The journeys of Aloy in the Horizon series are filled with perils, as she struggles to learn the truth about her origins, fight against dangerous rogue machines, and reunite GAIA with her sub-functions in Forbidden West. Several obstacles stand in her way as she tries to locate these sub-functions to heal Earth's damaged biosphere, and there's a wide variety of weapons for players to choose from to ensure Aloy's mission is successful. Horizon Forbidden West's legendary weapons are at the top of the food chain as the game's very best equipment for Aloy to carry out her objectives, but even these ultimate weapons are not all in the same stratosphere of efficiency.
Aloy herself is a formidable foe for Horizon Forbidden West's villains, a truly skilled warrior well-versed in the arts of unarmed combat. The nine ranks of weapons in-game offer her assistance, with the legendary weapons being the title's elite options to enhance Aloy's damage-dealing abilities. Among these legendary weapons, a few stand out of the crowd in terms of raw power and are players' first options to face off against Specter Prime, while others are viewed slightly less favorably. Including Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC, there are 26 legendary weapons for players to find, and the differences in ability separate them into tiers.
S Tier
Tears of the Land-God: Regarded by many as the best Hunter bow in Horizon Forbidden West, Tears of the Land-God deals remarkable damage particularly when kitted with purgewater ammunition. With excellent perks such as 20% concentration damage, the bow breaks down Aloy's foes in Forbidden West much quicker than any other and is the ultimate addition to a loadout.
Death Seeker's Shadow: Another Hunter bow, the Death Seeker's Shadow used to be Forbidden West's premier weapon before the New Game+ update. It beats out Tears of the Land-God in terms of its shock damage capacity, and its ability to target arrows makes it a clear fan favorite.
Defiance: Choosing between Defiance and Last Argument can be difficult, as both spike throwers in Horizon Forbidden West are clearly at the top of their category. In terms of general use, however, Defiance has the edge over its Burning Shores DLC counterpart, boasting additional knockdown damage using a variety of Spikes.
A Tier
Last Argument: Some gamers might prefer the Oseram weapon to Defiance since the gap between the two spike throwers is almost infinitesimal. Last Argument uses Plasma and Beef Spikes which make it more impactful against Forbidden West's best bosses, and with its Instant Brittle Chance activated, it can wreak havoc on the battlefield.
Wings of the Ten: Blastslings are one of the most destructive weapon types in Horizon Forbidden West, and the Wings of the Ten's applications in combat are dazzling, to say the least. Armed with explosive and adhesive ammo, the Wings of the Ten are remarkably versatile when combined with valor surges.
Skykiller: Another spike thrower, the weapon is only available after completing Forbidden West's The Way Home mission. Skykiller tears machines to shreds with explosive and fire damage, and despite its expensive ammo, many gamers prefer to use it on larger enemies.
Forgefall: Used primarily as a sniper, Forgefall does incredible damage with its plasma arrows, and even regular ones can be lethal. It has a few drawbacks such as limited ammunition and the cost of plasma arrows, but its immense power makes it a worthy trade-off.
Iriv's Downfall: Coming to Horizon Forbidden West in the New Game+ Update, the Sharpshot Bow is one of the best weapons in the title when fully upgraded. However, crafting its ammunition is ridiculously expensive and practically impossible to sustain.
B Tier
Legacy's Reach: Versatility is Legacy's Reach's best ability, with the blastsling boasting advanced explosive bombs capable of taking down Horizon Forbidden West's more difficult machinery and smaller groups at a decent range.
Gravesinger's Lament: Sharpshot bows are perfect for players who prefer to hide in the shadows, and Gravesinger's Lament takes out enemies with shocking efficiency as a sniping tool. Unfortunately, its high degree of specialization doesn't allow it to measure up to other bows in other scenarios.
The Blast Forge: Boltblasters are great for exploiting vulnerabilities in opponents' armor, and the Blast Forge combines nifty handling skills with advanced, explosive, and piercing bolts. The arch-enemy of machines like the Grimhorn, the Blast Forge only has limitations of low speed and chunky size.
