How do I upgrade the Ancient Cuirass in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

To upgrade the Ancient Cuirass in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you need to follow a specific process involving Great Fairy Fountains, materials, and rupees. The Ancient Cuirass is part of the Ancient Armor set, which is highly effective against Guardian enemies and provides a significant defense boost when fully upgraded. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to upgrade it.

First, you need to unlock at least one Great Fairy Fountain. There are four Great Fairy Fountains in the game, and each one requires a certain number of rupees to unlock. The first fountain costs 100 rupees, the second 500, the third 1,000, and the fourth 10,000. To unlock a fountain, you must find it and speak to the Great Fairy, who will ask for the required rupees. Once unlocked, you can return to the fountain to upgrade your armor.

Next, you need to gather the materials required for upgrading the Ancient Cuirass. The materials needed vary depending on the upgrade level. For the first upgrade, you need 10 Ancient Springs, 5 Ancient Gears, and 200 rupees. For the second upgrade, you need 15 Ancient Springs, 10 Ancient Gears, and 500 rupees. For the third upgrade, you need 15 Ancient Screws, 15 Ancient Shafts, and 1,000 rupees. For the fourth and final upgrade, you need 1 Star Fragment, 15 Ancient Cores, and 2,000 rupees.

Ancient Springs, Gears, Screws, Shafts, and Cores can be obtained by defeating Guardian enemies, such as Guardian Stalkers, Guardian Skywatchers, and Guardian Turrets. These enemies are commonly found in areas like Hyrule Field, Central Hyrule, and around Hyrule Castle. You can also find these materials in shrines and by examining decayed Guardians scattered throughout the world. Star Fragments are rarer and can be obtained by shooting down stars that fall from the sky at night or by completing certain quests.

Once you have the required materials and rupees, visit a Great Fairy Fountain and select the Ancient Cuirass from your inventory. The Great Fairy will upgrade the armor, increasing its defense and, in some cases, adding additional effects. The Ancient Cuirass, when fully upgraded, provides a defense of 28 and grants the Ancient Proficiency set bonus when worn with the rest of the Ancient Armor set. This bonus increases the damage of ancient and Guardian weapons by 80%.

A common mistake to avoid is not gathering enough materials before attempting to upgrade. Ancient materials can be time-consuming to collect, so itÔÇÖs a good idea to focus on farming Guardians in areas where they are plentiful. Additionally, Star Fragments can be difficult to obtain, so keep an eye on the sky at night and be ready to chase down falling stars.

An advanced technique for farming Guardian materials is to use ancient or Guardian weapons, which deal extra damage to Guardians. The Master Sword, when glowing near Guardians or in Hyrule Castle, is also highly effective. Using these weapons can make defeating Guardians quicker and easier, allowing you to gather materials more efficiently.

An alternative approach to obtaining Star Fragments is to complete the "Under a Red Moon" shrine quest, which rewards you with a Star Fragment. Additionally, some side quests and certain rare chests may contain Star Fragments, so be sure to explore thoroughly and complete as many quests as possible.

In summary, upgrading the Ancient Cuirass involves unlocking Great Fairy Fountains, gathering specific materials, and paying the required rupees. Focus on farming Guardians for ancient materials and keep an eye out for Star Fragments. Use effective weapons to make farming easier, and consider completing quests to obtain rare materials. With patience and preparation, you can fully upgrade the Ancient Cuirass and take advantage of its powerful defense and set bonus.