[botw/totk] hearts or stamina?

On totk I boosted stamina first. I just got annoyed with how far I couldn't get with the glider in the sky. Turns out it was useful for spoiler reasons!

Me on the other hand spamming hearts because of what I've learnt in the previous game. Didn't pay off as well as I'd hoped.

Stamina until 2 full rings, then hearts till 10 hearts, then fill out 3rd ring of stamina

I went for stamina because of a huge emphasis on exploration. I found botw to be a bit frustrating because I was limited by my stamina so I forgone my health to complete a stamina wheel. I'm working on health since 2 wheels seems enough before cooking.

Also it forces me to find alternative strategies for combat such as stealth, weapon building, and cooking. Honestly, with the time saved in exploration but spent in preparing for combat, I'd say it balances out.

I do have to get better at weapon building as well. Fights drag on so long when you have weak weapons

In BotW, stamina bc nothing can really kill you early game, but there are some steep places you'll wanna get

In TotK, hearts bc with the slight overworld adjustments, you can get pretty much everywhere with 1 wheel now and even basic mobs can one hit you at the start

Hearts first. I think you only need 8-10 of them though before you go full stream ahead on stamina until it's full

This is how I do it. Get enough hearts so most enemies can't one-shot you, then max out stamina.

I like stamina first but I keep dying

I might die in one hit, but I can sprint for 10 seconds!

Hearts until I have 6, then one extra stamina wheel, then 4 more hearts, then the rest of stamina, then the rest of hearts.
By the time I got to 10 hearts, I could start upgrading armor and cooking full-heals, and I wasn't taking many hits, so stamina was more important.

I did like a… 3 stamina to 1 heart ratio or something? Tried not to rush hearts so the game wouldn’t become a cake walk. In BotW I think I only added 3 hearts before maxing stamina all the way but there’s a lot harder content early on in TotK for me (it’s either boss variety or possibly because I’m expanding out way quicker because I know the map). So for TotK it was a ratio. I’m at max stamina now but I have like 8-9 hearts I think.

Ratio is not a bad idea! I decided to add some health after my first complete stamina wheel because I came across some content that I was no way prepared for such as:

spoiler

the lynel colosseum and three headed thing

All in all, wouldn't have it any other way. I know eventually I'll get enough health to have breeze throughout so I'm enjoying the challenge rn!
*monster variety. Not boss variety.

Hearts until 8 or so to keep me from being too squishy. Finished second ring of stamina, then hearts from there. I very rarely run out of stamina compared to BOTW because of all the new ways of getting around.

This is the way I approach it too.... Enough hearts not to be one shot and down and that second stamina wheel is so welcome ! It's enough to do almost anything I need to paraglider wise / climbing wise etc.

First couple times, hearts. Then all in on stamina until I got a second wheel. Then back to hearts.

I think I did 6 hearts, then rushed stamina to full. I'm at something like 10 hearts right now, with a bunch of unclaimed.

Hearts take priority

Haven't beat the game yet but stamina all the way! This is less of a problem in totk but in botw it feels like you need full stamina to be able to properly explore anywhere. Even in totk being able to climb up basically anything because of the max stamina is very nice.

Totk I went stamina until I had 3 circles then added some hearts. This allowed me to enjoy exploring and I liked the challenge of combat. The harder enemies could one shot me but that just made them more fun. The fusing and cooking means I can do a lot of encounters with only getting hit once by standard mobs and being able to restore to the 4 hearts I had.

Hearts first until I get to a point where I start to actually need more Stamina, then I convert my Hearts into Stamina till it's full. From then on my Stamina is maxed out so everything just goes back into Hearts.

I think I took turns between the two until I had about 10 hearts, then did only stamina until it was full. With max stamina, getting to shrines for more hearts is a lot easier.

I've been going for hearts only since getting my second wheel. I've never found myself needing more stamina like I did in BotW. If a cliff seems too high, I'll use a hot air balloon instead.

Plus, I want to see that [spoiler]-bow go vroom.

Always hearts. The one time I actally need stamina I'll just eat a meal or two.

When I first started, I figured that getting better armor and beating dungeons would get me heart containers so I opted for getting a full second stamina wheel first. After I did that, I picked up heart containers until I was at 12 hearts (two dungeon ones and the rest from shrines) before I went for the third stamina wheel. I think it worked out pretty well.

I like stamina to make exploration more comfortable, and you don't need hearts if you don't get hit! Of course, I do get hit so after filling out the first stamina wheel I went up to ~10 hearts, then another stamina wheel. I don't remember what I did in BotW but probably something similar.

Starting with heart I alternate between the two of them.

Stamina all the way until full, both games. I hate failing to get somewhere due to lack of stamina and food to compensate.

However, since I hit max stamina, I never actually need it all in totk, so if there's a master mode down the line making me replay the whole game, I'll probably stop at 2 wheels then hearts to stop getting one shot earlier.

I think stamina up to 2 wheels, or whatever seems like enough mobility for a small fight or exploring. 2 seems to be a sweet spot for me then hearts to not be too squishy.

Take advantage of the mechanic of not being one shotted, if you have full hearts and keep those 3 hearts full.

Now I think I have enough hearts, around 10, to go back to stamina and try for a third wheel. I need the extra wheel to run away from those gloom hands. Lol.

Over the course of my playthroughs, I usually upgrade stamina about once per two hearts - though I've gotten good enough at the game at this point that I could probably do one-to-one instead.

I get a second stamina wheel so I can traverse the map, then go all out hearts.

I go all-in on stamina. I'd rather git gud and not lose hearts than not be able to sprint worth a damn

stamina until the third wheel, then hearts.

I've got a full row of hearts + a few on the bottom, will happily admit because I'm shit at the combat and need all the help I can get. Also on my way to completing third stamina wheel so it seems they've added enough shrines for us not to have to sacrifice one or the other.

Always remember if you later feel you want more hearts / stamina, there's a statue that allows you to swap one for the other.

I have about 12 hearts right now and two wheels of stamina, but I think I'm at a good point to focus on stamina for now as I can tank big hits at this point