How to defeat Specters in Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West dropped on February 18 (Image via Guerilla Games)
Horizon Forbidden West dropped on February 18 (Image via Guerilla Games)

Horizon Forbidden West's big draw is its unique robot monster enemy design. Like its 2017 predecessor, the game is packed with giant monsters and bizarre threats.

The Specter is a mid-sized boss machine that looks like a panther with a squid for its head. Players will encounter it during the main mission called Cradle of Echoes.

The Specter is fast-moving, heavily armored, capable of clinging to walls, and very deadly.

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Beating the Specter in Horizon Forbidden West

The Specter (Image via Youtube/Zanar Aesthetics)
The Specter (Image via Youtube/Zanar Aesthetics)

The key to beating the Specter is rending its armor and stealing its weapons. This is going to require quick thinking and pinpoint accuracy.

Players can use Precision Arrows to deal as much Tear damage as possible very quickly. Aloy needs to destroy Plasma Cannon on the machine's back right away. Doing this will disable its most powerful projectile attack and turn the tide heavily in the player's favor.

Grab the Plasma Cannon and use it against the Specter. The boss is uniquely weak to plasma-based attacks, so this will be a massive boon in the battle.

Aim for weak points in the Specter's armor to tear down its defenses and leave it open to attack. This will require many successful shots, but always be ready to dodge, as the Specter is very fast.

Once its Nano Plate is exposed, tag it using Aloy's focus to make aiming easier. Open fire at that area with the machine's Plasma Cannon, or any other Plasma or Acid-based weapon. The Specter is very weak to both elements, so they should weaken it swiftly.

The Specter moves unpredictably and swings its many tentacles wildly as its main attack. It also launches a live wire that will electrocute whatever it touches.


What can Aloy take off the Specter?

Crafting with parts taken off of dead enemies is a huge part of Horizon Forbidden West. The Specter drops a few very valuable items if players are skilled enough to acquire them.

The handful of important items vary in use and in how they must be retrieved. Some must be broken off of the Specter during the fight, while others must be left on. As usual, Horizon Forbidden West's Easy Loot mode removes this added challenge.

The Specter's Shock Unit is located near the center of its head and will explode if destroyed in combat. The Resource Repository is located on the sides of its head and must be detached before it dies.

The Vector Thruster will handicap the Specter if broken, and will be very valuable to collect. It's located in the jutting pillar structure on the back of its head. Finally, the Control Nexus is a fatal weak point, located behind the creature's tail. Breaking it off will nearly kill the Specter and reward Aloy with valuable loot.