Cave of Ordeals Minimalist Challenge Walkthrough
Written by Palmer Mebane, alias HappyPuppet

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Version 1.51: Mar. 14 2007
- Quick update describing the door-opening secret

Version 1.5: Feb. 4 2007
- Completed second run information
- Made a few revisions
- Added a helpful tip on the Ball and Chain

Version 1.1: Jan. 25 2007
- Updated rules section
- Partial updates for second run
- First run completion record

Version 1.0: Jan. 21 2007
- First release
- Rules, basic strategies, other misc. sections written
- Completed summary/walkthrough for a first Cave of Ordeals run
- Second run may come in a future release

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INTRODUCTION AND RULES

This challenge will test both your patience, your fighting ability,
your endurance, and in some cases your cleverness. In order to attempt
this challenge, start a new game. Proceed through the game with the
following restrictions.

- Do not obtain any heart containers or heart pieces.
- Do not obtain any quiver upgrades.
- Do not obtain the bomb bag upgrade or any additional bomb bags.
- Do not earn any sword skills except for the Ending Blow.
- Do not purchase the Hawkeye, Hero Shield, or Magic Armor.
- Have your Ordon Shield burnt, and do not buy another.

Once you have obtained your second Clawshot, you can begin. If you have
difficulties proceeding through the game to do this, please reconsider
attempting the challenge.

Before entering the Cave, note these restrictions apply once you are
inside.

- You must go to the equip menu and put the Ordon Sword on.
- You must have your bottles empty at all times.
- You may never dig for recovery hearts in the cave.
- Just for the sake of closing loopholes, you cannot of course use the
  secret to open doors without killing enemies.
> Update: I have gotten a lot of e-mails about this, so here's the
  "secret": Boomerang the torches near the initial ledge. The door
  in the next room will usually open, though I hear exceptions exist.

Another restriction I kind of consider optional is that you must wear
the Zora Armor. I am skeptical to include this because it seems to stop
being a Minimalist Challenge, doing everything with the lowest amount
of available items, instead becoming a challenge where you do
everything you can to make it difficult. And if you went for that, you
would also include a restriction that you can't use the Ball and Chain,
and then you'd go farther and say no Boomerang or Slingshot and... it
wouldn't end and there would be varying opinions on whether to exclude
bombs or the Ball and Chain (at least one is needed for Stalfos). I
feel challenges will lose respect when the rules can be disputed. If
you do wear the Zora Armor, beware, because even Bulblin Archers will
take 2 and a half hearts off, pretty much an instant end to a run.

The basic idea is that you have 3 hearts and the absolute minimum of
items. You cannot ever recover or reduce damage. So how far can you
make it in this state?

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BASIC STRATEGIES AND TERMINOLOGY

These are written with Wii controls in mind. I have no idea what the
GCN controls are, so GCN players will have to substitute differing
controls appropriately on their own.

- - Wolf Form - -

The wolf takes double damage. For this reason alone, it should be used
ONLY against Ghoulrats and Poes, and never anywhere else.

- - Standard Hits and Power Hits - -

Hitting enemies with a standard hit (horiz or vert slice, stab) simply
deals damage and temporary stuns them. Most enemies, when hit by a
power hit (jump attack, spin attack), will take additional damage and
be knocked out for a time, after which you can do an Ending Blow.
Because the Cave of Ordeals contains high numbers of enemies, doing an
Ending Blow leaves you open to other attacks. Only use it when you have
the attention of no other enemies.

When should you use each?
Jump attacks leave you vulnerable and give almost no advantage; with
the sole exception of unarmored Darknuts, don't use them.
Spin attacks should be used when a large number of enemies surround
you. Knock them all out. Also use spin attacks against severed Baba
Serpents, Tektites, Helmasaurs, and some others for one hit kills.
Standard hits suffice against weaker enemies like Rats and Keese.
They are also good for taking out a small number of weaker enemies
like Bokoblins, Bulblins, or Bubbles. If you're facing a large
number, stick to spin attacks.

- - The Initial Ledge - -

Each room contains a ledge from where you can see the enemies and plan
a strategy. You will be sniping on average a third of the enemies in
the Cave of Ordeals from this initial ledge. However, do beware. There
are some enemies that are capable of damaging you on the ledge. These
are Bulblin Archers and Bubbles.

- - Moving while Aiming - -

While you have the bow out, the clawshot out, or you're swinging the
Ball and Chain, hold Z to change the control stick from aiming to
moving. 

- - Ammo - -

There is no chance to recover arrows between rooms 25 and 45, and bombs
can never be recovered. Conserve ammo. One miss can have deadly
results.

