The Dreadwing is a machine in Horizon Forbidden West seemingly based on a vampire bat. It is a heavyweight combat machine that is capable of flight.
History[]
Development[]
At the advent of the Derangement, almost all machines started becoming increasingly aggressive towards humans. In addition, HEPHAESTUS began manufacturing Combat Class machines, including Dreadwings, designed for the sole purpose of combating humans in an effort to cull their population.
Dreadwings can be found in No Man's Land, the Clan Lands, the Isle of Spires,[1] and the Burning Shores.
Function[]
A Dreadwing hanging upside down.
Despite being a Combat Class machine, Dreadwings were used to transport Metal Flowers for DEMETER. Whether this means that Dreadwings were originally Transport Class machines that were repurposed for combat but still perform transport duties is unclear.
Horizon Forbidden West[]
A Dreadwing was first seen by Aloy at the Greenhouse while searching for DEMETER, flying out of the Greenhouse. Alva pointed out that for reasons unknown to her, Dreadwings fly to and from the complex several times a day. Later on, they disturbed another and had to destroy it to defend themselves.[2]
At some after Aloy's first encounter with them, a new model of Dreadwing, the Apex Dreadwings, were released into the wilds alongside their regular counterpart.
While helping Zo install reboot codes to the land-gods, Aloy found a dead Dreadwing that had dropped a Metal Flower, ensnaring Do in a canyon north of Plainsong before crashing.[3]
While searching for a sensor unit for Harriem and Kristia to use to help guide the Quen home, Aloy encountered and destroyed another Dreadwing.[1] In addition, while searching for a Greenshine cache she had heard about from Marallo, Aloy destroyed another Dreadwing.[4]
When Aloy infiltrated Cauldron KAPPA and overrode its core, she gained access to the information needed to override Dreadwings, albeit corrupted.[5] She later restored the override in the Base.
When HEPHAESTUS was released into the printer matrix in the Zenith base to stop the swarm of Specters, a Dreadwing was among the machines that it hurriedly produced, being the first to confront the Zeniths, slashing one with its wings before grabbing and flying away with another.[6]
The Arena at the Memorial Grove uses Apex Dreadwings in their battles, one of which known as 'Dreaded Encounter' requires hunters to kill an Apex Dreadwing and an Apex Spikesnout in a single fight.
Appearance[]
The Dreadwing resembles a vampire bat, albeit far larger than any bat in nature. Its face contains two bat-like ears that can cause blinding flashes, and two detachable fangs it uses for biting. Its throat contains a Metalbite sac that allows it to use acid clouds or projectiles, and a stamina drain container on the back of the neck. It has bomb launchers on its chest that can be used as a weapon, and a stealth device below that allows the Dreadwing to go invisible, similar to the Stalkers. On its back are a pair of antennae that it uses to call reinforcements, and near the base of the tail is a radar.
It has two massive black wings used for flight, and two smaller "tail fin" wings on its back, likely used for locomotion. It has Sparkers on the shoulders, resource containers on the elbows, a damage dampener container on the top of the left fin, and a noxious canister on the top of the right fin. Its tail is composed of a diamond shaped sail with two triangular prongs above the it, each prong having a Purgewater canister below it. Like the Stalker, it has little armor, only having plating on its head, chest, and wingarms.
Behavior[]
When docile, they are often seen hanging upside down from ruins, buildings or cliff faces. Dreadwings are responsible for deploying Metal Flowers.
Abilities[]
Much like a Stalker, the Dreadwing has the ability to turn invisible. They can also send out beams of light and blind Aloy. They come equipped with a range of brutal projectiles and swift, powerful melee attacks. They can easily detect enemies in stealth with their radar. They are also able to temporarily disable the Focus, rendering it unusable for a time. Some Dreadwings are equipped with an antenna, allowing them to call for reinforcements.
If its Metal Fangs are intact, Dreadwings can use them to leech energy from unlooted machine carcasses to give itself a Damage Amplified state for 40 seconds, allowing it to inflict 25% more damage, though the time it takes to leech leaves them temporarily vulnerable.
Unique is the Plague State, a special ability that becomes available when the Dreadwing falls beneath 80% HP and any of its debuffing containers (Damage Dampener, Noxious, or Stamina Drain) remain intact. Using any one of these effects, it covers itself in a gas of that affliction that spreads onto the ground, creating lingering damage areas and enhancing several of its attacks. When it exits this state, it releases additional clouds around its body. This state lasts for 20-30 seconds and can be used again after a cooldown of 20-30 seconds.
| Name | Damage | Affliction Buildup |
|---|---|---|
| Body Cloud | 10/s | 10/s |
| Lingering Cloud | 5/s | 25/s |
| Exit Plague State | 25 | 35 |
Weaknesses[]
Destroying the Metalbite sac and noxious canister leave it unable to use Acid, and destroying the dampener containers leaves it unable to hinder enemies. Destroying the flashers leaves it unable to create blinding flashes, and like the Stalker, destroying the bomb launcher and stealth generator means it can't launch bombs or go invisible, and the bomb launchers can be picked up and used as a weapon. If all of its debuffing containers are removed, it can no longer enter the Plague State.
