Horizon Zero Dawn: All Status Effects Explained

While the gameplay of Horizon Zero Dawn may not be as complex or in-depth as its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, it certainly can’t be accused of being overly simplistic. The game features numerous mechanics that players are expected to exploit to reduce powerful machines to mere piles of shards.

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One such mechanic is the use of status effects in Horizon Zero Dawn. These effects come in various forms, each impacting both enemies and Aloy in different ways. Understanding what these status effects mean and how they function is essential to surviving Horizon Zero Dawn‘s beautiful yet treacherous world. The guide below will address any questions you might have about status effects.

All Elemental Status Effects In Horizon Zero Dawn

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There are four main elemental statuses to keep in mind when playing Horizon Zero Dawn: Fire, Freeze, Shock, and Corruption. Each of these plays a significant role in combat and can be the key to overcoming even the toughest machines. You won’t have much fun in Horizon if you don’t utilize these statuses. How these elements function is explained in greater detail below.

Fire Status Effect In Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered fire status

The Fire status effect functions exactly as expected — it sets machines on fire and deals damage over time. The Fire stat determines how quickly the status effect builds up, but it does not influence the initial impact damage. The damage dealt over time is influenced by a combination of the weapon’s impact damage and its fire stat.

Fire is also the most effective elemental damage type to use against human enemies, as it rapidly depletes their health. This is especially true when using the Forgefire weapon, which excels at incinerating human opponents with devastating efficiency.

Best Weapons For Fire Status Effect

  1. The Banuk Champion Bow is one of the best weapons for applying the Fire status effect, especially when overdrawn and nocked with three arrows, maximizing the Fire damage output.
  2. While the Sling can also apply the Fire effect, it’s not the most efficient tool for the job. Instead, the Forgefire is a much better alternative, dealing consistent Fire damage over time.
  3. Both the Fire Trap and Tripcaster can be used to apply the Fire status effect through traps, though they’re rarely used in active combat. These tools can be useful in certain stealth scenarios but are not typically a go-to during direct confrontations.

For easier application of the Fire status effect, it’s a smart idea to customize a bow with both Fire and Damage Mods, ensuring you can consistently inflict damage with fire in combat.

Freeze Status Effect In Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered freeze status

The Freeze status effect applies a brittle state to machines, significantly slowing their movement and attack speed. But that’s not all — it also completely negates their armor protection and applies a damage multiplier. This means you can deal substantial damage in a short amount of time, without needing to carefully aim at weak points.

Freeze is particularly effective against larger machines. The reduced mobility and armor make it easier to go through their massive health bars, especially when using high-impact damage weapons. This makes Freeze the go-to status effect for quickly taking down tough, armored enemies.

Best Weapons For Freeze Status Effect

  1. The Banuk Striker Bow is the best weapon for applying the Freeze status effect, especially when overdrawn and nocked with three arrows.
  2. The Rattler can also be used to apply Freeze, but many players prefer the Sling due to its ability to leave residual puddles of ice on the ground, providing lasting area control and additional opportunities for freezing enemies.
  3. The Icethrower ammo from the Ice Rail is another efficient way to apply Freeze, though its ammo cost is significantly higher, making it less sustainable in prolonged battles.

Shock Status Effect In Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered shock status

The Shock status effect is perhaps the least useful, as it doesn’t contribute much to damage output. However, it can certainly come in handy! When applied, the Shock status can immobilize machines, allowing you to easily target and remove components or focus on other enemies — though, this can also be achieved with a Ropecaster.

The best way to apply the Shock effect isn’t through traditional means, but by causing a Shock explosion. This can be done by shooting a Shock arrow at a Shock canister. Doing so can incapacitate multiple enemies at once, making it a highly effective strategy for crowd control or weakening several foes in one move.

