How to Unlock the Shield-Weaver Outfit in ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’

How to find the best set of armor available for Aloy.

March 13, 2017Nicholas Bashore

Surviving the dangerous post-apocalyptic environments across the world of Horizon Zero Dawn is no easy feat to accomplish, namely due to the wild mechanical marvels known as “Machines” that roam the landscape. While many of these robotic creatures aren’t inherently aggressive, they will always attack when provoked by humans such as yourself, who hunt them for parts needed to create armor, weapons, and other survival equipment. As a lone Seeker on a quest for answers, you’ll encounter plenty of massive and powerful machines which can take you out in a matter of seconds if you slip up. But thanks to a secret set of armor tucked away in an old research bunker, that doesn’t always have to be the case.

Known as the Shield-Weaver outfit, the suit of armor is a relic from ancient civilization that will render Aloy immune to incoming attacks if you properly manage its force shield in combat. With it equipped, you’ll be able walk away from multiple Thunderjaw attacks without a scratch, making it the most powerful set available in the entire game. Here’s everything you need to know about obtaining it for your own collection:

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Unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor

With all five Power Cells in hand, you're ready to unlock your armor. Find the Bunker and insert the missing Power Cells into the red nodes that are empty. Then you'll have to move the nodes into the right positions to unlock the door. You can use your Focus to spot hints about the positions of the nodes, or you can simply refer to the solutions below, as read from left to right.

• The solution to the door lock is: up, right, down, left, up.
• The solution to the clamps lock is: right, left, up, right, left.

Once the clamps are unlocked, you can obtain the Shield-Weaver Treasure Box. Open it through your Inventory menu to obtain the outfit, as long as you have an open Outfit slot available.

The Shield-Weaver Armor is one of the best, if not the very best, outfit in Horizon Zero Dawn. The Ancient Armory quest will take a while to complete, as it is somewhat tied to the main storyline. But after finding all the Power Cells, this unique armor will be yours. Make sure to check out the Horizon Zero Dawn guide for more helpful tips and walkthroughs.

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Where to Find the Shield-Weaver Outfit

When you first leave the tutorial area and head into the Embrace, you’ll be able to venture straight into the bunker which contains the ancient set of armor: simply head to the middle of the Embrace and locate Devil’s Thirst. From the ruins, head slightly southeast until you come across a set of rocks which extends towards the river. Climb up the rocks near the rusted pylons and jump down into the underground lake tucked beneath to find the entrance to the old research bunker.

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Horizon Zero Dawn power cells - how to find them and unlock the Shield Weaver armor

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If you've ended up here looking for the Horizon Forbidden West power armor then check that link for a guide on Aloy's updated shield armor.

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Coming up we'll cover how to trigger the quest and get the bunker location, as well as all the Horizon Zero Dawn power cell locations, and the puzzles solutions.