Information about the Pyre Hunter Bow in Horizon Forbidden West, including how to obtain it, how to upgrade it, and what the strengths and weaknesses of the Pyre Hunter Bow are.

Pyre Hunter Bow Description¶

“A sturdy mid-range bow crafted to deliver Fire payloads. When upgraded, its Impact Arrows deal additional damage to enemies in the Burning state.”

How to Get the Pyre Hunter Bow¶

You can buy the Pyre Hunter Bow from the Hunter in The Bulwark. To access the region where you’ll find The Bulwark, you must complete the quest The Eye of the Earth, which is about a third of the way through the main questline.

Once this hurdle has been overcome, you still have to make the trek west to The Bulwark, which isn’t easily accessible until you start the main quest [The Broken Sky]. That doesn’t mean it’s inaccessible, however - you just need to head to the mountains south of The Bulkwark, which are tall enough to allow you to glide over to the town. Once you’ve properly discovered it, of course, you can just fast travel back any time you wish.

Speaking of which, in addition to the Metal Shards you’ll need to trade a Fanghorn Circulator, which should be trivial to obtain considering how common they are.

How to Use the Pyre Hunter Bow¶

An interesting weapon in theory, the Pyre Hunter Bow deal both Impact and Tear damage in varying degrees thanks to its Hunter Arrows and Advanced Hunter Arrows, as well as Fire damage with its Advanced Fire Hunter Arrows. This puts it in direct competition with the Sun-Touched Hunter Bow, another Rare bow that has access to the same ammo types.

Unfortunately for the Pyre Hunter Bow, the Sun-Touched Hunter Bow can be obtained earlier and deals higher base damage with all its arrow types, which ultimately brings the discussion down to the perks both weapons have. The Sun-Touched Hunter Bow is a Critical Hit focused bow, while the Pyre Hunter Bow’s chief gameplay feature of interest is its “Burning Enemy Damage” perk. This deals extra damage (+10% at Rank I, improves to +25% damage at Rank IV) to enemies who are on fire, so light a foe up, then lay into them with Advanced Hunter Arrows. Does this make up for the Sun-Touched Hunter Bow’s higher base damage? Well… it just about ties it, on paper, and when you factor in the other weapon’s Critical Hit bonuses it becomes fairly hard to recommend the Pyre Hunter Bow to anybody who isn’t a devoted pyromaniac.

As with most rare weapons, the Pyre Hunter Bow can aspire to two Coil Slots when fully upgraded.

How to Upgrade the Pyre Hunter Bow¶

Pyre Hunter Bow Rank I Upgrades¶

• Metal Shards: Common drop from all machines.
• Braided Wire: Common drop from all machines.
• Small Machine Core: Uncommon drop from all Lightweight machines.

Pyre Hunter Bow Rank II Upgrades¶

• Bellowback Sac Webbing: Rare component from [Bellowbacks]. You must avoid destroying the Cargo Refining Sac to loot this component.
• Fanghorn Antler: Very Rare drop from Fanghorns. Must be detatched before the machine is destroyed.

Pyre Hunter Bow Rank III Upgrades¶

• Medium Machine Core: Rare drop from all Midweight machines.
• Bellowback Circulator: Uncommon drop from Bellowbacks.

Pyre Hunter Bow Rank IV Upgrades¶

• Bellowback Primary Nerve: Uncommon drop from Bellowbacks.
• Rollerback Hammer Tail: Legendary component from [Rollerback] machines. Must be detached before the machine is destroyed. Rollerbacks can be found southwest of Saltbite.

Pyre Hunter Bow Stats¶

Pyre Hunter Bow Perks¶

• Burning Enemy Damage: Deals extra damage to enemies who are Burning. Unlocks at Rank I and initially deals +10% damage, increases to +25% damage at Rank IV.

• Overdraw Damage: Deals extra damage when a shot is “Overdrawn”. Unlocks at Rank II.

Pyre Hunter Bow Ammo Types¶

• Hunter Arrows: Your standard ammuntion for the Hunter Bow. Deals low Impact damage and moderate Tear damage. Good for hunting animals and removing components, but lacks the punch required to bring down heavier machines.

• Fire Hunter Arrow: Your generic Fire Arrow, it deals light Fire damage and inflicts moderate Fire Buildup.

• Advanced Hunter Arrows: Boasting roughly double the strength (and ten times the cost) of normal Hunter Arrows, these are much more suited for dealing with heavier machines. Deals moderate Impact and heavy Tear damage. Probably wasted on wildlife.