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Skydrifter
Horizon Forbidden West

Skydrifter

Learn how to defeat the Skydrifter in Horizon Forbidden West. This guide covers its attacks, weaknesses, and loot drops to help you take down this agile machine.

By ···10 min read·Multi-source verified
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Learn how to defeat the Skydrifter in Horizon Forbidden West. This guide covers its attacks, weaknesses, and loot drops to help you take down this agile machine.

The Skydrifter is a fast and agile gliding machine that can easily spot and track threats. It attacks with its tail and wings, and can divebomb from the air. Be wary of its eye attack that inflicts the 'Tracked' status, which allows enemies to locate you even in stealth. A Cleanse Potion can remove this effect, but shooting the Tracking Container on its chest will disable the attack.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    The Skydrifter uses its leg parts to boost into the air, then flies before landing due to overheating Boosters.
  2. 2
    While airborne, it can divebomb you, sometimes leaving a fire trail.
  3. 3
    It can also perform a gust attack from its wings, which deals damage and is difficult to avoid due to its speed.
  4. 4
    Watch out for its tail feathers attack, a wide spread of projectiles; rolling towards the machine is the best way to dodge.
  5. 5
    The machine may charge up for an eye attack that inflicts the 'Tracked' status. Shoot the Tracking Container on its chest to disable this.
  6. 6
    It can also perform lunging attacks, one of which leaves a trail of fire.
Tips
  • The Skydrifter is weak to Frost damage, which can slow it down.
  • Aim for the Razor Tail and Tracking Container to disable its ranged attacks.
  • The Scanning Unit can be left alone unless you need extra resources.
  • Be aware of your surroundings as the Skydrifter moves quickly and can be hard to track in the air.
  • Exploit elemental damage on its canisters (Sparker on normal, Acid Canister on Apex) for significant damage.
  • The Antenna on its back can be destroyed to prevent it from calling reinforcements.
  • The Booster parts above its legs are indestructible but can be used as a weak point for increased damage.
  • Body Loot: Echo Shell (Normal only), Metalbite (Apex only), Metal Shards, Skydrifter Circulator, Apex Skydrifter Heart (Apex only), Skydrifter Primary Nerve (Apex only), Volatile Sludge (Apex only), Piercing Spike, Skydrifter Primary Nerve (Normal only), Machine Muscle, Braided Wire, Small Machine Core, Metal Bone, Sturdy Hardplate.
  • Scanning Unit Loot: Braided Wire, Sturdy Hardplate, Skydrifter Circulator.
  • Tracking Container Loot: Braided Wire, Sturdy Hardplate, Skydrifter Primary Nerve.
  • Booster Loot: None (indestructible weak point).
  • Antenna Loot: Braided Wire, Sturdy Hardplate, Skydrifter Primary Nerve.
  • Sparker/Acid Canister Loot: Sparker (Normal only), Acid Canister (Apex only).

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