You’re staring at that ancient bunker door in the Nora ruins, wondering why the hell you can’t get through. It’s frustrating. We’ve all been there, looking at that sleek, glowing Power Cell in Horizon Zero Dawn and realizing the game is basically dangling the most overpowered armor in your face while telling you to wait twenty hours.
The Shield-Weaver armor isn't just a cosmetic upgrade. It's a literal game-changer. It gives Aloy a rechargeable energy shield that absorbs every bit of damage until it hits red. If you’re playing on Ultra Hard, it’s basically the only thing keeping you from being one-shot by a stray Stalker flare. But the quest "Ancient Armory" is a slow burn. You can’t just stumble into all five cells in the first afternoon of play. The game gates them behind massive story beats, which is honestly a bit of a tease.
Most people think they have to wait until the literal end of the game to feel like a god. That's not entirely true, but you do have to be smart about when you backtrack. If you miss one during a main mission, you might find yourself locked out of certain areas until much later, which is exactly what we want to avoid.
The First Hurdle: The Underground Ruins
So, you remember that cave Aloy fell into as a kid? The one where she found her Focus? You have to go back there. It’s located in the Mother's Watch area. Once you're an adult and have the ability to spear through those pesky stalactites, head back down.
There's a specific doorway blocked by ice formations. Smash through them. You'll find the first Power Cell in Horizon Zero Dawn sitting on a desk in what looks like an old meeting room. It’s easy to miss because the lighting in those ruins is moody at best and pitch black at worst. Grab it. Don't leave without it, because trekking back here later feels like a chore once the map opens up.
All-Mother Temple: The One Everyone Misses
This is the big one. During the quest "The Womb of the Mountain," right after the Proving massacre, you wake up inside the mountain. This is your best chance to grab the second cell.
Basically, as you’re walking through the corridors of the All-Mother temple, look for a locked red door. Most players just follow Teersa and keep moving. Don’t do that. To the left of that locked door is a ventilation shaft. Crawl through it. The cell is just sitting there at the end of the tunnel.
Here’s the kicker: if you miss it now, you are locked out of Mother’s Watch for a huge chunk of the game. The gates literally won't open again until the "Heart of the Nora" quest near the finale. There used to be a glitch where you could ride a mount and jump over the gate, but the developers patched most of those shortcuts out. Just get it now. It saves so much headache.
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Climbing Maker’s End
The third one requires some actual effort. You’ll find yourself at the top of the Faro Automated Solutions skyscraper during the mission "Maker’s End." After you watch the holographic data points of Ted Faro and Elisabet Sobeck arguing about the end of the world, don't just rappel down.
Look up.
There is a green climbing path that goes even higher than the floor where the objective was. It’s a bit of a vertical platforming puzzle, but at the very summit of the tower—the highest point in the entire game—is your third Power Cell in Horizon Zero Dawn. The view is incredible, honestly. You can see half the map from up there, and the cell is just sitting in a ruined office nook.
The Grave-Hoard and The Mountain That Fell
By now, you’re likely halfway through the game. The fourth cell is in the Grave-Hoard. This one is actually the hardest to miss because it’s almost directly on your path. When you’re navigating the ruins and solving the ring puzzles to restore power, look for a side room near the main exit of the bunker. It’s just sitting there on the floor.
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The final cell is tucked away in GAIA Prime during "The Mountain That Fell." This is late-game territory.
- After you talk to the holographic Sylens in his workshop, you need to head outside.
- Instead of following the waypoint down the zip line, look to the left.
- There’s a treacherous-looking drop-off with some climbing ledges.
- Follow that path into a hidden room.
If you hit the zip line, you’ve gone too far. You’ll have to climb back up, which is a pain because the navigation markers in GAIA Prime are notoriously finicky.
Cracking the Code in the Ancient Armory
Once you have all five, head back to the bunker near Mother’s Rise. You have to solve two sets of dial puzzles. The game gives you clues based on military time and degrees of a circle, which can be confusing if you’re just trying to get the armor and go.
For the first set of dials (representing time), the positions are: Up, Right, Down, Left, Up. For the second set (representing angles), the positions are: Right, Left, Up, Right, Left.
Once those are set, the clamps release. You get a "Shield-Weaver Outfit Box" in your inventory. Open it, equip it, and suddenly those Ravagers aren't so scary anymore.
Why the Shield-Weaver Changes Everything
The armor works on a simple mechanic: it provides an overshield. When you take a hit, the shield flashes red and depletes. If you stay out of combat for a few seconds, it recharges to blue. On Normal difficulty, it makes you nearly invincible.
However, be careful on the Frozen Wilds DLC area. The "Control Towers" in the Cut emit a pulse that instantly disables the Shield-Weaver. If you rely too heavily on the shield, those Scorcher machines will rip you apart the second your tech fails. It’s a clever way the devs balanced the game for the expansion.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
Don't wait until the end of the story to start hunting. Use these steps to maximize your efficiency:
- Check your inventory now. If you have two or three cells and can't remember which ones, go to Maker's End first. It's the most common one people skip because of the extra climb.
- Fast travel to the campfire near the Ancient Armory as soon as you have the first two cells. You can install them early to save inventory space, and it triggers the second half of the quest.
- Prioritize the All-Mother cell during "Womb of the Mountain." If you've already finished that quest and the gates are closed, wait until the "Heart of the Nora" main quest. Don't waste hours trying to glitch through the mountainside.
- Swap armor sets. Even with the Shield-Weaver, keep a Stealth set (like the Nora Silent Hunter) for navigating through glintawk territory. The shield doesn't help if you're constantly being swarmed because you're glowing like a neon sign.
The quest for the Power Cell in Horizon Zero Dawn is basically a grand tour of the Old World's collapse. It’s rewarding not just for the loot, but for the lore tucked away in those corners. Grab the cells, get the armor, and go show those Thunderjaws why Aloy is the deadliest thing in the Sacred Lands.