How To Beat All Creatures Easily in Horizon: Zero Dawn (Tips & Strategies)

Horizon Zero Dawn is a post-apocalyptic survival game that players experience through Aloy, a young woman that has been exiled from her tribe because she is an orphan. Aloy has to survive the dangerous terrain and wildlife.

In Aloy’s futuristic world, animal-like machines can be harvested to gain crafting supplies and access new areas. Each creature will have different weak points that can be seen glowing on their bodies. Here’s how to defeat these creatures and access all of those points.

How to Defeat Every Machine in Horizon Zero Dawn

Watchers: Watchers will guard groups of machines and alert other larger machines if the player is detected. They will also tackle Aloy if she is spotted. Shoot arrows into a watcher’s glowing eye to quickly dispatch them, or use the Silent Strike ability to sneak up on them. Red-eye watchers are more powerful, but they can be taken out in the same way.
Striders: A strider is a machine that travels in herds and can be tamed by Aloy to use as transportation or to bait larger machines. Shoot the blaze canister on their back with an explosive or fire arrow to create an explosion that affects it and nearby machines.
Grazers: Grazers are herd animals that carry canisters on their back. They are easily spooked and will run away if Aloy approaches them, so cleverly placed tripwires can take out a large group. They can also be attracted using a whistle and dispatched from the bushes, or shoot their canisters to make an explosion.
Chargers: Chargers are other herd animals that will attack Alloy if she is spotted. Aim for their horns or the canisters on their backs to make quick work of them and to take out as many as possible.
Scrappers: Scrappers can travel in packs and have a laser that can make a big drain on Aloy’s health. They will pounce on Aloy, so dodging their attacks is important to stay alive. They also have power cells on their backs that can be taken out to create an explosion.
Broadheads: A broadhead is another machine that can be tamed through stealth, and also has blaze canisters on its back. Similar to chargers, their horns can be knocked off to prevent them from charging at Aloy.
Longleg: Longlegs are bird-like creatures that have a powerful sonic blast and will alert other machines if Aloy is spotted. Using armor-piercing arrows, their antennae can be knocked off and their lung sacs can be pierced, disabling their sonic blast. They also have canisters on their back that serve as a weak point.
Lancehorns: Lancehorns behave similarly to grazers, but they are larger and more powerful. Overriding, stealth killing, or tripping these herd animals is the way to go to collect resources.
Tramplers: Tramplers are other large cattle-like animals that have weak spots on their stomach. They’re difficult to take on all at once, to restrain a few of them or use clever traps to take on a few at a time.
Sawtooths: Sawtooths have a weak point on their stomach that is difficult to reach. Because of this, Aloy will need to trap it or weaken it to reach it. Tripwires can be placed around the area while Aloy stealthily avoids the sawtooth, weakening it when they go off. Using the ropecaster, trap the sawtooth in one place, but be careful as it can break free. While it’s trapped, weaken it with fire or armor-piercing arrows to make a big impact on its health.
Shell-walkers: Shell-walkers carry resources. While they look like overgrown hermit crabs, their “shell” can be popped off by aiming at the claw holding it on to simply collect their resources. They can also be attacked from behind as it moves very slowly compared to other machines.
Stalkers: Stalkers are patrolling machines that can turn invisible and lay down mines, surprising Aloy. Keep an eye out for these mines and look for their slight sheen; they’re not completely undetectable. Fire at them from the bushes or set traps to injure them as they make their rounds.
Ravagers: Ravagers are larger versions of scrappers, so they have similar attacks. They are more deadly though, using stronger weapons to target Aloy. Different elements should be used to target different parts of their body. Ice arrows can be used on its freeze canisters, shock arrows on its power cylinders, fire on its body, and armor on its cannon, which can be picked up and used against it.
Glinthawks: Glinthawks have fearsome ice abilities, but this leaves them vulnerable to fire attacks. When they are damaged enough, they will come in for a crash landing. This makes it easy for Aloy to keep them grounded with her ropecaster and deal damage close-up with her bow or spear.
Stormbirds: Stormbirds are larger versions of glinthawks that are also difficult to ground. It has blaze canisters and a frost cannon on its chest that can be taken out using the appropriate artillery. Taking out the canisters on its wings will ensure that it doesn’t return to the sky when it recovers.
Snapmaws: Snapmaws usually travel in pairs in watery areas. They have heavy armor that must be removed before impactful damage is done. If the sacs under their head are targeted, they may release an icy blast that will render them frozen.
Bellowbacks: Bellowbacks are large creatures that are typically found near other smaller animals. They carry fluids in their large sacs that can be targeted to make explosions. Use arrows opposite to the type of element they carry to destroy them and knock off their canisters.
Rockbreakers: Rockbreakers are massive machines that have fuel sacs on their stomachs. These sacs can be attacked to deal damage.
Behemoths: Behemoths travel in pairs and can be taken out by attacking the cylinders on their bellies. To reach it, use tearblast or armor-piercing arrows to knock off the armor.
Thunderjaws: Thunderjaws can be considered boss machines. They can attack using a variety of different weapons and elements. The upside to this is they have a variety of weak points that can be attacked using different ammunition. Use tearblast arrows to dismantle its armor while traps weaken it.
Corrupters: Corrupters are large, scorpion-like creatures that are vulnerable to fire. It will frantically chase Aloy around the area once she is spotted, so use this opening to set traps and dodge away before it reaches Aloy. It will also throw rocks with its tail, so target it with arrows while hiding behind cover.
Deathbringers: Use armor-piercing arrows to remove a deathbringer’s armor. Take out the glowing canisters using shock and fire arrows. While they might not deal a lot of damage, the deathbringer can be slowly chipped away at until it crumbles.
Corrupted Machines: Corrupted machines are just more powerful and ferocious versions of their tamer counterparts. They have a trail of poison that follows them that is harmful to Aloy. Pin them down and use fire arrows to damage them.