How do I start the "The Statue's Bargain" side quest in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

To start "The Statue's Bargain" side quest in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you need to visit the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, which is located in Hateno Village. This quest involves interacting with a mysterious statue that offers a unique trade involving your heart containers or stamina vessels. Here is a detailed guide to help you navigate this quest.

First, you need to reach Hateno Village, which is located in the eastern part of Hyrule. You can get there by traveling east from Kakariko Village or by following the road from the Dueling Peaks Stable. Once in Hateno Village, head to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. The lab is situated on a hill to the northeast of the village. You can recognize it by the large, glowing blue flame outside. If you haven't already, you will need to complete the "Hateno Village Research Lab" side quest to gain access to the lab. This quest involves lighting the furnace outside the lab with a blue flame, which you can obtain from the nearby ancient furnace.

Once inside the lab, you will find a small statue on a table. Interact with the statue, and it will speak to you, offering to trade one of your heart containers or stamina vessels for 100 rupees. This is the beginning of "The Statue's Bargain" quest. The statue will explain that it can exchange your heart containers or stamina vessels for rupees, and vice versa. This mechanic allows you to reallocate your health and stamina as you see fit, which can be useful depending on your playstyle or the challenges you are facing.

To proceed with the quest, you need to decide whether to trade a heart container or a stamina vessel. If you choose to trade a heart container, the statue will take one heart and give you 100 rupees. If you choose to trade a stamina vessel, it will take one-fifth of your stamina wheel and give you 100 rupees. After the trade, the statue will offer to sell you back what it took, but at a higher price. For example, if you traded a heart container, the statue will offer to sell it back to you for 120 rupees. This creates a cycle where you can trade and re-trade your health and stamina, but at a cost.

One important tip is to carefully consider your current needs before making a trade. If you are about to face a tough boss or a challenging area, you might want to keep your heart containers for extra health. On the other hand, if you are exploring and need more stamina for climbing or running, you might prefer to keep your stamina vessels. It's also worth noting that you can only trade whole heart containers or stamina vessels, so if you have a partial stamina vessel, you won't be able to trade it until it's complete.

A common mistake to avoid is trading away too many heart containers or stamina vessels without considering the impact on your gameplay. Losing too much health or stamina can make the game significantly harder, especially in combat or exploration. Always keep a balance that suits your playstyle and the challenges you are facing.

An advanced technique is to use this quest to optimize your health and stamina for specific tasks. For example, if you are planning to do a lot of climbing, you might trade some heart containers for extra stamina vessels. Conversely, if you are preparing for a tough fight, you might trade some stamina vessels for extra heart containers. This flexibility can be very useful, but it requires careful planning and resource management.

In terms of preparation, you don't need any special items to start this quest, but having some extra rupees can be helpful if you plan to trade back and forth. It's also a good idea to save your game before making any trades, so you can reload if you change your mind.

An alternative approach is to ignore the quest entirely if you are satisfied with your current health and stamina. The quest is entirely optional, and you can complete the game without ever interacting with the statue. However, for players who like to experiment with different builds or who need to adjust their stats for specific challenges, this quest offers a unique opportunity.

In summary, "The Statue's Bargain" is a straightforward but intriguing side quest that allows you to trade heart containers and stamina vessels for rupees. By carefully considering your needs and managing your resources, you can use this quest to optimize your character for different challenges. Whether you choose to engage with the statue or not, this quest adds an interesting layer of strategy to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.