The Best Time to Start the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC

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If you‘re wondering when to start the BotW DLC, the expert recommendation is to begin the Champions‘ Ballad content after freeing the 4 Divine Beasts, and tackle the Trial of the Sword once you‘ve acquired the Master Sword. This provides the optimal way to experience the rich story additions and challenging new trials at a time when they integrate best with the main game progression.

Why the BotW DLC is Worth Experiencing

The Breath of the Wild DLC packs offer invaluable new experiences that no fan should miss. Here‘s a quick overview of what makes each one an essential part of the BotW journey:

The Champions‘ Ballad DLC

This story-focused DLC adds nuance and depth to the characters and lore of BotW‘s world:

• Over 2 hours of additional story content through flashback cutscenes and new memories
• Fleshes out the history and personalities of the 4 champions
• Provides intriguing context for the ancient battle against Calamity Ganon
• New original score arrangements amplify the emotional impact

With the added backstory and context, the champions evolve from generic archetypes to fully-realized characters you feel deeply connected to. Their sacrifice becomes even more poignant and meaningful.

The Master Trials DLC

This challenging DLC will put your combat skills to the test:

• Trial of the Sword – A brutal multi-stage gauntlet of combat challenges designed to push your survival skills to the limit
• Hero‘s Path Mode – Allows you to visualize your movement throughout the world on an interactive map
• Master Mode – A new extreme difficulty where enemies regenerate health and are more aware

Master mode especially enhances replay value by making your return trip through Hyrule a much more demanding task.

When Should the Champions‘ Ballad Content Be Started?

The optimal time to start the Champions‘ Ballad quest line is after freeing the 4 Divine Beasts in the main story.

There are a few reasons why this timing maximizes your enjoyment:

• The added story quests integrate perfectly at this point in the progression. Zelda will provide telepathic guidance leading you right into the new content.

• The Champions‘ Ballad flashbacks function best as a "prequel" to add context before the final fight.

• After spending 40+ hours becoming attached to the champions through the main quests, the new story content has maximum emotional impact.

• The DLC adds depth at exactly the time in the main game where the champions‘ storyline concludes, wrapping up their character arcs in a satisfying way.

By waiting until after Divine Beasts to experience the Champions‘ Ballad story, you get narrative cohesion and the payoff of the built up attachment to these characters. It becomes a logical lead-in to the final showdown with Ganon.

When to Attempt the Trial of the Sword

While the Champions‘ Ballad story integrates neatly after Divine Beasts, the brutal combat challenges of Trial of the Sword are best saved until after pulling the Master Sword.

The reasons to wait include:

• The Trial of the Sword is only accessible by placing the Master Sword back into its pedestal, so obtaining it is mandatory.

• The combat trials are balanced around having a powered up Master Sword available. Starting without it proves extremely difficult even for seasoned players.

• Having more hearts and stamina vessels from completing shrines helps provide a survivable health buffer.

• Collecting late game armor, weapons, bows, shields and meals ensures you have the gear needed to tackle each stage of the trial‘s varied combat scenarios.

• Maxing out armor upgrades via collected materials makes their defensive buffs more impactful.

By waiting until the late game, you give yourself the best chance at completing the Trial of the Sword‘s 45+ room onslaught. Attempting it too early can be punishingly frustrating even for seasoned players.

Additional Tips for Optimal BotW DLC Enjoyment

Keep these additional tips in mind to maximize your experience with each DLC pack:

Champions‘ Ballad Tips

• Cook +Level 3 defense or attack meals to amplify your power for the later combat shrines and boss fight.

• Capture screen shots in the story flashbacks – they make epic photographic memories!

• Speak to Kass after each champion‘s flashback to get additional story details.

Master Trials Tips

• Cook mighty +Level 3 defense meals to survive Trial of the Sword combat arenas.

• Save Ancient Arrows for difficult later floors like Lizalfos and Skywatchers.

• Take breaks between trial attempts to recalibrate – frustration breeds more failure.

General Tips

• Talk to Impa after starting each DLC to get guided hints.

• Space out DLC – interweave it between completing shrines for a change of pace.

• Play in Master Mode for a fresh experience if replaying the game.

Following this advice will help you get the maximum impact out of the BotW DLC packs and integrate them seamlessly into your playthrough.

The Verdict: Don‘t Miss These Essential Additions!

Both the Champions‘ Ballad and Master Trials DLC packs add tremendous value to the base Breath of the Wild experience:

• The Champions‘ Ballad enhances the story and characters right when you need more context for the final fight.

• The Master Trials provides intense new combat challenges to test your skill after you‘ve honed your abilities.

• They make the full BotW adventure feel more complete and rewarding.

So don‘t make the mistake of missing out! Follow the guidance in this guide to properly experience these excellent DLC packs that live up to the high standards of the core game.