Horizon Forbidden West: How to Kill Machines Fast

Horizon Forbidden West is a great game to play but sometimes, the fights can get a bit too long. Killing all the machines with a flimsy bow and arrow can take some time especially when you don’t know the exact how-to’s. If you are looking for ways to kill machines fast in Horizon Forbidden West then you have come to the right place.

This guide will be focusing on the exact tips and tricks needed to maximize your DPS in Horizon Forbidden West. While there is no harm in taking things slow in HFW, it still feels great to aim for a self-high score when it comes to beating machines. With that said, here is how you can kill machines fast in Horizon Forbidden West.

What are Machines in Horizon Forbidden West?

The main enemies in the HFW world are machines. Unlike its predecessor, Horizon Forbidden West features a total of 43 machines. These mechanical monsters are scattered far and wide and come in all shapes and sizes. From the small Burrower to the enormous Tremortusk, the variety is insane!

All of these have unique stats and abilities and are extremely fun to challenge and fight. Some of these machines are early games, while others are boss-level mammoths. There are also many passive machines present in the game.

How to Kill Machines Fast? Tips & Tricks

There are many ways you can use to kill machines as fast as possible in Horizon Forbidden West. Some of these include optimizing your combos while others make you choose specific items. Overall, they make a great synergy when it comes to taking machines down.

Related: Horizon Forbidden West: Saved the Daunt Trophy Guide

Scan the Machine

You can scan the machine using your focus before battle to identify any glowing yellow areas on the machine’s body. These areas are weak spots that can be targeted to inflict bonus damage.

Build Specific Weapons

For this to work, you will need to have the Acid Warrior bow along with the Melee Detonator skill.

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This will help you stick your arrows on the machine’s body. You can use your melee attacks to explode them dealing massive amounts of damage. You can further optimize it using the Aerial Slash combo.

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This will help you close the gap against the machine potentially killing them in the process.

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You can even add Halfmoon Slash as the cherry on top in order to perform quick strikes. Use Resonator Blast to build up your combo damage in order to take down tanky bosses.

Related: The Daunt Relic Ruin Locations in Horizon Forbidden West

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Because of this specific playstyle, you will need to sustain to top everything off. Learn the Toughened Valor Surge to be able to really get in the fights and land your hits.

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Build your skill tree around these specific skills. While this playstyle might sound too dangerous, it is really not due to the way it works. Try it for yourself!


Have you tried going melee before? How was your experience with it? Let us know in the comments below!

Muhib Nadeem
Muhib Nadeem

Muhib is a huge anime fan that loves playing and writing about video games. As a CS student, he loves to get crafty in MOBAs. You will hear him talk about tech and food 24 hours a day!

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