Valor Surges are basically ultimate abilities carried by Aloy that provide her with additional buffs in tough situations. Using these abilities, you can completely turn the table on the opponent, leading to a victory in any battle. They will also help you against stronger challenges and obstacles later in the game.
The following guide will tell you all about Valor Surges, how to unlock and use them, and the best Valor Surges you should be using in Horizon Forbidden West.
How To Unlock Valor Surges In Horizon Forbidden West
Valor Surges are locked behind the Hunter skill tree in HFW, with each skill tree possessing its own Valor Surge.
Each skill is divided into three upgrades that are additionally broken down into six skill tree categories, possessing two Valor Surges.
To unlock a particular Valor Surge, you first need to spend your skill points to unlock all the skills surrounding it. The skills are connected through lines, all you have to do is keep unlocking the skills and follow the line to the central Valor Surge.
How To Use Valor Surges
Equipping Valor Surges is quite simple. Simply head over to the Valor Surge you want to quip in the skill tree and hold SQUARE. Once held for long enough, you’ll equip the Valor Surge.
Changing the Valor Surge involves the same process, but do keep in mind that you’ll lose all of your Valor in store if you switch to a lower level, for example, switching from a Level 3 one to a Level 2 one.
Additionally, you can power up Valor Surge by selecting the skill you need and by holding down SQUARE till the skill is leveled up.
Although it costs you a total of three skill points for level 2, and five for level three, it’s still a good place to invest your points.
Initially, these abilities aren’t activated, and you must activate them manually. The best way to activate Valor Surges is by filling up the Valor Meter.
This can be done by killing opponents and gathering useful resources. Simply complete these objectives and gradually fill your Valor Meter till it reaches its max capacity.
To use your Valor Surge, simply hold down L1 and simultaneously press R1. Remember to build up your valor meter first, this will be shown by a purple bar on the bottom left of the screen.
Initially, you’ll only have one bar but as you keep upgrading the Valor Surge, you’ll unlock more bars, allowing the ability to last longer.
All Valor Surges In Horizon Forbidden West
There are 12 Valor Surges in HFW, and each Surge can be upgraded three times to increase the overall performance of your character.
Below we’ve given all the types of Valor Surges in Forbidden West.
Warrior Valor Surges
- Critical Boost: Grants a higher possibility of landing a critical hit and boosts critical damage.
- Melee Might: Helps in dealing additional damage via melee attacks.
Trapper Valor Surges
- Elemental Fury: Enhance the elemental attack buildup while acquiring a higher resistance to elemental damage.
- Trap Specialist: Boost trap and tripwire effects.
Hunter Valor Surges
- Ranged Master: Helps in dealing additional damage via ranged weapons.
- Power Shots: Helps in dealing additional damage via Bows, Boltcasters, Ropecasters, and Spike Throwers.
Survivor Valor Surges
- Toughened: Grants resistance to status effects while restoring health.
- Overshield: Grants a rechargeable energy shield that absorbs damage.
Infiltrator Valor Surges
- Stealth Stalker: This Surge helps activate a cloaking device that can be disabled while using melee attacks or during an aim.
- Radial Blast: Deals damage to all opponents in the area by triggering a powerful shockwave.
Machine Master Valor Surges
- Part Breaker: Helps in dealing additional damage to machine components and weak spots
- Chain Burst: Damage is linked from opponent to opponent within 15 meters while increasing knockdown power.
Best Valor Surges In Horizon Forbidden West
Choosing the right skill can be tricky, but knowing what makes the skill superior to the rest can surely motivate a player to use it to its full potential.
Out of the 12 Valor Surges in HFW, the best ones are listed below:
Radial Blast
Shockwaves can play an important role when facing opponents in later battles as you venture into the game. With its AoE, you can make some space between you and the opponent, which helps you take a breath of fresh air for a while.
Part Breaker
This Surge breaks the opponent’s machine components while weakening the weak spots. What better way to put an enemy down!?
Stealth Stalker
Use this Surge before a fight, then lock the target on the biggest machine for a one-hit kill. This is one of the smoothest ways to drop an enemy down.
Chain Burst
Acts as a crowd controlling skill. Using Chain Burst, you can clear the battleground within seconds.
