In Horizon Zero Dawn the skills that Aloy unlocks may mean the difference between life and death, especially early on in your playthrough. Deciding which HZD skills is best to unlock can be a little daunting with so many abilities on offer.
In this guide, we will explain what each skill does, helping you decide which one is best for you.
For more help on Horizon Zero Dawn, read our Rare Loot Locations, Best Mounts Guide and Best Mods Guide.
Horizon Zero Dawn Skills
Different skills offer various benefits such as boosting stealth, combat abilities, weapons handling, and more.
Early Skills for Aloy
Critical Hit
When in the early stages of the game, you face small enemies in abundance and a critical hit is the best way to get past them. It is no doubt one of the best abilities to invest in the early game.
Hunter’s Reflexes
This skill makes it easier to take aim while jumping and sliding by slowing down the time and hence makes it worth getting early in the game. This will make dealing with Watchers and human enemies much more convenient.
Lure Call
This is a must-have skill that can be used throughout the game and costs only a single point.
The skill provides you with stealth that can be used to eliminate machines like Watchers that alert the enemies as soon as they are spotted.
Gatherer
Gathering things from flowers and trees has a serious impact on the game. This makes this skill a must-have in the early game. This can be used to gather things like potions and Ridgewood.
Concentration
Concentration slows down the time while Aloy takes aim using the bow. This makes the precision better but you still need to practice a lot to be a better shooter. This can help you to focus on the weak spots of enemies.
Silent Strike
Defense and stealth have the same role as attacking in HZD. Silent Strike provides stealth and is an important one to have early in the game.
Dodge Prowess
This is a useful skill that can be utilized during encounters. This helps to do short and long-range dodge rolls.
Precision
Precision is always a good thing to have. This ability allows to take down enemies with light spear attacks.
Knock Down
While using heavy spear attacks to take down the enemies, this skill is good to have at the earliest in the game.
Healer
Getting damage is obvious in Horizon Zero Dawn and healing is also necessary. Having the skill of a healer helps in recovering faster in the game.
Late Skills
Low Profile
In the late game portion, you’re gonna be sneaky to get past dangerous enemies. This also betters the hiding skills and is great to have in the late game.
Scavenger
This skill helps get better loots from the enemies.
Fast Reload
When combined with concentration, Fast Reload is a masterpiece. This combination can be used to shoot arrows at a faster rate letting the concentration effect wear off. When against tougher enemies, minute details are of great importance and a fast reload can actually be a lifesaver.
Disarm Traps
Traps cost a lot in HZD and the unused ones are such a waste. With Disarm Traps, you can get all the unused traps that you’ve placed and use them at some other point.
Tinkerer
To remove and reuse the weapon modifications is a skill to have. Every weapon comes under this category and can be used for good.
Skill Upgrades
Prowler Skills
This skill tree is kept to be used in combats and evasive maneuvers.
Silent Strike
Skill Cost: 0
Used to take down small machines and humans. Can also be used to deal with medium enemies by giving them good damage.
Hunter Reflexes
Skill Cost: 1
This slows down the time while jumping.
Silent Drop
Skill Cost: 1
Makes jumping and falling completely silent.
Strike from Above
Skill Cost: 2
This can help in taking down small enemies without sound and deal good damage to medium enemies.
Balanced Aim
Skill Cost: 2
Helps use ranged weapons while balancing on ropes.
Low Profile
Skill Cost: 2
Helps hide when crouching.
Strike from Below
Skill Cost: 3
Helps take down humans without sound when hanging.
Strong Strike
Skill Cost: 3
Boosts the striking effect by 15%.
Dodge Prowess
Skill Cost: 3
Gives the ability to dodge and enhances the long/short dodge.
Leader Strike
Skill Cost: 3
Can take down elite humans silently.
Strong Strike Plus
Skill Cost: 3
Increase strike attack damage by 30%.
Quiet Sprint
Skill Cost: 3
Makes Sprinting silent.
Brave Skills
These are used to increase the raw damage output of the character.
Concentration
Skill Cost: 0
Time passes slowly while taking aim.
