Horizon: Zero Dawn - Shield-Weaver Armor

Unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor by completing the Ancient Armory quest in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

This guide will show you how to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn by completing the Ancient Armory quest. As you progress through the game, you will have access to various Outfits, all of which increase Aloy’s stats in some regard. However, equipping Aloy with the rare Shield-Weaver Armor will make her practically invincible.

How to Get the Shield-Weaver Armor

How to get the shield weaver armor in Horizon Zero Dawn
You can find the Ancient Armory quest at any time, but you will need all five Power Cells in order to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor.

To unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn, you will first need to activate the Ancient Armory quest. To do this, look for a "Bunker" in Mother's Rise marked by a half-circle. It's similar in appearance to the triangular symbol that marks Cauldrons.

After locating the Bunker, carefully descend down into a watery area and proceed to swim forward. There, you'll encounter a locked room where the Shield-Weaver Armor is kept.

To activate the Ancient Armory quest, use your Focus to interact with the grid on the right side. This will prompt Aloy to realize the locked door can be opened by restoring the power.

where to find the shield weaver armor in horizon zero dawn
If you deactivate the quest to pursue other objectives, it can be re-activated by interacting with the first Power Cell in your Resources inventory. 

If you deactivate the quest to pursue other objectives, you can re-activate it by obtaining the first Power Cell and interacting with it in your Resources inventory. Additionally, if you found the first Power Cell before visiting the Armory, you can follow these steps to activate the Ancient Armory quest for the first time.

You'll need two Power Cells to restore power to the door. However, in order to actually retrieve the Shield-Weaver Armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn, three additional Power Cells need to be collected to disengage the clamps holding it in place. As such, we recommend tracking down all five Power Cells before returning to the Bunker.  

Because of the vast distances between each Power Cell, it's also a good idea to either learn how to unlock a mount, or learn how to get the Golden Fast Travel pack.

Power Cell 1

How to get shield weaver armor in HZD
To find the location of the Ruins in Horizon: Zero Dawn, open your map and look for a Bunker symbol in the area outside Mother's Watch.

The first Power Cell needed to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor is located in the Ruins you fell into as a child. However, you can only collect the first Power Cell once Aloy is an adult. 

To locate these Ruins again, open your map and look for the symbol that marked the location of the first Bunker. Once you've found the Ruins, move down through the levels until you find an area blocked by stalagmites and stalactites.

Next, use your Spear to break apart the obstruction and head into the room to collect the first Power Cell. 

How to get Shield Weaver Armor Horizon Zero Dawn
The first Power Cell you find is located in the Ruins where you found your Focus as a child.

Additionally, you'll find a Metal Flower hidden within these ruins behind another set of breakable stalagmites and stalactites. Be sure to collect this before you leave. 

Power Cell 2

The second Power Cell can be found shortly after you finish The Proving, or after the Womb of the Mountain quest. Here, you awaken underground in All-Mother Temple. Be sure to take your time exploring this area, as you will find a room with a vent system in it. Enter the vent system to access a side room where you’ll find the second Power Cell on the ground.

How to get the Shield Weaver Armour Horizon Zero Dawn
The second power cell is found within All-Mother Temple beyond a locked bunker room.

To revisit All-Mother Temple after The Proving, fast travel to the campfire located just outside Mother's Watch. Cross the bridge and approach the gates, if they're closed, turn around and run back across the bridge to the campfire. Pause, then return to the gates. They should now be open, allowing you to venture into All-Mother Temple to collect the second Power Cell.  

Power Cell 3

Shield Weaver Armor guide in Horizon Zero Dawn
The third Power Cell is found on top of the large structure during the Maker's End quest.

The third Power Cell for unlocking the Shield-Weaver Armor can be found during the Maker’s End quest. When you're climbing up Faro's skyscraper, head all the way to the top, exit the door, turn around and climb up to the next level. Use the yellow handholds to climb to the top of the structure, where you'll find the third Power Cell.

Power Cell 4

Shield Weaver Armor guide HZD
Look for the fourth Power Cell during the Grave-Hoard quest in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

The fourth Power Cell you can find in order to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor can be found during The Grave-Hoard quest. Solve the spinning-disc puzzles, then climb to the second floor. Head through the door and look to a side room to find the fourth Power Cell.

Power Cell 5

How to get the shield weaver armour Horizon Zero Dawn
The fifth and final Power Cell is found inside the GAIA Prime ruins during the Mountain That Fell quest.

The final Power Cell you need to find to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor is located inside the GAIA Prime ruins. You can access this area during the quest, The Mountain That Fell. After searching through the mountain, you’ll come outside. Before you reach the zip line, look for a ledge you can climb down and around.

Climb as far down as you can and you'll see a cave bathed in purple light. Continue through the cave to find the fifth Power Cell on a shelf. Now that you have all of the Power Cells, you're one step closer to getting the Shield-Weaver Armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Return to the Ancient Armory

How to get the shield weaver armour Horizon Zero Dawn
Now that you've collected all five Power Cells you can unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor by fast traveling back to the first Bunker.  

After collecting all five Power Cells, you can now unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor located in the first Bunker where you activated the quest.

Enter the Bunker and locate the puzzle with the disc locks. Use your Focus to examine the Breakers and Repair Fuse. Next, insert two Power Cells into the red discs.

Power Cell Holo Lock Puzzle Solution #1

Solve the Holo Lock puzzle on the wall to access the center area. To solve the puzzle, turn the dials from left to right so that they're pointing in the following positions: up, right, down, left, up. These dials correspond to clocks, which is indicated by the clue on the wall to the right.

How to get the shield weaver armor Horizon Zero Dawn
Use the first two power cells on the red dials on the first puzzle. The solution is up, right, down, left, up.

Power Cell Holo Lock Puzzle Solution #2

After entering the center chamber, move through to the other side and place the remaining three Power Cells into the wall and solve the next puzzle. You must turn the Holo Locks to solve the puzzle. The second Holo Lock solution is: right, left, up, right, left.

Doing this will release the clamps, allowing you to claim the Shield-Weaver Armor. Open your Inventory, select Treasure Boxes, and open the Shield-Weaver Outfit Box. Then, equip the Shield-Weaver Armor on Aloy.

How to get the shield weaver armor Horizon Zero Dawn
The solution for the second Holo Lock puzzle is right, left, up, right, left.

The Shield-Weaver Armor is the most powerful armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn, making Aloy invincible so long as the Shield-Weaver Armor is charged. When it flashes red, retreat, let it recharge, and then get back into the fight!

If you followed this guide, you should now know how to unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor in Horizon: Zero Dawn by completing the Ancient Armory quest.

Sam Chandler is the Australian piece of the AllGamers puzzle. Out of all his gaming-related passions, collecting N64 games, speedrunning, and Souls games rank among the most important. You can reach Sam through Twitter, @SamuelChandler, or through his email, sam.chandler@allgamers.com, at any time of the day or night on either side of the globe.

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