Horizon Forbidden West’s California coast is teeming with brand-new deadly machines bred to kill. However, none are more lethal than the Slaughterspine, Guerilla Games’ answer to ‘What could be worse than a Fireclaw?’
Upgrading gear is key to Aloy’s survival when facing the increasingly dangerous machines in Horizon Forbidden West. One core component for improving her Legendary weapons and armor is an Apex Slaughterspine Heart, a guaranteed drop only obtained from Apex variants of the hunter-killer.
Apex machines have higher health and greater damage capabilities when compared to their ordinary counterparts, and they can be spotted by their black armor, instead of white, as well as their purple glow. They have different resistances and weaknesses, making them harder to damage, and they’re furiously aggressive. Getting Apex machines to spawn can be tricky, however, as the game relies on a fair amount of RNG to determine machine and loot chance. This guide will help players track and take down the elusive Apex Slaughterspine to harvest their Hearts for upgrades.
Where (and When) to Find Apex Slaughterspines
Before players attempt to take on a level 64 machine, they should first ensure they are as close to the level cap as possible to give Aloy a fighting chance. Then, players will want to find a Slaughterspine site; there are currently three on the map, though the easternmost machine in the mountains is surrounded by a herd of Leaplashers, so for ease of difficulty, this guide will only cover two; one on the Isle of Spires (accessed during the main quest ‘Faro’s Tomb’) and the other on a mainland peninsula close by.
Decide which one to hunt at and travel to a nearby shelter, marked on the map by a flame with lines above it. Here, pass the time until night, when Apex spawns are more likely, and head to the Slaughterspine site. The site on the Isle of Spires is a shorter distance from the nearby campfire, so players may prefer it for the convenience of fast travel.
If the spawned machine isn’t an Apex variant, players will have to defeat the normal machine before an Apex variant can spawn in its place. Machines respawn as soon as the player has left the area, so simply fast travel away and back again after killing a Slaughterspine to face it again.
It may take a few attempts, but after sticking to one site, only hunting at night, and killing a few white machines, Apex Slaughterspines will begin to regularly spawn there, making it perfect for farming their Hearts. This trick can be replicated for any Apex machine, regardless of how difficult a machine it is, so players will never have to worry about getting Apex Hearts again.
Horizon Forbidden West is available for PS4 and PS5.
