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Horizon Forbidden West

Trial 9: Plasma Blast Trial

By
Jarrod Garripoli

Hunting Grounds are challenges that will test your mettle with various weapons in the game. This page will detail the Plasma Blast Trial at the Hunting Ground in Sheerside Mountains.

The Plasma Blast Trial at the Hunting Grounds in Sheerside Mountains

Where to Find the Hunting Grounds in Sheerside Mountains

There doesn’t seem to be a story prerequisite for this Hunting Grounds, as long as you can freely explore the western portion of the map. As for the exact location, once you find Stone Crest to the northeast of The Bulwark (a location you visit in The Broken Sky), then head straight south from there to find this Hunting Grounds.

Stripes

Stripes Time Needed Rewards
Quarter Stripes 10:00 4 Hunting Medals, 40 Metal Shards, 2 Small Machine Cores
Half Stripes 03:00 5 Hunting Medals, 50 Metal Shards, 10 Glowblast, 1 Medium Machine Core
Full Stripes 02:00 6 Hunting Medals, 60 Metal Shards, 10 Glowblast, 1 Rollerback Circulator, 1 Medium Machine Core

Grounds Keeper’s Tips

  • When a machine enters the Plasma Blast state, a timer begins. When it ends, a Plasma Blast will inflict massive damage to the machine.
  • The amount of damage a Plasma Blast inflicts depends on how much additional damage you deal to the machine during the timer.
  • There is a limit to the amount of additional damage that you can inflict before the timer ends.
  • Additional damage can be inflicted by any weapon or trap.

How to Complete the Plasma Blast Trial

If you read the Grounds Keeper’s tips, then you should have a good idea what you need to do in order to complete this trial. Before doing anything, you will need a weapon with Plasma ammo, with the Hunter selling a Plasma Boltblaster, should you not have any on hand. This should work fine, with the knowledge that the Boltblaster is not a friendly weapon type whenever you need to move around a lot. Think of the Boltblaster kind of like a gatling gun from other games, where the character moves around slowly and the reloads are a bit slow. That being said, Boltblasters can be quite powerful weapons.

You don’t roll normally whenever you dodge with a Boltblaster in your hands, so be wary of that as you’re doing this trial. With the Plasma Boltblaster (or another weapon with Plasma ammo), you’ll need to go after the Rollerback machine. You only need to concentrate on this one machine, so completely ignore the Bellowbacks, if you can. Upon inflicting the Plasma Blast state on the Rollerback, a familiar timer will appear above it, but a gauge will also appear to the side of that timer. When the timer runs out, an explosion will happen because of the Plasma buildup, dealing damage to the Rollerback.

If you deal more damage, from any source you can use, with the Plasma Blast state being active, the gauge will fill up. The more of the gauge that is full when the timer runs out, the more damage the explosion does. Of course, there is a limit to the amount you can build up, which is represented by the gauge to the right of the timer. You need to fill this gauge all the way before the timer expires not once, but twice, in order to complete this trial. Remember to switch to another weapon once you’ve built up the Plasma meter, since whatever weapon you use to do that likely won’t help with filling the gauge.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • Platforms,
    PS4, PS5
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    16 February 2022
  • Last Updated
    31 March 2022
    Version History
  • Guide Author

Share this free guide:

This guide for Horizon Forbidden West includes the following:

  • A Walkthrough for Main Quest
  • A Guide for all Errands, Side Quests and Cauldrons
  • An in depth analysis for Weapons and Armor.
  • Information on all new and returning Machines
  • How to find and complete all four Melee Pits
  • How to unlock and complete all stages of the Arena
  • How to find and override all five Tallnecks
  • Locations on all Collectibles
    • Ornaments
    • War Totems
    • Vista Points
    • Survey Drones
    • Signal Towers
    • Black Boxe

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