What Should You Fuse the Master Sword With in Tears of the Kingdom?
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The Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an iconic weapon, but its base power can feel lacking, especially against late-game threats. Luckily, the game’s Fuse mechanic allows you to combine the Master Sword with various materials, significantly boosting its attack power and adding valuable perks. The question, however, remains: what should you fuse with the Master Sword for maximum effectiveness? The short answer is the Silver Lynel Saber Horn. This material provides a substantial +55 damage bonus, far surpassing other available options. However, there are nuances to consider, making it essential to understand the mechanics behind fusing with the Master Sword to truly maximize its potential.
The Power of Fusing and The Master Sword
The Master Sword operates differently from other weapons in Tears of the Kingdom. While it has unbreakable durability, it does have an energy recharge mechanic. After several strikes, the Master Sword will temporarily vanish, forcing a ten-minute wait to use it again. Fusing a material to the Master Sword doesn’t change this recharge time but does add durability to the weapon. Specifically, the fused material will provide a 25-hit buffer before the Master Sword’s base durability takes a hit. This effectively allows the Master Sword to stay in the fight longer. Crucially, once that 25-hit durability is used up, you cannot just re-fuse another item and expect another 25-hit bonus, that bonus is only there for the first 25 hits that the fused item can manage. Also, refusing another item does not add any additional durability.
Why the Silver Lynel Saber Horn Reigns Supreme
The Silver Lynel Saber Horn is unequivocally the most potent single material to fuse with the Master Sword for pure damage output. Its +55 attack bonus is significantly higher than any other readily available fuse material. When fused to the base 30 damage of the Master Sword (or 60 in specific circumstances), the resulting attack power is formidable, able to dispatch most enemies with ease. While there are other viable options, they usually offer trade-offs or secondary effects, but if your primary goal is raw damage, the Silver Lynel Saber Horn is the best choice.
Alternative Options and Trade-offs
While the Silver Lynel Saber Horn is excellent for damage, other items might be valuable based on specific situations:
- Gloom Weapons: Fusing a Gloom Sword to the Master Sword can be useful, but it has some drawbacks. While it inflicts gloom damage, which is effective against certain enemies, it also damages Link when he uses it. However, this can be managed with more hearts or by fusing Light Dragon parts.
- Diamonds: Fusing a diamond gives a +25 attack power bonus, making it a decent, if not optimal option. It is a good early game option and relatively easy to find.
- Elemental Gleeok Horns: These horns provide an additional damage boost alongside elemental effects. However, the pure damage from the Silver Lynel Saber Horn still surpasses these in most situations.
- White or Golden-Maned Lynel Saber Horns: These horns offer a lower damage bonus than the Silver Lynel Horns but are still a viable choice for maximizing the Master Sword’s damage.
Ultimately, the choice of material often depends on your current priorities and resource availability. The Silver Lynel Saber Horn should always be your primary focus for a “damage focused” build, while other options can be used for specific strategic considerations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does fusing increase the base damage of the Master Sword?
No, fusing does not increase the base damage of the Master Sword beyond the temporary bonus provided by the attached material. The Master Sword’s base damage is 30, which can increase to 60 in the presence of Gloom or when fighting enemies corrupted by Malice, or via the Trial of the Sword DLC. The damage increase is only for when you fuse something, and those stats are based on the material you fused and not on the base of the Master Sword.
2. How does fusing affect the Master Sword’s durability?
Fusing a material to the Master Sword adds 25 hits worth of durability from the fused item before the Master Sword’s base durability starts to deplete. This effectively allows the sword to last longer in combat before it needs to recharge. Re-fusing a new item does not give you another 25 hit bonus.
3. Is it worth fusing to the Master Sword at all?
Yes, absolutely. Fusing provides essential damage boosts and additional durability, making the Master Sword significantly more effective. Although the Master Sword doesn’t break, it does have an energy recharge timer and the fuse helps to keep it usable longer.
4. Can you unfuse the Master Sword?
Yes, you can visit Pelison in Tarrey Town to unfuse the Master Sword for 20 rupees, allowing you to recover the fused material, but only the fused item.
5. Why does the Master Sword sometimes do 60 damage?
The Master Sword does 60 damage when it is glowing with a light blue aura, which occurs near Gloom, Guardians, or when fighting enemies corrupted by Malice. This damage bonus is in addition to the damage bonus gained by fusing an item to it. The Trial of the Sword will also permanently increase the damage.
6. Does the Master Sword become unbreakable?
The Master Sword is unbreakable, but it will need to recharge once its energy is depleted and has no fused item on it.
7. How do you increase the Master Sword’s base damage permanently?
The Master Sword can be permanently upgraded to a base damage of 40, 50 or 60 by completing the Trial of the Sword as part of The Master Trials DLC.
8. Can I fuse Gloom weapons to the Master Sword?
Yes, you can fuse Gloom weapons to the Master Sword. However, they will cause you to take damage when using them, which can be mitigated by having extra hearts or by fusing items such as a Light Dragon part to offset the damage.
9. How many hits can the Master Sword take when fully powered up?
The fully powered-up version of the Master Sword, with all upgrades and a fused material, can take roughly 200 hits before it needs to recharge. Remember that the initial 25 hits are from the fused material.
10. Does the Master Sword get a boost against gloom enemies?
Yes, the Master Sword gets a damage boost against Gloom-inflicted enemies, making it effective against enemies in the Depths and against the final boss.
11. Is there a way to counteract the Gloom effect from weapons?
Yes, fusing Gloom Weapons with Light Dragon Parts will heal you as you deal damage, offsetting the health drain caused by the Gloom effects. Additionally, fusing a Gloom weapon to another base weapon will give a standard version of that base weapon for as long as the base weapon lasts.
12. Do Ancient Armor and other damage buffs affect the Master Sword?
Ancient Proficiency does not affect the Master Sword, but standard +Attack buffs from food and elixirs do apply and stack multiplicatively with each other to increase the damage of the fused Master Sword.
13. How much stamina is needed to draw the Master Sword?
You need at least two full Stamina Wheels to draw the Master Sword. This means you will need a total of five Stamina Vessels on top of your initial Stamina Wheel.
14. Does the Master Sword glow in the presence of Malice and Guardians?
Yes, the Master Sword will glow with a light blue aura when near Guardians or Malice, increasing its damage to 60 (or higher if fused).
15. Can the Master Sword become corrupted?
Yes, the Master Sword can become corrupted, resulting in the Corrupt Master Sword or the Deep Corrupt Master Sword. It can be purified back to the standard Master Sword.
By understanding these mechanics, players can make informed decisions on how best to utilize the Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom, allowing them to conquer even the most challenging foes with this iconic weapon. The Silver Lynel Saber Horn remains the top choice for damage, but strategically considering other options can greatly enhance your gameplay experience.