After being unveiled alongside the PS5 in June 2020,Horizon Forbidden Westfinally launched on Sony’s latest console and PS4 last week. Guerrilla Games’ action-RPG does everything a sequel should. Not only does it refine elements that fans loved about the original game, it alsoadds exciting new features to theHorizonformula. The title’s Machine Strike board game, a side-activity that Aloy can explore similarly to Geralt dabbling inGwentwithThe Witcher 3, is perhaps the perfect representation of this idea.
While the majority of Aloy’s adventures inHorizon Forbidden Westcenter around her efforts to restore GAIA, players shouldn’t ignore the strategy-based distraction. Acting like a post-apocalyptic version of Chess, players can challenge select NPCs to tense matches. Conquering each opponent requires the use of wooden board pieces that are based on the machines players fight in the Forbidden West. Each of the six machine types that are in the game move and attack uniquely, which ensures learning how to use them is vital for achieving success.
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Melee Strike Pieces
In order to provide a simple introduction into the mechanics of Machine Strike, Guerrilla Games made the first set of machines that players encounter easy to use. Dubbed the Melee Type, most of these pieces are based on the machines thatAloy encounters withinHorizon Forbidden West’s opening hours. Machines like the Burrower, Scrounger, and Clawstrider Strike Pieces can be found within this classification. Often acting as the game’s equivalent of Pawns, players only have to keep in mind that when Melee Types attack, they always prioritize targeting the closest piece in their Attack Range.
Gunner Strike Pieces
Machine Strike’s second group of pieces is known as the Gunner Type. Like that moniker suggests, what sets these wooden pieces apart from their comrades is the fact that they act as ranged fighters. Gunner Types must be their maximum Attack Range away from an enemy piece before they can deal damage. This classification is one of the more populated groups, with machineslike the Scrapper and Longlegincluded within it, ensuring players have plenty of opportunities to experiment.
Ram Strike Pieces
ThroughoutHorizon Forbidden West, Aloy often finds herself facing off against robots that like to charge her directly. It isn’t particularly surprising that there’s plenty of Ram Type pieces that act the same way. Players can find pieces that represent the Bristleback, Ravager, Grazer, and the newly introduced triceratops-inspired Plowhorn within this classification. Like the Melee type, eachRam Type piece will always attackthe first enemy within their Attack Range. However, what makes them unique is the fact that once they lash out, they push the enemy piece back one space before moving onto the Terrain tile it previously held.
Dash Strike Pieces
Out of the six classes that players will encounter inHorizon Forbidden West’s board game side-activity, the Dash Type is arguably the most challenging to master. Beyond the fact that there’s only five machines within the group, such as the Charger and Thunderjaw, what sets Dash pieces apart from all the others is the number of quirks players need to keep in mind. Machines within the Dash classification always move to the end of their Attack Range, provided that the tile on the other end is vacant. Any piece in their path, regardless of whether they’re a friend or foe, is also damaged in the process and rotated 180 degrees.
Swoop Strike Pieces
SinceHorizon Forbidden West’s unveiling, a lot of discourse surrounding the game has centered around the flying machines thatGuerrilla Games has used to promote its sequel. Being an adaptation of the combat that Aloy experiences during the main narrative, it’s little surprise to see several flying robots represented in the Machine Strike board game. What makes machines within the Swoop Type class special, including the Glinthawk and Skydrifter, is that they can jump to the first enemy within their Attack Range. As an added bonus Swoop Type pieces receive a +1 combat bonus on all Terrain types, ignoring every disadvantage associated with each biome.
Pull Strike Pieces
The final group of wooden pieces found inthe Machine Strike board gameis made up exclusively of amphibious robots, such as the Widemaw and Snapmaw. Players need to keep in mind that every Pull Type piece automatically receives a +1 Combat Power bonus when they’re placed on Marsh Terrain tiles. Thanks to their aquatic heritage, each can move through the normally challenging biome without any penalty. To make things better for this group of machines, they also have some useful quirks by pulling the enemy one step closer after an attack.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
