It’s certainly fair to say that Aloy has more than a few weapons at her disposal to deal with the machine menace that is plaguing the land in Horizon Zero Dawn. So with that in mind, we’ve leaped into the wilderness to discover the best weapons for our flame-haired heroine to get the job done.
Tearblaster
Early on in the game, you’ll get a taste of what the Tearblaster can do when you start being able to fire Tearblaster arrows from your trusty bow. Simply put, being able to strip off the armour of your foes at long range is desirable, to say the least.
The Tearblaster however takes things one step further. A hulking weapon that can blast out pockets of hyper-compressed air at Aloy’s enemies, the Tearblaster speeds up the armour-stripping process exponentially, allowing Aloy to remove the armour of even the most aggressive Thunderjaws and Ravagers extremely quickly. Make no mistake, the Tearblaster is a weapon you’ll want to use often.
You can collect the Tearblaster by completing the Hunting Grounds category of side quests.
Shadow Hunter Bow
The best version of the bow that Aloy begins with, the Shadow Hunter Bow is utterly essential, to say the least. With a trio of mod slots and a high degree of agility, the Shadow Hunter Bow is an insanely adaptable weapon that is formidable in just about any combat situation.
Further afield, the usefulness of the Shadow Hunter Bow when tackling larger machines also comes to the fore as well. This is thanks in no small part to the additional teardown damage that the Shadow Hunter Bow afflicts on those larger mechanical brutes.
The Shadow Hunter Bow can be bought from the hunter merchant in Meridian.
Lodge Ropecaster
Easily the best Ropecaster in Horizon Zero Dawn, the Lodge Ropecaster earns its place largely on account of how efficient it is with ammunition consumption. In addition to requiring fewer materials, the Lodge Ropecaster boasts 70 agility and like the upgraded Shadow Hunter Bow before it also has three slots for the player to fill with additional elemental effects.
Ultimately, such qualities make the Lodge Ropecaster a superb weapon to use against the largest of Horizon Zero Dawn’s machine enemies, not least because you can keep them at range effectively for longer all the while dealing significant damage.
The Lodge Ropecaster is earned by completing the Weapons of the Lodge quest and requires players to earn at least a Full Sun mark in all of the Hunting Grounds Trials of the base game.
Improved Stormslinger
Perhaps the most versatile and overall most powerful weapon in Horizon Zero Dawn, the Improved Stormslinger is a must-have. Capable of firing out tremendously damaging bolts of electricity, the Improved Stormslinger doubles down on its electrical damage by also triggering additional shock damage.
With very little cost and ammo that is readily available, the sum total is a weapon that can destroy with ease and can be deployed against all machines, great and small, with impressive results.
Only available as part of the Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds DLC expansion, Aloy must first obtain the standard Stormslinger from Ourea who offers our heroine the weapon from inside the Retreat. Once collected, Aloy can upgrade it to the improved version by completing the Geared Up: Stormslinger quest from Varga in Longnotch.
Well, it’s time to start your own journey with Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on PC.
