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Rockbreakers inHorizon Zero Dawnare huge mole-type machines that can burrow into the ground and emerge at the player’s location, inflicting great damage. Despite their size, Rockbreakers can move quite fast in the open, making them one of the most dangerous machines to go up against.
They can also target Aloy from a distance by shooting rocks at her. So, if you ever stumble upon the Rockbreaker site and need to take it down, here are some helpful tips that can make the process easier.
How to Beat a Rockbreaker in Horizon Zero Dawn
Players will encounter their first Rockbreaker inHorizon Zero Dawnduring thesidequest “Blood on Stone"and, after that, byfast-traveling to the only Rockbreaker site(at the west end of the map). During the quest, players encounter a single Rockbreaker, but visiting the site will spawn 2 Rockbreakers, and players will have to deal with them simultaneously.
It’s recommended that playersoverride the Tallneck: Rustwashto reveal the exact location of the Rockbreaker site.
The following guide will focus on the Rockbreaker duo on the site, but the same strategy can be applied to the single Rockbreaker encounter during the “Blood on Stone” side-quest.
Best Weapons to Use Against Rockbreakers
Rockbreakers are agile machines, and they can burrow into the ground and jump around the battlefield before they finally stay on the ground to attack Aloy. To keep the Rockbreaker on the ground for longer and damage it quicker, the best weapons for the job arethe Carja Sling and the Lodge Ropecaster.
Once the Rockbreaker is pinned to the ground and under the freeze status effect, the Shadow Sharpshot Bow will let you deal a great amount of damage to its weak points with Precision Arrows.
Using Focus to Identify Rockbreaker Weak Points
First things first, you’ll have to identify a Rockbreaker’s weak spots by using Aloy’s Focus. This will highlight all the weak spots in gold, giving players an idea of where the machine is vulnerable and can receive the maximum amount of damage.
This will highlight the Rockbreaker’s claws, fuel tank, and rear areas, but the only thing you’ll be focusing on is its exhaust port on the sides. Here are the best weak spots to focus damage on the Rockbreaker:
Using Ropecaster on Rockbreakers
Once you enter the Rockbreaker site, the fight will start right away, with the machines quickly burrowing into the ground and honing in on Aloy. Here’s what you have to do here:
This will keep the Rockbreakers from burrowing into the ground again, granting players ample time to damage them.
Inflicting the Freeze Status Effect on Rockbreakers
Rockbreakers are particularly weak against the Freeze element. So, after pinning them to the ground, launch Freeze Bombs at them to inflict the Freeze status effect. After the freeze status effect takes hold, damage the exhaust ports on the sides with precision arrows to inflict high damage.
Due to Rockbreaker’s annoying ability to burrow into the ground, It’s recommended to notch 3 Precision Arrows withthe Triple Shot skilland shoot them at once at the exhaust ports to take one down quickly.
After one Rockbreaker goes down, focus all your attention on the other one and repeat the process with it. If the Rockbreaker gets free of the Ropecaster wires, attempt to quickly pin it back again before it burrows underground.
This will allow you to beat the Rockbreakers without you needing to focus on any other weak spots.
Rewards for Beating a Rockbreaker in Horizon Zero Dawn
Players will receive epic weapon mods, Rockbreaker-specific parts, and other essential resources after taking down a Rockbreaker inHorizon Zero Dawn. The rewards salvaged from beating a Rockbreaker are randomized based on the player’s RNG, but there are some general loot items that you can acquire by taking the machine down:
