- "I remember you. Bet you could coil a Thunderjaw."
- ―Aloy upon sighting a Slitherfang
The Slitherfang is a machine in Horizon Forbidden West.
History[]
Aloy first encountered Slitherfangs at the Far Zenith Launch Facility during her search for GAIA. Using a derelict shuttle, she was able to crush two of them and damage a third before defeating it.
Slitherfangs were found throughout the Forbidden West, especially in desert regions such as the Stillsands. One Slitherfang was overriden by Regalla's Rebels and used to attack the Kulrut. Another was guarding the core of Cauldron CHI. Aloy and Alva also came across one in the Isle of Spires while searching for data relating to Leviathan.
A Slitherfang was also spotted in the Burning Shores nearby one of the Oseram delver camps in the region.
Appearance[]
The Slitherfang is a large serpentine machine with traits of both a cobra and a rattlesnake. Its head is similar to a cobra, a pair of tri-ocular sensors on a head with two extendable metal fangs. The "sonic hood" on its head resembles a cobra's frills and can extend them to use as sound blasters. it has a pair of earth-grinding drills on its front, including three big, detachable spinners. It has a sac on the throat and a sac on the back that can change between Metalbite and Purgewater. The data nexus of the Slitherfang is at the back of the neck. Its body is composed of multiple segments that can freely spin, allowing it to move like a snake. The end of the tail consists of three shock units that charge by the Slitherfang shaking it like a rattlesnake, and then snapping them into place for electric attacks.
Behavior[]
The Slitherfang is capable of coiling around ruins and burrowing underground. Although they appear to be solitary machines, three of them had gathered at the Far Zenith Launch Facility. As the Slitherfang takes damage during battle it will change its attack pattern.[1]
Abilities[]
The Slitherfang has the ability to spew pressurized streams of both Acid and Purgewater from its mouth, with the liquid being generated in a tank at the base of its throat. It can also use the rattle on its tail to fire bolts of lightning which generate a wide-reaching wave of electricity. The Slitherfang has multiple nodes on its neck it can use to temporarily stun and deafen its enemies.[1]
As the Slitherfang sustains damage, it will activate a defense mechanism by electrifying its own body temporarily, dealing Shock damage and buildup to anything nearby, along with leaving lingering Shock damage areas on the ground.
Weaknesses[]
The Slitherfang's acid and Purgewater sacs can be shot and destroyed, preventing it from spitting acid or Purgewater. If the chest sac for Metalbite is destroyed and the Slitherfang switches to Purgewater, the chest sac will reactivate for Purgewater and can be destroyed again, as can the back sac. The pieces of the sonic hood can be destroyed, and the earthgrinders can be shot off, preventing it from digging. Its rattle can be shot off and then be used by humans against it.[1]
While coiled around a column, inflicting any elemental state will instantly cause a knockdown.
Attacks[]
| Name | Windup Time | Stance | Damage | Damage Area | Trigger Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fang Strike | Short | - | 176 Melee
|
 / 20/s
|
24m - 32m | Lunges in a straight line and performs a bite that inflicts either Acid or Purgewater damage.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Slither Charge | Medium | Slither | 209 Melee
|
/ 20/s
|
35m - 85m | Slithers in a zig-zag pattern while biting multiple times before entering coiled stance. Each bite generates a shockwave that knocks target back.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Fang Dozer | Short | - | 176 Melee
|
/ 20/s
|
19m - 40m | Lunges at target with neck extended as it bites into the ground. Releases 3 splashes of Acid/Purgewater that spread from mouth and leave lingering damage areas.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Toxic Stream | Short | Coiled
Column Wrap |
/ 275
|
/ 20/s
|
27m - 47m | Spits a sustained stream of Acid/Purgewater from its mouth. Generates a series of residual Acid/Purgewater damage areas on the ground.
Attack disabled when Drenched. |
| Fang Ripper | Short | Coiled | 176 Melee
|
/ 20/s
|
13m - 28m | Crashes fangs into the ground then sweeps head in a 270o arcing motion. Acid/Purgewater splashes from mouth throughout attack, forming residual damage areas.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Excavator | Medium | - | Body: 208 Melee,/ 208, / 159 buildup
Entry/Exit Explosion: 208 Melee |
- | 20m - 50m | Tunnels headfirst into ground before resurfacing and slamming into the ground. Generates a large shockwave on impact.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. Attack disabled when Slowed. |
| Loop Dives | Long | - | 209 Melee
|
- | 5m - 50m | Tunnels headfirst into ground and resurfaces, then burrows back underground. Can chain this up to 4 times.
Acid/Purgewater damage disabled when Drenched. Attack disabled when Slowed. |
| Hood Vibrations | Short | Coiled
Column Wrap |
Deafened | - | 15m - 35m | Sonic Hood unfolds and unleashes a series of sonic blasts. |
| Tail-Bolt | Medium | Coiled | Bolt Explosion:  360, 100 buildup
Trail: |
20/s
|
20m - 45m | Uses Shock Orb to fire a bolt of electricity at the ground, generating a Shock explosion and Tremor effect along with Shock damage areas followed by Shock trails. Max of three strikes in a row.
