Look, we’ve all been there. You’re wandering through the metallic, rusted-out ruins of Horizon Zero Dawn, dodging a Sawtooth or trying not to get stomped by a Thunderjaw, and you stumble upon that high-tech bunker. It’s called the Ancient Armory, and inside sits the Shield-Weaver armor—easily the most broken, overpowered outfit in the entire game. But then you see the locks. You need those elusive power cells to get it.
It’s annoying.
The game doesn't just hand these to you. In fact, if you miss one during a main quest, you might find yourself locked out of certain areas for hours until the story loops back around. Getting the power cell ancient armory set isn't just about finding shiny batteries; it's about knowing exactly when the game lets you grab them and not walking past them like a distracted Strider.
Honestly, the Shield-Weaver armor is a game-changer because it generates a literal force field around Aloy. You stop taking red-bar damage until the shield flashes red and depletes. It makes Ultra Hard difficulty feel like a casual stroll in the park. Sorta.
Where the First Two Power Cells Are Hiding
You can actually grab the first one almost immediately after the prologue. Remember the ruins Aloy fell into as a child? Go back there as an adult. It’s in the Nora territory, specifically the Ruins from the Prologue. You’ll see some stalactites and stalagmites blocking a doorway. Smash them. The power cell is sitting right there in an office-like room. It’s easy to miss because your brain tells you there’s nothing left in the "tutorial" area.
The second one is tucked away in All-Mother Mountain.
This one is tricky. You’re usually there right after the Proving when everything is chaotic and the world is literally on fire. If you don't grab it then, the doors to the mountain stay locked for a massive chunk of the middle game. You have to wait until the "Heart of the Nora" quest to get back in. To find it, look for a red "locked" door in the corridors of the bunker. There’s a small ventilation crawlspace nearby. Duck inside, crawl through, and the cell is on the floor.
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The Mid-Game Grind: Maker’s End and The Grave-Hoard
Once you leave the Nora lands, you’re heading for the skyscrapers of the Old World. The third power cell is at the very top of Maker’s End.
You’ll fight a Deathbringer at the base of the Faro Automated Solutions building. Don't just leave after the cutscene with Sylens. Climb. Keep climbing until you reach the very tip-top of the skyscraper, way above the conference room where the holographic data points are. There’s a jagged spire you can scale. It feels like you’re going out of bounds, but you’re not. The cell is perched at the highest point of the ruin.
Then comes The Grave-Hoard.
This one is basically a gift compared to the others. It’s located in the third level of the ruins. After you solve the triple-ring light puzzle to restore power to the ancient doors, you’ll walk into a room and it’s just... there. On a desk. It glows green. If you walk past this one, you’re probably playing with your eyes closed. Just kidding, but seriously, it’s right in your path.
The Final Piece: GAIA Prime
This is the one that tests your patience. You cannot get the fifth power cell until the quest "The Mountain That Fell." This is near the very end of the game.
When you’re exploring the ruins of GAIA Prime, you’ll reach a point where you have to zip-line down. Don’t do it. Or rather, don't do it until you've looked to the left of the zip-line. There’s a hidden path leading down into a purple-lit cavern. It looks like a dead end, but it leads to a small room containing the final power cell ancient armory component.
Solving the Puzzles Inside the Armory
Once you have all five, you have to go back to the bunker (it’s East of Mother’s Rise). You’ll find two separate sets of holo-locks.
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The first puzzle uses military time. Look at the display; it shows times like 12:00, 15:00, 18:00. You need to rotate the dials to match the positions of a clock hand for those times. The code is usually: Up, Right, Down, Left, Up. The second puzzle, which you unlock with the final three cells, uses degrees. It’ll show something like 90°, 270°, 360°. You just rotate the dials to those angles. If you’re looking for the quick answer, it’s: Right, Left, Up, Right, Left. Once the clamps pop open, the Shield-Weaver outfit is yours.
Why This Armor Changes Everything
The Shield-Weaver isn't just "good." It’s a complete shift in how the game plays.
In Horizon Zero Dawn, the combat loop is usually: dodge, shoot, dodge, heal. With the armor from the power cell ancient armory, the "heal" part of that equation disappears for a while. The shield absorbs all incoming damage until it turns red. Once it’s red, you’re vulnerable. But here’s the kicker—it recharges automatically if you stay out of the fray for a few seconds.
Basically, it rewards high-mobility players.
However, it’s not invincible. If you get hit by a massive elemental attack, like a Stormbird’s lightning or a Fire Bellowback’s explosion, the shield will likely pop instantly. You also can't add modifications to it. No weave slots. That means you lose out on stealth bonuses or elemental resistances that other armors like the Nora Silent Hunter or the Banuk Werak Chieftain provide.
Common Mistakes People Make
Most people think they’ve glitched the game when they go back to All-Mother Mountain and the doors are shut. You haven't. The game just locks that area for story reasons. Just keep playing. You’ll get back in eventually.
Another big one: forgetting to actually open the box.
When you unlock the armor, it appears in your inventory as a "Treasure Box." You have to go into your inventory menu, navigate to the boxes tab, and manually open it to equip the Shield-Weaver. I’ve seen people spend twenty minutes wondering why the armor isn't in their "Outfits" tab after they did all that work.
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Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you want the Shield-Weaver as early as humanly possible, follow this sequence exactly:
- Level 1-10: Ignore the bunker. You can't do anything yet. Just progress until you finish the Proving.
- Post-Proving: Immediately grab the cell in the Prologue Ruins and the one in All-Mother Mountain before you leave the Nora lands.
- The Climb: As soon as the quest "Maker's End" pops up, head North. Don't get distracted by Side Quests if the armor is your priority.
- The Grave-Hoard: This is a linear quest. Just keep your eyes peeled for the green glow after the dial puzzles.
- The Wait: You literally cannot finish this quest until the final hours of the main story. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to find a way into GAIA Prime early; the climbing path doesn't exist until the quest triggers.
- Inventory Check: Once you have the armor, sell your lower-tier outfits, but keep one "Stealth" outfit for when you're trying to bypass groups of machines without a fight. The Shield-Weaver is loud and offers zero camouflage.
The hunt for the power cell ancient armory items is a bit of a trek, but it’s the closest thing the game has to a "God Mode." It makes the final battle against the HADES-controlled machines significantly less stressful. Just remember to watch the shield color; blue is good, red means run.