Horizon Forbidden West, the latest game from Guerrilla Games, picks up where Horizon Zero Dawn left off as Aloy strives to save the planet from another world-ending cataclysm. On her journey, Aloy will reunite with old friends, forge new alliances, and take on even deadlier and more ferocious machines than any she's faced before.
Common machines, like the Charger and Burrower, are plentiful in the Forbidden West, and their parts can help Aloy gear up for harder challenges ahead. But if players want to buy and upgrade the most powerful gear in the game, they'll need to hunt down Horizon Forbidden West's rarest enemies.
9 Tideripper
The Tideripper is a machine Aloy can encounter as she pushes further into the Western areas of the Forbidden West. This Loch Ness Monster-inspired beast is one of the largest in the game, and can only be found at a handful of water-adjacent sites scattered through the world.
When fighting the Tideripper, it's best to take out the Tidal Disc on its back first; the jets of Purgewater it shoots out make it almost impossible to fight the Tideripper up close. Knocking off its bladed tail also weakens some of the Tideripper's physical attacks, and the blade can also be collected to upgrade Aloy's equipment.
8 Tremortusk
The Tremortusk is one of the marquis machines of Horizon Forbidden West, featuring in several of the game's promotional trailers. It's also one of the rarest machines in the Forbidden West, which isn't all that surprising given its size and formidable array of weaponry.
The Tremortusk essentially functions as a boss, and as such there are only a few locations where players can find one around the map. Their shock cannons and forward Plasma cannons can tear through Aloy with ease, but they can also be detached to give Aloy additional firepower. Detaching the tusks also lowers the machine's physical attack power, while providing a rare upgrade material in the process.
7 Slitherfang
The Slitherfang is a deadly beast that will keep even the most skilled players on their toes. While this machine does pop up early in the game as a humbling skill check, then again later as a full boss battle, finding one out in the wilds is a bit more challenging.
There are only a few locations where players can voluntarily go up against a Slitherfang, not to mention its more dangerous Apex variant. Taking the mechanical snake down is even more difficult, as the Slitherfang has access to variety of elemental attacks and moves incredibly quickly. Pinning it down with elemental damage or a Ropecaster is the easiest way to defeat this rare machine.
6 Slaughterspine
The Slaughterspine is one of the highest level machines Aloy can face in Horizon Forbidden West, and as such, it can only be found in the westernmost reaches of the Forbidden West. There are only a handful of sites where the Slaughterspine can be found, and it tends to run alone within its territory.
A frighteningly powerful machine, the Slaughterspine is a Spinosaurus-inspired machine that makes use of debilitating Plasma attacks to heavily damage Aloy after a brief delay. Chillwater canisters on its tail can be exploited for massive frost damage, making it easier to tear off the Slaughterspine's weapons and components.
5 Shellsnappper
The Shellsnapper is a terrifying fortress of a machine that is mercifully rare when traversing the Forbidden West. As one of the game's heavyweight machines, many of the Shellsnapper's parts can be used when upgrading Aloy's weapons and armor, making it a high-value, but challenging, target.
The Shellsnapper's shell is an impenetrable mass of metal that absorbs any inflicted damage and funnels it into the beast's next attack. Additionally, a rotating ring of turrets will fire homing missiles at any enemy who ventures too close to the Shellsnapper's fortified frame. Detaching these turrets and the bolts holding the shell in place is the most reliable way to bring a Shellsnapper to its knees.
4 Rockbreaker
The Rockbreaker is one of Horizon Forbidden West's rarest machines. It can only be found in two locations, both of which are in the ruins of the old city of Las Vegas. While players may stumble onto a Rockbreaker relatively early on in their journey, they'll struggle to find one anywhere else in the game.
The Rockbreaker itself is a challenging foe, with special claws designed to burrow through the sand and attack from beneath its enemy's feet. Its Mining Claws can be detached, though, removing this ability and stranding the machine on land, where it can be dispatched with ease. Make sure to pick up the claws afterward, as they're a valuable upgrade resource.
3 Stalker
The Stalker is an incredibly versatile machine that can be challenging to find, even when visiting one of the few dedicated machine sites it has. With its advanced cloaking abilities, the Stalker can blend in with its surroundings almost seamlessly.
Taking off the machine's Stealth Generator prevents the Stalker from activating its cloaking technology, making it a much easier target to dismantle. Shredding off the Mine Launchers and Dart Gun also provide Aloy with the opportunity to turn the Stalker's weapons against it.
2 Dreadwing
Of all the aerial machines introduced in Horizon Forbidden West, the Dreadwing is the rarest and most challenging of the bunch. It makes an appearance as a boss during one of the game's story missions, and can be found at a single machine site just south of Shadow's Reach.
The Dreadwing is a powerful opponent that can shoot lobs of acid, slip into stealth, summon reinforcements, and even disable Aloy's ability to heal herself for a short time. Tearing off the Dreadwing's fangs will weaken it, though, and provide critical resources for upgrading some of the game's most powerful weapons.
1 Stormbird
The Stormbird is a returning classic from Horizon Zero Dawn, and is no less rare or challenging in Horizon Forbidden West than it was in the first game. Aloy encounters one during a phase of the side quest The Second Verse, and she can find another on the western edge of Landfall, beyond the ruins of San Francisco.
The Stormbird, true to its name, wields lightning abilities to damage and shock Aloy whenever possible. Destroying the Storm Cannon on its chest disables these attacks and provides a rare upgrade resource when looted. The Wing Thrusters attacked to the Stormbird's wings can also be destroyed to stop the machine from using its powerful diving melee attack.