To recover arrows, use the Bulblin Archers in towers. Stand in the
previous room (24 and 44) after it is cleared, and get in range of the
archers. Sidestep the arrows they fire. If the one they fire goes very
far (way into the room you're in), quickly go and grab it for a refill
of one arrow. Repeat this process until you have sufficient arrows.

- - The Ball and Chain - -

This immensely important item has several uses.

First, it deals heavy damage. It also can hit twice, once on the way
out, once as you reel it back in. Use this to your full advantage.

It also can act as a repellent to enemies who have to get close to
attack you. I do not recommend this strategy, because there is a very
substantial chance an enemy will be lucky enough to attack just outside
the range, and the resulting damage is not acceptable.

The best use is to substitute for the shield you don't have.
When holding it in your hand, you may not be able to look around with
C, and you may move slow as hell, but it will block attacks like a
Hero Shield would. This technique is so useful in later rooms that I
will devote some explanation on how to use this to the fullest.

If the Ball and Chain is on your B button and put away, you have no
quick way of taking it out in front of you; pressing B swings it, which
does not achieve the shield effect, and it takes too long to reel it
in. Instead, what you must do is switch the Ball and Chain to any
control pad direction, and then press that control pad direction during
play to activate the Ball and Chain for the B button. At the same time
you do this, Link will bring the Ball and Chain out and hold it in
front of him. This is the one immediate way. You MUST master this
trick.

! UPDATE !
pheoemph{at}gmail{dot}com has written in to show that this is not
necessary. Simply by holding A when you press B, Link will pull the
Ball and Chain out in front of them without swinging it. Much simpler.
Many thanks for the tip!

A final use is screwing with Dynalfos AI. Hilarity will ensue when you
clear Room 44 using the Ball and Chain.

- - Running in Circles - -

Sometimes this is the best strategy you can have to minimize damage
without wasting ammo. It's used on the rooms with a large number of
Bulblins, Bokoblins, or other similar enemies. Here's what to do.

Jump down and immediately start running in a circle around the room.
When you have a lot of attention, stop briefly, wait for a split
second, and spin attack. Then resume running until the spin attack is
charged. When only a few are left, you can be more aggressive.

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ROOM SUMMARY

Difficulty is listed next to the room number with asterisks.
This is for a first Cave of Ordeals run. Updates for the second run are
partial but not complete, so some rooms may have changes not included
here.

Room 1 (*)
- Blue Bokoblin
2nd Run (*)
- Red Bokoblin

Room 2 (*)
- Keese
- Rats

Room 3 (*)
- 3 Ceiling Baba Serpents
- Ground Baba Serpent

Room 4 (*)
- 3 Skulltulas

Room 5 (**)
- 3 Bulblin Archers

Room 6 (*)
- Ceiling Torch Slugs
- Ground Torch Slugs

Room 7 (**)
- 2 Dodongos
- Fire Keese

Room 8 (**)
- 4 Red Tektites
- 2 Blue Tektites

Room 9 (*)
- 2 Lizalfos
- 2 Bulblin Archers
2nd Run (***)
- 3 Lizalfos
- 4 Bulblin Archers

Room 10
- Great Fairy

Room 11 (***)
- 3 Helmasaurs
- Swarm of Rats

Room 12 (*)
- Huge ChuChu
2nd Run (*)
- Huge ChuChu x2

Room 13 (*)
- Chu Worms

Room 14 (**)
- Bubbles

Room 15 (**)
- Bulblin Soldiers

Room 16 (*)
- Keese
- Rats

Room 17 (**)
- Stalhounds
- Poe (one time only)

Room 18 (*)
- Leevers

Room 19 (**)
- Ceiling ChuChus

Room 20
- Great Fairy

Room 21 (**)
- Ice Keese
- Blue Bokoblins

Room 22 (*)
- Keese
- Rats
- Ghoulrats

Room 23 (**)
- Stalkin Swarm

Room 24 (**)
- 5 Redead Knights

Room 25 (**)
- Bulblin Archer on tower
- 2 Bulblin Archers on ground
- Bulblin Soldiers

Room 26 (**)
- 3 Stalfos
2nd Run (**)
- 5 Stalfos

Room 27 (**)
- Skulltulas on ceiling
- Bubbles

Room 28 (****)
- 2 Skull Lizalfos
- 6 Red Bokoblins

Room 29 (***)
- Stalkin Swarm
- 2 Stalfos
- Bubbles
- Fire Bubbles

Room 30
- Great Fairy

Room 31 (*)
- Keese
- 5 Beamos

Room 32 (**)
- Ceiling Torch Slugs
- Fire Keese
- Fire Bubbles
- 2 Dodongos

Room 33 (**)
- 4 Redead Knights
- Poe (one time only)

