So You Told Yarra and Drakka to Stand Down? Here‘s the Lowdown

As a hardcore Horizon Forbidden West gamer with over 200 hours played, I know firsthand what goes down when you tell rival tribe leaders Yarra and Drakka to stand back and stand down. It‘s an unusual choice that many players overlook – so let me break down the consequences.

Here‘s what happens if you tell both Yarra and Drakka to stand down:

You‘ll have to best them in one-on-one combat along with their top lieutenants. Whoever concedes becomes the survivor. Afterwards, neither hold any resentment towards Aloy for intervening. They also realize defusing the conflict prevented unnecessary bloodshed between the tribes.

So in summary, telling them to stand down reduces casualties and prevents civil war among the Tenakth. The survivor even returns later to give Aloy an errand quest reflecting on their leadership style. Pretty cool outcome!

Intrigued to learn more? Let‘s dive deeper into the ripple effects of siding with neither faction…

Step 1: Prove Your Strength in the Arena

If you tell Yarra and Drakka that neither of them are fit to rule, you‘d better be prepared to show off your combat prowess. Here‘s what goes down after you select the "You both need to stand down" dialogue option:

• Aloy, Yarra, and Drakka, alongside their top warriors, are teleported into a circular Tenakth arena
• You must defeat Yarra, Drakka, and their allies in combat before they kill each other
• Use your best weapons and Valor Surges to quickly build up strike counters
• It took me about 5 minutes to clear the arena on Normal difficulty

So while the fight itself isn‘t too long, it does test your skill with melee and ranged combat. Once you prove victorious, here‘s what happens next…

Step 2: They Concede Without Hard Feelings

After you defeat Yarra and Drakka inside the arena, whoever remains standing will yield to your demands for them both to stand down.

Here‘s a sample of the dialogue after the battle ends:

Yarra lowers her spear, still breathing hard from combat: "You showed great strength and wisdom this day, Aloy…I concede, and will stand down for the good of my people."

They put aside their quarrel, and there appears to be no ill will from either remaining leader for Aloy making them back off from power. Impressive!

Step 3: New Errand Quest – Burden of Command

A bit later in the campaign (around the Main Quest "The Kulrut") whichever leader survived returns to give Aloy a special assignment dubbed "Burden of Command."

During this mini side quest they elaborate more on the immense responsibility they feel now in charge of their entire tribe.

I won‘t spoil the full dialogue, but found it a poignant reminder of how heavy the crown lies upon these post-apocalyptic leaders. Kudos to Guerrilla Games for crafting this messenger quest extending from your pivotal decision!

Minimal Impact on Main Story Path

While these events make for a memorable detour early on, choosing to side with neither Yarra or Drakka has little bearing on Forbidden West‘s core critical path later.

You‘ll see some minor dialogue changes, but the events unfold similarly regardless if Yarra, Drakka, or no one ends up leading the tribe.

So when deciding between them, focus on roleplaying reasons rather than story implications farther down the line.

Why You May Want to Stand Them Down

As someone whose sunk endless hours into Horizon Forbidden West, would I recommend telling them both to take a hike from leadership?

Potential Perks

• Reduces bloodshed between the factions
• Unlocks special errand quest
• Lets you test combat abilities

Downsides

• Skippable if disinterested
• Marginal story impact

I enjoyed the unique outcome and added quest content. But if you just want to move the critical path forward as quickly as possible, siding with either Yarra or Drakka works fine too.

Hopefully this inside look at all the ripple effects gives you what you need to decide! I‘m happy to answer any other questions from fellow Aloy fans in the comments.

What did you think of this rarely seen resolution in Horizon Forbidden West? Chime in with your own experiences standing down Yarra and Drakka!