Pleased to meet you. If you’re reading this, then it is not illogical for me to assume that I shall be your guide through the dark and painful battles that the Cave of Ordeals is host to. With a little luck, a few tips, and some secret knowledge, you’ll make it through all fifty levels with little more than a few empty bottles.

For those of you who don’t yet know what the Cave of Ordeals is, I suggest you keep playing through the game until you’re all done. But if you’re eager to complete it or if you simply can’t find it, then head to the far, southern reaches of the Gerudo Mesa. Before you do, though, make sure that you have the Double Clawshot, the Ball and Chain, the Spinner, and the Dominion Rod.

Now, before you hop down into the entrance, you might want to consider your health for two reasons. Firstly, you’re about to fight your way through fifty floors and hundreds of baddies. That’s not a task for people with heart problems, recurring depression, or anger management issues. Secondly, you’re actually going to need lots of health. I recommend at least two blue potions.

When you’re ready to start, you can enter the cave. Fill up on items before you enter, because you can’t stop to take a break. Bombs and arrows come to mind immediately. Bring as many of each as you can. Having upgraded bomb bags and a large quiver will also be helpful.

Understand that the cave is divided into five different sections, each with ten floors. You know you’ve entered a new section whenever you need to use one of your items to advance to the next room.

1st Floor: In the first room you’ll find a Bokoblin. If you have trouble with him, then just reset your game and go look for some bugs or something.

2nd Floor: Move on to the next room and you’ll find some Keese and some Rats. Again, they shouldn’t be very hard to defeat. Just keep swinging and you’ll take them out rather quickly.

3rd Floor: Here you’ll find some Ceiling Babas and Deku Babas. Knock the Ceiling Babas down with your Gale Boomerang and jump into the pit to put them in their place.

4th Floor: You’ll encounter some Skulltulas in this room. Guard against their attacks and watch for an opening in their guard. Be very careful to not let one sneak up on you while you’re fighting another.

5th Floor: In this room you’ll find some archers. You can advance on them without taking damage if you use your shield. Don’t use the Ordon Shield, though. Once you get close enough you can take them out with a few swipes.

6th Floor: Be careful in this room. There are Torch Slugs all over the ceiling and a few on the ground. Coax the ones on the ceiling into falling but be sure to not get hit by them. Then run around and kill all of the slow critters.

7th Floor: This time around, you’re going to be fighting some Dodongos and some Fire Keese. Take out the annoying bats while trying to maim the Dodongos. Stay clear of the flames and you should make it out of the room with very little damage.

8th Floor: You’ll take on some Tektites here. They’re not the hardest enemies to take on. You can get them with Spin Attacks. Refrain from using any items against them at this stage. You’ll also find some hearts here if you dig around as a wolf.

9th Floor: Moving on, you’ll find that you get to fight some more archers and some Lizalfos. The archers are, without a doubt, the weaker of the two. However, they’ll become a growing nuisance if you leave them alive. So take them out and then set your sights on the Lizalfos.

11th Floor: Leaving the Great Fairy behind, you’ll come to a room with some Helmasaurs and some Rats. The Rats are basically harmless. Kill them if they get close, but worry about your new, hardheaded friends. They’ll charge so be careful. You can pull off the helmets with the Clawshot or aim for the rear.

12th Floor: With the aid of the Spinner you can move to this room. You’ll find a Giant Chu. Slash him to pieces and walk out of there with a giant smile on your face.

13th Floor: Here you’ll find some Gekkos in their protective bubbles. Pull them out of their bubbles with the Clawshot and introduce them to your sword. It shouldn’t take all that long.

14th Floor: Now you’ll encounter some Bubbles. A Spin Attack will often work better than just swinging at them. A Great Spin Attack is even better if you have it. Don’t waste a potion for it, though. Also, I should mention that you can find some rupees if you turn into a wolf and dig in this room.

15th Floor: Next in line, you’ll find some Bulblin Warriors looking to be slashed to bits. Take them out, being careful to not take any damage. Spin Attacks work well here. A bomb or two won’t cost you later, but don’t be wasteful.

16th Floor: You’ll move on only to find more Keese and more Rats. Give yourself a little pat on the back as you tear through these pathetic little beasts.

