- "Must be a Glinthawk . . . a flying scavenger."
- ―Aloy, upon sighting a Glinthawk
The Glinthawk is a machine in Horizon Zero Dawn. It is an aerial GAIA Terraformer machine which resembles a bird, much like the similar Stormbird, though far smaller. Its purpose is to scavenge destroyed machines, but it will also attack humans on sight with damaging ice attacks.
Appearance
Glinthawks have several avian characteristics, such as armor plating that resembles feathers and avian wings, tail, legs, and feet. The general appearance of the chassis resembles that of a vulture. The beak is composed of three separate jaws made to firmly grasp mechanical parts. It has two visual sensors in the same position as a vulture's eyes. A Freeze Sac, containing a volatile liquid, is positioned on its breast.
History
Glinthawks were created by GAIA as part of the terraforming process after the Faro Plague destroyed Earth's biosphere in the mid-21st century. As such, they were one of the first machines encountered by humans as they explored and settled in their tribal lands. Glinthawks perform the same function with destroyed machines that vultures perform with carrion; they process parts from the chassis of destroyed machines for recycling.
Initially, Glinthawks were docile machines that shied away from a human if one approached. However, with the onset of the Derangement, Glinthawks and all other GAIA Terraformers began exhibiting increasing hostility toward humans. By the time the Nora Brave Aloy became an adult, Glinthawks were attacking humans on sight.
On two known occasions, Glinthawks were actually deliberately used by humans as weapons. A greedy, murderous young Carja nobleman named Ranaman used a device that emitted a signal that attracted machines to attract a flock of Glinhawks and other dangerous machines to his father's estate, in order to kill his father and the rest of his family, leaving him as the sole beneficiary and inheritor. However, he himself was killed by one of these Glinthawks while his sister survived. In addition, the renegade Oseram warlord Dervahl tried to use Glinthawks to kill Aloy after she personally intervened to prevent him from killing the Sun-King Avad. However, Aloy prevailed against them.
Abilities
Glinthawks normally congregate in flocks of three or more. This makes them particularly dangerous, as they therefore attack as a flock. Like Stormbirds, their attacks are made even more potent by the superiority of aerial attacks against ground targets. A Glinthawk has one ranged attack and one melee attack.
- Ranged - The Glinthawk belches volatile liquid from its Freeze Sac at an enemy. This liquid causes damage to the enemy, as well as pooling around them, causing residual damage due to the intense cold and curtailing the enemy's ability to fight.
- Melee - In the melee attack, the Glinthawks swoops down and rams the enemy.
Glinthawks can lift the chassis of small destroyed machines such as Watchers, in order to carry them off for scavenging. They will congregate around the chassis of a machine that is too large for them to lift and scavenge the chassis in situ. It is unknown if they work in conjunction with Scrappers, their terrestrial counterparts, or compete with them for resources. However, given that machines never attack each other unless one has been corrupted or overriden, it is likely that the two would work together rather than in competition, though this has never been seen.
Attacks
| Name | Damage Type | Primary Damage | Secondary Damage | Trigger Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claw Slash | Melee | 160 | 0 | 7.5m - 18.5m | TBA |
| Freeze Cloud | Freeze 
|
20 | 30 per second | 0m - 100m | TBA |
| Freeze Spit | Freeze
|
60 | 30 per second | 0m - 150m | TBA |
Components
| Image: | Component: | Information: | Weakness: | Strength: |
|
Body | Hard outer casing to protect synthetic muscle and operational systems. | None | None |
|
Beak | Destroying this component disables the Glinthawk's ability to scavenge loot from machine corpses. | Tear 
|
None |
|
Freeze Sac | Destroying this component disables the ranged Freeze attaqck and triggers an elemental explosion. | All | None |
Loot
Trivia
- They are attracted to destroyed machines similar to the Scrapper.
- When on fire or if hit in the Freeze Sac, Glinthawks fall to the ground and stop attacking temporarily.
- In order to override a Glinthawk, it must be grounded. Usually this is accomplished by sneaking up on one while it is scrapping a dead machine, or by knocking it down as mentioned above.
- Glinthawks ALWAYS come in packs. Be prepared to fight more than one when you fight a Glinthawk.
Gallery
| Machines | |
|---|---|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | |
| Acquisition Class | Broadhead - Charger - Fireclaw - Frostclaw - Glinthawk - Grazer - Lancehorn - Rockbreaker - Scrapper - Snapmaw - Strider - Trampler |
| Chariot Class | Corruptor - Deathbringer - Metal Devil |
| Combat Class | Ravager - Sawtooth - Scorcher - Stalker - Stormbird - Thunderjaw |
| Communication Class | Tallneck |
| Recon Class | Longleg - Watcher (Redeye Watcher) |
| Transport Class | Behemoth - Bellowback - Shell-Walker |
| Unknown Class | Control Tower |
| Horizon Forbidden West | |
| Acquisition Class | Bilegut - Bristleback - Clamberjaw - Fanghorn - Plowhorn - Scrounger - Spikesnout - Stingspawn - Sunwing - Tideripper - Waterwing - Widemaw |
| Combat Class | Clawstrider - Dreadwing - Grimhorn - Shellsnapper - Slaughterspine - Slitherfang - Specter - Specter Prime - Tremortusk |
| Recon Class | Burrower - Skydrifter |
| Transport Class | Leaplasher - Rollerback |
| Unknown Class | Defense Drone |