Specter Gauntlet: A standout weapon aesthetically, the Specter Gauntlet's sleek design differs from others in the game due to its Far Zenith origins. The Special weapon's high damage power and unique aim techniques make it a fan favorite, although it is largely limited by its lack of progression.
Emperor's Reign: Yet another Hunter Bow, Emperor's Reign has a devastating damage return with regular ammunition, a tantalizing prospect for players who aren't inclined to grind for rare items. However, its attraction is also its biggest weakness, and Emperor's Reign doesn't have as many Elemental options as its counterparts.
Skyhammer: Equipped with ammunition of fire, ice, and purgewater, the Skyhammer's full potential is activated when players use its bombs in tandem with its perks. For instance, Forbidden West players can deal near-fatal damage to Waterwings with the Burning Shores DLC addition using its aerial damage and firebombs.
The Sun Scourge: Available after the successful elimination of all rebel camps, the legendary Hunter Bow can shoot arrows of fire, ice, and poison, dealing destruction to Aloy's enemies. However, it has a slower reload speed than most players would like and is a chore to upgrade.
Eye of The Storm: Stocked with an impressive kit of Elemental options, the Eye of the Storm boosts concentration damage as well as giving a chance of instant Corrosion. The Warrior Bow's abilities can deal solid damage even in close quarters, and the Burning Shores addition is one of the better options in its category.
C Tier
Ancestor's Return: Shredder Gauntlets aren't generally attractive weapons in Horizon Forbidden West due to their demanding usage, and while the Ancestor's Return can prove its worth with a wild display of acid effects and impact damage, the particularly erratic ammo repositioning makes it one of the more clunky items in the title.
Tinker's Pride: Traps are a fun way of springing fatal surprises on Aloy's enemies in Forbidden West, and Tinker's Pride is equipped with a deep bag of tricks like explosive wires to stagger even the most fearsome machines. Using the Tripcaster requires a bit of finesse, as its somewhat random strike pattern can cause problems for players, but the damage it does with little effort is hard to overlook.
Carja's Bane: Carja's Bane is one of the easier bows to use in Horizon Forbidden West, and it is surprisingly effective, boasting one of the highest DPS in the game and capable of clearing enemies in close quarters. Its limited range and lack of versatility compared to other legendary weapons hurt it, and the strenuous process of completing every Gauntlet Race to get the weapon is often a turn-off for players.
The Final Chapter: A newly introduced weapon in the New Game+ update, The Final Chapter does its best work when combined with Ancestor's Return, adding piercing ammunition. On its merit, however, the Shredder Gauntlet doesn't stand out compared to similar weapons.
All-Mother's Blessing: Another New Game+ addition, All-Mother's Blessing uses elemental attacks to spring surprises on its victims, giving players options of tripwires of fire, shock, and plasma. Although the weapon still proves itself useful here and there, many Forbidden West players don't give it much of a run.
Rain of Sparks: Warrior Bows in Horizon Forbidden West are always appreciated, and Rain of Sparks offers excellent knockdown damage and critical hits with its adhesive arrows. While noting its strengths, Rain of Sparks isn't particularly popular due to its generally unimpressive perks.
Eternal Vengeance: Boltblasters are useful for their brute force, and the Eternal Vengeance offers players enhanced reloading speed and an explosion chance to improve their damage output. Unfortunately, Eternal Vengeance pales in comparison to class members like The Blast Forge.
The Tie That Binds: The Ropecaster has quick reloading speeds and can take multiple enemies by surprise with its damage. However, the Burning Shores DLC and the base game have too many higher-quality weapons, so The Tie That Binds is often neglected in Forbidden West's gameplay.
Distant Thunder: Shredder Gauntlets are notoriously difficult to navigate, and the boon of impact damage doesn't shine in Distant Thunder due to its lack of elemental ammunition choices. While its raw damage output can still incapacitate enemies, the Distant Thunder doesn't possess the kind of bite players need for skilled opposition.
Brawlbreaker: The boltblaster that got the shortest end of the stick, Brawlbreaker is one of Horizon Forbidden West's least appreciated weapons. Having less powerful features than many in its class and characterized by painfully long reloading times have made the weapon frustrating to use, and the only workaround players have found is to use mods along with the Brawlbreaker.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.
