The Master Trials is DLC for Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It introduces more armor, treasure chests, trials, and a new gameplay mode just for the most hardcore of players, Master Mode.

In Master Mode, enemies are far more difficult. They have higher detection, health that can regenerate, and higher ranks. As for the trials, called Trial of the Sword, Link has to go through 45 rooms of enemies with nothing but what he can scavenge.

With all that in mind, The Master Trials DLC is meant for players that like to strategize and take their time. There are plenty of tips out there for those looking to try Master Mode and/or the Trial of the Sword.

9/9 Upgrade All Of Your Runes

Magnesis rune.

The spells added to Link's Sheikah Slate will be more useful than ever. In Master Mode and for the Sword Trials, it is best to upgrade them to their full potential. They can be upgraded by visiting Purah and giving her ancient parts. Of course, this won't be easy. Ancient parts are dropped by some of the hardest enemies in the game: Guardians.

As for which rune to upgrade the most, players typically use Remote Bomb the most. Next in order is Statsis and then Magnesis.

8/9 Do Va Ruta First

Va Ruta.

For Master Mode, you are going to want Mipha's Grace as early as possible. The ability will protect you from death and regain health. It is already the best ability in the base game, and that only becomes more so in the Master Trials DLC. To get Mipha's Grace, you are going to have to do Va Ruta first out of the Four Divine Beasts in the main storyline.

7/9 Get The Phantom Armor Early

Link in Phantom Armor.

The Phantom Armor gives an attack boost and has a good armor score for early game. Like most hard modes, it is the beginning of the game that will be the most difficult. This makes the armor quite important. It is added with the DLC and can be obtained via the sidequest, "EX Treasure: Phantasma." The quest starts automatically with the DLC.

Most of the quest is treasure hunting and walking around. Since you want the armor ASAP, you will be weak and need to focus on sneaking past enemies rather than challenging them. (A Lynel mask from Kilton's shop would be helpful here).

6/9 Use The Environments To Your Advantage

Link running in a field by water.

Knowing how to best utilize the world around you is paramount to survival.

If there are explosive barrels in an area, those can be used to scatter enemies. In Master Mode, especially in the Trial of the Sword, managing weapon durability and getting the most you can get out of every attack is very important. Climbing a tree can be a good vantage point when attacking an enemy or a place to hide from a Lynel. Water can be used to turn electric attacks into area of effect explosions and you can also use cryonis to create barriers for yourself and/or fling enemies into the air.

5/9 Separate Large Groups Of Enemies

Link fighting enemies outside of skull cave.

In a more difficult mode of gameplay, the last thing you want is to get trapped in a mob. Furthermore, Master Mode's addition of health regeneration to most enemies means that you are better off focusing your attacks on one enemy at a time. If you try to hit them all at once, not only will you be overwhelmed, but many will regenerate if left un-attacked for too long.

To separate large groups, it is suggested to pick one off at a time without drawing the attention of others. If that fails, explosives such as bomb barrels, bomb runes, or status can be used to isolate certain enemies so that you can focus on dealing damage to them.

4/9 Practice Perfect Dodging

Link performing a flurry rush on cold mountaintop.

Perfect dodging is when you dodge an attack the moment before it strikes. When done correctly, it slows time and lets Link perform a Flurry Rush. A Flurry Rush an ability that lets Link do a large amount of attacks over a short amount of time without having to worry about counter attacks.

To do a perfect dodge, one of the most important aspects is getting out of the way just before the attack hits. The best way to start this is to familiarize yourself with different enemies' attack animations. That way, you can know when they are going to swing. A little halfway between their swing and hitting Link, you will want to press that dodge button. Mastering this will certainly take practice with each kind of enemy.

3/9 Be Wise About Food

Cooking materials menu.

Food is how you can heal, buff yourself, and prevent damage from your environment. Food can be gathered by hunting and gathering. Save your food for recipes for the best healing and buffs. Remember to frequently stop by cooking stations.

In Master Mode, the handiest recipes are those that grant Link temporary hearts. Most of these recipes use a Hearty Radish, which can be found in the ground at Hyrule Ridge and East Necluda. If you have coin to spend though, they are also sold by Beedle at East Akkala Stable and General Shoppe.

2/9 Take Your Time

Link hunting a boar.

Players should go into the Master Trials DLC with this tip already in their hearts. If you do not take your time to slowly gather resources, pick off enemies, and avoid too-difficult ones . . . then you are going to have a bad time. Hardcore players can beat the original game in 10 hours by skipping to Hyrule Castle, but you won't want to do that here.

This is especially true in the Trials of the Sword. If you defeat two enemies and then see six of their friends coming for you, it's often wise to run and wait until you get another opportunity to ambush them. The game will award your patience, usually.

1/9 Know The Behavior Of Common Enemies

Link riding horse past enemy.

The most common enemies in Breath of the Wild include bokoblins, moblins, and lizalfos. You can't swing a dead cat in Hyrule without hitting one of their camps. Due to their commonality, there is no doubt they can be a menace at the beginning of a Master Trial playthrough.

Enemy behaviors are actually pretty fascinating once you watch them enough. For example, it is good to know bokoblins will set their clubs on fire to give their attacks a power boost. They are also known to pick up and throw anything at you in a hostile encounter.

Scout The Area Beforehand

Link hiding behind a boulder. Scouting ahead can make the difference between life and death, and that is certainly true in Master Trials.Plan an escape route for any encounter. Take note of boulders, trees, and cliffs. This connects to the fact that you can use your environment to your advantage. It is also good to know if another enemy is lurking around the corner.