Room 34 (**)
- Ghoulrats
- Ceiling ChuChus

Room 35 (**)
- Ice Keese
- Freezard

Room 36 (*****)
- 4 Chilfos
2nd Run (******)
- 7 Chilfos

Room 37 (**)
- Bubbles
- Ice Bubbles
- Leevers

Room 38 (******)
- Ice Bubbles
- Ice Keese
- 4 Chilfos
- 2 Freezards

Room 39 (******)
- 2 Darknuts
2nd Run (*******)
- 3 Darknuts

Room 40
- Great Fairy

Room 41 (***)
- 9 Armos

Room 42 (***)
- 6 Baba Serpents
- 6 Red Bokoblins

Room 43 (*****)
- 3 Skull Lizalfos
- 6 Bulblin Archers

Room 44 (***)
- 4 Dynalfos
- Poe (one time only)

Room 45 (**)
- 2 Bulblin Archers on towers
- 5 Redead Knights
- ChuChus on ceiling
2nd Run (**)
- 3 Bulblin Archers on towers
- 5 Redead Knights

Room 46 (*****)
- Ghoulrats
- 3 Chilfos
- 2 Freezards

Room 47 (*****)
- Blue Bokoblin
- Stalkin Swarm
- Rat Swarm

Room 48 (********)
- 2 Aeralfos
- Darknut

Room 49 (*******)
- 3 Darknuts
2nd Run (*******)
- 4 Darknuts

Room 50
- Great Fairy

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WALKTHROUGH

Please remember that these strategies use extreme care to assure as
much as possible that no damage will be suffered in a room.
One quarter of a heart means a hell of a lot in this challenge. This is
why many methods here seem overly tedious and/or detailed.

Note that there are three poes for first runners. They are in rooms 17,
33, and 44. The one in room 17 is a pain; you should try to kill him in
a try separate from one in which you are aiming to win. The one in room
33 can be dealt with well enough, but will require some care. The one
in room 44 is no problem. Regardless, if you ever kill a poe in a run,
save. It's not worth it to kill it again.

Don't forget to equip the Ordon Sword and empty your bottles. Now enter
the Cave of Ordeals.



ROOM 1:
Two hits with Ordon Sword, or a power hit and an ending blow, to take
out this one Blue Bokoblin.

2nd Run:
Instead of two hits with the Ordon Sword, it's eleven. Go with the
power hit and ending blow to save time.



ROOM 2:
If you're overly patient, Boomerang the Keese and use your
Slingshot to take out the rats. Honestly, I'd rather just jump down,
kill, and restart if I screw up and take damage. We're not far enough
yet to be quite that careful.



ROOM 3:
Boomerang the three Baba Serpents on the ceiling, preferably the
one in the back first. Let them bunch up, then jump down and spin
attack to take out each one. Move back while it recharges. Once those
three are dead, get close enough to the ground Baba Serpent to make it
attack. Stab it, run in and cut it, then spin attack to end its life.



ROOM 4:
Take out the Ball and Chain. Jump down to an area where the Skulltulas
aren't bunched up. These guys have nice vision and are aggressive, so
let them come to you. When they do, Ball and Chain them; the double
hit kills them.

Do not rush into the next room.



ROOM 5:
This room has Bulblin Archers; stand back on the ledge. Take out the
bow and use the moving while aiming trick to get a good look at one
of the side Bulblin Archers. Don't go towards the front of the ledge;
you want only one archer to see you at a time. When the Bulblin Archer
you're looking at starts aiming an arrow, that means you can shoot him
too. Be quick about it. When he goes down, the others are distracted.
Shoot them down quickly.



ROOM 6:
Clawshot all of the Torch Slugs on the ceiling, then jump down and stab
the rest.



ROOM 7:
Overly cautious players can Boomerang the keese in this room. Jump down
to a place far from the Dodongos, and kill them from afar with one
hit of the Ball and Chain.



ROOM 8:
Make sure you jump down to a place where the Tektites are sparse. Spin
attack them as they get close. Be careful and keep moving, because the
jump range on these things is greater than the spin attack range.



ROOM 9:
The way we will complete this room will remind you of a bad spy movie.
Go to either side of the ledge, stand on the edge, and DROP (not throw)
a bomb so it goes to the ground. Immediately after it explodes, pull
out another and drop it in the same place. Laugh at the idiocy of this
room's enemies.

