This guide will show you how to complete Tutorial: Shadow Ropecaster, a Tutorial Quest in Horizon Zero Dawn. Read on to learn the objectives, strategies, and rewards for the Tutorial: Shadow Ropecaster Quest.

Tutorial: Shadow Ropecaster Quest Information

Tutorial: Shadow Ropecaster Walkthrough

How to Complete

1	The following Machines are classified as large: Behemoths, Rockbreakers, Thunderjaws & Stormbirds. Head over to any of their Machine Sites on your map to begin. Note: The easiest to tie down out of the four is the Thunderjaw since it tends to stay in one place, keeping the rope lines unbroken.
2	Select the Shadow Ropecaster from the weapon wheel and equip the Heavy Tie Rope pack. Make sure the Shadow Ropecaster Tutorial is set to active before engaging in combat.
3	Approach the large machine. If they are Rockbreakers or Behemoths, approach stealthily. If they are Thunderjaws, stealth or open combat will work. If they are a Stormbird, players will need to force it down to the ground via combat.
4	Once the large machine is in range, shoot it with the Shadow Ropecaster. Repeat this until the blue knot symbol above its head indicates a full white ring.
5	If successful, the large machine should momentarily be incapacitated. Allow it to escape if you plan to tie it down again.
6	Players will need to repeat steps 1-5, two more times to complete this Tutorial Quest.

Tips & Strategies

Watch Out for Machines Breaking Tie Ropes

Large machines will tend to struggle when you hit them with the first 1-2 shots of your Ropecaster. Sometimes, this causes the ropes to break.

In this instance, try not to spread the anchor points of your Ropecaster shots too much as this gives the machine more room to maneuver and break existing ropes.

Use the Same Large Machine Thrice

To be more efficient, especially when the large machine is alone on the field, consider using it thrice to fulfill the Tie Down objective of this Tutorial Quest.

Players can wait for the machine to break free naturally, or they can free it manually by having Aloy hit it with a light spear attack that cuts the ropes.

Tie Down Thunderjaws

Thunderjaws, by far, are the easiest machine to target for this Tutorial Mission simply because of their kit and how they behave. Unlike other large machines, the Thunderjaw will stay in one general area with no escape methods (e.g., Behemoth charge attacks, Rockbreaker burrow attacks, and Stormbird flight).

Additionally, players can make them even less of a threat by simply using Tearblast Arrows on their disc launchers. This has them go for mostly melee attacks, making tie down mechanics easier for the player.

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