17th Floor: Prepare to collect a Poe’s Soul. You’ve undoubtedly encountered some in the past. Be sure to get the Poe before you attack the Stalhounds. Once he’s out of the way, take out the skeletal foes.

18th Floor: Yay! You get to take on some Leevers. By themselves they’re not hard to defeat. Coupled with other enemies, however, they become one of the most annoying types of enemies. For now, though, just use your Spin Attack to take them out. Dig as a wolf once you’re done to find some hearts.

19th Floor: You’ll fight some Chus in this room that fall from the ceiling. If you’re careful to not get hurt as they fall, you can take them out on the ground rather quickly. You can also use a bottle to capture the remains. Swiping some red Chu jelly is never a bad idea.

21st Floor: Move on into the next section and you’ll find yourself up against some Ice Keese and some Bokoblins. Watch out for the Keese while tearing those impish fiends apart. A Spin Attack every few seconds works well to defend.

22nd Floor: Using your Ball and Chain, move on to this room and you’ll encounter some Keese and Rats. What you wouldn’t normally know, however, is that there are Phantom Rats running about. When you find that they are slowing you down, turn into a wolf and do a Spin Attack. To make this easier, become a wolf before you jump down. You won’t have trouble beating the Keese or Rats with your canine counterpart. Additionally, dig to find some hearts.

23rd Floor: You’re going to go up against a mini skeletal army here. They’re harmless so long as you move faster than them. If you find yourself surrounded, Spin Attack before they get a chance to hit you. They shouldn’t last long.

24th Floor: Now you’re going to fight some enemies that actually pose a bit of a threat. The Redead Soldiers can hurt you if you get to close. If you have the Jump Strike then I suggest you use it. Otherwise, use long-rang attacks to take out your foes. The Ball and Chain is a good alternative.

25th Floor: In this next room, you’ll be fighting some Bulblin soldiers and archers. Always remember to take out archers standing on towers before you drop down. Once you’ve done that, run and jump into the pit. Try to take out the archers before you focus on the other enemies.

26th Floor: You’ll fight some Stalfos in this room. Now, Stalfos can only be killed with bombs. Bomb arrows do happen to fall under that category. In order to keep your distance, take them out with the explosive projectiles.

27th Floor: When you move into this room you’ll notice Skulltulas hanging from the ceiling. Leave them be and hop down. Take out the rest of the Bubbles before you knock the Skulltulas down. Try to take the large arachnids out one by one. If you dig, you might just uncover some hidden hearts in this room.

28th Floor: Prepare to fight a combination of Lizalfos and Bokoblins. While your main worry should be the stronger Lizalfos, you should take out the Bokoblins with Spin Attacks as they crowd you. Making sure to not stop moving, you can target enemies with your Boomerang to keep them at bay while you take out the Lizalfos.

29th Floor: More mini skeletal dudes. This time, however, they’re being accompanied by their larger counterparts, the Stalfos, and both Fire and regular Bubbles. Spin attacks will take care of the Bubbles and the Skeleton Army, but don’t forget the Stalfos. Use bomb arrows to finish them off.

31st Floor: Before you drop to your death, use your Bow to take out the Beamos in the room. Once that’s taken care of, you can drop down and defeat the Keese. Then you need to use the Dominion Rod to move the statues.

32nd Floor: Wow, the cave is getting hot. You can attack some of the slugs on the ceiling with your Clawshot. When you drop down into the darkness you’ll find Fire Keese, Fire Bubbles, and Dodongos. Be absolutely sure that you are not using the Ordon shield or the Zora Tunic. Take the Keese and Bubbles out while avoiding the Dodongos and possibly Torch Slugs. Then you can take out the slower enemies.

33rd Floor: More Redeads! But this time you’ll also have a Poe to worry about. Staying as far from the Redeads as you can manage, take out the Poe and collect it’s soul. Then go on to kill the Redeads with Jump Strikes.

34th Floor: This room contains Phantom Rats and Chus. You can collect rats without triggering the Chus if you stay against the walls. Pick up as many as you can and then turn into a wolf to kill them. Then run into the middle of the room and beware the falling Chus. Take them out with Spin Attacks and then look around for some buried hearts.

