Best Skills In Horizon Zero Dawn In Each Category

Horizon Zero Dawn features four distinct skill trees that improve Aloy’s abilities both in and outside combat. With a total of 80 skills across all trees, it can be hard to figure out which ones will benefit you the most.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the best skills to prioritize in Horizon Zero Dawn. We’ll cover each tree separately. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into it.

Best Prowler Skills

The Prowler Skill Tree improves Aloy’s stealth and combat abilities, these are the best Prowler Skills in Horizon Zero Dawn:

1. Hunter’s Reflexes: This skill slows down time to make it easier to aim while jumping and sliding. It also makes it easier to land consistent shots and works best when paired with the Concentration skill from the Brave skill tree.
2. Dodge Prowess: This is a useful skill that can be utilized during combat encounters. It lets Aloy do short—and long-range dodge rolls.
3. Low Profile: Low Profile reduces the rate at which enemies detect you. This also lets you quickly slip back into stealth should enemies become suspicious of your whereabouts.

Best Brave Skills

Brave Skills improve Aloy’s total damage output and her accuracy when using bows and arrows. The six best Brave skills are:

1. Critical Hit/ Critical Hit+: Throughout the game, you’ll face many enemies, and critical hits are the best way to finish them off. Both Critical Hit and Critical Hit+ allow you to increase your critical damage output.
2. Concentration: Concentration slows down the time while Aloy uses her bow. This improves precision, but you still need to practice a lot to be a better shooter. Concentration can help you focus on enemies’ weak spots.
3. Precision/Precision+: With this skill, Aloy has an increased chance to knock off machine components when using light spear attacks. This skill is useful when you’re hunting for certain components and items.
4. Knock Down: Knock Down increases the probability of staggering/knocking down a machine through heavy spear attacks.
5. 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 be a lifesaver.
6. Double Shot and Triple Shot: You will be using the bow as a weapon throughout most of the game. Double shot will enable you to fire 2 arrows at a time which can do a lot of damage and can break enemy armor as well, if you wish to take this further, you can invest in Triple Shot, which lets Aloy notch up to three arrows at once.

Best Forager Skills

The Forager skill tree mainly improves Aloy’s abilities outside of combat situations, letting her get the most out of her resources while also increasing the amount of resources she can gather:

1. Lure Call: With this skill, Aloy can lure a single target close to her, without alerting other machines in the vicinity. Lure Call works especially well for thinning out the crowd when taking on a large number of foes at once.
2. Gatherer: Crafting is a pivotal part of Horizon Zero Dawn and the Gatherer skill allows you to acquire more materials from plants and downed machines.
3. Healer: Healer increases the rate at which you recover health upon the use of healing items.
4. Scavenger: Scavenger lets Aloy get extra resources when searching/looting downed machines. This skill goes hand in hand with the Gatherer perk and comes in handy when you’re constantly crafting traps and ammo.
5. Disarm Traps: Traps cost a lot of resources to set up in HZD, and unused ones are a waste. With the Disarm Traps skill, you can get all your unused traps back and use them later.

Best Traveler Skills (Frozen Wilds DLC)

The Traveler skill tree is exclusive to the Frozen Wilds DLC. The skills found within this tree improve Aloy’s abilities with machines and resources:

1. Dismount Strike: With this skill, Aloy can launch off her mount and follow that up with a spear strike to any nearby enemy.
2. Machine Repair: Machine Repair lets Aloy repair any overridden machine, allowing your machine companions to assist you longer.
3. Expert Carver: This skill increases the number of Skins, Bones, Hearts, and Lenses from animals and machines.
4. Hoarder: Hoarder increases inventory space for all resources by +20%, allowing you to hold more of every item.

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.