- "Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of this."
- ―Aloy, examining a Quen ballista
A ballista is a type of stationary weapon found as defensive emplacements in Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Call of the Mountain.
Usage[]
Ballistas fire large bolts that have a slow reload time but can deal up to 400 Impact damage per shot over a long range. They also have infinite ammo, making them useful for clearing out nearby enemies without expending additional resources. These projectiles have a heavy arc, making it necessary to aim higher at more distant targets.
In the Burning Shores, ballista bolts can also be used to create additional climbing or grappling points.
Ballistas have been seen used by the Carja, Oseram, Quen, and Tenakth.
History[]
Asera and her followers set up ballistas in the ruins of Talonreach and Mother's Tears as they conducted tests with machine lures. The Carja also made use of ballistas as part of their border defenses at Eagle's Fall.
During Aloy's travels in the Forbidden West, she would come across ballistas in a few rebel encampments. The Arena also had a ballista, which Ivvira used to assist Aloy in defeating a Slitherfang when Regalla's forces attacked the Kulrut. Aloy would later assist in finding machine parts to repair the ballista in order to reopen the arena.
A group of Oseram salvagers set up three ballistas in order to take down a Tallneck for parts at the Stillsands. While they managed to penetrate the shielding in three places, they were ultimately overwhelmed by machines that came to the Tallneck's assistance. Aloy would later use the ballistas to bring down the Tallneck in order to repair it.
The Quen also made use of ballistas for their naval vessels, as well as defensive emplacements at Fleet's End and excavation sites in the Burning Shores. Quen ballistas differ from normal ballistas by allowing Aloy and her allies to climb on the bolts fired by it.