In Horizon Forbidden West, players are constantly rewarded for exploration, hunting, and completing challenges scattered across the vast, post-apocalyptic landscape. One of the most coveted weapons in the game is the Sun Scourge, a legendary bow that stands out due to its exceptional elemental versatility and sheer power. Unlike ordinary weapons, the Sun Scourge requires effort and commitment to obtain, making it both a symbol of skill and a practical tool for combat mastery. Whether you’re a newcomer to the game or a seasoned player revisiting the Forbidden West, unlocking the secrets behind this bow can give you a distinct advantage.
What is the Sun Scourge?
Legendary Hunter Bow
The Sun Scourge is categorized as a Legendary Hunter Bow in Horizon Forbidden West. It is renowned not only for its rarity but also for its ability to use multiple elemental arrow types, which makes it one of the most versatile weapons in Aloy’s arsenal. As a hunter bow, it is designed for mid-range engagements and is especially effective when exploiting machine weaknesses.
Elemental Capabilities
What sets the Sun Scourge apart is its elemental flexibility. It can fire three different elemental arrow types:
- Poison Arrows (Acid): Great for corroding machine armor and increasing damage over time.
- Fire Arrows: Ideal against machines with flammable components, triggering overheating and ignition damage.
- Plasma Arrows: Build up plasma energy on targets, causing explosive bursts after sustained hits.
This combination allows you to take on a variety of machine types and human enemies with different weaknesses, making the Sun Scourge highly adaptable for most encounters in the game.
How to Get the Sun Scourge
Defeat All Rebel Camps
The path to unlocking the Sun Scourge involves completing one of the game’s more demanding side objectives: eliminating all six rebel camps across the map. These rebel outposts are occupied by hostile forces led by Regalla, one of the game’s main antagonists. Each camp has its own layout, challenges, and boss fight, so careful preparation is recommended.
List of Rebel Camps
To obtain the Sun Scourge, you must clear the following rebel camps:
- Eastern Lie
- Breached Rock
- Devil’s Grasp
- The Hive
- Rebel Camp: First Forge
- Rebel Camp: Thornmarsh (Final Mission)
Once all camps are cleared, a final mission involving Erend will become available. After completing this concluding objective, the Sun Scourge will be added to your inventory as a reward.
Tips for Completing Rebel Camps
Stealth and Strategy
While it is possible to charge into a rebel camp with brute force, stealth often yields better results. Many camps can be cleared silently by taking down enemies with stealth attacks and avoiding detection. Use tall grass, environmental traps, and silent strikes to your advantage.
Scan the Area First
Using your Focus scanner is critical. Highlight enemies, identify traps, locate leaders, and find vantage points before initiating combat. Prioritizing high-value targets like officers and machine overrides will reduce overall resistance and make the mission easier.
Bring the Right Gear
Equipping armor and weapons with resistances tailored to the rebel camp’s location or enemy type is crucial. Many rebel fighters use elemental weapons, so having outfits with Shock or Fire resistance can significantly reduce incoming damage. Always carry enough crafting materials for traps, potions, and ammo refills.
Why the Sun Scourge Is So Good
Balanced Damage Output
The Sun Scourge doesn’t rely on a single damage type, allowing players to experiment with elemental combos during fights. Its balance between precision and elemental buildup makes it highly effective against both machines and human enemies.
Efficient Ammo Use
Legendary bows like the Sun Scourge tend to be more efficient in resource consumption compared to other high-end weapons. Even though advanced elemental arrows require rare materials, their potency means you often need fewer shots to take down large threats.
Upgrade Potential
Once acquired, the Sun Scourge can be upgraded at workbenches to improve its base stats, including:
- Increased elemental buildup
- Higher critical hit chance
- Faster draw speed
- Additional mod slots
These upgrades elevate the weapon from powerful to devastating, making it a go-to choice for late-game content and post-story exploration.
Using the Sun Scourge in Combat
Targeting Weaknesses
Each machine in Horizon Forbidden West has distinct elemental weaknesses. The Sun Scourge allows you to take advantage of these by switching arrow types on the fly. For example:
- Use Acid arrows to quickly strip armor from enemies like Shellsnappers.
- Fire arrows work well on enemies with Blaze canisters like Grazer or Scorcher.
- Plasma arrows are effective on heavily armored foes to stack burst damage.
Combining with Other Weapons
The Sun Scourge pairs well with weapons like Ropecasters or Spike Throwers. While the bow builds elemental damage, the other weapons can pin or immobilize enemies for follow-up attacks. Using traps in tandem also increases the bow’s effectiveness, especially in large-scale battles or when dealing with Apex variants.
Versatility in Boss Fights
Boss encounters, whether they’re massive machines or elite rebels, demand quick adaptation. The Sun Scourge’s multiple arrow types help maintain pressure throughout various fight phases. Its range and reload speed allow for hit-and-run tactics, giving you room to evade while maintaining offense.
Upgrading the Sun Scourge
Workbench Upgrades
To fully realize the potential of the Sun Scourge, visit a workbench and invest machine parts and crafting resources into upgrades. Each tier provides bonuses that make the weapon more effective and tailored to your combat style.
Recommended Weapon Coils
Equipping coils that enhance elemental buildup, critical chance, or damage against machines can maximize your output. Consider adding the following:
- Elemental Accumulation +
- Critical Hit Damage +
- Draw Speed +
- Overdraw Damage +
Choosing the right combination of coils ensures that you get the most out of every shot fired from the Sun Scourge.
The Sun Scourge is more than just another bow in Horizon Forbidden West it’s a reward that reflects perseverance, exploration, and mastery of the game’s deeper systems. By defeating all rebel camps and completing the final mission, players unlock a weapon that blends power, utility, and customization. With its three elemental arrow types and powerful upgrade path, the Sun Scourge is a staple for any player looking to dominate the battlefield and face Horizon’s toughest foes with confidence. Whether you’re hunting massive machines or clashing with rebel warriors, this legendary bow will serve as one of Aloy’s most reliable and deadly tools throughout her journey in the Forbidden West.