Table of contents

After visiting the Hunting Grounds in the Daunt, Horizon Forbidden West players will eventually find themselves at the Hunting Grounds in Plainsong. When they first arrive, damage to the exterior walls of the grounds will prevent Aloy from taking on its trials, though defeating the encroaching machines for the groundskeeper should solve this problem. If it doesn't, fast traveling back into the area and killing the machines again hopefully will.

RELATED: Horizon Forbidden West - Vista Point: Plainsong Walkthrough

Unlike other hunting grounds, which tend to focus on using different weapon types, the Plainsong Hunting Grounds are all about stealth. This will likely come as bad news for some players, but the trials are actually fairly easy. This guide will not only help Horizon Forbidden West players to overcome all three trials, but also provide them with information about the rewards that are on offer.

Silent Looting Trial

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Stripes

Time Required

Rewards

Quarter Stripes

10:00

  • Hunting Medal (x4)
  • Metal Shards (x40)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Half Stripes

04:30

  • Hunting Medal (x5)
  • Metal Shards (x50)
  • Metalbite (x10)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Full Stripes

03:30

  • Hunting Medal (x6)
  • Metal Shards (x60)
  • Metalbite (x10)
  • Leaplasher Circulator (x1)
  • Medium Machine Core (x1)

The Silent Looting trial is every bit as tedious as its name might suggest. Players will need to stealthily make their way across the entirety of the hunting grounds and loot three supply caches without alerting or damaging any of the machines. This means using either the tall poles or the long grass to get around undetected. Being able to highlight the Tracker Burrowers' patrol paths can be useful too, though players shouldn't really need to do this to earn Full Stripes.

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As is often the case, having the high ground gives players a huge advantage as it allows them to get a near birds-eye view of the area. There are plenty of raised platforms with which players can achieve this, though the poles are arguably better as Aloy can grapple straight up to them using the Pullcaster and is able to move from pole to pole with relative ease. The machines can still see her up there, but, providing players don't stay in one spot for too long, this shouldn't be an issue.

Silent Strike Trial

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Stripes

Time Required

Rewards

Quarter Stripes

10:00

  • Hunting Medal (x4)
  • Metal Shards (x40)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Half Stripes

02:30

  • Hunting Medal (x5)
  • Metal Shards (x50)
  • Chillwater (x10)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Full Stripes

01:30

  • Hunting Medal (x6)
  • Metal Shards (x60)
  • Chillwater (x10)
  • Fanghorn Antler (x1)
  • Medium Machine Core (x1)

To complete the Silent Strike Trial, players will need to take down all three enemies without alerting any of them. This can be done by sneaking up behind them while crouching and then pressing the R1 button or by striking them from above either while gliding or dropping from a raised area of the hunting grounds. Though perhaps not the intended way of doing things, the latter is actually quite a bit easier.

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Players should begin the trial by jumping from the pole between the two ropes and performing a Strike From Above on the Tracker Burrower to the right by gliding and then pressing R1 while directly above it. They should then grapple onto one of the nearby poles to get an idea of where exactly the other two enemies are. Using these poles is a great way to get around undetected and makes this trial a fairly simple one. It's also worth noting that it's still possible to perform a Silent Strike or a Strike From Above on an alerted enemy if players are fast enough.

Silent Gliding Trial

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Stripes

Time Required

Rewards

Quarter Stripes

10:00

  • Hunting Medal (x4)
  • Metal Shards (x40)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Half Stripes

02:00

  • Hunting Medal (x5)
  • Metal Shards (x50)
  • Blaze (x10)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Full Stripes

01:00

  • Hunting Medal (x6)
  • Metal Shards (x60)
  • Blaze (x10)
  • Fanghorn Circulator (x1)
  • Medium Machine Core (x1)

Players aren't really given much time to earn Full Stripes in the Silent Gliding Trial, but that's okay, as it can easily be completed in around 25 seconds. To do so, players should begin by grappling onto the pole between the two ropes and then hitting the Circle button before Aloy reaches the top. This will cause her to launch herself into the air, after which, players can press the Square button to start gliding.

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There's a Tracker Burrower to the right of the starting area, which players should make their way towards. Once they're directly above it, they'll be able to perform a Strike From Above by pressing R1. From here, players should double back to the left and head up the slope to a raised area. They'll then want to cancel out of another pole grapple to get some more height and then perform a second Strike From Above on the nearby Tracker Burrower to finish the trial.

Completion Rewards

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Level

Rewards

Grand Quarter Stripes

  • Hunting Medal (x8)
  • Skill Points (x2)
  • Metal Shards (x150)
  • Small Machine Core (x1)

Grand Half Stripes

  • Hunting Medal (x10)
  • Metal Shards (x300)
  • Blastpaste (x10)
  • Weave - Melee Defense +7% (x1)
  • Small Machine Core (x2)

Grand Full Stripes

  • Hunting Medal (x12)
  • Metal Shards (x450)
  • Leaplasher Primary Nerve (x1)
  • Fanghorn Primary Nerve (x1)
  • Coil - Knockdown Power +7% (x1)
  • Medium Machine Core (x2)

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.

MORE: Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Guide & Walkthrough