Horizon Forbidden West: 13 Hardest Machines To Beat (2024)

Any machine, no matter how big or small, can pose a risk to Aloy when she’s hunting or traversing the world. But it goes without saying that some machines are much more difficult to fight than others.

As you progress through the story of Horizon Forbidden West, the machines get larger and tougher to beat. And it’s not only the story that poses the largest risks; you can find large machines like Tremortusks and Slaughterspines in side quests, Cauldrons, and even when you’re on the road. With that being said, let’s identify the hardest machines to fight in the game.

Updated March 29, 2024, by Erin McKendrick: Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is available on PC. Now that the game is accessible to a wider audience, more players will experience all the challenging fun of fighting the game’s machines. Machines of all sizes and classes offer unique challenges, whether you’re fighting a humongous machine best suited for boss battles or encountering a smaller machine in the wild. A fight with any machine can be lethal, even if the animals they resemble aren’t very intimidating. While you’d naturally be more scared of a massive grizzly bear or snake than you would be a toad or a bird, the threats offered by the machine versions aren’t as easy to distinguish. Some of these machines are completely unique to Horizon Forbidden West and Burning Shores, while others return from Zero Dawn and the Frozen Wilds DLC.

13 Shellsnapper

Challenge Level: 27

Resembling a giant snapping turtle, the Shellsnapper is a true force to be reckoned with. The machine is in the Heavyweight class and proves it with its powerful body slams and bite attacks. The Shellsnapper can also be identified by an intense roar that temporarily incapacitates Aloy.

The machine has an aggressive attack style with sweeping arm attacks, burrowing, frost blasters, a high-energy beam, and a ranged ice attack. Despite its clunky appearance, the Shellsnapper is surprisingly agile, meaning that it's just as dangerous standing in front of one as it is standing behind one.

12 Clamberjaw

Challenge Level: 21

They may not look it, but the Clamberjaw is one of Horizon Forbidden West's most frustrating machines to defeat. Though they aren’t technically herd animals, these monkey-adjacent machines tend to travel in packs, making it easy for them to surround and overwhelm you. The machines will attack you with a range of attacks both close and from afar.

You definitely want to put as much room between you and them as possible, as they can still easily damage you with long-distance attacks, like their ranged fireball, tail duster, sonic screech, and scrap throwing. Luckily, the Clamberjaw is weak against purgewater attacks, so at least you can rely on one weakness.

11 Fireclaw

Challenge Level: 42

Introduced in Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds, the Fireclaw returns in Horizon Forbidden West. This bear-like machine is one of the most powerful of the Acquisition class machines, and though you’ll often find it searching for resources, it’s always ready for a fight.

As suggested in its name, the Fireclaw has large claws used for its fiery claw slash and claw lunge attacks. One of the more unique strategies you’ll see with the Fireclaw is how it chooses to defend itself. The machine will take a large rock from the ground, using it as both a shield and a weapon.

10 Tremortusk

Challenge Level: 35

These elephant or mammoth-like machines are extremely intimidating. Not only are they gigantic, but they also have a range of elemental attacks. They will charge, stomp, strike, and blast you with electricity, plasma, rocket fire, and worst of all, fire boulders. Be sure to keep some frost ammo handy.

The machine is in the combat category and the heavyweight class. The only way to override a Tremortusk is by completing the KAPPA cauldron, which is the hardest on the map.

9 Thunderjaw

Challenge Level: 30

The Thunderjaw is one of the most formidable and largest machines you’ll encounter. Stumbling upon one in the wild is terrifying, but at least fighting them is avoidable. However, sometimes, you’ll be forced to fight the intimidating machine.

When up close, you’ll have to dodge charges and tail whips, both of which inflict significant damage. Even at a distance, the Thunderjaw is hard to avoid with its rapid-fire plasma cannons. The same applies to its explosive disc launcher and laser beam.