Standard Dreadwings have a weakness to Fire, while their Apex variant is vulnerable to Plasma.
Attacks[]
| Name | Windup Time | Stance | Damage | Damage Areas | Trigger Range | Description | Plague State Enhancement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrosive Onslaught | Short | Grounded |  220
|
20/s
|
13m - 23m | Walks towards target while spewing multiple waves of Acid clouds. Waves generate residual Acid damage areas.
Attack disabled when Drenched. |
- |
| Corrosive Burst | Short | Flying | 110 Ranged
|
10/s
|
8m - 48m | Spits series of Acid projectiles while it hovers and strafes target. Projectiles explode and leave lingering Acid damage areas on impact.
Attack disabled when Drenched/Slowed. |
- |
| Retreating Barrage | Medium | Grounded
Flying |
Bombs: 245 Ranged
Wing Flap: 28 Ranged, 157 Melee Plague State Bombs: |
- | 13 - 33m | Uses wings to propel itself backwards while launching a volley of 9 time-delayed bombs. Wings deal damage on contact and send out a gust of wind.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Bomb explosions are augmented with chosen affliction type. |
| Leaping Bombardment | Medium | Grounded | Bombs: 245 Ranged
Plague State Bombs: |
- | 18m - 38m | Makes flying leap over target, releasing a column of 9 time-delayed bombs.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Bomb explosions are augmented with chosen affliction type. |
| Flash Blast | Medium | Grounded
Flying |
Blinded | - | 8m - 23m | Charges up Flash Blinders and unleashes a dazzling flash of light that inflicts the Blinded state.
Flying version disabled when Slowed. |
- |
| Wing Striker | Short | Grounded | Wing: 157 Melee
Plague State: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 8m - 23m | Slashes in a wide horizontal angle with its wings while closing the gap with target. Up to 5 slashes in a row until target is hit or moves out of range. | Each strike releases a lingering cloud of chosen affliction type. |
| Fang Strike | Medium | Grounded | Bite/Shockwave: 225 Melee
Plague State: Impact Shockwave: Plague State: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 14m - 26m | Lunges at target and bites into the ground, generating a shockwave on impact. Causes Tremor effect. | Shockwave augmented with chosen affliction type. Generates lingering clouds of chosen affliction type along trajectory and point of impact. |
| Rampaging Bite | Medium | Grounded | Bite: 230 Melee
Plague State: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 23m - 33m | Variant of Fang Strike. Feints, then lunges directly at target and slams fangs into the ground. Generates a Tremor effect on impact. | Generates lingering clouds of chosen affliction type along trajectory and point of impact. |
| Spin Strike | Medium | Grounded | Wings/Wind Blast: 220 Melee
Plague State Wind Blast: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 3m - 14m | Jumps and spins 360o while slashing with a wing, knocking target back with a powerful gust of wind. | Wind Blast augmented with buildup of chosen affliction type. Generates lingering clouds of chosen affliction type in area. |
| Hook Crusher | Short | Grounded | Stomp/Shockwave: 250 Melee, 50 Crushed
Plague State: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 14m - 26m | Walks towards target while slamming the ground with each claw. Up to 4 slams in total. Slams generate a shockwave and Tremor effect on each impact. | Each stomp generates lingering clouds of chosen affliction type. |
| Swooping Slash | Medium/Long | Flying | 200 Melee
Plague State: Lingering Clouds: |
- | 10m - 50m | Swoops down on target while slashing with its talons.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Augmented with buildup of chosen affliction type. Can also generate lingering clouds of chosen affliction type along trajectory. |
| Rampaging Smash | Very Short | Flying | Body Crush/Shockwave: 250 Melee, 50 Crushed
Plague State: |
- | 0m - 15m | Slams straight down, creating a shockwave on impact.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Body Crush/Shockwave augmented with buildup of chosen affliction type. |
| Comet Barrage | Medium | Flying | Body: 267 Melee
Bombs: 267 Ranged Plague State Bombs: |
- | 28m - 48m | Spins in corkscrew pattern and swoops at target, scraping its talons along the ground. Releases a series of 9 time-delayed bombs along its trajectory.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Bomb explosions augmented with chosen affliction type. |
| Rising Strike | Very Short | Grounded | 69 Melee
Plague State: |
- | 28m - 48m | Flaps wings and takes off, generating a burst of air beneath it.
