Horizon 3 Wiki: Machines, Weapons, and Exploration Guide

Horizon 3 Machine Catalog: Complete Breakdown Horizon 3 expands the machine roster to 47 types, up from 42 in Horizon 2. The new additions focus on heavy-class units like the **Tremorjaw** (a burrowing siege machine) and the **Scythestrider** (a fast, bipedal scout). Each machine now has a codex entry with weaknesses, resistances, and drop tables. Here’s the distribution:

**Class-1 (Scrappers, Watchers)**: 8 types, mostly early-game fodder.

**Class-2 (Striders, Grazers)**: 10 types, common in the starting zone.

**Class-3 (Sawtooths, Bellowbacks)**: 12 types, mid-game threats.

**Class-4 (Thunderjaws, Stormbirds)**: 10 types, late-game bosses.

**Class-5 (Tremorjaw, Scythestrider, Voidgazer)**: 7 types, exclusive to post-game areas. **Personal opinion**: The Tremorjaw is the most annoying machine to fight because it burrows underground and spawns small rocks that stagger you. Bring a Sharpshot Bow with precision arrows—you’ll need to hit its exposed coolant vents to slow it down. ### Machine Weakness Table | Machine | Weakness | Resistance | Key Drop | |--------------|-------------------|---------------|-------------------------| | Tremorjaw | Fire (3x damage) | Frost | Tremorjaw Spine Plate | | Scythestrider| Shock (4x damage)| Fire | Scythestrider Tail Blade| | Voidgazer | Frost (2.5x) | Shock | Voidgazer Eye Lens |

Weapon Upgrades: What You Need to Know Weapon upgrades are no longer linear. Each weapon (like the **Hunter Bow** or **Blast Sling**) has 5 upgrade levels, but each level requires specific machine parts. For example, upgrading your Hunter Bow to level 3 needs 2 Tremorjaw Spine Plates and 4 Scythestrider Tail Blades. That means you can’t just farm any machine—you need to target specific ones. **Pro tip**: The fastest way to farm Tremorjaw Spine Plates is to fast travel to the Scorched Delta camp (northeast corner of the map) and lure the Tremorjaw out of its burrow using fire arrows. With the right gear, you can kill one in about 3 minutes. I’ve done runs where I farmed 8 plates in an hour. ### Upgrade Material Farming Locations

**Tremorjaw Spine Plate**: Scorched Delta, coordinates (1420, 890).

**Scythestrider Tail Blade**: Windfall Plains, near the ruined tower.

**Voidgazer Eye Lens**: Only drops from Voidgazers in the flooded ruins zone (requires water-breathing gear).

Skill Tree: Best Early-Game Build The skill tree is divided into 8 branches: Hunter, Trapper, Survivor, Warrior, Infiltrator, Forager, Crafter, and Machine Master. Each has 15 skills, for a total of 120 skill points. You earn 1 point per level (up to level 50) and an additional 10 from side quests. **For new players**, I recommend starting with the Hunter branch. The first skill, **Precision Aim**, increases arrow damage by 15% when aiming down sights. That’s a 15% boost for just 1 point—better than any other early skill. Next, grab **Double Shot** (level 3 Hunter) to fire two arrows at once. That alone makes early fights 30% faster. **Avoid** the Machine Master branch until level 30. The skills that let you override machines sound cool, but the machines you can override early on (like Watchers) are weak. Save those points for later when you can override Thunderjaws.

Exploration Guide: Secrets and Rewards Horizon 3’s map is huge—about 45 square kilometers, 20% larger than Horizon 2. But not all areas are worth your time. Here’s what I’ve found after 80 hours of play:

**Ancient Ruins**: There are 12 major ruins. Each contains a unique weapon mod (like the +20% Fire Damage mod in the Red Gorge Ruins). Mark them on your map early.

**Cauldrons**: There are 7 cauldrons (down from 9 in Horizon 2). Completing a cauldron unlocks permanent overrides for that machine type. Cauldron SIGMA (in the desert) gives you the ability to override Tremorjaws—essential for endgame.

**Tallnecks**: 4 Tallnecks, each revealing a chunk of the map. The easiest one is near the starting town (no climbing required—just ride a Strider up a ramp). **Hard mode rewards**: If you play on Hard or higher, you get 20% more shards from kills and 15% higher chance of rare loot from chests. I’ve tested this: on Normal, I averaged 1 rare mod per 5 chests; on Hard, it was 1 per 3. The difficulty spike is real—enemies have 40% more health—but the loot is worth it. **My least favorite area**: The Swamp of Echoes. It’s filled with poison clouds and Scythestriders that swarm you. The loot isn’t special (mostly common crafting parts). Skip it unless you need to complete a side quest.

FAQ **Q: What is the best weapon for farming Tremorjaw Spine Plates?** A: Use a Sharpshot Bow with precision arrows and the “Fire Focus” mod (found in Red Gorge Ruins). Aim for the coolant vents on its back. Each vent destroyed gives a 60% chance to drop a plate. I average 2 plates per kill. **Q: How do I unlock the Voidgazer Eye Lens?** A: You need to defeat the Voidgazer in the flooded ruins zone. First, craft the Water-Breathing Gear from the Crafter branch (requires 5 Sturdy Animal Bones and 3 Metal Shards). Then swim to the central chamber. The Voidgazer is weak to frost, so use Frost Arrows. **Q: Can I reset my skill tree?** A: Yes, but it costs 500 shards at any merchant. You can do it unlimited times, but the price stays the same. I’ve reset three times to test different builds. The Hunter build is still the best for early game.