So what does handling do? As far as we can tell, it's referring to your rate of fire and reload time. Horizon doesn't really explain what handling means. This is the most baffling stat of them all. This stat is represented by the pointed arrow symbol. The game doesn't say so, but this is the physical damage of the projectile, and it does not take into account other types of damage, elemental or otherwise. The damage stat is exactly what it sounds like - a measurement of the base damage your weapon can do regardless of ammo. With that said, here's a breakdown of each attribute, what it means, how it affects combat, and how it increases from weapon to weapon. That means your ammo and weapon modifications are going to be essential in determining what kind of damage your weapon actually deals. There are basically only three tiers of weapon in the game, so there's a limited difference in stats between them.
No amount of modification will really change your weapon stats so much as it will change how ammo stacks damage on top of your base stats. What Weapon Stats Mean in Horizon Zero Dawnīefore I dive into what each stat means, it's important to note that your ammo stats are just as important as your weapon stats. But we've gotten it all figured out, so we'll break down each stat for you and tell you exactly what it does, why it's important, and whether you need to pay special attention to it.