Critical Hit
Skill Cost: 1
High damage attack on small enemies.
Precision
Skill Cost: 1
This makes the light spear attacks have a better chance to knock off parts.
Heavy Lifter
Skill Cost: 2
Move faster while carrying heavy weapons.
Critical Hit Plus
Skill Cost: 2
Makes critical hits more devastating.
Precision Plus
Skill Cost: 2
Same as above, with an even higher chance.
Concentration Plus
Skill Cost: 3
Takes concentration to its max.
Double Shot
Skill Cost: 3
An arrow is added to every shot.
Knock Down
Skill Cost: 3
Machines fall faster with heavy spear attacks.
Fast Reload
Skill Cost: 3
Enables faster reloading while using concentration.
Triple Shot
Skill Cost: 3
An additional arrow is added to each shot.
Fighting Back
Skill Cost: 3
With a low HP, heavy spear attacks deal more damage.
Forager Skills
These are used to get additional resources, increased HP regeneration, and more.
Lure Call
Skill Cost: 1
Bait enemies to your position.
Healer
Skill Cost: 1
Increased healing speed.
Gatherer
Skill Cost: 1
Resources are increased while foraging.
Combat Override
Skill Cost: 2
Increases the override time by 50%.
Herbalist
Skill Cost: 2
Medicine carrying capacity is doubled.
Scavenger
Skill Cost: 2
Looting machines give more resources.
Combat Override Plus
Skill Cost: 3
This takes override time to infinity.
Disarm Traps
Skill Cost: 3
Traps can be reused.
Ammo Crafter
Skill Cost: 3
Ammo gets increased when crafting.
Call Mount Plus
Skill Cost: 3
A new overridden mount is called in case of none.
Tinker
Skill Cost: 3
Weapon coils and outfit weaves can be removed and reused.
Scavenger Plus
Skill Cost: 3
Resources while looting machines are increased.
Traveler Skills
Traveler skills target the repairing the machines and mounted interfaces.
Mounted Pickup
Skill Cost: 1
Gathering of resources and searching enemies while mounted.
Mount Repair
Skill Cost: 2
Using metal shards, repairs damaged mount.
Machine Repair
Skill Cost: 3
Using metal shards, repairs prevailed machines.
Mount Repair+
Skill Cost: 3
increased mount health and repairing speed.
Dismount Strike
Skill Cost: 3
Starts a launch attack.
Shard Salvager
Skill Cost: 1
Grants Alloy to disassemble excess resources and modifications costing 50% of the available metal shard.
Expert Carver
Skill Cost: 2
Increased chances to loot different things such as skin, bones, lenses.
Hoarder
Skill Cost: 3
Increases your inventory slots by 20%.
Best Skills to Prioritize in Horizon Zero Dawn
- Silent Attack: Irrespective of how much skillful a player is, this skill is very important as sometimes you need to minimize the enemy base without causing trouble. You can even take down an entire camp without breaking any alarm by using this skill.
- Critical hit: Critical hits are always a plus when you are playing a combat based game. In Horizon Zero Dawn, critical hits can really hurt enemies and you should definitely prioritize it.
- Collector: In order to get saved from the lack of resources, i.e., the health flowers will help in filling of medicine pouch faster.
- Double Shot: As you will be using bow as a weapon in most of the missions. Double shot will enable to fire 2 arrows at a time which can do a lot a damage and can break enemy armor as well.
- Concentration: Concentration is one of the most important skills that a player should have, it allows you to land a shot more precisely by making it more easier.
- Tinkerer: One of the most demanding best skills in horizon zero dawn, with Tinkerer you can remove weaves and coils from your gear.
Can You Get All the Skills in Horizon Zero Dawn?
Yes, you can get all the skills in Horizon Zero Dawn by engaging in Main Quests, Side Quests, Errands, and other objectives and side activities you can earn skill points. Through these skill points you can unlock any skill needed but it will take a while to unlock all the skills. In addition, you can reset your skill and even redistribute your skill points whenever needed if you think you have cashed in the wrong skill at some point.
