Horizon Zero Dawn Hunting Grounds Guide to help you complete all the Hunting Ground Trials and earn Blazing Sun Marks.
There are basically 5 Hunting Grounds in the game. The Hunting Ground Trials are of different types and aren’t easy. You’re basically ranked by the time you complete them – the faster, the better.
If you manage to complete everything that the Hunting Grounds offer, you’ll unlock the following Trophies:
- All Sons at all Grounds
- All Suns at one Ground
- Blazing Sons at all Grounds
- All Blazing Suns at one Ground
For more help on Horizon Zero Dawn, read our Ancient Vessels Locations Guide, Armor Sets Locations Guide, and Cauldron Dungeons Completion Guide.
Horizon Zero Dawn Hunting Grounds
Moreover, if you hand over all your marks to the Weapons Dealer inside the lodge, you’ll receive three ultimate gold-plated weapons in return. A pretty good trade if you ask me.
In our Hunting Grounds Guide, we’ve detailed everything you need to learn about completing all the Hunting Ground Trials and earning Blazing Sun Marks.
Nora Hunting Grounds
This should be the first Hunting Ground that you find. The trials include removing canisters from Grazers, killing them with logs, and using Blast Wires. Since a trial can be repeated, continue to do so until you get the ideal enemy placement.
For destroying the canisters, we’ve found Tearblast Arrows coupled with a Sharpshooter Bow to work incredibly well. You should also try and make sure that you don’t get spotted. If a container is hit too many times, it eventually runs off and the herd starts to follow.
For the logs trial, you need to use the long pile traps scattered on the ground in order to kill three machines. The herd can be distracted and pushed towards the trap by killing a Grazer or throwing some explosive at a side of the herd. As they pass the trap, shoot it and the logs will go on crushing any machine that comes their way.
Don’t shy away from using multiple tools in your inventory to force the herd into your trap and shoot it to activate it. For the final trial, the Carja Tripcaster is your best bet.
Purchase a Carja Tripcaster to create explosive rope traps. These traps will detonate the moment a machine trips the rope. These will help you take out the Grazers.
Valleymeet
In this trial, you need active usage of elemental damage types i.e. Shock, Freeze, Burn, and Tear. You should also try and avoid hitting Bellowbacks and stick to the Striders. You should try to search the area instead of wasting time on Bellowbacks.
When it comes to destroying canisters, make sure to stick with Fire Arrows. Within the given time, take a shot of each of the four containers on the back of striders.
For the Shock Trial, try to have arrows with decent Tear elemental damage and Tripcaster. To make a Bellowback stunned for some time hit it with 4 Shock Arrows. The next thing to be done is to take aim of its armor on its stomach and get the Canisters revealed.
Finally, for the Freeze Trial, you need to rely on Frost Grenades and keep your eyes peeled for Striders. Killing five Striders whilst avoiding the Freeze/Fire Bellowback is the key to completing this trial quickly.
Spurflints Hunting Grounds
Lucky for you, these are some of the easiest trials in the game that primarily rely on stealth and mobility.
For the Watch-Out Trail, you need to focus on killing the Watchers as silently as possible. Take note that there are Shell-Walkers and Stalkers here. If you go for this trial the wrong way, you will attract their unwanted attention, making it difficult for you to focus on the Watchers.
Other trials simply include killing Stalkers and looting Shell-Walker crates – as easy as it can get!
This trial asks you to track and take down two Stalkers in the given time. You can catch their attention by triggering a few mines. This will have the Stalker come out from hiding to check who or what triggered its mines. Attack it with electrical attacks to knock it out.
Sleight of Crate Trial tasks you to track down four Shell-Walker crates. You must not only find them but also loot them in the given time.
Greatrun Hunting Grounds
These are some hard trials that demand careful map movement. While you’re fighting the Glinthawks, try to maintain a high ground.
The Ropecaster works really well for the Tramplers and Glinthawks. Finally, the Pace Trial requires you to race the Glinthawks to Watcher bodies.
In the Parts Wrangling Trial, use a Ropecaster to shoot a Trampler 3-4 times until it falls over. Do this for two Tramplers and the trial will be completed.
In the Pace Trial, head out to the three mesas that have corpses of Watchers on top of them. Just climb, loot the corpse, and drop back down. You’ll have to attack Glinthawk so it drops the corpse and you can loot it.
Lastly, in the Tie Down Trial, to get a Glinthawk into the range of our Ropecaster, and then hit it at least three times and the ropes will pull the Glinthawk to the ground. Critical strikes at the end will finish things off.
Sun Furrows
These trials basically revolve around overrides and enemy weapons. I highly recommend leaving this trial for the last and only taking it after you’re successfully able to override Ravagers by completing all the Cauldron Dungeons. You can refer to our Cauldron Dungeons Completion Guide attached above for more information.
In the Ravager vs. Machines Trial, hit a Ravager’s mounted gun with one of the Tearblast arrows which will knock it off, allowing you to pick up the Ravager Cannon. Shoot the Watchers with the remaining Ravager Cannon ammo until it dies which will complete the trial.
In the Thunderjaw vs. Ravager Trial, you can wipe out the Ravagers by overriding the Thunderjaw. You can do this within the allotted time for the gold medal.
In the Ravager Control Trial, have both Ravagers under your control, and knock off the Thunderjaw’s two Disc Launchers
