Hunters' Blind

Learn how to complete the Hunters' Blind sidequest in Horizon Zero Dawn. This guide covers defeating Glinthawks, tracking machine trails, and making tough choices.

Alright, so you've finished up the 'Hunting for the Lodge' errand? Great! The next step in Talanah's questline is called 'Hunters' Blind'. This one kicks off automatically, and it's all about helping a village that's really struggling with machine attacks. First things first, you'll need to chat with Talanah at the Lodge. After that, she'll head outside and stop by a woman named Ilsadi. Go talk to Ilsadi – she's going to tell you all about her village, Lone Light, and how they're being constantly harrassed by Glinthawks. Apparently, Ahsis turned down the contract because the pay wasn't high enough, so Talanah's stepping in.

Lone Light is located to the northeast of Meridian. When you leave Meridian, take the northern exit and follow the road heading east. You'll come to a fork near where you'd find a Thunderjaw site – keep heading northeast from there, and you'll eventually reach the village. As soon as you arrive, expect the Glinthawks to show up.

If you haven't tangled with Glinthawks before, here's the lowdown: they're flying machines that love to use freezing attacks. They tend to stay airborne, so trying to shoot off their parts isn't usually the best strategy. They'll either lob freezing projectiles that create damaging areas on the ground, or they'll swoop down for physical attacks or to drop more of those icy projectiles. The first wave throws three Glinthawks at you, which can feel pretty chaotic, especially since you need to keep an eye on your surroundings to avoid getting stuck. The good news? Glinthawks are super weak to fire. Seriously, just two fire arrows will usually get them burning and make them plummet to the ground for a bit, giving you a perfect window to wail on them with your spear or land a critical hit. After that first wave, two more Glinthawks will attack. Once you've dealt with all of them, go chat with Talanah and Ilsadi again.

The Glinthawks aren't done yet, though. You'll need to find out where they're coming from, and it sounds like they're originating from upriver. Make sure to loot all the Glinthawks you just took down. Then, head to the north end of the village and look for a spot where you can rappel down. Follow the river north from there, and you'll soon encounter two more Glinthawks. Take them out, and you'll probably notice a bunch of Snapmaw carcasses scattered around. Time for some detective work! Activate your Focus and look for the machine trail. Follow it, and it'll lead you to some climbing sections and eventually to the folks causing all this trouble.

It turns out a guy named Vashad took out a loan and is struggling to pay it back. He decided to hunt for Snapmaw Hearts to cover his debt, which, unfortunately, is what led to the Glinthawk problem since they're scavengers. When you catch up to them, you'll be presented with a choice. Pick the 'compromise' option – this gives you a chance to get the final Snapmaw Heart Vashad needs. If you don't have one already, or if you'd rather not deal with it right now, there are some Snapmaws down by the river to the east, along with some Broadheads. For the Snapmaws, aim for the Blaze Canisters on their backs with fire arrows – it makes them go down easy. Loot a Heart from one of them and bring it back to the hunters. Finally, talk to Talanah, who should be nearby, and then head back to the Hunters Lodge to report to Ahsis and wrap up the mission.