5 Best Weapons in Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West is swarming with legendary bows, spears, and outfits, which you will need to acquire in order to tackle some of the bigger foes and quests that can be found post-credits. To get your hands on just about anything in the fictionalized version of the western frontier, you will need to onboard a slew of optional challenges, which includes beating Hunting Grounds, Relic Ruins, and Black Box locations.

Let's assume that you've already mopped up the main story, in which case you'll already be in the right place to collect the best weapons the game has to offer. But let's go ahead and break it down, piece by piece. Here are the five best weapons you can currently obtain for Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West.

5. Skykiller (Spike Thrower)

If you're looking to bulk out your arsenal with not only one of the best Legendary weapons in the Forbidden West, but the best Spike Thrower in the entire game, then you'll need to get your hands on the Skykiller. This five-coil ranged weapon comes preloaded with the ability to punch holes through just about anything, meat or machine. And not to mention that it also boasts a surprisingly low cooldown time and additional aerial damage. In a nutshell, it's an overly powerful weapon, made twice as sturdy by the added Powershots Valor Surge and Splitting Spike technique combo.

To get the Skykiller, you will need to travel to Legacy's Landfall. Once there, speak with the woman on the boat, who will activate a new thread of quests for you. After you have completed “The Way Home,” you will receive the Legendary Spike Thrower as a reward. Worth the trek? Absolutely.

4. Blast Forge (Boltblaster)

There's a Boltblaster that you simply must have, especially if you're looking to hunt down the behemoth-sized machines that make up the hidden pockets of the Forbidden West. The Blast Forge, for what it's worth, is the best weapon of its kind, and compliments the Skykiller surprisingly well when bundled together in any particular tricky boss fight.

To get your hands on the Boltblaster, you will need to earn a total of 80 Medals at the Maw of the Arena. To reach this location, you're going to need to head south of Scalding Spear, at which point you'll bump into a merchant who will exchange the Blast Forge for your hard-earned Medals.

3. Forgefall (Sharpshot Bow)

If you're the type of hunter who favors ranged combat, rather than the traditional up close and personal melee combat, then you're probably going to want a Sharpshot Bow that packs a real punch from afar. The best weapon we can conjure at this moment in time that just so happens to tick all of these boxes is Forgefall. Thanks to this Legendary bow, you'll never have to come within spitting distance of a machine again. Probably.

Picking up the sniper-like bow comes at a cost, as does the bragging rights that come with its purchase. 54 Medals, to be precise, which can be spent at the Maw of the Arena by speaking with the merchant. Although a little pricey compared to some of the other items on display, it's a worthy investment to make — especially for those epic battles with conveniently placed vantage points.

2. Death Seeker's Shadow (Hunter Bow)

Chances are, you've got a few Medals to spare after mopping up all those additional quests down at the Maw of the Arena. And if you do, then you'll be pleased to know that one of the best Hunter Bows can purchased from the same merchant. Sure, it'll set you back another 80 Medals, but the payoff is well worth the investment and the monotonous grind that you'll no doubt have to endure.

Death Seeker's Shadow not only brings a monumental amount of damage down on its target, but also coerces overridden machines to attack enemies of your choice. So, think of it as a bow that can control an army, as well as pack a serious punch on its own. Does that warrant spending 80 Medals at the Maw of the Arena? You bet it does.

1. Ancestor's Return (Shredder Gauntlet)

To this day, no endgame weapon has steered as close to perfection as the Shredder Gauntlet variant, Ancestor's Return. The boomerang-like ranged weapon deals massive amounts of Acid and Shock damage to a myriad of enemies, as well as packs five additional coil slots to customize and upgrade, making it the most powerful Legendary weapon in the whole of Horizon Forbidden West.

To get Ancestor's Return, you will need to collect the nine Ornaments that are scattered around the map. The first you will obtain will come included in the side quest “Night of Lights,” which is activated by speaking with Stemmur in Dunehollow. Once you have obtained all of the Ornaments, Stemmur will gift you the Legendary Shredder Gauntlet as way of saying thanks, as well as a few additional goodies for your inventory.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five weapons in Horizon Forbidden West? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.