Use no more than two bombs in this room.

2nd Run:
This room becomes far tougher the second time around.

Start by taking out the two archers on the side with arrows. However,
their dying will cause the remaining two to move around, so the bombs
won't do the trick. Instead, go out on to the end of the ledge. The
Lizalfos will eventually notice you. As soon as they do, drop a bomb
to the ground. Timed correctly, it will kill the Lizalfos. Drop
another bomb to the ground. Most of the enemies will die. If there is
one Bulblin Archer left, drop down and either dodge his arrows or use
the Ball and Chain shield to reach him.



ROOM 10:
Rest your fingers, make sure your Wiimote's batteries aren't low so
"Communications are broken" doesn't happen during a tough fight. Then
go on. If you have taken any damage, definitely consider restarting.



ROOM 11:
You will need double clawshots to complete this room with the least
risk. Clawshot one of the points not above the ledge. This will bring
out a swarm of rats that will run under you. Clawshot back to the ledge
and step onto any edge. Like in room 9, drop a bomb from the ledge, and
then position yourself RIGHT ABOVE the bomb; this will require hanging
from the ledge. Be careful that you don't actually jump off. If this is
performed correctly, all the rats will die.

Note that going to the very edge of the ledge occasionally lures the
rats out. This is not recommended; sometimes a few will not spawn, and
your bomb will not have taken them all out.

Double clawshot around the room and take off the helmets of the
Helmasaurs here. Once you've done this, you may at last jump down.
These guys have excellent vision, so expect a large number to charge at
you. Move around carefully; sidestep a charging Helmasaur and spin
attack as he passes to eliminate him. With care, you will successfully
pass this room without damage.

Use no more than one bomb in this room.



ROOM 12:
Stay at a distance, much farther than when the Z-Targeting arrow would
appear. Then take out the Clawshot and eliminate the ChuChu one hit at
a time. Always aim for the smallest size.

2nd Run:
On rare occasions there will be two huge ChuChus here instead of one.
I'm guessing this is not usually the case because they merge before
you ever reach the room. If you come in and there's two separate ones,
wait for them to merge as you did in room 19 in your first run.



ROOM 13:
Jump down to an area where none of the Chu Worms will notice you.
Z-Targeting has a large range, so target one and clawshot it out. A
4 standard hit combo will suffice to kill one. Kill them one at a time.



ROOM 14:
These Bubbles require one stab and one spin attack to kill, or one hit
with the Ball and Chain. Jump down against the edge of a wall. Only
three should notice you. Spin attack them away. Now take out the Ball
and Chain and "snipe" the rest of them; make sure to take care of the
first three you hit first before they come back to haunt you!



ROOM 15:
Use the "Running in Circles" strategy on these silly Bulblins.



ROOM 16:
Since this area is much farther, and I still would prefer to have taken
no damage at or after this point, I use the Gale Boomerang (keese) and
Slingshot (rats) to clear this room from the ledge. There are too many
rats and keese to be certain that one won't surprise you. This room
is up to personal preference.



ROOM 17:
The poe in this room is a real pain. A run in which you are aiming to
win should be started with the poe already dead, so I assume it is.
Use the "Running in Circles" strategy on the Stalhounds.

Have your sword drawn when you enter the next room.



ROOM 18:
Jump straight ahead, roll, and position yourself in the center of the
emerging Leevers. Spin attack as they close in.



ROOM 19:
Take out the ChuChu on the ground with a Clawshot. Then run all over
the back of the room to get the entire swarm to fall to the ground.
Wait for them all to merge together to one big ChuChu. Take it out
like you did in Room 12.



ROOM 20:
Rest your fingers; make sure your Wiimote's batteries aren't low so
"Communications are broken" doesn't happen during a tough fight. Then
go on. If you have taken more than a half a heart of damage, consider
restarting.



ROOM 21:
Use the "Running in Circles" strategy.



ROOM 22:
The Ghoulrats can seriously screw you up here. I recommend using the
Boomerang on the Keese and Slingshot on the visible Rats from the
ledge. Jump down when only Ghoulrats remain.



ROOM 23:
With sword drawn, jump down and roll forward, then immediately run
towards the area under the initial ledge. All of the Stalkin should
be out chasing you now. Now use the "Running in Circles" strategy.



ROOM 24:
Slowly walk off the ledge on either side (not the middle) and drop down
to the ground. The nearby Redead Knight will begin to come after you.
Ball and Chain's double hit will take him out. Repeat this for the
other four, but from a greater distance.

The next room has a tower archer; stand away from the door as it opens.



