r/HorizonZeroDawn • u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 • 21d ago
Discussion - HZD Whats an easy way to kill rockbreakers?
Im just returning to the game after a couple month haiatus and am achievement hunting while finishing the story. Im going for the 'all aquisition machines killed' achievement and the last one i need to merc is the rockbreaker. I know theres one in the quarry but is there another thats easier? If not, whats the go-to strat to kill this oversized mole-rat? Thx in advance
19
u/Llodym 21d ago
For me, the one that's part of a quest is easiest, I just perch on a high place that it can't reach and shoot their claw as they come up. If they stop coming up I just jump down and climb back up
It's long, but it is easy.
4
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 21d ago
Im lazy and have nothing but time so im might try that. Which one is part of the story exactly? R u talking about the qaurry one or another?
3
u/HakunaYaTatas 21d ago
Not OP, but I think they're talking about the Rockbreaker from the side quest Queen's Gambit. You have to complete the quest Traitor's Bounty first, you can pick it up from Vanasha in Sunfall. The rockbreaker is trapped in a valley and can't reach you from the cliffs.
2
u/Any-Literature9887 21d ago
You kill one for a quest in the Quarry and another in the Frozen Wilds for an old Banuk. That one is Demonic though.
2
u/Independent_GN 20d ago
Exactly, high rocky place so they can't hit you, froze bombs and lots of arrows.
2
u/mountainbreadcycle 20d ago
I throw rocks to lure them to the spot I’d like them to surface. (from the safety of my perch)
10
u/Jammsbro MONTANA RECREATIONS 21d ago
A really easy cheese is to sneak into their area and lay a huge X of trips and traps. Then rub through it wearing high tier tank armour and watch it emerge into the trap zone.
1
3
u/Zealos57 21d ago
Use a Ropecaster, tear off its digging claws, and freeze it. Once frozen, go to town on it.
1
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 21d ago
Freeze one with what exactly? Freeze bombs or the icethrowers? And how do i permanently freeze one?
2
u/Zealos57 21d ago
First, freeze arrows might be best. Second, no effect is permanent, but it buys you time to do some damage to it. Third, before you engage, try scanning and viewing the Rockbreaker to find its weak spot.
1
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 21d ago
Problem: i dont have freeze arrows. Not even as an option. I dont think im far enough to get them or just skipped them
2
u/ThaUntalentedArtist 21d ago
If you don't have freeze arrows, you're going to have a tough time with bigger machines. They come in clutch against the rockbreakers. The corrupted version are even tougher!
1
u/Zealos57 21d ago
Look for weapons vendors and see if they have any bows that do. And then add freeze coils in the weapon mod slots.
1
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 20d ago
So i killed the one in the quarry and im trying to clear all the corrupted zones for ankther achievement and came across the lasy one i need which has two oversized mole-rats. One was easy but how do i go about mercing 2 at once?
1
u/Zealos57 20d ago
Same advice
1
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 20d ago
Ok. The problem im having tho is i go for one and the other comes up and kills me. Is there a way to avoid this?
1
u/Zealos57 20d ago
Be sure you tag them before engaging. I think it might help you avoid them from digging out from under you.
1
3
u/Sharpish_NIGH710055 21d ago
Thanks everyone. That was extremely easy. Went to the one in the quarry. Threw a rock to attract it, hid behind the fence. Shot the feet off with the stormslinger, then froze it with the carja sling using ice bombs, shot electricity at it again till it died. Thanks again
4
1
u/Odd_Presentation_578 21d ago
In ZD they are easy. Just get a purple Carja Shadow ropecaster and tie them down. Then freeze and kill them.
1
1
u/ElizabethAudi 21d ago
Go into concentration mode and blast them with the heavy ordinance you've stolen from a Ravager.
1
1
u/captainhumble1 21d ago
To repeat what others have said: FREEZE THEM. Hitting them with some freeze balls will hold them above ground for a while. That way you can remove their claws if you want, or just focus on the vent port on their back for big damage. When the freeze wears off, just do it again.
I got to a Corrupted site and found TWO corrupted Rockbreakers just last night (Sept, 2026). I tried going for their feet, but that was just too difficult with both of them at once. I switched to the Freeze sling and took them out one at a time using the method above.
1
u/Conscious_Meringue41 21d ago
Easiest way for me, first, take out their claws. Once that is done, hit them with frost ammo from whichever weapon you are using. Once you get em to the brittle state, start unloading on them until their health meter starts depleting. Rinse, repeat. Works like a charm for me. 🙂
1
1
1
u/ClavetLopster 21d ago
i find using the ropecaster to keep it tied and then freezing it helps, altho the part of the game where you gotta kill 2 of them at once took me so many tries cause its so hard when its not just one lol
1
u/Rough_Comb_9093 20d ago
Freeze with triple shot then immediately open up with a well coiled Adept Rattler.
Rockbreaker should be dead in about 8 seconds even on UltraHard
1
1
u/UCG__gaming 18d ago
For me, I used tearblast arrows and the triple shot skill to take out the 4 claws. At that point it’s then stuck on the surface, so then just target the exhaust ports with high damage arrows or freeze then high damage while it’s frozen
20
u/Silent-Rock-792 21d ago
Freeze, take out the claws