For a while now, the TAS has been able to skip getting Spellstone 1 and the Ice Blaster, while RTA runs have needed to collect both. This thread will be used to post ideas/discoveries to work towards finding a way to remove the Ice Blaster from RTA runs.

Currently, RTA still needs to use the Ice Blaster in 2 places:

1. To get to the cannon in Cape Claw, which is needed to reach the Ocean Force Point Temple.

2. To get past the flames at the end of K5.

The first usage of the Ice Blaster is now no longer needed in RTA runs, thanks to a new route/trick I just discovered! I will post the details of this trick down below.

Essentially, the way this trick works is that we want to get 1 file in TTH without the portal opener, and 1 file to have Spellstone 4.

Then, the file which doesn't have the portal opener needs to reach the OFPT link map - which we are able to do, since Cape Claw 2 will load.

After this, we do a RRESW in order to get the file at the OFPT Link to have Spellstone 4. We are then free to place the Spellstones, and to use the camera lock glitch to get past the Fire Gem Door to escape.

The fully detailed description of steps we need to do is as follows:

1. Do the RESW in TTH before getting the portal opener. Now we have 2 identical files in TTH.

2. Do all of the stuff on one file that you would normally do up through getting Spellstone 4.

3. In the other file, glitch-load Cape Claw. This should let us reach CC2. Cancel the airswim in the mouth, and get back out of the statue.

4. Start a low airswim in the water in the mouth (since the door doesn't load in the glitched state and we aren't in CC3 with the rubble blocking it). Note that if you go fully into the room, you won't be able to swim back out (but you can exit through where the Sharpclaw Door would be to try again).

5. Cancel the airswim half in bounds in the hallway next to the Sharpclaw door.

6. Fall into the water half in-bounds (hit the edge of the water) and swim up to hit the save trigger past the fire gem door. If you fail this (or think you failed it) and land in the water, you can swim back out through the Sharpclaw Door and try again starting from step 4.

7. Save+Quit.

8. Back in the other file which has Spellstone 4, fly to DIM, hit the ESW trigger, and save+quit.

9. Switch back to the file at OFPT, and die without saving and continue (note that we need to move towards the fire gem door and get killed by Tricky in order to avoid hitting the save trigger again. If you hold target and down while the file is loading, you'll be fine). Then, save+quit in order to do a RRESW. Now, we should have a file in OFPT past the fire gem door with Spellstones 2 and 4.

10. Go through OFPT normally, and place Spellstones 2 and 4.

11. Use the camera-lock glitch to get past the fire gem door, and swim up to exit where the Sharpclaw Door should be.

12. Win.

Here is a video showing the whole trick:

It's also worth noting that since we ESW to DIM, this causes us to warp back to the Arwing when we arrive back in TTH, which lets us skip the cutscene of the Queen talking to Fox.