ROOM 25:
Recover your arrows to 30 (see the "Ammo" header in basic strategies).
Then kill the archer. There are two archers on the ground. Using the
"Aiming while Moving" strategy similar to what you did in Room 5, make
sure you kill BOTH of them. Then jump down and use "Running in
Circles". Quite the formulaic room, eh?

2nd Run:
Because of the additional Chilfos, you'll want to conserve more ammo
here. How? Wait for the tower archer to fire an arrow deep into room
24 when you have full ammo, then kill him, then pick up that stray
arrow quickly. You should end this room with 28 arrows instead of 27
in this way.



ROOM 26:
Stand on the edge of the ledge to alert the Stalfos. Wait for them to
all get under you, then jump forward and run to the other side of the
room. Immediately turn back. Throw out a Ball and Chain as they get
close. If done correctly, they should be marching to you in a line, and
the Ball and Chain easily takes all of them out.

You should not use any bombs for this room. The Ball and Chain does
the job.



ROOM 27:
Using strategies similar to Room 14, take out the Bubbles in this room.
Then lob the Ball and Chain at each hanging spider. You should get them
to die lying on their backs. I bet you've never gotten them to do that
before.



ROOM 28:
The Skull Lizalfos attack much faster than you'd expect, and meleeing
the enemies in this room is a recipe for disaster. Instead, go out to
the very edge of the initial ledge. The Skull Lizalfos will eventually
notice you. Pull back a bit. Now they're confused, and they will begin
wandering around the room. You might have to wait while, but you need
them to move very close to each other. One Bomb Arrow kills both. Jump
down and use the "Running in Circles" strategy for the remaining
Bokoblins.

Use no more than one bomb arrow in this room.



ROOM 29:
The room to prove your mastery of combat with the undead. Drop down the
ledge. The Stalfos you don't want to alert yet. Some Stalkin will come
out. Kill them with spin attacks. Once they're all gone, move forward
enough to alert the Stalfos. When they get close enough and lined up
enough, Ball and Chain them to eliminate them. It's elementary by now
to eliminate the remaining Bubbles and Stalkin; you've done this
before.



ROOM 30:
Rest your fingers; make sure your Wiimote's batteries aren't low so
"Communications are broken" doesn't happen during a tough fight. Then
go on. Consider restarting only if you have a half or quarter of one
heart left, but I say to just go on and see how far you get.



ROOM 31:
Use 3 arrows to take out the middle and far Beamos. Jump down and roll
to the far edge of the room. Spin attack the keese whose attention
you may have gained. Either carefully lure the rest or shoot the last
two Beamos. The latter could lead to Keese surprising you however.

Do not miss with any arrows in this room, ESPECIALLY in the 2nd run!



ROOM 32:
The room to prove your mastery of combat with various fire enemies.
BEFORE you Clawshot the Torch Slugs, stand on the edge of the ledge.
Remain right there. Two, possibly three, Fire Bubbles will come after
you. Swing the Ball and Chain around your head, so as they come up
they will die immediately. This is the one time that strategy can be
relied on. Once those Bubbles are dead, THEN Clawshot the Torch Slugs.

You've come far enough that I would definitely Boomerang the Keese in
this room; take no risks at all anymore. There are still some Bubbles
remaining. Ball and Chain both them and the Dodongos from afar after
you drop down from the ledge (don't go too far and lure a party to
you though).



ROOM 33:
The poe in this room is yet again a pain. If you ever kill it, make
sure you save. The room is elementary if it's not there. Drop down
and Ball and Chain the enemies to death.

With it there, drop down and IMMEDIATELY eliminate the Redead Knight
closest to you with Ball and Chain. Switch to wolf form right away and
engage the Poe while staying at the back of the room. Once it's dead,
the rest of the room is simple. Ball and Chain.



ROOM 34:
Drop down in the back of the room and use the Wolf to eliminate what
Ghoulrats you can without moving out and attracting ChuChus. When
a substantial number are gone, repeat the strategy in Room 19. Be
certain there aren't too many Ghoulrats. If you get slowed down while
bringing down the ChuChus, the results could be disastrous.



ROOM 35:
It might take some experimentation to find the right place to stand
so that you can Ball and Chain the Freezard (it's not right on the
edge). But you can do it. After that, Boomerang the Keese, then jump
down away from the Mini Freezards and Ball and Chain them from afar.



ROOM 36:
The dreaded Chilfos!