Attack disabled when Slowed. |
Air Burst augmented with chosen affliction type. |
Components[]
| Name | Variant | Image | Description | Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | All | 
|
Hard outer casing to protect synthetic muscle and operational systems. | None |
| Flash Blinders | All | 
|
Large, triangular appendages that produce blinding flashing to disorient enemies. Detach or destroy both to disable. |
|
| Metal Fang | All | 
|
Detach or destroy both Fangs to significantly reduce damage from biting attacks and disable its leeching attack. |
|
| Metalbite Sac | All | 
|
Metalbite storage. Destroy to disable Acid attacks or leave intact to add loot to the carcass. |
|
| Stamina Drain Container | All | 
|
Potent liquid storage. Destroy to disable Weapon Stamina Drain ability or leave intact to add loot to the carcass. |
|
| Sparker | Standard | 
|
Shock storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Shock Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Glowblast Canister | Apex | 
|
Glowblast storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Plasma Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Resource Container | All | 
|
Storage container for valuable resources. Tear off to collect its contents. |
|
| Bomb Launcher | All | 
|
A heavy weapon that can launch powerful salvos of bombs for a range of attacks. |
|
| Stealth Generator | All | 
|
A cloaking device that allows the machine to become near invisible. |
|
| Antenna | All | 
|
Signal transmitter used to call in machine reinforcements. |
|
| Damage Dampener Container | All | 
|
Potent liquid storage. Destroy to disable damage dampening or leave intact to add loot to the carcass. |
|
| Noxious Container | All | 
|
Potent gas storage. Ejects a noxious gas that prevents consumption of Food or Potions for a limited time. |
|
| Radar | All | 
|
Detection device. Emits a pulse that reveals enemies, including those in stealth, and scrambles Focus signals. |
|
| Purgewater Canister | Standard | 
|
Purgewater storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Purgewater Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Acid Canister | Apex | 
|
Metalbite storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with an Acid Arrow to detonate. |
|
Loot[]
Body
- Metalbite (100%)
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Braided Wire (76%)
- Dreadwing Circulator (70%)
- Large Machine Core (69%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (62%)
- Volatile Sludge (51%)
- Machine Muscle (45%)
- Crystal Braiding (28%)
- Metal Bone (28%)
- Luminous Brainstem (28%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (16%)
Flash Blinders
- Braided Wire (68%)
- Crystal Braiding (50%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (33%)
Metal Fang
- Dreadwing Metal Fang (100%)
Metalbite Sac
- Metalbite (100%)
Stamina Drain Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
Sparker
- Sparker (100%)
Resource Container
- Blastpaste (100%)
- Braided Wire (89%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (56%)
- Large Machine Core (36%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (16%)
- Luminous Brainstem (11%)
Bomb Launcher
- Bomb Launcher (100%)
Stealth Generator
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Luminous Brainstem (11%)
Antenna
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (11%)
Damage Dampener Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Purgewater (100%)
Noxious Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
Radar
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Dreadwing Circulator (21%)
Purgewater Canister
- Purgewater (100%)
Body
- Metalbite (100%)
- Luminous Brainstem (100%)
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Apex Dreadwing Heart (100%)
- Braided Wire (76%)
- Large Machine Core (70%)
- Dreadwing Circulator (69%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (63%)
- Volatile Sludge (50%)
- Machine Muscle (46%)
- Metal Bone (28%)
- Crystal Braiding (28%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (16%)
Flash Blinders
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Crystal Braiding (50%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
Metal Fang
- Dreadwing Metal Fang (100%)
Metalbite Sac
- Metalbite (100%)
Stamina Drain Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
Glowblast Canister
- Glowblast (100%)
Resource Container
- Blastpaste (100%)
- Braided Wire (89%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (55%)
- Large Machine Core (37%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (15%)
- Luminous Brainstem (11%)
Bomb Launcher
- Bomb Launcher (100%)
Stealth Generator
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Luminous Brainstem (10%)
Antenna
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Dreadwing Primary Nerve (11%)
Damage Dampener Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Purgewater (100%)
Noxious Container
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
Radar
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Dreadwing Circulator (20%)
Acid Canister
- Metalbite (100%)
Variants[]
| Variant | Weakness | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Dreadwing |  Fire
|
Acid
|
| Apex Dreadwing |  Plasma
|
 Frost
|
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Concept Art[]
