How to get Autobuild in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom autobuild
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Autobuild ability is something that allows you to rapidly construct vehicles and ultrahand creations in a flash, either using spare parts lying around or creating them out of nothing by spending certain resources from your inventory.

This power is unlocked by doing a quest called "A Mystery in the Depths", part of the whole subterranean questline that starts in the central hub town near Hyrule Castle and takes you into the Depths region below the world, unlocking the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom camera just before. Keeping following the chain and you'll eventually get what you're looking for!

Sounds like a lot, but we've gone through it ourselves, and written up a quick, easy guide for how to get the Autobuild power in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.

How do you get the Autobuild ability in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?

If you want to get Autobuild in Tears of the Kingdom, here's a basic explanation of the process, before we go into more detail further down.

  1. Complete the "Camerawork in the Depths" quest
  2. Talk to Josha at Lookout Landing to start "A Mystery in The Depths"
  3. Travel to the Iayusus Lightroot in the Depths
  4. Continue following the forward-facing direction of the statues, using Brightbloom Seeds to light the way
  5. Activate the Great Abandoned Central Mine waypoint
  6. Battle Master Kohga

Of course, it's not quite as simple as we make it sound, but it's also not as complex as you might be worried it is. Let's get into the nitty-gritty of it all.

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Autobuild map location

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom autobuild

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Autobuild is unlocked after following a line of large statues in The Depths of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. They lead to the Abandoned Central Mines, which we've marked on the map above, as well as a suggested starting point at the Iayusus Lightroot. Since your last journey to The Depths with Robbie ended here, it's the logical place to pick back up, since we already know there are more statues leading further into the Depths from this spot.

To complete A Mystery in The Depths, make sure that you have plenty of Brightbloom Seeds, arrows, and curative meals prepared with Sundelion. Check our guide to curing Gloom-Borne Illness in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom for a tasty Sunny Veggie Porridge recipe that restores damage taken from stepping in gloom puddles or getting hit by enemies in The Depths. Consider wearing the Radiant Shirt and Tights, too, to make it easier to see Link in the darker sections of the map. 

You should also ensure that you have strong weapon fusions to combat the foes down here, prioritizing spears or anything that doesn't force you to get too close, and make sure to pick up plenty of Bomb Flowers to toss or shoot at groups of enemies at range. You can use your Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Fuse ability to fashion some powerful weapons that deal more damage than basic ones – and last longer, too – and you'll certainly need them to beat Master Kohga quickly.

How to beat Master Kohga in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom autobuild

(Image credit: Nintendo)

After receiving Autobuild in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, you will be ambushed by Master Kohga. His attack pattern is fairly straightforward, and as long as you can use Autobuild to construct a cart with wheels, you'll be able to take him down much more easily than a Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Frost Gleeok.

Master Kohga's main attack is to try and run Link over with a spiky steamroller-type vehicle. He will keep chasing you with this until you construct and stand on top of an Autobuild structure, so build one quickly to make him freeze in his tracks. 

He will stand still and start conjuring a giant metal ball to throw at you, so take advantage of this and shoot him with an arrow. I suggest attaching an Aerocuda Eye to turn it into a homing projectile, since just one hit with the arrow will stun him, knocking him off the steamroller. He'll be vulnerable to attacks while stunned, so either pelt him with more arrows if you have a clear line of sight or run over and hit him with your highest damage or fastest weapons. Speed is more important than damage here, since after a few seconds he will vanish and reappear back on his steamroller on the opposite side of the arena.

When he gets to half health, Master Kohga's attack pattern will change slightly. He will up the ante by creating arrow-proof windows at the front and sides of his vehicle, so the best thing to do is wait for him to charge at you and then dodge to the side at the last moment. Since he can only charge in a straight line, this will make him crash into the barriers around you, leaving him open to attack from behind. Attack him again, perhaps with an ice-powered weapon to buy some extra time. Depending on your weapon strength or speed, it should take about three stun windows to fully deplete Kohga's health bar and end the battle.

This is just the first time you meet Master Kohga, but after he flees, you'll be free to use your Zelda Tears of the Kingdom fast travel to head back to Lookout Landing, show off your new Autobuild ability to Josha, and complete A Mystery in The Depths.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission 

Jasmine Gould-Wilson
Staff Writer, GamesRadar+

Jasmine is a staff writer at GamesRadar+. Raised in Hong Kong and having graduated with an English Literature degree from Queen Mary, University of London in 2017, her passion for entertainment writing has taken her from reviewing underground concerts to blogging about the intersection between horror movies and browser games. Having made the career jump from TV broadcast operations to video games journalism during the pandemic, she cut her teeth as a freelance writer with TheGamer, Gamezo, and Tech Radar Gaming before accepting a full-time role here at GamesRadar. Whether Jasmine is researching the latest in gaming litigation for a news piece, writing how-to guides for The Sims 4, or extolling the necessity of a Resident Evil: CODE Veronica remake, you'll probably find her listening to metalcore at the same time.

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