You Need to Unlock the Most Useful Ability in Tears of the Kingdom ASAP
Build it once, for a lifetime.
Tears of the Kingdom introduces some wild new mechanics that basically let you construct your own ramshackle vehicles and devices, both for exploration and puzzle-solving. The Ultrahand ability lets you stick almost anything together, and it’s a wild feature that takes some time to wrap your head around.
There’s another ability called Autobuild that can make vehicle construction an absolute snap. You’ll want to unlock Autobuild as early as possible, as it makes the experience much more streamlined. Here’s how and where to unlock this ultra-useful ability in Tears of the Kingdom.
Talk to Robbi
Look for Robbi and Purah in this building.
Much like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom has a starting area called the Great Sky Island. You won’t be able to explore the world at large until you complete this area, but once you land in Hyrule, your first stop should be a settlement called Lookout Landing.
This is where you’ll advance the main story and start investigating the mysterious phenomena around Hyrule. Help Purah until you get the Paraglider. Before you strike out make sure to head to the bottom floor of the main building, where you’ll find Robbi and Purah working. Talk to Robbi to start his Main Story quest.
Complete “Camera Work in the Depths”
The yawning chasm south of Lookout Landing might look imposing, but simply jump in.
Robbi will recruit you to take a few photos in the new Depths area, which unlocks the Camera ability for your Purah Pad. Before you start, make sure you stock up on arrows and Brightbloom Seeds, which can be found in any of the caves around Hyrule, or bought from shops.
This quest is fairly straightforward: just head to the chasm directly to the south of Lookout Landing and jump down. If this is your first visit to the Depths, you’ll find it’s absolutely pitch-black. You need to throw Brightbloom Seeds to make light, or attach them to your arrows to fire them further. Be on the lookout for giant glowing bulbs called Lightroot, which you can interact with to light up and reveal parts of the map.
Follow the campfires to find Robbi.
Talk to the Zonai Survey Team near where you land to find out Robbi already ventured out on his own. You’ll see a few campfires in the distance, so follow them westward to the next Lightroot. Be careful not to step in the Gloom as it’ll sap your hearts.
Once you’re at the Lightroot, you should see Robbi standing near it looking at a statue. Talk to him, snap a picture of the statue, and head back to Lookout Landing to complete the quest.
Start “A Mystery in the Depths”
Note the direction each statue is facing, and follow it to the next one.
After completing Camera Work in the Depths, Purah has another quest for you. (You might need to wander around a little bit before the next quest triggers, so if you can’t talk to Purah and start A Mystery in the Depths, explore for a few minutes and head back.)
For this quest, you must follow the statues that Robbi was looking at. Fast-travel back to Iayusus Lightroot, where you found Robbi, and look at the statue. You need to follow the direction the statue is pointing, which will lead to another one, and another, etc. Use Brightbloom Seeds as you go and keep following the direction the statues point.
Eventually, you’ll curve down to the South and reach a massive building called Great Abandoned Central Mine. Head inside and talk to the two survey team members. Prepare for a familiar face — and a boss battle.
This big building houses a surprise boss battle.
This battle is actually incredibly easy, as your opponent pilots a car with spikes on the front. All you need to do is stun him with an arrow, then run around the back of the car and whack him with your strongest weapon. The boss only has one attack other than driving, so if you see the car start to wind up and shake, immediately run to the side to dodge.
Once victory is yours, talk to the Construct in the mine. Autobuild will be all yours!
How to Use Auto Build
Autobuild makes exploration so much easier, as you construct vehicles anytime, anywhere.
Autobuild might be the best ability in Tears of the Kingdom, as it instantly lets you craft any vehicle that you’ve previously made, or have the schematics for. The real kicker is that you don’t even need all the pieces to be present, as anything you don’t have can be built using Zonaite. This resource is easily mined throughout the Depths.
To use Autobuild, simply select it from your wheel by holding down L, and you’ll then see a list of vehicles pop up. You can even set favorites for quick access. If all the pieces are nearby and on the ground, you can press A and the vehicle will automatically come together. Alternatively, you’ll see the Zonaite cost, and can press A to build it. (Check your inventory first: you might have the materials already in your inventory as capsules.)
Now you’ll be able to build vehicles anywhere and everywhere you want! Let the fun begin.
“It's dangerous to go alone!” Check out more of Inverse’s Tears of the Kingdom coverage:
- THE INVERSE REVIEW: Tears of the Kingdom Is the Best Nintendo Switch Game Ever Made
- Tears of the Kingdom’s Best New Mechanic Could Change the Series Forever
- Why Zelda Speedrunners Plan to Take It Slow With Tears of the Kingdom
- Tears of the Kingdom Doubles Down on Breath of the Wild’s Best Inspiration
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