Trial 11: Mounted Combat Trial

Learn how to complete the Mounted Combat Trial in Horizon Forbidden West's Raintrace Hunting Grounds. Get tips on overriding Clawstriders and using Shock damage effectively.

Alright, so you've made it to the Raintrace Hunting Grounds, and it's time to tackle Trial 11: Mounted Combat. This one's all about using a tamed machine to do the heavy lifting, so let's get you set up for success. First things first, you'll need to have completed the IOTA Cauldron. That's super important because it's the only way you get the ability to override Clawstriders, which is essential for this trial.

Also, a little heads-up: having a weapon that deals good Shock damage will make this whole thing way easier. Trust me on this one.

Stripes

Grounds Keeper’s Tips

• You will need to override a Clawstrider in order to mount it. When near an enemy, tap R1 or R2 to order your mount to attack them.
• You can shoot a machine from your mount to weaken it, but the killing blow must be made by your mount.

How to Complete the Mounted Combat Trial

To pass this trial, your main goal is to have your overridden Clawstrider deliver the killing blow on two other machines. You'll be riding your Clawstrider, and you can use R1 and R2 to command it to attack. The key thing to remember is that your Clawstrider doesn't need to do all the damage; only the final hit counts. This means you can use your bow or other weapons to weaken the enemies down to a sliver of health, and then let your mount finish them off.

Now, here's a biggie: avoid the Tremortusk. Seriously, don't even alert it to your presence. Its attacks are brutal and will likely take down your overridden Clawstrider in no time. If your mount does go down, you can revive it, and even repair it, but that'll cost you Metal Shards, which you'd rather save for other things.

So, the strategy is to focus on the other Clawstriders. Use your bow to chip away at their health until they're almost defeated. Then, get your overridden Clawstrider in position to land the final blow. To make this even simpler, remember that Clawstriders are weak to Shock damage. Hitting them with Shock ammo will put them in a Shocked state, making them easy targets. Just be a little careful: if you hit the Sparker underneath their belly with Shock ammo, it'll explode. That explosion could accidentally kill the Clawstrider, and you'd have to start the trial over. So, aim smart and let your mount do the work!