During their Breath of the Wild adventures, players are going to stumble upon Rusty Gear such as a Rusty Shield or Rusty Claymore. When first starting out, these weapons may deal more damage than the Bokoblin Clubs/Spears found on the Great Plateau. While they may be stronger, they're extremely feeble and will break after several hits.
If players want to keep Rusty Gear in the inventory, then they should consider getting them repaired so that they can be properly used in battle. In Breath of the Wild, players can clean up Rusty Weapons/Shields and make them good as new. Those looking up to polish the rust off will need some help from Rock Octoroks.
Every Type of Rusty Gear
There are four types of Rusty Gear, and they will turn into one of the following:
- Rusty Broadsword: Traveler's Sword, Soldier's Broadsword, Royal Broadsword, or Knight's Broadsword.
- Rusty Halberd: Traveler's Spear, Soldier's Spear, Royal Halberd, or Knight's Halberd.
- Rusty Claymore: Traveler's Claymore, Soldier's Claymore, Royal Claymore, or Knight's Claymore.
- Rusty Shield: Traveler's Shield (wooden), Soldier's Shield, Royal Shield, or Knight's Shield.
Where to Find Rusty Gear
Rusty Gear is far more common than one would think. Players will have better luck finding them in areas that have been abandoned or ransacked. Most can be found in Central Hyrule or even Inside Hyrule Castle. There are various ruins and abandoned garrisons right outside the Great Plateau and near the Central Tower.
When looking for Rusty Gear, use the Magnesis Rune. This will make it easier to detect them — especially in the Sage Temple Ruins. Do be careful when looking for Rusty Gear when there's a thunderstorm. Metal makes a perfect lightning rod for BotW's lightning strikes, and it's not something Link wants to get caught in.
Central Hyrule: Abandoned Ruins
The ruins circled in yellow on the above image are good places to start looking for Rusty Gear. On the left are the ruins directly outside the Great Plateau. On the right are the Sage Temple Ruins west of the Central Tower. If players are just starting out, be careful of the Guardians around the Central Tower. They'll fire at Link the minute he's within range.
Inside Hyrule Castle: Armory
If players are brave (or reckless) enough to go into Hyrule Castle right after leaving the Great Plateau, they should make way for Hyrule Castle's Armory. The best way to reach this is to enter through the castle moat. Light the torches to trigger the Saas Ko'Sah Shrine. From there, take the path behind the Shrine. This will lead players to the Library. Head south of the Library and go down the hallway. There will eventually be a door that leads to the Armory.
Players should refer to the above image for the exact locations.
When exploring Hyrule Castle, wear a monster mask or Majora's Mask to keep enemies away. Majora's Mask can be found in the Kolomo Garrison Ruins as long as players have the Expansion Pass. Majora's Mask will work on Lizalfos, Moblins, and Bokoblins, making it ideal for exploring the interior of Hyrule Castle.
Where to Repair Rusty Gear
In order to return a Rusy Sword or Shield back to peak form, players will need to "give" it to a Rock Octorok. Unlike most species, Rock Octoroks inhale anything that gets near before spitting it back out at Link. They can even fire meteors, which are easier to dodge, but will do more damage than a rock from a Forest Octorok.
- The Rock Octoroks prefer areas such as the Eldin Region, so go to Goron City and look along the north path to the mines. There will be a Rock Octorok near the Shae Mo'sah Shrine.
- There's another Octorok beyond the Igneo Talus south of the Southern Mine.
- Finally, there's another Rock Octorok under the Goron Stone Memorial in Goron City.
Here's what players will need to do:
- When the Rock Octorok starts inhaling, throw the Rusted Weapon at the ground in front of it. If players are using a Rusty Shield, then go into Inventory, select the Shield, and select Drop.
- Look for the "sparkles" around the Octorok's head after it starts "chewing" on the item.
- Get ready to dodge when the Octorok spits it back out. If it hits Link, it will inflict damage (obviously).
- Pick up the new weapon that's been repaired.
There's a high chance the Rock Octorok in Goron City will throw the "clean weapon" into the lava . If this happens, the weapon will be gone forever. It's advised to save the game before cleaning Rusty Gear , or have the Rock Octorok near the Southern Mine clean it instead.
If players are using the Rock Octoroks in Eldin Region, then be warned that some Rusty Shields turn into wooden shields (ex: Traveler's Shield). How a metal, rusted shield turns into a wooden, flammable shield is unknown, but either way, it'll burn up the minute the Rock Octorok spews it back out. Normally, the Traveler's Shields will come from the abandoned ruins/garrisons in Central Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on Nintendo Switch.