Attack disabled when Drenched. |
| Thunderbolt Smash | Short | Coiled | Body: 132 Melee
Trail: Explosion: 66 Melee, |
20/s
|
9m - 30m | Slams electrified tail at target, generating Shock explosion on impact followed by Shock trails. Can perform up to four slams in a row.
Shock damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Thunderbolt Swipe | Medium | Coiled | Body: 132 Melee, 132, 82 buildup,  Crushed 50
Trail: |
- | 23m - 30m | Swipes in a large arcing motion with electrified tail and follows up with a second swipe. Swipes generate a trio of Shock trails along the ground.
Shock damage disabled when Drenched. |
| Shock Constrictor | Long | - | Coil Explosion: 360, 100 buildup
Trails: |
- | 15m - 24m | Slithers around target and constricts it, either powering up its Shock Orbs to unleash a high voltage blast or crush the target.
Attack disabled when Drenched. |
Components[]
| Name | Variant | Image | Description | Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | All | 
|
Hard outer casing to protect synthetic muscle and operational systems. | None |
| Sonic Hood | All | 
|
Large, vibrating metal plates that are only vulnerable when extended. Detach or destroy to disable the ranged Sonic Blast attack. |
|
| Earthgrinder | All | 
|
Serrated soil churners capable of crushing nearly anything it ensnares. Tear off to collect. |
|
| Glowblast Canister | Standard | 
|
Glowblast storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Plasma Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Acid Canister | Apex | 
|
Metalbite storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with an Acid Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Metalbite Sac | All | 
|
Metalbite storage. Destroy to disable Acid attacks 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. |
|
| Purgewater Canister | Apex | 
|
Purgewater storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Purgewater Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Purgewater Canister | Standard | 
|
Purgewater storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Purgewater Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Sparker | Apex | 
|
Shock storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with a Shock Arrow to detonate. |
|
| Acid Canister | Standard | 
|
Metalbite storage. Tear off to collect this resource or shoot with an Acid 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. |
|
| Data Nexus | All | 
|
Central processor. Especially vulnerable to damage if exposed. |
|
| Purgewater Sac | All | 
|
Purgewater storage. Destroy to disable Acid attacks or leave intact to add loot to the carcass. |
|
| Shock Orb | All | 
|
Used to power all Shock attacks, the orbs spin on their axis to charge up before sequentially snapping into place to launch an attack. |
|
Loot[]
Body
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Metalbite (100%)
- Crystal Braiding (100%)
- Braided Wire (76%)
- Slitherfang Circulator (70%)
- Large Machine Core (69%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (63%)
- Volatile Sludge (49%)
- Machine Muscle (45%)
- Luminous Brainstem (28%)
- Metal Bone (27%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (16%)
Sonic Hood
- Braided Wire (68%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (33%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (10%)
Earthgrinder
- Slitherfang Earthgrinder (100%)
Glowblast Canister
- Glowblast (100%)
Metalbite Sac
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Metalbite (100%)
Sparker
- Sparker (100%)
Purgewater Canister
- Purgewater (100%)
Acid Canister
- Metalbite (100%)
Resource Container
- Braided Wire (89%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (56%)
- Large Machine Core (50%)
- Blastpaste (25%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (16%)
- Luminous Brainstem (10%)
Data Nexus
- None
Purgewater Sac
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Purgewater (100%)
Shock Orb
- Shock Orb (100%)
Body
- Crystal Braiding (100%)
- Metalbite (100%)
- Metal Shards (100%)
- Apex Slitherfang Heart (100%)
- Luminous Brainstem (100%)
- Braided Wire (76%)
- Large Machine Core (69%)
- Slitherfang Circulator (69%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (63%)
- Volatile Sludge (50%)
- Piercing Spike (50%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (16%)
Sonic Hood
- Braided Wire (67%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (34%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (10%)
Earthgrinder
- Slitherfang Earthgrinder (100%)
Acid Canister
- Metalbite (100%)
Metalbite Sac
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Metalbite (100%)
Purgewater Canister
- Purgewater (100%)
Sparker
- Sparker (100%)
Glowblast Canister
- Glowblast (100%)
Resource Container
- Braided Wire (89%)
- Sturdy Hardplate (56%)
- Large Machine Core (50%)
- Blastpaste (26%)
- Slitherfang Primary Nerve (16%)
- Luminous Brainstem (10%)
Data Nexus
- None
Purgewater Sac
- Volatile Sludge (100%)
- Purgewater (100%)
Shock Orb
- Shock Orb (100%)
Variants[]
| Variant | Weak Vs. | Strong Vs. |
|---|---|---|
| Slitherfang |  Fire
|
Acid
|
| Apex Slitherfang | Fire
|
Acid
|
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- If counting the fight with the Slitherfang in "Reach For The Stars", then the Slitherfang is one of the two only Machine bosses in Horizon Forbidden West to be fought two times in the main quest of the game, with the first fight against a Slitherfang having less health, lacking the ability to also spew out Purgewater from its mouth, and being stationary during its first encounter until half of its health has been depleted.
- Dennis Zopfi, Combat Lead for Horizon Forbidden West, described the Slitherfang as the most difficult machine to implement.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Horizon Forbidden West – Introducing The Mighty Slitherfang
- ↑ Horizon Forbidden West Strategy Guide, p. 652