Updated Title Publisher
Updated Title Publisher
Updated Title
Published Title Score Editor's Choice Publisher
Published Title Publisher

Horizon Zero Dawn

Thunderjaw

By
Jarrod Garripoli
&
Nathan Garvin
Loot
Blaze, Chillwater, Sparker, Metal Shards, Echo Shell, Machine Core - Large, Crystal Braiding, Thunderjaw Lens, Thunderjaw Heart

Cauldron ZETA Override. Thunderjaws are one of the strongest machines in the game and if you look at its entry in the Machine Catalogue, you will see why. This thing packs a lot of weapons and will stop at nothing to put an end to your life. It has a radar on its back, making it so you won’t be able to hide in tall grass, as it will still spot you. One of the first things you will notice is the Disc Launchers on either side of its back. These things shoot out discs that fire lasers at you, either directly at your last position or around the Thunderjaw itself; these lasers will make the ground explode a split second after they hit.

That’s not the only ranged attack the Thunderjaw has, as it has two cannons, one on each side of its mouth, that it will use to shoot a barrage of bullets (similar to the Ravager’s cannon). In addition, whether it gains this attack later on or has it from the start, it can also shoot some lasers from its mouth, in a fan-like pattern that starts near the Thunderjaw and then goes in a straight line away from it. This is very easy to dodge, as you can simply roll to the left or right to get out of its way.

Of course, the majestic beast does not simply sit back and pelt you with ranged attacks, as the Thunderjaw has a wide array of melee ones, too. It can try to spin and hit you with its tail, which you can get rid of by knocking the tail off. If close enough, it can try to smack you with its head and the other melee attacks tend to happen if you’re a little further away. There is a charge attack, similar to a bull, where the Thunderjaw will go straight forward, making it easy to just roll out of the way. The other melee attack can be tricky to dodge, as the Thunderjaw will lunge forward and then try to hit you with its head, so you’ll want to keep an eye out and roll whenever the head starts moving.

One of the first things you should do with the Thunderjaw is to remove the Disc Launchers, so you’re going to need some tear attribute to get them off. Weapons like the Carja Sharpshot Bow, with access to Tearblast Arrows, or the Tearblaster itself, are ideal for this. Knocking these off will allow you to pick them up to use against the Thunderjaw itself, dealing some big damage. If you couple this with Freeze Arrows or any other weapon that inflicts that status, then it shouldn’t take long to bring the Thunderjaw to the ground.

Freezing the Thunderjaw (left) and then using its own disc launcher against it (right) is the quickest way to bring one down.

While you can’t disable the fan-shaped laser attack from its mouth, you can knock off the cannons on either side. This might be a little challenging to do, especially since the Thunderjaw moves around so much, but Concentration is a great skill that will help. Your biggest damage, outside of the Disc Launchers, will come from hitting the Heart, which is behind some panels not far from its head. If you wish to break off the cannons, then you will effectively negate all but one of its ranged attacks. The rest of the battle will be pretty much dodging its melee attacks, so equipping the melee resist armor will help in case you get hit.

You will fight a few Thunderjaws throughout the main story and during some of the optional content, but you may be wondering where you can find some outside of those. The reasoning why Thunderjaws are great because they can drop two to three purple (very rare) armor/weapon mods and once you get a good pattern now, you can easily kill one within a minute or two. The easiest spot for this is a Thunderjaw Site that’s west of Daytower and literally right next to a campfire. Kill the Thunderjaw, go back to save, and choose Restart From Save to make the Thunderjaw respawn.

No Comments
No Upvotes
User profile pic

Comment submission error:

The comment must be at least 1 character in length.

Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Sony Interactive Entertainment
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    16 February 2017
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin, Jarrod Garripoli

Share this free guide:

Taking place one-thousand years in the future, colossal machines have overrun and dominated the land, forcing humans to regress to tribal societies who have to survive off the land. Where did these behemoths come from? With a love for technology, it is up to Aloy, an outcast of her Nora tribe, to uncover the mysteries of her world. Take to the open world to explore, fight the metal monstrosities and learn all about the wonderful world of Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Version 1.2

  • Basic mechanics, including exploring, gathering, fighting and crafting.
  • Completion of every single side mission and errand in the game.
  • Collectibles and locations section updated (Banuk Figures, Vantage Points, Bandit Camps etc).
  • A thorough walkthrough of the main story missions.
  • A complete walkthrough of every single side mission in the game.
  • Strategies on how to defeat each of the enemies.
  • A full trophy guide.
  • Full Frozen Wilds DLC guide.

Get a Gamer Guides Premium account:

Quick sign up

Already have an account?

Quick log in

Don’t have an account?