Take out your Bomb Arrows. We have to conserve ammo, so pay close
attention. The best way to do so is to wait for Chilfos to be lined
up as follows:

  ---
 /3  \
| 2   |
| 1   |
|     |
 \LLL/
  -L-

L is where you are standing, and the numbers are Chilfos. When you get
something like this (two in a group is also ok), shoot the first (1)
Chilfos with a bomb arrow. His spear is hit, but if you wait too long
he regenerates it, so you must act fast now. He'll start running back;
when he gets next to the second (2) Chilfos, shoot in the middle of
them. #1 dies, #2 loses his spear. #2 runs back, shoot to kill #2 and
have #3 lose his spear. Then quickly finish #3 with a fourth Bomb
Arrow. If you screw up anywhere, quickly make the most of the
situation. Ammo conservation is critical.

If you have one Chilfos left, jump down. Using the "Ball and Chain as
a Shield" strategy, have the Chilfos throw his spear at you, then
quickly go on the offensive and eliminate him with the Ball and Chain.

Avoid using more than six Bomb Arrows in this room.

2nd Run:
Hopefully you've been conserving ammo better than in your first run.
There are nearly double the Chilfos in this room. Use the same
strategies to clear them out.



ROOM 37:
The Ice Bubbles in this room are capable of doing more damage than
other Bubbles. Be especially careful in this room.

Ball and Chain as many bubbles as you can from afar. Do not run into
the middle of the room until they are all dead. Once they are, run
towards the back. Leevers will start to come out. Stand in the center,
wait, and spin attack.



ROOM 38:
As in room 32, stand on the edge of the ledge to attract Bubbles.
There are three Ice Bubbles. You need to kill all three before
proceeding; use the Ball and Chain swinging around you trick.

Repeat the strategy for Chilfos as in Room 36; however, do not jump
down if one remains because the Freezards will annihilate you as you
try to kill him. After the Chilfos are gone, Boomerang all the keese
and kill them. Only two Freezards should remain.

Jump and roll to the back of the room to lure their breath out. When it
stops, run to one of them and Ball and Chain it twice quickly. Do the
same to the Mini Freezards. Then lure the breath of the other one, stay
back, and repeat the process.



ROOM 39:
If you think these guys are your worst problems in the run (along with
the three in room 49), you have yet to try room 48 yet. With proper
strategy, Darknuts can be dealt with, no damage.

Before engaging these guys, put the Ball and Chain on a control pad
direction.

Begin by moving along the wall on either side. You should attract the
attention of only one. Get close enough for it to attack, then quickly
backflip. If you still get hurt (1 full heart, so don't mess up), you
are moving in too close. After it's attacked, jump attack, and use a 4
standard hit combo. Repeat this once more (be careful that you stay
AWAY from the second one) and his shield will come off on the last hit.
Stab him once more to fully unarmor him. Use the "Ball and Chain as a
Shield" trick to dodge the mace he throws.

Now he's unarmored. He'll do only half the damage, but he's far more
difficult to fight. Keep the Ball and Chain out as a shield - beware,
the throwing of his mace will have made you put it away, so take it
back out - and wait for him to get close. Keep a large distance from
the other Darknut. After an attack, whip out your sword and stab him.
He blocks. Jump attack him. He blocks again. Stab him. He does not
block and gets hurt. Continue stabbing until he blocks again. Jump
attack, and repeat the process. Do this exactly; forgetting the first
stab before you first jump attack may make him sidestep the jump attack
and hit you. He should go down eventually.

With much more space to fight him, eliminate the second Darknut in a
similar way.

2nd Run:
See Room 49 Strategy.



ROOM 40:
Rest your fingers; make sure your Wiimote's batteries aren't low so
"Communications are broken" doesn't happen during a tough fight. Then
go on, regardless of your life. May as well finish the whole thing now,
right? However, to complete the run you will need a substantial amount
of life remaining, perhaps more than two hearts. If you're on track to
win, best of luck.



ROOM 41:
Use double Clawshots to get to the back right corner of the room. Have
the Ball and Chain on a control pad direction. Drop down. The Armos
nearby will start to awaken. QUICKLY, Ball and Chain the jewel on his
back, but ONLY AFTER he starts shaking and grunts. Keep the Ball and
Chain out as a shield against his frenzy. If you don't do this in time,
clawshot back up to the wall as quickly as possible. Go back to the
ledge and wait for the Armos to go back to sleep. You can do this at
any time if you find you suddenly screwed up at some point in the room.

The others are more easily taken out, because they are alerted to you
only when you are ready. Ball and Chain them to alert them, and hit the
jewel only when they start shaking. Stand in place with the Ball and
Chain out to defend. Success will be yours.

