Charger

The **Charger** appeared in 2017 videogame called *Horizon Zero Dawn*. The Charger is a machine in *Horizon Zero Dawn* and *Horizon Forbidden West*. It is a small Acquisition Class machine. As such, its function is the gathering and recycling of resources. Herds of Chargers are commonly found in the various tribal lands. A human equipped with the necessary technology can utilize a Charger as a mounted transport.

Chargers were designed by the artificial intelligence GAIA as part of the terraforming process that was the first step in restoring life to the planet after its eradication by the Faro Plague. As such, they were one of the machines first encountered by humans when they settled in their various tribal lands. Their main purpose seems to be the manufacture of Blaze through the conversion of grass, similar to Striders, Grazers, and Broadheads.

Like all other GAIA terraforming machines, Chargers were previously docile toward humans, and would normally spook and run when confronted by hunters. In response, the artificial intelligence HEPHAESTUS, which manufactured them, made them hostile toward humans, in a phenomenon that the tribes call The Derangement.

The Nora huntress Aloy discovered that ancient machines known as Corruptors possessed a component that allowed them to control any contemporary machine, in the sense that the machine fought alongside the Corruptor in battle. She was able to harness this component to override any specific herding terraformer unit. Furthermore, an overridden Charger, Broadhead or Strider became docile toward her to the point of being able to ride it as transport. This skill was observed and copied by the wandering maverick researcher Sylens.

A Charger’s chassis very closely resembles that of a Strider or Broadhead. However its head resembles that of a bighorn sheep. Two large, forward-curving horns, similar to the horns of a bighorn ram, are located on its head. Both horns are equipped with a tool that resembles a chainsaw. An optical sensor array consisting of a sensor partially surrounded by four smaller sensors is located at the end of the snout. A single Blaze canister is located between the haunches. The chassis is composed mainly of synthetic muscle, with white armor plating partially covering the head, neck, shoulders, hips, forelegs and hind legs.

Chargers are always found in herds busily grazing on grass, which they convert into Blaze. Charger herds are usually accompanied by patrolling Watchers or Longlegs and/or Sawtooths, in order to protect them from hunters and maximize efficiency. Chargers are skittish, but less so than Striders or Broadheads; should a perceived threat be identified, such as a nearby human, Chargers are more likely to attack rather than run. They can deal devastating damage if the player is at a low level.

## Powers and Abilities

On encountering a perceived threat, Chargers are capable of charging at high speed with their heads lowered to ram the enemy. Additionally, they employ a variety of kicks like the rams they resemble. However, if a Strider is overridden and used as a mount, these same kick attacks become weapons that can be employed by the rider against hostile machines or humans.