The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom just dropped, and Link will need your help as he finds himself robbed of his arsenal and thrust into a hostile open world.

So we prepped up a list of 5 survival tips for early-game survival in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for beginners and returning fans:

5: Make sure you always have spare Zonai charges.

Some of the buildable objects in Tears of the Kingdom require power to use, like the fans that are used to propel boats.

Their energy consumption is pretty mild, but it’s always best to have some spare Zonai charges to top off your energy bar, because getting stranded in the middle of a lake is no fun.

The more complex your structures become, the more energy they will drain, so having some charges in your pocket is always useful.

4: Always carry flint, wood, and a metallic weapon.

One of the most useful things, especially in snowy biomes, is to have a fire going. Striking a flint and wood with a metallic weapon will cause a fire, which can be used to warm yourself up and roast some apples if you are in desperate need of some health.

A meal is always preferable to just eating roasted ingredients, but not all pots you find will have a fire going under them, so being able to make a fire at will is very useful. Fire fruits can also cause fires when struck, but it’s preferable to attach those to your arrows for some extra fire damage.

3: The headshot rule still applies.

Some of the toughest enemies you will encounter in the early game are the construct captains, but like most enemies in the game, they are susceptible to being stunned and taking massive damage if hit in the head with an arrow. Their arrow shots can instantly kill Link, however, so make sure you are in the clear before aiming your killing blow.

The headshots also apply to regular enemies and bosses, so always take your time to aim carefully if you can, as it will be worth it.

2: Don’t waste your Zonai capsules.

Zonai capsules are a powerful commodity that let you spawn a Zonai device out of nowhere. They are found in giant gashapon machines, which take Zonai charges as payment.

In true gashapon fashion, the ones you get will be random, but they are extremely handy, so always make sure you have no other options before using one so as not to waste a precious commodity.

1: Always fuse your weapons.

Fusing your weapons gives them additional properties as well as increasing their damage. It is never worth it to use a weapon without fusing it first. The most handy ones to have are weapons fused with rocks, which can break barriers and hide secrets. Rocks are also necessary to break large mineral formations, which hold items like valuable amber and useful flint.

A lot of fusions are also just flat damage increases, like the parts dropped from the constructs, so there’s no reason to go around swinging a tree branch that does 2 damage against bosses if you are getting desperate.

So there you go, those are five tips that will ensure you can survive The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We will soon have a review as well as more posts covering the game; stay tuned to Niche Gamer’s future coverage.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now available for the Nintendo Switch.