If you have Bomb Arrows to spare, you can eliminate the Armos in the
back right corner by shooting right in the center of what appears to
be his mouth. It takes only one hit.



ROOM 42:
"Running in Circles" to eliminate the Red Bokoblins, then Boomerang
Baba Serpents from afar and spin attack them when they get close to
you. Don't mess up now, you're so close...



ROOM 43:
This room is a true pain in the butt and I have yet to really make
a strategy to guarantee no damage. Your best bet is to carefully aim
at and kill the three Bulblin Archers in the back of the room. Two from
your side of the room will be alerted and come farther out. Kill them
too. Be very careful about their arrows. There is one final archer in
this room, below your ledge. He might have been alerted and come
a little bit out, but the bow probably won't be able to kill him. So
drop a bomb down.

All that's left are Skull Lizalfos. With luck, your bomb killed some.
If not, it's probably not worth it to waste another bomb. Jump down
and, with great care, use "Running in Circles". Beware; they attack
very quickly.



ROOM 44:
Stay in the back of the room, switch to wolf, and VERY CAREFULLY
lure out the Poe. Battle and kill it, being extra careful due to the
wolf's taking double damage. If you kill the Poe, save after the run
is over so you don't have to do it again.

Now these Dynalfos are usually nicely killed by Shield Bashing, which
we don't have. Instead, we will take advantage of a hilarious AI
oddity. Lure as many as you want to you, and start swinging the Ball
and Chain before they attack. They stop. If you're patient enough, you
can use "Moving while Aiming" to slowly go around to their back. They
won't change directions, and will dumbly look ahead. Unfortunately
there is no advantage to hitting their back as opposed to their front,
so only do for humor value (after coming so far, it's good to lighten
up). Anyways, hitting them with the Ball and Chain very briefly stuns
them, but also makes the others start coming after you. Right away,
throw the Ball and Chain at the one you stunned. For odd reasons, you
are probably going to end up hitting far more than just the one you
stunned.

On occasion, one of the Dynalfos will NOT stop when you start swinging.
This happens because he is on your side or behind you. Instead, he'll
run up close, and get hit by your Ball and Chain. Stay in place, and
these enemies, who I'm sure you used to think were really quite smart,
will get hit over and over again in the same way until they die.

After they're all dead and you're done laughing, move on with care.
Tower archers are in the next room.



ROOM 45:
Shoot down one of the archers, and use the other to replenish arrows.
Get about 5 more than you have bombs remaining. When you're through
gathering arrows, shoot the last Archer.

Carefully drop down the edge of the ledge and Ball and Chain the Redead
Warrior closest to you. Do them same for the two in the front of the
room. While on the left and right edges, kill the two in the back.
Don't go into the middle of the room to do this; ChuChus will hit you.
When the Redead Warriors are gone, run around to bring down the ChuChus
and kill the huge one that results when all come together, as in room
12.

2nd Run:
There is now a Bulblin Archer in the middle, so be careful even in the
previous room. He can hit you from more places than the ones on the
sides.



ROOM 46:
Using room 36's strategy, take out the Chilfos. Jump down as a wolf and
run either to the door, or to the point directly across, where you're
safe from the Freezard breath. Take out as many Ghoulrats as possible;
run across the room periodically to lure more. Once they're all gone,
Ball and Chain the Freezards as in room 38.



ROOM 47:
This is the last room you will need ammo in. Feel free to use all of
your remaining bombs and arrows.

The swarm of rats in here can be very troublesome. Take out the Blue
Bokoblin either with arrows, a bomb arrow, or 8 slingshot pellets.
When you jump down, Stalkin and Rats will come after you. Your best bet
is to try to eliminate them with a spin attack, but it's difficult to
eliminate them all. As soon as the spin attack ends, start moving
around the room until you can use it again. Persevere until all the
enemies fall.

If you're really good at timing, this trick can help you deal with
the rats. When you're ready to jump down, wait; drop a bomb down. When
it's a couple seconds away from exploding, jump down and roll forward.
If timed right, many of the rats will die from the bomb, though
probably not all. It should be easier to deal with the room now.

If you ever take a break, now is the time. The hardest room is right
ahead. Once again, check your Wiimote's batteries.



ROOM 48:
Put the Clawshot on your B button and the Ball and Chain on the down
direction on the control pad for the greatest accessibility. If you
have not learned the "Ball and Chain as a Shield" trick and how to
pull it out quickly, learn it now (see Basic Strategies above).
If you are returning to this FAQ, note that a reader sent in a better
way of doing this trick that you should make yourself familiar with.

