If you’re an explorer, you’ll find the Ancient Armory early on in your playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn. This Old Ones facility holds the best armor in the game, the Shield Weave armor. However, to unlock the doors leading to the armor, you’ll need to find five power cell locations and figure out two code puzzles.
If you want to unlock the Ancient Armory in Horizon Zero Dawn, you’ll have to have patience. Its location in the game might make you think you’re able to open it early on, but that’s not the case.
Horizon Zero Dawn Ancient Armory Power Cell Locations
There are five power cells scattered throughout the game that you have to acquire to open up the Ancient Armory. Two of them are relatively close to the armory itself, but the other three are found later in your journey.
The locations of the five power cells in Horizon Zero Dawn are:
- Underground Bunker – Revisit the ruins from the prologue
- All-Mother Temple – Hidden in a tunnel or beside a table
- Maker’s End – Top of the tower
- The Grave-Hoard – After the spinning disc puzzles
- GAIA Prime – After the zipline near the end of the ruins
You can return to the Ancient Armory to drop off power cells at any time, but there’s no real use in doing so until after you’ve got all five.
Horizon Zero Dawn Ancient Armory Puzzle Codes
Once you’ve placed the first two power cells in their places, you’ll have to solve a puzzle by spinning the discs on the cells to the right positions. Nearby, you can scan a console where you’ll see five numbers listed. These are times, and you just need to pretend like the discs are clocks.
The solution for the first set is:
- Up
- Right
- Down
- Left
- Up
You’ll need to do the same thing for the second set of power cells.
The second puzzle code is:
- Right
- Left
- Up
- Right
- Left
After you’ve unlocked the second door, you can enter the armory and claim the Shield Weave armor at your leisure.
