoop.
Opal Earrings
Gerudo Town is home to some of the best accessories in the game, if not the outright best. Every piece of jewelry offers Link some kind of meaningful bonus, but the Opal Earrings in particular speed Link up while swimming. Paired with any available pieces of the Zora Armor Set, and Link & water become turn into a good match.
Of course, Breath of the Wild isn’t a game where you will be naturally swimming around all that often, but water is a present enough fixture where there’s no downside to wearing the Opal Earrings. It certainly helps that they’re visually subtle while still stylish.
Amber Earrings
By far the single best piece of jewelry in the game and a great accessory that never loses its luster, the Amber Earrings increase Link’s defense. That’s it, but that’s all it needs to do. Fully upgraded Amber Earrings offer Link a +10 Defense boost without covering up his face, and pairing with just about any piece of armor in the game.
Amber Earrings aren’t particularly difficult to craft, either, making it a rather easy purchase for anyone who takes the time to explore Gerudo Town. Heading to Gerudo Valley first can potentially net players one of the best accessories in the game right off the bat.
Diamond Circlet
Defense is great, but sometimes raw stats just aren’t enough. The Gerudo Town Jewelry store offers several pieces of Jewelry that boost Link’s resistance to the elements, but one curious piece specifically increases Link’s resistance against Guardians, some of the most dangerous enemies in the game and the main enemies players will be fighting when storming Hyrule Castle.
It goes without saying, this is quite a hefty purchase, more so than other pieces of jewelry. You need 1500 Rupees and 3 diamonds. Those heading to Gerudo Town early likely won’t have the means to nab themselves a Diamond Circlet, but it’s an accessory worth doubling back for.
Hylian Shield
The Hylian Shield is not purchasable by ordinary means. Rather, you need to find it by infiltrating Hyrule Castle. This can be done at just about any time and so long as you head to the basement carefully, it’s possible to get in and out without much trouble. The Hylian Shield notably has the highest durability of any shield in the game, to the point where it almost never breaks. But it does break, and when it does, it’s seemingly lost for good. Thankfully, those who have completed the Tarrey Town side quest can buy a replacement Hylian Shield there.
NEXT: The Legend of Zelda: The Worst Things Ganon Has Done
