Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition Weapons Guide: Best Weapons Ranked

Q: What is included in the Complete Edition?

The base Horizon Forbidden West game plus the Burning Shores expansion, released together on PC on 21 March 2024. There is no separate Burning Shores purchase needed on PC.

Q: Should I play Horizon Zero Dawn first?

Yes if you care about the story. Forbidden West picks up after the first game and assumes you know its cast and setup. The systems carry over too, so the first game doubles as a tutorial for scanning, tearing and elemental play.

Q: How does the PC port run?

Nixxes handled the conversion and the feature list is thorough: DLSS 3, FSR, XeSS, DLAA, unlocked framerate, DirectStorage, ultrawide up to 48:9, full mouse and keyboard rebinding and Steam Input controller support. Presets run from very low to very high to cover older hardware.

Q: What is new compared to the first game's combat?

Underwater traversal and combat, the Shieldwing glider, Valor Surges as chargeable ultimates, six skill trees instead of three, and a wider weapon list including the Shredder Gauntlet, Spike Thrower and Boltblaster. Machines are larger and more varied, headed by the Tremortusk, Slitherfang and Slaughterspine.

Q: Is Burning Shores worth playing right away?

You cannot. It unlocks only after the main campaign, and it raises the level cap from 50 to 60 while introducing apex machines tuned for a finished build. Treat it as the endgame rather than a side trip.

Complete Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition weapons guide. Every weapon ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is the PC version of Guerrilla's 2022 sequel, ported by Nixxes and released on Steam and the Epic Games Store on 21 March 2024 with the Burning Shores expansion included. This is a different game from Horizon Zero Dawn: Aloy travels west into drowned and buried stretches of old America where Tenakth clans, Utaru farmers, Oseram forge towns and the newly arrived Quen all hold ground, and machines such as the Tremortusk, Slitherfang and Slaughterspine set the ceiling for what a fight can throw at you. The PC build adds DLSS 3, FSR, XeSS and DLAA support, an unlocked framerate, DirectStorage, ultrawide up to 48:9, and graphics presets from very low to very high.

Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.

Weapons Rankings

Weapon	Tier	Best For	Notes
Sharpshot Bow	S	Stripping cannons, canisters and armor plates from large machines at range	Slow, heavy single-shot bow built for precision damage into weak points and canisters.
Hunter Bow	A	Applying elemental status and handling medium machines at mid range	The general-purpose bow that carries several ammo types, including the elemental arrows you use to build frost, fire or shock.
Spike Thrower	A	Punishing stationary or slow machines and finishing a frozen target	Launches heavy explosive spikes that deal large impact damage, benefiting from the Powershots Valor Surge alongside bows, boltcasters and ropecasters.
Shredder Gauntlet	B	Burst damage on an isolated machine when you have room to time the catches	Throws a returning disc that gains damage each time you catch and rethrow it in rhythm.
Boltblaster	B	Melting an exposed weak point after a component has already been torn off	Sustained rapid-fire weapon that spins up and then pours bolts into a target, trading precision for volume.

S-Tier: Sharpshot Bow

Slow, heavy single-shot bow built for precision damage into weak points and canisters. It is the most efficient tool for removing components once Concentration is unlocked in the Hunter tree.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	Stripping cannons, canisters and armor plates from large machines at range
Key Mechanic	Focus scanning and weak points
Recommended Role	Hunter Sharpshooter

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Sharpshot Bow: Pairs naturally with Hunter Sharpshooter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Hunter Bow

The general-purpose bow that carries several ammo types, including the elemental arrows you use to build frost, fire or shock. Faster to draw than the Sharpshot, so it handles machines that close distance.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Applying elemental status and handling medium machines at mid range
Key Mechanic	elemental status buildup
Recommended Role	Warrior Melee Brave

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Hunter Bow: Pairs naturally with Warrior Melee Brave thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Spike Thrower

Launches heavy explosive spikes that deal large impact damage, benefiting from the Powershots Valor Surge alongside bows, boltcasters and ropecasters. Slow to aim and unforgiving against fast targets.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Punishing stationary or slow machines and finishing a frozen target
Key Mechanic	Valor Surges
Recommended Role	Trapper

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Spike Thrower: Pairs naturally with Trapper thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Shredder Gauntlet

Throws a returning disc that gains damage each time you catch and rethrow it in rhythm. Mastering the catch timing turns it into one of the highest single-target damage options in the game.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Burst damage on an isolated machine when you have room to time the catches
Key Mechanic	weapon coils and armor weaves
Recommended Role	Infiltrator

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Shredder Gauntlet: Pairs naturally with Infiltrator thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Boltblaster

Sustained rapid-fire weapon that spins up and then pours bolts into a target, trading precision for volume. It drains stamina and ammunition quickly, so it works best in a window you created with something else.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Melting an exposed weak point after a component has already been torn off
Key Mechanic	Cauldron overrides
Recommended Role	Machine Master

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Boltblaster: Pairs naturally with Machine Master thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

Weapons Progression Path

The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:

Starting gear → Enough to clear Chainscrape
Hunter Bow → Your first real upgrade, available early
Spike Thrower → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Sharpshot Bow → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous

Weapons Tips

Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
Scan before you shoot, every single time. The Focus lists a machine's components, elemental weakness and canister positions, and a Slaughterspine encounter you enter blind will cost you far more resources than the 10 seconds a scan takes.
Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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