Horizon Forbidden West: How to Destroy Metal Flowers with the Vine Cutter

As you explore the Horizon Forbidden West map, you’ll come across various areas locked behind green vines with metal leaves. Somewhere in the vicinity, either in front of them or behind a nearby locked door, for instance, will be a glowing blue node in the shape of a pyramid. These nodes are called Metal Flowers, and you may be wondering how to destroy them to get the loot or collectibles they protect.

This Horizon Forbidden West guide will tell you how to destroy Metal Flowers and where you’ll get the tool to do so: the Vine Cutter. Technically, you’re overriding them, but we won’t get bogged down in semantics. Read on to learn more.

How to Get the Vine Cutter in Horizon Forbidden West

Similar to Firegleam red crystals, you can only destroy Metal Flowers with a piece of Legendary special gear: the Vine Cutter. However, you won’t get this gear until much later in Horizon Forbidden West.

During the 12th campaign mission, Seeds of the Past, you’ll need to infiltrate Test Station Ivy in order to retrieve the Demeter subordinate function. After going through the tunnels, reaching Test Station Elm, and fighting the terrifying Dreadwing, the data core you’re after is almost within reach. However, a Metal Flower and its vines block the way.

Eventually, you’ll reach a Holoprojector where Aquino talks about combating the increasingly menacing machine presence in the past, and what the researchers are doing to curb it. After this bit of lore, you’ll get the blueprint for the Vine Cutter. Follow the objective marker to the workbench, and craft it.

You’ll then be able to destroy the Metal Flowers blocking your way forward, which serves as a tutorial for the rest of the Metal Flowers found around the map.

How to Destroy Metal Flowers in Horizon Forbidden West

Hit the Metal Flower three times, either with a light or heavy attack, and it will open up. Then a prompt will appear, telling you to press R1 to install the Vine Cutter module. Once you do, there will be a short animation where Aloy shoves her Champion’s Spear into the center of the Metal Flower, causing the vines to disintegrate and disappear. 

Metal Flowers often hide valuable loot and crafting items, though they sometimes protect other collectibles like Black Boxes. You can find them on the map represented by what looks like a canister titled right, not an actual flower. If you’ve already activated all of the Tallnecks and still have question marks on the map, it’s likely some are Metal Flowers.

But that’s about all you need to know about how to destroy metal flowers in Horizon Forbidden West. With the Vine Cutter in hand, you’re free to seek more of the mysteries of the Forbidden West. to help you on your journey, we have more guides over here.