Queen's Gambit Side Quest Walkthrough

This guide will show you how to complete the Queen's Gambit, a side quest in Horizon Zero Dawn. Read on to learn the quest objectives, strategies, location, and rewards for the Queen's Gambit side quest.

Queen's Gambit Quest Information

General Info

Quest Location

Map Location

World Location

You can start this quest after finishing the Traitor's Bounty quest on the Green Climb.

Queen's Gambit Walkthrough

How to Complete

	Objectives
1	Talk to Three-Toed Huadiv The quest will immediately start after completing the Traitor's Bounty quest. Find Huadiv on a campfire east from the Sunfall and talk to him to continue the quest.
2	Kill the Rockbreaker Remove the danger in the pass by killing the Rockbreaker that resides there. Talk to Huadiv again after killing the machine and wait for Vanasha and company to reach your location.
3	Killl the Pursuers There will be three waves of pursuers that will come your way. The first wave will be Eclipse cultists, the second wave will be cultists and machines, and the third wave is a Corrupted Thunderjaw. Defeat them to get to Meridian with the child king and his mother.
	Set up Traps (Optional) You will have some time before the pursuers reach your location. You can set up traps to hinder or kill them. If you don't have resources to spare on traps you can fight them head-on without too much difficulty.
4	Get to the Boat After stopping all the pursuers, go to the boat and it will lead you to Meridian. The quest will end after Avad is done speaking with you.

Tips and Strategies

Setting up Traps

Use your Tripcaster or craft placeable traps and set them based on where the pursuers are likely to pass through. We highly recommend placing traps near rocks that work well as a cover and on the road. Most enemies will go through that area, and you can maximize each trap's effectivness that way.

Use Tearblaster Arrows on the Rockbreaker's Digging Arms

The first thing to do when dealing with a Rockbreaker is to remove its ability to go underground. Use Tearblast Arrows or a Tearblaster to remove its Digging Arm components and stop it from hiding underground.

Use Shock Traps to Stun the Rockbreaker

You can stun the Rockbreaker using Shock Traps or Shock Wires. While its stunned, target its Fuel Sac or deal a Critical Hit to take out a large portion of its HP.

Throw Rocks to Distract the Rockbreaker

Make sure not to move while the Rockbreaker is underground to avoid getting attacked from below. Get a rock and throw it somewhere far from you to lure the machine out without risking it locating your position. Target its Digging Arms while it is above ground until it is forced to stay on the surface.

Go for Headshots and Stealth Kills

Most of the humans you'll encounter on this quest are weak. You can quickly take them out with a headshot or by using the Silent Strike skill from stealth. Use this strategy to save some resources before battling with the Corrupted Machines.

Use A Ropecaster and the Disc Launchers on the Corrupted Thunderjaw

The Corrupted Thunderjaw doesn't differ from a normal Thunderjaw, aside from its higher health and damage. It's recommended to start the fight by removing the Disc Launchers on its back using Tearblast Arrows and using them against the Corrupted Thunderjaw. Use a Ropecaster to tie it down first to get more time to aim the Disc Launchers.

Use Tearblast Arrows on the Corrupted Thunderjaw

You can remove more components using the Tearblast Arrows to expose its weak spots, especially the Heart. Hitting its Heart will deal extra damage to the Corrupted Thunderjaw. Additionally, removing components from the Thunderjaw will disable any related combat abilities.

Corrupted Machines take damage over time when they are burning. Use Fire Arrows, Fire Traps, and Fire Wires to inflict the Corrupted Thunderjaw with the burning effect to take it down faster.

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