Horizon Forbidden West Guide | Best Mid-Game Weapons and Gear

With so many gear choices available, each requiring different resources for upgrades, it can be overwhelming to decide what’s worth investing in. This is especially tricky for mid-game gear since you’ll eventually replace it with even better options. You don’t want to waste shards and resources on equipment that won’t last long.

Best Mid-Game Outfit: Nora Sentinel

Starting with armor, I would recommend getting the Nora Sentinel outfit as soon as possible. This remains my top pick for mid-game.

Outfits in Forbidden West, like in Zero Dawn, differ in their resistance stats against specific damage types. However, the bigger distinction in Forbidden West is the skill perks that outfits provide. The Nora Sentinel is a fantastic choice because it enhances Concentration, Stamina Regen, and Stealth Ranged+.

• Concentration and Stamina Regen are crucial since they impact nearly all combat styles, regardless of your preferred weapons.
• Stealth Ranged+ increases damage against unaware enemies, making your opening shot more powerful.

Aside from perks, the Nora Sentinel offers good melee and ranged resistance once upgraded, plus solid fire and shock resistance. The main downside is that upgrading it requires Clawstrider and Spikesnout components, so make sure to create jobs to farm those materials.

For modifications, I recommend equipping at least one melee defense weave—preferably two if you have them.

Alternative Outfits for Different Playstyles

If the Nora Sentinel isn’t your style, here are two great alternatives:

Carja Shadow (Best for Defense & Healing)

• It can be purchased at Plainsong, Scalding Spear, or The Bulwark.
• Offers high melee resistance (up to 40 when fully upgraded).
• Provides perks that improve healing and survivability, making it great for players who struggle with damage management.
• Upgrades require Clawstrider, Longleg, and Snapmaw components.

Utaru Harvester (Best for Stealth Players)

• Enhances Low Profile and Stealth Ranged+, making it easier to stay hidden and deal extra damage while undetected.
• Boosts Weapon Stamina+, letting you use weapon techniques more frequently.
• Decent melee and impact resistance with an easy upgrade path (requires Skydrifter, Bristleback, and Lancehorn parts).

Best Mid-Game Weapons

Sun-Touched Hunter Bow (Best All-Around Hunter Bow)

The Sun-Touched Hunter Bow is hands-down the best mid-game Hunter Bow, and you’ll likely use it well into the late game.

• Functions similarly to the Hunter Bow from Zero Dawn, making it intuitive for returning players.
• Features Hunter Arrows, Advanced Hunter Arrows, and Fire Arrows, making it versatile.
• Perks include increased critical hit chance and critical hit damage, making it the strongest blue rarity Hunter Bow available.
• Where to Get It: Purchase from Plainsong or Scalding Spear.

Frost Hunter Bow (Essential for Elemental Damage)

Adding elemental damage to your arsenal is crucial, and the Frost Hunter Bow gives you access to Frost and Acid Arrows.

• Frost and Acid are key elements in Forbidden West for weakening machines and triggering elemental explosions.
• Cheap to craft: Arrows only require shards, ridge wood, and common elemental resources instead of rare materials.
• Best Strategy: Equip it with Frost Coils—freeze is more effective than acid in most situations.
• Where to Get It: Available from the Hunter Merchant during the Death’s Door main quest or later in Plainsong.

Purgewater Hunter Bow (Adds Purgewater Arrows to Your Loadout)

Purgewater is a new elemental effect in Forbidden West that works similarly to Frost and Fire.

• Inflicts the “Drenched” status of machines, weakening them.
• Allows Purgewater Canister Explosions (e.g., hitting Snapmaws’ neck canisters).
• Also features Acid Arrows, making it a dual-purpose bow.
• If you prefer Acid over Purgewater, equip Acid Coils and use it as your main Acid weapon.
• Where to Get It: Buy from Scalding Spear (Tenakth settlement).

Cleaving Sharpshot Bow (Best Mid-Game Sniper Bow – Free Weapon!)

Sharpshot Bows are fantastic for long-range precision damage, and you’ll get the Cleaving Sharpshot Bow for free during the Broken Sky quest.

• Comes with Tear Precision Arrows (previously called Tearblast Arrows in Zero Dawn).
• Essential for knocking off machine components, especially Clawstrider Tails, which are crucial for gear upgrades.
• Where to Get It: Obtained automatically during the Broken Sky main quest.

Best 5th and 6th Weapon Options

After equipping four bows, you’ll have two more weapon slots. Here are some great choices:

Shock Damage Options:

1. Lightning Hunter Bow (earned from the Need to Know side quest) – The best option.
2. Shock Warrior Bow (free from The Daunt Hunting Grounds) – Good budget pick, but requires close-range combat.
3. Shock Boltblaster (available at Scalding Spear) – Deals high shock damage but has expensive ammo costs.

Rope Casters for Crowd Control:

1. Basic Rope Caster (buy from Barren Light) – Cheap option for immobilizing machines.
2. Anchor Rope Caster (found in Scalding Spear) – Includes Shock Ropes and Purgewater Canister Harpoons.

Other Weapon Recommendations:

• Shredder Gauntlet: Ironeater Shredder (Scalding Spear/The Bulwark) lets you experiment with this new weapon type.
• Blastslings: Siege Blastsling (Scalding Spear) or Adhesive Blastsling (reward from The Oldgrowth errand).
• Boltblasters: Shock Boltblaster or Plasma Boltblaster offers heavy damage output but consumes rare materials.
• Spike Throwers: Bellowblast Spike Thrower (The Bulwark) or Heartshatter Spike Thrower (free chest near the Stand of Sentinels Tallneck).

Boltblasters: High Damage but Costly

Plasma Boltblaster allows you to experiment with Plasma damage, offering high direct damage and strong Advanced Bolts. Keep in mind that Boltblasters consume Metal Bones, which are rare materials, so use them sparingly.

Spike Throwers: Powerful but Slow

The Bellowblast Spike Thrower is a solid option from The Bulwark, offering good explosive damage.

If you prefer a stronger option, the Heartshatter Spike Thrower (found in a free chest near the Stand of Sentinels Tallneck) is an excellent choice.

The Nora Sentinel outfit and four recommended bows form the core of your mid-game loadout, ensuring you're well-equipped for any challenge. Your final two weapon slots allow for customization based on your playstyle.

Also, check out our Horizon Forbidden West Review, and other guides below:

• Horizon Forbidden West Guide | How To Farm Metal Shards Early
• Horizon Forbidden West Guide | How To Defeat Machines Easily
• Horizon Forbidden West Guide | Best Early Game Weapons
• Horizon Forbidden West Guide | Best Mid-Game Weapons and Gear