In Horizon Zero Dawn, players can stumble upon a mysterious subterranean ruin early in their journey that houses the ultimate protective gear. Known as the Ancient Armory side quest, this hidden objective requires tracking down scarce resources to bypass high-tech locks. Unlocking the final room grants Aloy the exceptionally powerful Shield-Weaver outfit, which entirely alters late-game combat dynamics.
Finding the Hidden Bunker Location
The secret underground structure is nestled within the mountainous terrain of the starting region. To locate it, players should travel north from Mother's Embrace and head toward the rocky border near Devil's Thirst. A distinct radar icon shaped like a rainbow ruin will indicate the entrance to the deep cavern.
Descending into the subterranean cave eventually leads to an abandoned high-tech laboratory filled with holographic machinery. Inside, the advanced armor sits clearly visible behind heavily locked glass security panels. Finding this location or picking up a required power item will formally activate the side quest in the journal.
Acquiring the Vital Power Cells
Restoring power to the facility requires finding five rare Power Cells that are scattered throughout critical main story missions. The first is located within the prologue ruins that Aloy explored during her childhood training tutorials. Players can revisit this cavern later as an adult and break through rock formations to retrieve it.
Subsequent power items are tied directly to deep progression within the primary narrative campaign. These objects are positioned carefully inside major ruins like the All-Mother Mountain, Maker's End skyscraper, and the Grave-Hoard facility. The final necessary unit is found inside the GAIA Prime ruins near the absolute end of the storyline.
Solving the Main Door Puzzle Code
Once all five items are gathered, players must return to the laboratory to fix the damaged wiring nodes. The primary security entrance requires two units to restore the interface controls. Observation with the Focus device reveals a display showing military time markers meant to guide the correct combinations.
To successfully open the main door, players must rotate the holographic dials to match specific positions. The correct solution from left to right requires setting the switches to up, right, down, left, and up. Bypassing this initial mechanism grants access to the internal chamber holding the suit constraints.
Unlocking the Final Clamps Mechanism
Getting past the door reveals a secondary mechanism that firmly holds the unique clothing item in place. This final obstacle requires inserting the three remaining power units into the empty electronic circuits. Nearby clues display various geometric angles instead of traditional clock coordinates to hint at the solution.
The sequence for this lock depends on rotating the discs to specific directional angles. Turning the dials from left to right in the pattern of right, left, up, right, and left releases the mechanisms completely. Players can then finally claim the inventory box containing the highly coveted protective gear.
