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How to defeat Bristleback in Horizon Forbidden West

Farm Acid Canisters!

Horizon Forbidden West follows right after Zero Dawn, and it features several new machines that Aloy will come across. The Bristleback is one of the new machines from the Forbidden West, and players will need to know how to defeat them to harvest materials and resources.

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In Horizon Forbidden West, every machine has specific weak points and is often vulnerable to special elemental damage. Bristlebacks have a sturdy body, but there are a few weak points: their Grinder Discs, Acid Canisters, and Tusks. It is also weak against Shock-damage attacks but resists Acid-damage attacks.

Related: How to defeat Spikesnouts in Horizon Forbidden West?

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It is ideal to detach components like the Grinder Disc and Acid Canisters from the Bristleback by hitting them with Tear-damage arrows. Alternatively, use Acid arrows to target the Canisters to create an explosion. The following components are available after defeating Bristlebacks:

  • Metal Shards
  • Metalbite
  • Sturdy Hardplate
  • Machine Muscle
  • Braided Wire
  • Medium Machine Core
  • Metal Bone
  • Piercing Spike
  • Bristleback Primary Nerve
  • Bristleback Circulator

Defeating the Bristleback without detaching its components first will not reward players with the best loot. Similarly, using Silent Strike on Bristleback destroys these detachable components and removes them from the loot. To override Bristleback, players will need to visit Cauldron TAU located near Plainsong.

Wondering how to defeat other machine guides in Forbidden West? Check out How to defeat the Slitherfang in Horizon Forbidden West on Pro Game Guides.


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Image of Dipanjan Dey
Dipanjan Dey
Dipanjan Dey started his gaming journey with Doom 2 and Contra: Legacy of War back in 1997. Naturally, he gravitated to RPGs and FPS titles like Call of Duty, Halo, and CS:GO. Dipanjan has been coverings stories and writing about video games for the past five years. For the past year, Dipanjan has been working as a Contributing Author for Pro Game Guides, covering shooter games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and CoD!