How To Set A Trap For Machines In Horizon Zero Dawn

If you caught my banter on Friday, you saw where I named the Tripcaster the best secondary weapon in Horizon Zero Dawn.

As I replay the game, I keep exploring its capabilities. Paired with that, during my initial play through of Horizon Forbidden West, I learned how to use traps properly ( it’s no minor miracle I managed to finish game one in the first place).

As someone without quick reflexes, I’ve always had to rely on stealth to do damage before the fight is on top of me. I used tear arrows, bombs, spikes, precision arrows – anything I could chuck at a machine from a distance.

I was approaching the end of the Sacred Land, and I arrived at the quest where the captain of Daytower asks you if you can try and find some of his missing men.

That quest places you face-to-face with your first Snapmaw. I’ve also used what I’m about to show you on Sawtooths. I’m curious how it will stand up to a Thunderjaw. Eventually, I’ll test it out.

The first time I did it, the game paused as it tried to figure out what chaos I unleashed. But after that, it caught on to my tricks.

Need to trap a machine? Here’s my favorite way to do it.

Have a Carja Tripcaster or Better

I bought this to take a run at the trials at the elemental hunting grounds. It has explosive tripwires and shock tripwires.

For this, we’re going to be using explosive tripwires. Make sure you have plenty of wire and blaze.

2. Find a strategic place to set your trap.

The first Snapmaw is easy because that lovely stretch of flat beach is along his swimming path. Ideally, you want a bit of terrain that you can cover with wires and traps.

3. Set Explosive Trip Wires

I may have gone overboard on this part – but I’d rather go overboard than be unprepared. If you don’t gank it on this first pass, it will be furious when it comes at you.

Set them in layers. It also slows its approach to you as it has to go through the waves of wires.

Another thing to watch here is that you don’t leave any obvious gaping holes.

4. Set Traps

These are more icing on the cake if you’ve set the tripwires right. I put three for this particular setup. But a bonus here would be if you place more in different places, you increase the odds of grabbing other machines that may aggravate.

Explosive is what I used here, but as I unlock different types throughout the game, I may start to cater the traps to the weaknesses of the machine I’m targeting.

5. Get its attention.

This part is easy. You fire rocks and arrows in their particular direction and lure them into the trap.

6. Back up

While it may seem obvious, it is worth staying. The trap will make a big boom, and if you don’t want to get some friendly fire, put some distance between you and the trap.

And that’s all there is to it. This wipes out the larger machines or puts a big enough dent that I can easily take them out after.

Happy Hunting!

What’s your favorite way to be sneaky and set a trap for monsters in the Horizon games? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.

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