Best Weapons For Shock Status Effect

  1. The Banuk Striker Bow is the best weapon for applying the Shock status effect, especially when overdrawn and nocked with three arrows or aimed at a shock canister. This setup allows you to consistently trigger the Shock effect on enemies with high precision.
  2. The Sling is the weakest option for applying the Shock status effect. Instead, the Rattler is a better choice, as its rapid-fire arrows have a higher chance of hitting a Shock canister, making it more reliable for applying the effect.
  3. For traps, both the Shock Traps and Tripcaster are excellent tools to incapacitate machines by placing them in the path of machines.
  4. While the Stormslinger is not the best weapon for applying the Shock status, it does have one of the highest damage outputs, capable of taking down larger machines quickly. However, it’s a tricky weapon to use efficiently, requiring precise timing as overloading it can damage and even kill Aloy.

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Corruption Status Effect In Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered corruption status

The Corruption status effect is often overlooked, but it can completely change the tide of battle. When applied, it causes machines to become hostile toward all targets, meaning they will attack any other machine they encounter on sight. This is especially effective against larger machines, as they can quickly clear out swarms of smaller or even mid-sized enemies.

However, Corrupted Machines will still attack Aloy if she gets too close, so it’s best to apply the Corruption effect from a distance. Once triggered it, sit back and watch as the machines do the dirty work for you. This way, you can thin out enemy numbers without having to directly engage.

Best Weapons For Corruption Status Effect

  1. There is only one way to apply the Corruption status effect, and that is through a Bow. The Banuk Striker Bow is the best choice for applying the Corruption status, especially when overdrawn and nocked with three arrows.
  2. If you prefer using the War Bow for Corruption, it’s a smart idea to have one specifically coiled for this status effect. If you don’t want to use the Banuk variant, the Lodge War Bow is a solid alternative.

Fire and Freeze are the most commonly used elemental status effects out of the four, making them the top priorities for improvement in both weapons and outfits.

How To Apply Status Effects In Horizon Zero Dawn

horizon zero dawn applying status effect

All elemental status effects in Horizon Zero Dawn are applied in the same manner. To trigger an effect, you must damage the enemy using the corresponding elemental ammo type. Continue attacking until the elemental circle above the enemy is completely filled. Once the effect is applied, a countdown circle will appear, indicating how long the status effect will remain active.

It’s important to note that dealing additional elemental damage during the countdown period is useless, as it won’t extend the duration of the effect. To conserve your resources, avoid wasting ammo and focus on other strategies while a status effect is active.

The amount of elemental damage required to trigger a status effect on a machine depends on the following factors:

  1. Machine’s Size
  2. Machine’s Elemental resistance
  3. Aloy’s Weapon Stats

Keep in mind that only one type of elemental status effect can be active on a machine at a time. For instance, a machine cannot simultaneously have both Fire and Freeze effects applied. If you switch to a different element, it will override the existing status effect.

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Other Status Effects In Horizon Zero Dawn

The four elemental statuses mentioned earlier — Fire, Freeze, Shock, and Corruption — are the primary elemental effects in Horizon Zero Dawn. However, there are additional status effects that can be applied using specific weapons. Below are their names and explanations of how they work.

Tied Down Status Effect

horizon zero dawn tied down effect

The Tied Down effect can be applied by using the Ropecaster. Similar to elemental status effects, you must fire ropes at the machine until the status circle above it is fully filled. Once completed, a circular timer will appear, indicating how long the machine will remain restrained.

The duration of the Tied Down effect depends on the machine’s size. However, inflicting any kind of damage on a tied-down machine will significantly reduce the timer, so plan your attacks wisely.

Knockdown Status Effect

horizon zero dawn knocked down effect

The Knockdown status effect does exactly what its name suggests — it forces machines into a knockdown state, leaving them vulnerable to a critical strike for massive damage. While the machine is down, you can also deal any other type of damage with ease — or override them if you have the ability unlocked.

The most effective way to trigger a knockdown state is by targeting a machine’s legs with a bow or performing a heavy strike with your lance. While these methods don’t guarantee a knockdown, they significantly increase the chances of successfully applying this status effect.

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