Zelda Breath Of The Wild Tenue Amelioration

InThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, armor upgrade known in French as tenue amélioration turns basic outfits into powerful tools for survival and exploration. Worn clothing becomes more effective with higher defense ratings, while full upgraded sets unlock special bonuses. Understanding the Great Fairy system, upgrade materials, and strategic choices helps Link navigate Hyrule more effectively.

How Armor Upgrading Works

Armor in BOTW can be upgraded at Great Fairy Fountains. There are four sisters Cotera, Kaysa, Mija, and Tera each offering higher maximum upgrade tiers as they are awakened. Unlocking the first Fairy costs 100 rupees; subsequent awakenings cost 500, 1,000, and finally 10,000 rupees. Each Fairy adds one new upgrade level, allowing armor to reach up to ★★★★ (level 4) defense rating.

Upgrade Structure

• ★☆☆☆ (Level 1): Available after one Fairy
• ★★☆☆ (Level 2): Enhances defense and unlocks set bonuses for most sets
• ★★★☆ (Level 3): Further defense boost
• ★★★★ (Level 4): Maximum upgrade, requires all four Fairies

Each upgrade requires specific materials depending on the set: monster parts (guts, horns), gems (amber, opal, ruby), and sometimes rare Dragon parts or star fragments.

Why Armor Improvement Matters

Beyond increasing defense, upgrading armor unlocks powerful set bonuses when all three pieces are at least level 2. Bonuses can grant shivering immunity, attack boosts, stealth improvements, stamina savings for climbing or swimming, and Guardian weapon resistance.

Many players on forums recommend focusing early on sets like Climbing, Stealth, Zora or Barbarian for their gameplay benefits, rather than purely armor value. Champion’s Tunic remains staple due to its high defense when fully upgraded even though it lacks a set bonus.

Popular Armor Sets and Their Upgrades

Here are examples of common sets, their effects, and upgrade materials:

Climbing Set

• Bonus: Faster climb speed and reduced stamina use when fully upgraded
• Materials: Keese wings, rushrooms, hotfooted frog, hawks, etc.

Stealth Set

• Bonus: Increased movement speed at night
• Materials: Blue nightshade, silent princess, stealthfin trout

Zora Set

• Bonus: Efficient swimming and reduced stamina cost
• Materials: Lizalfos horns, Hyrule bass, opals

Barbarian Set

• Bonus: Attack up and lower stamina usage when charging attacks
• Materials: Lynel horns, guts, dragon shards rare but powerful

Radiant Set

• Bonus: Bone weapon damage up and disguise against Stal-types
• Materials: Luminous stones, monster guts (bokoblin, moblin, Molduga, Lynel)

While sets like Soldier’s or Hylian don’t have special bonuses, their upgrade to level 4 offers high defense suitable for general combat.

Material Strategy and Farming Tips

Upgrading gear can be material-intensive especially for level 3 or level 4 upgrades. Common advice includes:

• Use Sheikah Sensor to track plants or monster parts you need
• Save monster parts instead of selling them, especially rare ones like Lynel guts or Dragon horns
• Harvest luminous ores at night for gems required by sets like Radiant
• Target specific enemies in known zones like Molduga in Gerudo Desert or Lynels using sensors

Reddit and guide sources encourage players to upgrade sets matching their playstyle first such as Climbing gear for mountain exploration or Stealth set for night travel before tackling long material farming sessions.

Best Practices for Prioritizing Armor Upgrades

Depending on your stage in the game and playstyle:

• Upgrade theClimbing Setto level 2 early if you intend to explore high terrain
• Get theStealth Setup early for night travel and enemy avoidance
• UpgradeChampion’s Tunicfully for maximum defensive power
• Save rare parts for sets with set bonuses you’ll actually use (Barbarian, Radiant, Ancient)
• Mix and match pieces to leverage the right bonuses depending on region or task

Players often recommend not upgrading every single piece in a single go focus first on items you currently use, such as wild exploration or shrine quests and expand later as materials accumulate.

Unlocking and Using Fairy Fountains

Visiting each Great Fairy Fountain increases maximum upgrade potential. Even after unlocking the fourth Fairy, any one of them can be used to upgrade all armor pieces meaning you only need to unlock them, not always return to the last one unlocked.

Each upgrade is sequential and requires accumulating materials such as monster parts (guts, horns), gems (amber, ruby, opal), and special materials like Dragon shards or Star Fragments for special armor pieces.

Armor upgrading or tenue amélioration is a core progression element in Breath of the Wild. Upgrading increases defense and unlocks powerful set bonuses that define your capabilities in combat, traversal, and environmental resistance. By prioritizing sets that align with your playstyle such as Climbing for mountain terrain or Radiant for bone weapon builds you can maximize both survival and performance. Collecting materials, unlocking Fairies, and selectively upgrading gear turns basic clothing into legendary equipment tailored for your journey across Hyrule. Whether you’re scaling the Hebra peaks or facing a Lynel, the right armor upgrades make all the difference.

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