The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn only launched a while agoย and introduced a whole host of new mechanical creatures, some more menacing than others. A recurring foe in Horizon Forbidden West and one of the game’s early story bosses is a Grimhorn; this guide will detail how best to defeat the robotic triceratops.
(Updated on August 8, 2024 – Fact-checked, updated links and formatting).
How to Defeat a Grimhorn in Horizon Forbidden West
One of the early main story quests in the game is Dying Lands, and Aloy must complete it by overcoming a battle against a Grimhorn. The quest has players journey through a dark facility in search of a Cauldron, of which there are a total of six throughout the game. Each can help Aloy control more machines, allowing her to mount them or call on them to aid in combat. The Dying Lands quest will present the first Cauldron to gamers. During the quest, Aloy must overload the network uplink in four different locations. After the final uplink, a battle with a temperamental Grimhorn will begin. Smaller machines will go after Aloy, along with the Grimhorn. It is best to clear these before going after the big boss.
Each mechanical creature in Horizon Forbidden West features differing strengths and weaknesses that gamers can exploit to defeat more easily, and a Grimhorn is no different. Grimhorns deal powerful ranged attacks with fire damage, which are crucial for Aloy to dodge and can be fought with two things: Purgewater and Acid-based damage. Grimhorns are weak to both of these. When a Grimhorn has taken enough damage from an acid attack, it will begin to corrode. The metal on its body will start melting off, exposing further weaknesses. When the battle starts, players should run to a nearby pillar and use the Grapple Point to get on top. Then, shoot acid arrows at the Grimhorn.
A Grimhorn is also equipped with a Cluster Launcher, which players can attack and get to fall off. This can be done using Tear Damage arrows, and once it has detached, Aloy can grab it and shoot at the Grimhorn, causing further damage to it. Continuing like this should bring down the mechanical triceratops. Once it is down, Aloy will be able to hack into a new group of machines. Finding the rest of the game’s Cauldrons will only increase the number of usable machines as well.
