Horizon Forbidden West Stormbirds Locations

Learn about the different Stormbird locations in horizon forbidden west and how to defeat them to acquire useful loot for upgrades!

Stormbirds can be found scattered throughout the vast Forbidden West landscape, inhabiting numerous regions and territories. Additionally, these formidable machines may be encountered during specific side quests, such as The Second Verse. Players must stay alert and be prepared for the sudden appearance of Stormbirds to avoid being caught off guard by these menacing opponents. One way of being prepared is to know all their locations, which we’ll discuss.

Important: Make sure you’re at least around level 30 before trying to take on a Stormbird to ensure you have a fighting chance. 
Key Takeaways
  • Stormbirds are challenging, bird-like mechanical adversaries in Horizon Forbidden West, armed with electric cannons and sharp talons for combat.
  • Players can find Stormbirds in various locations throughout the game, specifically in:
    1. The ruins of San Francisco northwest of Legacy’s Landfall.
    2. Within the mountains west of the Maw of the Arena, north of the Raintrace North Rebel Camp.
  • To defeat Stormbirds, focus on:
    1. Targeting weak points (Storm Cannon, Wing Thrusters, eyes, engine, Blaze Canisters, and Freeze Canisters),
    2. Utilizing elemental ammunition (acid or plasma arrows)
    3. Employing strategic weaponry (hunter bow, sharpshot bow, and ropecaster).
  • Successful combat against Stormbirds requires patience, thorough preparation, and effective management of ammo, health potions, medicinal herbs, and resist shock potions for optimal healing and damage resistance.
  • Upon defeating a Stormbird, players are rewarded with valuable resources, including Stormbird Storm Cannon, Crystal Braiding, Luminous Brainstem, Volatile Sludge, Stormbird Primary Nerve, Stormbird Circulator, and Apex Stormbird Heart, which are essential for upgrading weapons, outfits, and crafting advanced ammunition.

All Stormbird Locations

If you’re looking for Horizon Forbidden West Stormbird locations, then worry not, as there are two distinct locations on the map that will guarantee that you run into them.

Location 1

horizon forbidden west stormbird locations
Stormbird Location 1 [screenshot by eXputer]
The first location is within the northwest of Legacy’s Landfall. It is the area within the ruins of San Francisco. When you’re in the general area, look towards the destroyed bridge to spot the Stormbird.

Location 2

horizon forbidden west stormbird locations
Stormbird Location 2 [image by eXputer]
The second location on the map for the Stormbird is within the mountains, west of the Maw of the Arena and Memorial Grave. To be more specific, it is north of the Raintrace North Rebel Camp. You will also run into a Dreadwig in the area, so be cautious. You’ll have an easier time getting here through a flying mount.

How To Defeat A Stormbird

fight
Fighting against Stormbird [image by us]
Stormbirds are challenging enemies in Horizon Forbidden West, and players must prepare well to take them down. These bird-like, mechanical robots are found in several locations throughout the open world and can also be encountered during certain side missions. Taking down a Stormbird is no easy task, but there are several strategies that players can use to make the fight easier.

One of the most effective ways to take down a Stormbird is to target its weak points.

  • The Stormbird has several weak points, such as its Storm Cannon, Wing Thrusters, eyes, engine, Blaze Canisters, and Freeze Canisters.
  • Targeting the Storm Cannon can disable its ranged shock attack, which is one of its most devastating attacks.
  • The six Wing Thrusters are a good target because of their size and position, and taking them out will disable its diving melee attack.
  • Players can also use an explosive spear on its chest core to knock it down and make it fall to the ground, where it is possible to attack it with other types of ammunition and even melee attacks.
  • Placing acid or explosive elemental traps in the area will cause it to receive massive damage and thus prevent it from flying again.

Another effective strategy is to use elemental ammunition, such as acid or plasma arrows, to take down the Stormbird.

