The Bristleback is a machine in Horizon Forbidden West.
History[]
While it's unknown when Bristlebacks were first released, they became especially commonplace in the Clan Lands, with a little overlap in Plainsong. Two models were released: the Acid Bristleback and the Fire Bristleback.
At the advent of the Derangement, almost all machines started becoming increasingly aggressive towards humans, including the Bristlebacks. By the time of Aloy reaching adulthood, Bristlebacks are aggressive to all humans they see.
Horizon Forbidden West[]
Regalla's rebels overriding a Bristleback.
Several overridden Bristlebacks were used by Regalla's rebels as mounts, keeping them in pens at Eastern Lie. As a result of Ulvund's reckless and unauthorized mining, a cavern opened up beneath one of the pens, allowing these Bristlebacks to escape in a stampede into the Daunt, resulting in massive collateral damage and delaying an upcoming embassy between the Tenakth and Carja.[1] These Bristlebacks were cleared out by Aloy,[2] and the cause of the Bristlebacks in the Daunt was later found by Aloy under the request of Javad.[1]
Regalla's rebels used overridden Bristlebacks and Chargers as mounts to attack the Carja, Tenakth Marshals, Aloy and Varl at the embassy, but they successfully destroyed them all. However, Kotallo lost his left to a Bristleback.[3]
An overridden Bristleback (by Aloy).
When Aloy, Varl and Zo infiltrated Repair-Bay TAU and Aloy overrode its core, she gained access to the information needed to override Bristlebacks and use them as mounts.[4] Sometime after, two new models of Bristleback were released, the Apex Acid Bristleback and Apex Fire Bristleback were released alongside their regular counterparts.
Aloy encountered several more Bristlebacks under Regalla's rebels' control in their camps and outposts, including those at Devil's Grasp, the Dry Yearn, the northern and western Stillsands, and the southern Shining Wastes.
Regalla's rebels used some more overridden Bristlebacks to help invade Riverhymn, but they were destroyed by the residents, led by Kue and helped by Aloy.[5]
In order to find Runda's lost supplies, Aloy used an overridden Bristleback to look for them.[6]
Appearance[]
The Bristleback resembles a large warthog. The head of the machine is boar like, with a binocular array of eight optical sensors, two panels above the back of the head resembling ears, and two metallic protrusions at the front, resembling tusks, ahead of the mouth, which contains two circular saws as the machine’s mouth. The back is lined with armor plating, save for one opening that serves as a place to mount the machine, and on its rear end is two elemental canisters, either with Blaze or Acid, depending on the variant. It appears to have elemental lines running under its belly, connecting to the canisters on its rear.
Behavior[]
Found in herds of two or four, Bristlebacks will become highly aggressive when threatened.
An idle Bristleback will periodically sniff out buried resources before digging them up with their tusks. This salvage, which is unearthed in round containers, generally carry Metal Shards but occasionally includes Metal Ingots.
Abilities[]
As a mount, the Bristleback is bulky but powerful, having over twice the health of a Charger in its normal state. They will utilize their tusks as weapons and charge with great force.[7] They can use their grinder disks to their advantage, grinding up pieces of scrap or earth and putting it in their mouth before covering it with blaze or acid to ram or throw at enemies. When overridden, it is mountable by humans.
Attacks[]
| Name | Windup Time | Damage | Residual Damage Area | Trigger Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tusk Smash | Short/Medium |
|
- | 3m - 13m | Leaps at target and smashes snout into ground. If it misses, can follow-up by flinging rocks infused with Acid/Fire.
Acid/Fire damage disabled when Drenched. Attack disabled when Slowed. Desperation Attack. |
| Hoof Thrust | Very Short | 137 Melee | - | 2m - 8m | Hops backward and unleashes a swift kick with its hind legs. |
| Reverse Snout Swing | Short/Medium | 137 Melee | - | 3m - 9m | Swings snout left or right in 180o motion as it turns to face target. Often follows up with Snout Swing if it misses. |
| Snout Swing | Short | 180 Melee | - | 4m - 15m | Swings snout while lunging diagonally left or right. Can follow up with a second swing in the opposite direction if it misses. |
| Snout Bash Combo | Short/Medium | 180 Melee | - | 0m - 6m | Lunges at target while bashing with its snout. Can follow up with up to 2 more lunging bashes if it misses. |
| Spewing Twist Kick | Very Short |
|
 / 10/s buildup
|
0m - 7m | Spins 360o, kicking with hind legs and spewing Acid/Fire from its mouth. Leaves a residual Acid/Fire damage area around itself.