8 Dreadwing

Challenge Level: 26

You’ll first find this giant bat-like machine while searching for Demeter in a lush, overgrown facility. The heavyweight has a barrage of attacks—one may even say too many.

The Dreadwing’s abilities include pulse stomps, melee flurry, camouflage, bomb barrage, ice mines, flash bang, acid spit, plasma bombs, and noxious gas. Flying machines are already hard to fight, but the Dreadwing’s camouflage ability makes it all the more difficult. The machine’s only real weakness is fire, as it’s strong against frost, shock, and acid.

7 Specter

Challenge Level: 25

The Specter is unique compared to all the other machines in Forbidden West. Its technology and armor plating is different due to its connection with the Far Zenith. Luckily, Specters only show up in main or side missions, so you won’t have to worry about stumbling upon one in the open world.

The machine is always combat-ready with unique attacks and abilities. They can also regenerate any armor you’ve managed to dislodge, so your hard work can quickly come undone if you give it the chance to recuperate.

6 Slaughterspine

Challenge Level: 45

To say the Slaughterspine is strong when attacked with plasma is an understatement. This giant dinosaur can shoot plasma beams, orbs, plumes, homing blasts—you name it. The Slaughterspine is somewhat common in the open world—you can find them aimlessly walking in circles in large open areas.

The Slaughterspine’s main weakness is purgewater, so you’ll want to craft plenty of traps before approaching. But, regardless of your approach, the Slaughterspine averages at level 45, making it a true force to be reckoned with, no matter where you encounter it.

5 Slitherfang

Challenge Level: 28

The Slitherfang is one of the first big machines you’ll be forced to fight while playing the main quest. This gigantic cobra-like machine is just as venomous as its animal counterpart. The Slitherfang moves quickly, making its slender frame a hard target to hit.

But its shape and speed aren’t the only things that make it so difficult to hit. The Slitherfang can burrow underground, quickly disappearing from your sight, then shoot up out of the ground below you.

4 Bilegut

Challenge Level: 42

You probably didn’t anticipate that a machine resembling a frog would be so powerful, but the Burning Shores DLC will show you how tough they can be. The Bilegut is a large frog or toad-like machine that uses elemental acid attacks. Aside from the damage inflicted by acid, the Bilegut has strong hind legs that launch the machine around the battlefield.

You’ll need to put some distance between yourself and the machine, but even when you’re far away, the Bilegut can jump toward you, inflicting a massive amount of damage.

3 Stormbird

Challenge Level: 30

Typically found in high-altitude areas like snowy mountain tops, the Stormbird is a large and daunting machine. The flying machine is fast and persistent—once it spots you, it aggressively pursues you with heavy-hitting attacks. You can think of the Stormbird as the Sunwing's much larger and more aggressive cousin—you're definitely not mounting this bird.

You may struggle to shoot it out of the air while being blasted with fire, shock, and frost damage. It’s often difficult to manage to hit a Stormbird once it's airborne. But it would still be a tough battle even if it couldn't fly.

2 Tideripper

Challenge Level: 26

Your quest for Poseidon will bring you directly into the domain of a giant sea monster. The Tideripper is massive and impossible to fight while in the water. You'll need to completely avoid it before draining the room. Once the area is drained of water, you'll be able to fight the machine, but it certainly won’t be an easy battle.

Some of the Tideripper’s most forceful attacks are water-based, like water blasts and spins. And if that wasn’t hard enough to handle, the Tideripper might use its antenna to call in unwanted visitors.

1 Rockbreaker

Challenge Level: 25

Encountering a Rockbreaker won’t be a quick battle—you have to be strategic and take your time with the large, lizard-like machine. When it's burrowing underground, you have no idea when or where it’ll pop up out of the ground to attack.

When the Rockbreaker is above ground, you’ll be met with a barrage of large rocks, which cause significant damage and are hard to dodge. The machine is also strong against fire, so be prepared to fight with frost and shock ammo.