How to Defeat Shellsnapper in Horizon Forbidden West

In this guide, we will look at how to defeat Shellsnapper in Horizon Forbidden West and discuss its location and the rewards it drops.

Horizon Forbidden West has some of the coolest looking mechanical beasts for the players to fight and defeat. In today’s guide, we will look at how to defeat Shellsnapper in Horizon Forbidden West. We will also be discussing its location and the rewards for defeating it.

Where to Find Shellsnapper in Horizon Forbidden West

If Blastoise from Pokemon and Optimus Prime somehow had a baby, you will get the Shellsnapper. It is a massive turtle-like machine with loads of weapons strapped to its back and belly.

Shellsnapper is said to guard the coasts of the forbidden west. Shellsnapper can dig and hide in the ground for weeks. But, don’t get deceived by the bulky physic; Shellsnapper can get ready to fight in a matter of seconds.

Though a turtle, it’s not as slow as you think. Shellsnapper can close the gap between you and him pretty quickly. With diverse ranged attacks in its arsenal, Shellsnapper is a force to be reckoned with.

Shellsnapper is one of the optional bosses in Horizon Forbidden West. You will most likely come across one in a desert environment. You can face off against Shellsnapper at the following two locations:

The first Shellsnapper is located is in the east of Scalding Spear, northeast of Rebel Output: Dry Yearn

The second Shellsnapper is located in the southwest of Camp Nowhere, northeast of Rebel Outpost: Stillsands North

How to Defeat Shellsnapper in Horizon Forbidden West

You are most likely to take on a Shellsnapper during the early half of HFW, which will make defeating the giant turtle a little tricky.

The Shellsnapper has a wide arsenal of ranged and close-distance attacks such as Shoulder-mounted Cannon, Ice Cannon, Belly Flop, Tail Strike, Burrowing, and Shield.

While fighting this mechanical tortoise, patience is the key. Rushing will do you no good, and you will only end up taking meaningless damage.

You will face this beast in most likely a rocky environment. Find a spot with good cover and fire-ranged projectile from a distance.

Most of Shellsnapper’s attacks hit hard and cause a lot of damage. Some of the projectiles are also capable of killing you in one hit.

To defeat the Shellsnapper in HFW, we will be focusing on three of its main components.

Shell Bolts: These bolts can be found on the shell of the machine. These bolts are responsible for keeping the shell in place. After you shoot the bolts on its shell, the shell will come off, exposing the inner machinery.

This way, you will gain access to the weak components. Inside you will see the refining core and several sparkers, which will detonate after a direct hit by an electric projectile. Hitting the Kinetic Dynamo will also deal quite a bit of damage.

Frost Blasters: These deadly ice blasting canons are located at the front and the tail of the Shellsnapper. Take them out with a ranged projectile to avoid getting shot with annoying ice attacks. Frost Blasters can later be used as a weapon as well.

Chillwater Sac: The large Chillwater sac is located at the underbelly of the Shellsnapper. If you want to shoot that, you will have to wait for the creature to stand on its hind legs and expose the Chillwater Sac. It is suggested to use a powerful weapon for this part, such as a Sharpshoot Bow or a BoltBlaster.

Beware of the Burrowing ability as it can go underground, come up at a new location, and start shooting a projectile at you pretty quickly. The Shellsnapper is weak against Fire and Acid attacks and Strong against Frost and Plasma Attacks.

Shellsnapper can also consume and project the energy from the attacks, so it is advised to be wary of that.

Rewards

The Shellsnapper in HFW drops a lot of common, uncommon, rare, and very rare loot.

Common

  • Metal Shards
  • Sturdy Hardplate
  • Braided Wire
  • Sparker

Uncommon

  • Purgewater
  • Shellsnapper Circulator
  • Machine Muscle
  • Glowblast
  • Chillwater

Rare

  • Large Machine Core
  • Shellsnapper Primary Nerve
  • Metal Bone
  • Blastpaste

Very Rare

  • Luminous Brainstem
  • Crystal Braiding
  • Shellsnapper Shell bolt
  • Frost Blaster
  • Volatile Sludge
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Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...