Acid/Fire disabled when Drenched. |
| Wreckage Rush | Medium/Long | 180 Melee
|
/ 5/s
|
14m - 47m | Unearths scrap with its Tusks, infusing it with Acid/Fire before charging at target. Creates residual Acid/Fire damage areas in its wake.
Acid/Fire damage disabled when Drenched. Attack disabled when Slowed. |
| Charge | Medium | 137 Melee | - | 14m - 47m | Weaker version of Wreckage Rush if both Tusks are removed. Charges directly at target.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Variants[]
There are a total of four Bristleback variants that can be cataloged.
| Variant | Weakness | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Acid Bristleback |   Shock
|
|
| Fire Bristleback | Shock
|
 Fire
|
| Apex Acid Bristleback |  Purgewater
|
 Acid
|
| Apex Fire Bristleback |  Frost
|
Fire
|
Components[]
| Name | Variant | Image | Description | Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | All | Hard outer casing to protect synthetic muscle and operational systems. | None | |
| Tusks | All | Metal tusks used to dig up natural resources. Detach or destroy both to disable its more damaging attacks |
| |
| Grinder Discs | All | Razor-sharp, circular blades used to dig up valuable underground resources. |
| |
| Acid Canister | Acid/Apex Acid | Metalbite storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with an Acid Arrow to detonate. |
| |
| Blaze Canister | Fire/Apex Fire | Blaze storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Fire Arrow to detonate. |
|
Loot[]
Body
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Metalbite (100%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (69%)
- Machine Muscle (31%)
- Bristleback Circulator (23%)
- Braided Wire (21%)
- Medium Machine Core (17%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (15%)
- Metal Bone (10%)
Tusks
- Bristleback Tusk (100%)
Grinder Discs
- Braided Wire (66%)
- Piercing Spike (51%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (35%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (11%)
Acid Canister
- Metalbite (100%)
Body
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Blaze (100%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (68%)
- Machine Muscle (30%)
- Bristleback Circulator (22%)
- Braided Wire (21%)
- Medium Machine Core (17%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (15%)
- Metal Bone (11%)
Tusks
- Bristleback Tusk (100%)
Grinder Discs
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Piercing Spike (51%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (10%)
Blaze Canister
- Blaze (100%)
Body
- Metalbite (100%)
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (68%)
- Piercing Spike (51%)
- Volatile Sludge (50%)
- Apex Bristleback Heart (45%)
- Machine Muscle (31%)
- Bristleback Circulator (22%)
- Braided Wire (20%)
- Medium Machine Core (17%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (16%)
- Metal Bone (11%)
Tusks
- Bristleback Tusk (100%)
Grinder Discs
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Piercing Spike (50%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (10%)
Acid Canister
- Metalbite (100%)
Body
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Blaze (100%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (69%)
- Volatile Sludge (51%)
- Piercing Spike (50%)
- Apex Bristleback Heart (43%)
- Machine Muscle (30%)
- Bristleback Circulator (23%)
- Braided Wire (20%)
- Medium Machine Core (17%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (15%)
- Metal Bone (11%)
Tusks
- Bristleback Tusk (100%)
Grinder Discs
- Braided Wire (68%)
- Piercing Spike (50%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (33%)
- Bristleback Primary Nerve (10%)
- Blaze (100%)
Blaze Canister
- Blaze (100%)
Trivia[]
- This is the fourth Forbidden West machine to be named. However, this is the first to be given a classification.
- Bristlebacks are one of only three machines (the others being Glinthawks and Chargers) to resemble a creature which is definitively not extinct during the in-universe present, namely the boar.
- Bristlebacks can supply the player with infinite shards when overridden as when idle it periodically drops salvage pods which contain valuables and shards.
Gallery[]