  • It is strong against Fire and Shock damage but weak against Plasma and Acid damage.
  • Therefore, players should use acid or plasma arrows to neutralize them.

The hunter bow and sharpshot bow are the best weapons to use against a Stormbird in Horizon Forbidden West. You can also check out our guide on best bows for alternatives.

  • The hunter bow is fast and deals a good amount of damage, while the sharpshot bow deals a ton of damage while being slower and more accurate.
  • Players should also consider upgrading these weapons using the Tinkerer trait, which allows Aloy to upgrade all of her various weapons and add modifications to them.

Players can also use the ropecaster to pin the Stormbird down and shoot off its armor to stun it before attacking it with other types of ammunition.

To defeat a Stormbird in Horizon Forbidden West, players must be patient, prepared, and fully stocked on ammo and resources. They must be ready for a long fight, as the Stormbird is one of the toughest enemies in the game. Players should make sure they are fully stocked on ammo, resources, health potions, medicinal herbs, and resist shock potions to heal during the fight and resist as much shock damage as possible.

Rewards

stormbird loot in horizon forbidden west
Stormbird loot [screenshot by us]
Defeating a Stormbird in Horizon Forbidden West can be a challenging feat, but it is well worth the effort as these giant mechanical birds provide a bounty of useful resources. Here are the most important pieces of loot you can get:

  1. Stormbird Storm Cannon: used for upgrading weapons and outfits. The Stormbird Storm Cannon is a powerful weapon that can be equipped to deal significant damage to enemies. The item can be used to upgrade your weapons and outfits, making them more effective in battle.
  2. Crystal Braiding: an essential resource that is required to craft powerful and advanced arrows that can help you deal more damage to your enemies.
  3. Luminous Brainstem: a valuable resource that can be used to upgrade some of the most powerful weapons and armor in the game.
  4. Volatile Sludge: an essential resource that is required to craft advanced and elite ammunition. This ammunition is more powerful than standard ammunition and can help you deal more damage to your enemies.
  5. Stormbird Primary Nerve: a valuable resource that can be used to upgrade your weapons and outfits, making them more powerful and effective in battle. By defeating a Stormbird, you can obtain this item and upgrade your equipment, giving you an advantage in combat.
  6. Stormbird Circulator: a useful resource that can be used to purchase and upgrade weapons and armor. By defeating a Stormbird, you can obtain this item and use it to buy new weapons and armor or upgrade your existing ones, making them more powerful and effective in battle.
  7. Apex Stormbird Heart: can be sold for metal shards, which can be used to buy new weapons, armor, and resources.

Ending Remarks

With that, you know everything about Horizon Forbidden West Stormbird locations, how to defeat them, and their resources. Stormbirds are formidable bird-like machines found in various locations across the game’s vast landscape. Players can encounter these menacing machines in regions such as northwest of Legacy’s Landfall and the mountains west of the Maw of the Arena.

To defeat Stormbirds, players should target their weak points, use elemental ammunition, and employ weapons like the hunter bow and ropecaster. Patience, preparation, and resourcefulness are essential for success. Defeating Stormbirds yields valuable resources for upgrading weapons and outfits and crafting advanced ammunition.

You can also check out our review of the latest DLC for Horizon Forbidden West, Burning Shores. We’ve also got a guide on all the new machines as part of the DLC and how to start burning shores as well.

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Atik Younus


Atik Younas is a Junior Guides Writer on eXputer with decent experience writing about games. He’s an avid 3D designer and a coding wizard who gets fascinated by the technical aspects of the latest games. He’s got a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and loves enjoying well-written stories and combat mechanics in games. Atik has been playing games for more than 10+ years now. Most notably he has spent 1,000+ hours on GTA V Online and Minecraft! Feel free to get in touch with Atik on his gaming profile at Xbox and PSN. Experience: 2+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science || Written 200+ Guides || Mainly Covers Game Strategy Guides on eXputer

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