Charger

The Charger is a category of machine in Horizon Zero Dawn. A small Acquisition Class machine, the Charger is found in herds, and its function is the gathering and recycling of resources, while sowing seeds into the ground for plants to regrow. It can be mounted once overridden with the necessary equipment.

History
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 aftermath 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 machines, Chargers were originally completely docile, posing no threat to humans. However, when GAIA self-destructed, the AI HEPHAESTUS reprogrammed the behaviour of Chargers from docility to increasing hostility, eventually becoming so aggressive that they attack humans on sight, in which humans refer to this phenomenon as the Derangement.

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

Behaviour
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.

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.