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Weapon Techniques are a major addition to the combat within Horizon Forbidden West and they give Aloy a lot more power to tackle foes. The mechanic is entirely new when compared to Horizon Zero Dawn and using it in a hectic battle can get confusing.
All Weapon Techniques within the game are linked to skill trees that players can invest points in. Unlocking new Weapon Techniques gives Aloy access to active abilities that are unique to a given weapon type. Players will never have to choose between the techniques that they want, unlike Valor Surges, but using them can feel odd at first.
Using Weapon Techniques in Horizon Forbidden West
Every skill tree in Horizon Forbidden West has multiple Weapon Techniques for players to unlock. In general, most trees will have about two weapons that are tied to it, and players will need to progress with skill points to learn all of the techniques. Each weapon has three techniques that can be used, but only one can be selected at a time when using the general button scheme in the game.
To use a Weapon Technique, players will first need to be aiming with their desired weapon. The button to use a technique is "R1" so hitting the button without aiming will cause Aloy to use her spear instead. When players are aiming down with their weapon, they can either tap or hold "R1" to use the ability.
Not every ability will react the same, especially with so many weapon types. For example, the second Weapon Technique on the Hunter Bow allows players to load up to three arrows, which is passive until players decide to take the shot. Other abilities will launch as soon as R1 is tapped in the aiming position. It all depends on the technique being used.
Changing Weapon Techniques in Horizon Forbidden West
There is no need to pick and choose between techniques in Horizon Forbidden West, but players can swap between any of the three abillities on a weapon at any time. To do this, players need to open up the weapon wheel and scroll to the desired weapon. From there, hitting the left or right d-pad button will change the Weapon Technique equipped when Aloy goes back to fighting.
When using these techniques, make sure to keep an eye on the yellow stamina bar which guages how many times the ability can be used. The bar needs to be filled up a bit before Aloy can continue using them within battle.
