The Fuse ability in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has fostered endless creativity among players. While the ability is primarily used to combine enemy parts with weapons to make them stronger, Fuse can also help Link make weapons that will help him traverse Hyrule.
Whether players are traveling through extreme climates or mining as much ore as possible, a variety of weapons should always be in their inventory during Tears of the Kingdom. While there is limited inventory space at first, once players begin collecting Korok seeds and increasing their inventory space with Hestu, they’ll have plenty of room to keep a few weapons on hand that can be used as tools.
6 Ruby Rod
In Breath of the Wild, Link had access to the Flameblade, Great Flameblade, and Flamespear. They were formidable weapons in their own right, and were also handy when traversing icy environments like the Hebra Mountains. These elemental weapons aren’t found in Tears of the Kingdom, but players can fuse materials to create a weapon with the same effect.
If players mine every bit of ore they see during their travels, they’ll soon amass a collection of rubies. When fused to a one-handed weapon like a Magic Rod or Scepter, it acts the same as the Fire and Meteor Rod carried by Wizzrobes. And when equipped, the Ruby Rod will provide a heat boost for Link. But unlike the Flameblade, it will stay forever warm instead of running out of power briefly when used. Additionally, rubies can be fused to arrows to deal immense fire damage.
5 Boulder Hammer
If there’s one thing that Tears of the Kingdom has rectified from Breath of the Wild, it’s the number of ore deposits that can be found above and below ground. Mining these deposits is a great way to collect gems, which Link can either sell for Rupees or fuse to weapons, arrows, and shields. Of course, many weapons can destroy these ore deposits, but players will want something disposable so that they don’t waste a powerful weapon.
The best weapon to create for this task is the Boulder Hammer. All players need to do is fuse a boulder with a two-handed weapon like a Thick Stick, Sturdy Thick Stick, or Gnarled Thick Stick, and they’ll have a hammer that can clear rocks with one strike. In addition to mining ore, this weapon is useful when exploring caves for Bubbul Gems by clearing out thick layers of rubble.
4 Stone Axe
As players explore the Great Sky Islands during the tutoria, the Stone Axe is one of the first fused weapons they’ll encounter. Players can also find ready-made Stone Axes at stables across Hyrule. To craft the Stone Axe, gather Tree Branches and Wooden Sticks and fuse them with flat stones found in the area. The Stone Axe is one of the easiest weapons to fuse ,and can be used for much more than just cutting down trees.
This weapon is vital against Evermeans (especially if players don’t want to deteriorate bladed weapons), in addition to breaking wooden boxes and barrels which often hold an abundance of arrows. The only thing players need to be wary of when creating this weapon is that a Stone Axe can only be made with a stone, not a rock. If fused with a rock, players will create a hammer instead.
3 Sapphire Rod
Link will face excruciating heat when exploring the Gerudo Desert. If players haven’t ventured into the Kara Kara Bazaar or Gerudo Town, they probably won’t have a Heat Resistance outfit to prevent damage. Instead, they’ll rely on Heat Resistance dishes made from cooling ingredients like Hydromelons, Chillshrooms, and Cool Saffina.
However, there is another way to survive the heat without consuming dishes or wearing a particular outfit. By fusing a sapphire to a Magic Rod, Link can stay cool as he explores what the desert has to offer. The Sapphire Rod acts similarly to the Iceblade, Great Iceblade, and Icespear in cooling Link down once equipped. The Sapphire Rod also deals elemental damage like the Ice Rod and Blizzard Rod carried by Wizzrobes, and doesn’t run out of power when used like the Iceblade.
2 Cobble Crusher
Home to Death Mountain and Goron City, the Eldin region is where players will find the Cobble Crusher. A two-handed weapon created by the Gorons to break rocks, the Cobble Crusher has high durability making it perfect for ore mining - particularly in the caves at the base of Death Mountain. While players can’t buy the Cobble Crusher, there are specific areas in and around Goron City and Death Mountain where the weapon can be found lying around or hidden in chests. Enemies sometimes wield them in this area, too.
As the weapon can be a pain to find, players should keep an eye on it when it's near breaking point. Then, when it’s time to repair the Cobble Crusher, head back to the Eldin region and find a Rock Octorok. By placing the Cobble Crusher on the ground near one, they’ll suck it up, repair it, and give it a random boost in the process.
1 Korok-Frond Guster
In Breath of the Wild, the Korok Frond was invaluable for navigating the seas and rivers on a sailboat. In Tears of the Kingdom, a Korok Frond can be fused to any one-handed weapon to make a Guster, which can propel sailboats. But that’s not all the Korok-Frond Guster is helpful for.
Aside from enabling Link to waft enemies away with a gust of wind, the Korok-Frond Guster can eliminate piles of sand. As players explore the Gerudo Desert and eventually the Lightning Temple, they’ll come across heaps of sand that need to be removed to access chests, Zonai Devices, and switches. All it takes is a few swings of the Korok-Frond Guster for the sand to dissipate.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023, and is available on Switch.