Horizon Zero Dawn has five power cells, and you need all of them to open the Ancient Armory and claim the Shield-Weaver armor. They’re in the childhood ruins near Mother’s Watch, All-Mother Mountain (during The Womb of the Mountain), Ted Faro’s office at the top of Maker’s End, Grave-Hoard, and GAIA Prime (during The Mountain That Fell). None can be missed for good, but two of them are only reachable at certain points in the story.
Spoiler note: this guide names main quests and story locations up to the late game. It doesn’t describe story events.
What players get wrong about the power cells
“I missed three cells and finished the story. Am I locked out?”
No. A player in a Steam thread about missed power cells skipped the All-Mother, Grave-Hoard and Maker’s End cells and asked after the credits. The answer was that every cell except All-Mother can be picked up at any time, and the All-Mother lockout lifts once you reach the end of the story. The poster went back and found all three, getting into All-Mother through a newly opened tunnel.
“The gates of Mother’s Mountain are closed. Did I lose that cell?”
Only temporarily. In a thread about the All-Mother cell, replies explain that the story sends you back to the area later, and one player summed it up: “nothing in the game that can be permanently missed.” If you know about it, though, you can grab it the first time you’re inside, which saves a lot of waiting.
“I’ve jumped at the GAIA Prime cliff a thousand times and can’t get in”
That’s because the way in doesn’t exist yet. Players in a Steam thread about the GAIA Prime cell explain that the ladder only appears once The Mountain That Fell is active. It’s a story mission, so you’ll get there regardless.
“I picked up three cells but the quest only counts one”
Not a bug, according to a Steam thread on the counter. Two cells are spent on the armory’s outer door, and the quest tracker then counts only the three needed for the armor itself. Check Inventory > Special to see which cells you’re actually carrying.
Horizon Zero Dawn power cell locations
Here’s every cell in one table, then the exact spot for each. Details come from the Horizon Wiki Ancient Armory page and match what players report on Steam.
| # | Location | Story quest | Can you come back later? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruins near Mother’s Watch (the ruin Aloy falls into as a child) | None needed | Yes, any time |
| 2 | All-Mother Mountain | The Womb of the Mountain | Only after The Heart of the Nora |
| 3 | Maker’s End, Ted Faro’s office | Maker’s End | Yes |
| 4 | Grave-Hoard | Grave-Hoard | Yes |
| 5 | GAIA Prime | The Mountain That Fell | Not before the quest; reachable once it’s active |
1. Ruins near Mother’s Watch
This is the Old World facility Aloy tumbles into as a child, and you can walk back in whenever you like. Force the locked door with your spear, smash through the doorway blocked by stalactites, and the cell sits on a table at the back of the room. It’s easy to forget because you visit it hours before the armory quest exists; the player in the counter thread above was missing exactly this one.
2. All-Mother Mountain
Grab this one during The Womb of the Mountain, because the mountain closes off soon after. When Teersa heads left past the equipment room, keep going straight instead. You’ll reach a locked red door; crawl through the candlelit tunnel beside it to the room at the end. Skip it and you’ll have to wait until The Heart of the Nora, when the Mother’s Watch gate opens again.
3. Maker’s End (Ted Faro’s office)
At the top of the Maker’s End tower, in Ted Faro’s office, don’t go straight for the data storage system. Look for the yellow handholds and climb further up the ruined skyscraper to the cell, then use the rappel point to get back down. If you rushed past it, you can return later; the player in the missed-cells thread went back for it after the credits.
4. Grave-Hoard
This one sits on the route you have to take. After you restore power to the Ancient Door and walk through, watch for a green diamond marker; the cell is right there. It’s still easy to walk past in the fighting. One player who returned after the quest found the entrance seemingly blocked by ice, and reported that quitting and reloading the game fixed it (Steam thread).
5. GAIA Prime
The hardest one to reach. Stop at the rappel point, then edge left to the cliff and look for handholds that are easy to miss. Climb them into a hallway lit in purple; the cell is on a shelf on the right at the very back. The player in the missed-cells thread called it nearly impossible without risking a fall, so save before you try it.
How to open the Ancient Armory
The armory is an Old World bunker east of Mother’s Rise in the Sacred Lands. You reach it through a rock formation and climb down handholds into an underground lake. The quest, Ancient Armory, starts on its own the first time you either visit the bunker or pick up a cell.
- Insert two cells into the slots by the first door.
- Turn each hologram until it matches the 24-hour time shown on the display. Treat it like the hands on a clock.
- Go inside and insert the last three cells.
- Rotate the five locks to match the angles shown. Reading left to right, they point right, left, up, right and left.
- When all five line up, the last barrier drops and the armor is yours.
Is the Shield-Weaver worth it?
For most players, yes, especially on harder difficulties. The Shield-Weaver wraps Aloy in a blue energy shield that soaks up damage and stops ranged attacks from staggering her. When it’s drained it flashes red and you take full damage until it recharges, with a beep to let you know it’s back. Shield strength drops on higher difficulties (the wiki lists 500 HP at the easy end down to 125 at the hardest), so it recharges faster but breaks sooner.
The trade-offs: there are no mod slots, and melee knockdowns from things like a Sawtooth charge or a Thunderjaw tail still land. Some players also dislike the look; in a Steam discussion about the armor, several said it works well in fights but looks less impressive on Aloy than they expected.
Does this apply to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered?
Yes. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered came out on October 31, 2024 for PS5 and PC, and PlayStation lists visual, audio and technical upgrades rather than new quests. Saves from the original carry over, so if you already collected cells there, they come with you.
Frequently asked questions
How many power cells are there in Horizon Zero Dawn?
Five. Two open the outer door of the Ancient Armory and the other three release the Shield-Weaver armor inside. Other quest items with the same name, such as the ones in Heap of Trouble and Waterlogged, don’t count toward the armory.
Where is the Ancient Armory in Horizon Zero Dawn?
It’s an Old World bunker in the Nora Sacred Lands, reached through a rock formation east of Mother’s Rise. You climb down handholds into an underground lake to get inside.
Can you get the Shield-Weaver armor early?
Not legitimately before The Mountain That Fell, because the GAIA Prime cell can’t be reached until that quest is active. Steam players mention a cliff glitch for early access, but it’s unreliable and not something the game intends.
Does the Shield-Weaver armor have mod slots?
No. The Shield-Weaver trades mod slots for an energy shield that absorbs damage until it flashes red, then recharges after a short break.
Are the power cells in the same places in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered?
They should be. Sony describes Remastered as a technical and visual upgrade of the same game and lists no changes to quests or collectibles, so the same five spots apply.
Featured image: Guerrilla / Sony / official Steam screenshots
