Melee Pits are a type of side activity that players can engage in for Melee-based combat activities in Horizon Forbidden West (HFW). Find out the location of each Melee Pit, how to complete each challenge, and their rewards!

Melee Pit Locations

There are four Melee Pits that players can find scattered all across the Forbidden West. These Melee Pits are generally tucked away in settlements belonging to each clan in the West.

Chainscrape

Area Map	Zoomed Out Map

Scalding Spear

Area Map	Zoomed Out Map

The Bulwark

Area Map	Zoomed Out Map

Thornmarsh

Area Map	Zoomed Out Map

Trial's End (Secret Pit)

Note: This Melee Pit can only be unlocked when you have completed the Scalding Spear, The Bulwark, and Thornmash Melee Pits.

Area Map	Zoomed Out Map

Melee Pits Challenge Guides

Chainscrape

Challenge	Time Limit (Minutes)	How to Finish
Block Breaker	01:00	・Perform a Block Break.
Resonator Blast	01:20	Perform these following actions: ・Energize your Spear with Attacks ・Perform a Resonator Blast
Pit Master Challenge	02:00	Defeat Odurg

Attack Odurg Freely

Odurg is a simple enemy to fight against, and is the easiest of the four Pit Masters you'll fight against. He behaves similarly to an aggressive regular Human enemy, and can easily be taken down with a mix of Light and Heavy Attacks with quick dodges out of his counter-attacks whenever he performs them.

Scalding Spear

Challenge	Time Limit (Minutes)	How to Finish
Warrior's Wrath	02:00	Perform the following attacks in a chain: ・Nora Warrior ・Power Attack ・Resonator Blast
Aerial Punisher	02:00	Perform the following attacks in a chain: ・Aerial Slash ・Resonator Blast while in the air
Pit Master Challenge	01:30	・Defeat Lirrokeh

Dodge and Attack Lirrokeh

Lirrokeh attacks and defends quite similarly like Odurg, but does act more aggressive. He can quickly pull together quick combos that can stun-lock you if you're not careful. It is better to dodge away whenever he tries to attacks, and be prepared to roll out of the way again when he continues his combos in the hopes of catching you with an attack.

When possible, simply counterattack and stun-lock him with a combo of your own to end the match.

The Bulwark

Challenge	Time Limit (Minutes)	How to Finish
Jump-Off and Shoot	01:00	Perform the following in a chain: ・Dodge an Attack ・Jump-Off ・Shoot Opponent while in the Air
Seek and Strike	01:20	Perform the following actions: ・Jump-Over First Opponent ・Slam Attack Second Opponent while Falling
Sustained Breaker	01:20	Perform these attacks in a chain: ・Block Breaker ・Halfmoon Slash ・Jump-Off ・Shoot Arrow at opponent.
Pit Master Challenge	02:00	・Defeat Errayo and Virakk

Deal With Them Individually

In a surprise twist, the Melee Pit's Pit Master Challenge in The Bulwark will have you fighting against both Errayo and Virakk at the same time. Trying to fight both at the same time is quite difficult to do – instead, lure Virrak, the larger of the two, away from Errayo.

Bait him into attacking, which leaves trying to recover from his own attack, leaving you available to attack either him or rush at Errayo for a quick knockout. Either way, deal with one of the two before fighting the remaining other.

Thornmarsh

Challenge	Time Limit (Minutes)	How to Finish
Destroyer Chain	02:00	Perform these attacks in a chain: ・Power Attack ・The Destroyer ・Shoot your Opponent with an Arrow
Reap and Clear	01:30	Perform these actions in a chain: ・Spinning Scythe ・Halfmoon Slash ・Jump-Over Enemy
Energy Surge Chain	01:20	Perform these actions in a chain: ・Energy Surge ・Halfmoon Slash ・Jump-Off
Power Rush	01:30	Perform these attacks in chain: ・Power Attack ・Halfmoon Slash ・Nora Warrior ・Shoot opponent with Arrow
Pit Master Challenge	02:00	・Defeat Tenallo

Block Break His Shield

Tenallo is the only Pit Master that you will encounter that wields a shield. In order to properly fight him without much trouble, it is recommended that players bait him into attacking, dodging out of the way of his attacks in time and attacking him from his flanks. Alternatively, you can perform Block Break attacks against him until his shield is disabled, leaving him vulnerable to combos until he is knocked out.

Trial's End (Secret Pit)

Challenge	Time Limit (Minutes)	How to Finish
The Enduring	Unlimited	・Defeat The Enduring

Use Smoke Pots Against The Enduring

The Enduring is the toughest opponent that you will fight against and serves as the last "Pit Master" for all the Melee Pits as well as the final character to fight against for the Errand The Enduring. She is extremely aggressive, with a large HP pool to draw from as a means of resistance against your attacks.

There are various Smoke Pots scattered around the fight arena – shoot or melee these whenever she is nearby to cause her to become stunned. Use this moment to strike at her freely, which helps to reduce her large HP pool down to more manageable portions.

Melee Pit Rewards

Only Obtained After Fighting Pit Masters

These "rewards" for each Melee Pit completed are only given to the player after fighting the last challenge in each Melee Pit – Pit Master Challenges.

Furthermore, the rewards listed here are all part of The Enduring, an Errand that players can do the moment they hit the Chainscrape settlement.

Melee Pit	Reward
Chainscrape	・x1 Pristine Skull
Scalding Spear	・x1 Desert Clan Mark
The Bulwark	・x1 Sky Clan Mark
Thornmarsh	・x1 Lowland Clan Mark
Trial's End	・6500 XP ・1 Spear Damage ・3 Skill Points

What Are Melee Pits?

Side Activity

Melee Pits are side activities that players can choose to partake in throughout their journey across the Forbidden West. These "pits" comprise of several Melee challenges, usually requiring players to chain several Melee Skills together, eventually leading into a final challenge that requires the player to defeat the "Pit Master" of an area.

Divided Into Three Activities

Each Melee Pit – excluding The Enduring's Pit – has three activities that are presented to the player: Tutorial, Challenges, and Practice. Tutorial is where players are taught the particulars of Melee Combat, and is actually something players are recommended to do prior to diving into Challenges.

The Practice option meanwhile acts as a free sandbox for players to test out the skills they learn against an invincible opponent, with Challenges being "live" combat scenarios where players will have to perform specific actions. Completing these Challenges count towards "beating" the Melee Pit you are playing in.

Requires Investment in Warrior Skill Tree

Although Melee Pits are largely free for players to access, some of the Challenges require the player to invest Skill Points into certain Skills in the Warrior Skill Tree. Without these Skills, Melee Pit Challenges cannot be completed, with the Pit Master Challenges at the end of each Melee Pit remaining locked until players can complete each prerequisite challenge.

List of Skills

Main Objectives in The Enduring

Players can choose to either complete each Melee Pit on their own, or play each one as part of the Errand The Enduring. Choosing to complete the Errand also unlocks an unlisted Pit where the player can fight the titular Enduring character.

The Enduring Walkthrough

Horizon Forbidden West Related Guides

List of All Quests

List of All Quest Types

Main Story
Story Walkthrough & Main Quests
Optional Quests
Side Quests	Errands
Salvage Contracts	Hunting Grounds
Rebel Camps	Relic Ruins
Tallnecks	Cauldrons
The Arena	Gauntlet Runs
Rebel Outposts	Melee Pits