There is nothing to do on the ledge. Drop down. Don't concern yourself
about luring the Darknut; you'll have to eventually, and you'll just
have to keep moving to avoid him. Ignore him until the Aeralfos die.

Watch both Aeralfos closely; make sure both are in your view. If one
pulls his shield out, Clawshot him down. If the Clawshot turns out to
be not in range, pull out the Ball and Chain instead. Trying to dodge
the dive attack does not work often, so always block it. If you bring
down one of the Aeralfos with the Clawshot, and the other is about to
attack, forget attacking the one you brought down and block the other's
attack. You must have great patience as you fight these things. Expect
a long, grueling fight, and to throw away many opportunities for attack
which you must instead use to defend. Don't forget to keep moving so
that the Darknut doesn't swipe a full heart off of you. Also, stay
away from grounded Aeralfos; they have a tendency to swipe with
remarkable speed, landing a quick half heart of damage.

That's about it for strategy. Expect to have to switch between Clawshot
and Ball and Chain several dozen times in the fight.

When one Aeralfos goes down, things will go ten times smoother. The
Darknut is taken out as in room 39. Don't screw up on him after working
so hard to beat both Aeralfos. Best of luck.



ROOM 49:
Let's face it; to take damage against Darknuts you have to make a
mistake. It's a different story against room 48's Aeralfos, so this
room, as long as you don't suck, should prove much easier than the one
you just completed. Even so, in this tense moment, it's easy to slip.

The hardest Darknut by far is the first one. Against the first one,
he's actually harder armored. By waiting for an attack and
backflipping, you might get pushed back too far and lure another to
you. Then it's game over.

What you must do instead is, when pushed to the edge of where you can
go, block his attack with the Ball and Chain, then roll to the other
side of him, giving you more space. Repeat this process as much as
necessary. Be very careful against him unarmored.

Once he's gone, take a breather, then carefully eliminate the final
two as you did in Room 39.

2nd Run:
Use the same techniques. It's just an even longer endurance test.



ROOM 50:
Congratulations on completing this challenge. Now celebrate by throwing
your Wiimote into the air. Just make sure it doesn't go through the TV,
ok? Good luck on your second run, if you attempt it.

2nd Run:
Congratulations again. After doing it once, this probably wasn't that
much harder, right?



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VICTORY RUNS

These list damage records and brief annotations of successful runs.

The units are quarters of heart, so 12 points of damage in this list
means death.

HappyPuppet's first completion of first run:
--Room 11: -1 (11 quarters of heart left)
  Missed a charging Helmasaur. I don't know why I chose not to restart,
  but I think I'm glad I didn't. 30 rooms followed in which I took no
  damage afterwards.
--Room 41: -0
  While taking out the far right Armos, I somehow alerted the one to
  his right. While trying to avoid him, I also dragged the other one
  in the back row. I managed to clawshot out of the way just in time,
  but it sure was close.
--Room 42: -1 (10 QOH left)
  Grazed by a Baba Serpent.
--Room 47: -1 (9 QOH left)
  I can never eliminate the damn rats without taking any hits.
--Room 48: -6 (3 QOH left)
  Only one hit from Aeralfos. Then after killing both of them and
  taking the armor off of the Darknut, I put on a literally
  heart-breaking performance, getting damaged twice against an enemy
  I should have taken no damage against.
--Room 49: -2 (1 QOH left)
  I took the damage early. I was so tense for the rest of the room, but
  I managed to succeed. There were several points where unarmored
  Darknuts may have stabbed to kill me, but they chose not to at those
  moments. Just enough luck to pull through, apparently.

If you want yours posted up here, write it up and e-mail it to me.
Please make sure you use proper spelling, grammar, and capitalization
or I will not bother. And do not expect me to post it unconditionally.

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DISCLAIMER + ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Copyright 2007 Palmer Mebane

This FAQ was written solely by myself with only minor assistance.
You may not publish it without my consent, or take it as your own in
any circumstance. It may never be used for profit.

If you wish to contact me to suggest something or ask if you want to
host the guide or anything else, e-mail happypuppet{at}comcast{dot}net

Credits for this FAQ:
- A few people that contributed some of the rules, such as equipping
  the Ordon Sword or suggesting using the Zora Armor
- Several strategy contributors from a number of forums, whose names
  I cannot comprehensively list
- GameFAQs for providing an enormous collection of game guides, such
  as this one
- Nintendo for creating this fantastic game and programming the
  Dynalfos AI as they did; I'd like to believe the enemy designers used
  their sense of humor there
- pheoemph{dot}gmail{at}com for a great Ball and Chain tip

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Fin