Watcher

Learn how to take down Watchers, Horizon Zero Dawn's agile reconnaissance machines. Discover their attacks, weaknesses, and loot drops to easily defeat them.

Alright, let's talk about the Watcher! You'll run into these guys pretty early on in Horizon Zero Dawn, usually when you're first exploring as adult Aloy. Think of them as the eyes and ears of the machine world, keeping tabs on everything. While their main job is recon, they can still put up a bit of a fight, so it's good to know what you're up against.

When a Watcher spots you, it'll often charge up its eye and unleash a blinding flash. If you're a decent distance away, it might try to lunge at you. If you're up close, watch out for its tail swing. And if you're really far off, or separated by water (which they can't cross), they'll fire a single projectile from their eye.

You'll find Watchers pretty much everywhere, often hanging out with other machines, especially in the starting areas. They're actually one of the easier machines to deal with. If you're feeling stealthy, you can use Lure Call to draw one over, then line up a careful shot at its eye. With the starting bow, a well-placed shot to the eye can often take it down in one hit! Its body is a bit tougher, but it doesn't have any specific weaknesses or strengths. So, the key is to aim for the eye to finish them off quickly.

There's also a variant called the Redeye Watcher. It's got the same moves and drops as the regular Watcher, but it's a bit tougher with more health and defense. It also seems to use its eye laser more frequently. Your best bet is still to aim for the eye!