Horizon Forbidden West player shares helpful tactic for dealing with Stalker mines

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A well-aimed arrow is all you need

Screenshots from Horizon Forbidden West running on PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

Horizon Forbidden West has its fair share of threats. From Bellowbacks to Thunderjaws, there is all manner of mechanical creatures wanting to bring Aloy's quest in the west to an abrupt end. And while the huntress faces many new threats, this follow-up adventure also sees the return of the dreaded Stalker.

As Horizon fans will undoubtedly know, the Stalker is a quick and aggressive foe. Not only is this creature tough to take down when you can see it, but it can also deploy a cloaking mechanism making it difficult to spot, let alone land a hit on. A cloaked Staker can also deploy proximity mines that cause massive damage. But as one Horizon Forbidden West player has demonstrated, you can quickly turn these deadly bombs on their maker. 

Coladict's video, posted on the game's subreddit, shows them easily take down a Stalker using a hunter bow. The Stalker explodes so fast that it's hard to see what happened, but a helpful slow-motion replay shows the player carefully targeting the machine's proximity mines just as they are deployed. Coladict manages to shoot one while it's in mid-air, causing the Stalker to shatter into tiny mechanical parts. 

stalker_mines_can_be_shot_midair from r/horizon

It's an incredibly effective technique, but it certainly takes some skilled bowmanship to pull off. Reddit user Hajksterz comments, "I don't have the reflexes for that, lol." This prompts coladict to explain that they weren't actually aiming for the proximity mines but, in fact, the Stalker's stealth generator, which disables the beast's cloaking ability. 

So it was all just a happy coincidence. Nonetheless, we now know that some accurate arrows can quickly turn troublesome Stalker battles in our favour.

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Anne-Marie Coyle
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and Games Radar. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.