35th Floor: Of all the floors in the Cave of Ordeals, this is the type you’re most likely to remember. You’ll go up against some Ice Keese and a Freezard. Avoiding the Freezard, take out the Keese with Spin Attacks. Remember to not have the Zora Tunic on. Then go after the Freezard with your Ball and Chain. Don’t get hit by its breath.

36th Floor: To take out the Frozen Lancers, you can either use speedy dash attacks as a wolf or you can try Helm Splitters and Back Slices. Don’t stand still or you’ll find a bunch of icicles through your chest.

37th Floor: Here’s where the Leevers become annoying. They’ll attack you as you fight off the Bubbles and Ice Bubbles. Spin Attacks are you best friend inside this room. Just keep using them and they should get you through without much trouble.

38th Floor: And now it’s starting to get cold! You’re going to be doing battle against some Ice Bubbles, Ice Keese, Frozen Lancers, and two Freezards. I cannot possibly stress enough how important it is that you stay away from the Freezards. Take out the Frozen Lancers and then worry about the Bubbles and Keese. Save the Freezards for last and then take them out with the Ball and Chain.

39th Floor: This’ll be your first fight against a Darknut. There are actually two, but you should be careful to only awaken one at a time. Back Slices are your friends against these guys. Concentrate on stripping them of their armor and then evade their attacks until you see a chance to strike. Don’t get caught open as they attack or you’ll wind up wasting a potion that might save you later. You should also check around as a wolf and dig up some rupees.

41st Floor: You’ll find some Armos in this room. Wake them up one by one and strike their backs until they explode. If you succeed in only awakening one at a time, you should be able to move about nimbly and not take much of a beating.

42nd Floor: Move on with the Clawshots and you’ll discover some Deku Babas and some Bokoblins. Keep your shield raised and do Spin Attacks to avoid being hit. It you find yourself caught within the jaws of a Baba, Spin Attack your way out.

43rd Floor: There are a whole bunch of archers here and a few Lizalfos waiting for you once you jump down. Take out the archers on the towers first and then feel free to jump down. Once in the middle of battle, take out any stray archers while being careful not to accidentally bump into the Lizalfos. Then take out the larger, scaly beasts.

44th Floor: You’ll be fighting a group of Armored Lizalfos and a Poe in this room. As usual, you’ll want to collect the Poe’s soul. The additional enemies aren’t going to make it easy for you, though. It might be wise to try firing some arrows and bomb arrows from the ledge before you drop down.

45th Floor: Okay, so a Bulblin Archer, a Redead Soldier, and a Chu walk into a bar. That’s completely irrelevant but is almost what you can expect to find in this room. Take out the archers on the towers with your bow and try to see if you can hit some Chus. Then hop down and use your Jump Strike to take out the Redeads. If you don’t have the Jump Strike, just take them out with Bomb Arrows. Don’t forget to look for some hearts as a wolf before you leave.

46th Floor: Now, at first glance, this room appears to be filled with only two Freezards and a few Frozen Lancers. While you’re down there, however, you’ll notice that you move really slow. That’s because there are Phantom Rats crawling all over you. Turn into a wolf and take them out. Next, take out the Frozen Lancers one by one. Bomb Arrows work well here, but you can also dash at them. Then take out the Freezards with the Ball and Chain.

47th Floor: Now you’re going to fight a Bokoblin, some mini Skeleton Army dudes, and a swarm of Rats. Spin Attack is all you’ll really need here.

48th Floor: The next two fights are going to tire you out, so I hope you still have at least one potion left. In this room you’ll stumble across one Darknut and two Wyvern Knights. Be very careful to not trigger the Darknut. Take the Knights out by pulling on their shields with your Clawshot while they are in the air. When they’re both gone, take on the Darknut as you did back on Floor 39.

49th Floor: Here’s the real test. I hope you have a potion or a fairy with you. You’re going up against three Darknuts in this final room. Since there are three and it’s hard to break them up, you can try using bombs to hit them. Let a bomb flash a few times in your hands and then throw it over their heads. Once one loses its armor, take it out first and then turn your attention back to its slower brothers.