Silksong’s Sharpest Crests: Ranked!

Within the exciting new additions Hollow Knight: Silksong introduces, the Crests, which drastically alter how you play, stand out as exceptionally well-crafted.

Given the original Hollow Knight was admired for its carefully constructed design and a combat system praised for its precision, the notion of enabling diverse gameplay approaches initially seemed unachievable. Yet, Team Cherry has proven their dedication.

The result is that Hornet can utilize up to seven different combinations of skills, attacks, and inherent abilities, dramatically boosting the game’s potential for repeat playthroughs.

So, whether your goal is pinpointing the configuration that resonates best with your personal fighting style or identifying the optimal setup for a subsequent playthrough, here’s a definitive ranking of every Crest featured in Hollow Knight: Silksong.

7

Beast Crest

No Pogo, No Party

One of the first lessons Pharloom imparts is the critical importance of mastering the pogo jump to prevent a troublesome experience, explaining why the Beast Crest occupies the lowest spot.

Although it fosters an offensive approach and enables the delivery of substantial damage quickly, its pogo capability is practically useless when it comes to navigating stages or fighting opponents with intricate attack sequences – features commonly found throughout the game.

The difficulty of consistently healing because mask recovery depends on landing attacks, coupled with the pogo’s unpredictable behavior, creates a crest with significantly more drawbacks compared to the advantages it provides.

Adding to its shortcomings, the lack of slots for blue skills, arguably the most reliable combat options, diminishes its practicality, making it a less appealing choice in the majority of situations.

6

Architect Crest

A Shard-Eating Machine

For those who, like myself, typically avoid relying on consumables in favor of leveraging skills, it’s understandable if you’ve been hesitant to embrace the Architect Crest.

While Shell Shards are plentiful across Pharloom, collecting them can be a repetitive chore, particularly given their consumption rate when using some of the more potent tools the game has to offer.

Admittedly, the tools provide substantial strength, enabling players to quickly overcome many adversaries. However, sustaining the simultaneous use of three such items isn’t feasible over the long haul unless one is inclined to commit extensive time to farming.

As such, the Architect Crest is most useful during instances of particular challenge, rather than being a constant choice. While it offers a safety net in difficult encounters, such as the minion waves found within High Halls, it lacks practicality for day-to-day use.

5

Shaman Crest

The Path of Magic

Initially, I found the restriction against using Silksong’s special abilities simultaneously a bit disappointing, which is why the discovery of the Shaman Crest brought renewed excitement.

It’s important to note that this encounter occurs quite late in the game, at a point where players likely have developed familiarity with one or two Crests, making it somewhat more challenging to adapt to an entirely new configuration. However, its underlying potential is extraordinary.

Equipped with slots for two blue skills, plus the ability to utilize three Silk Skills, in conjunction with magic waves inspired by Moonlight Greatsword-like attacks, the Shaman Crest offers considerable damage output, though at the expense of healing capabilities.

Consequently, it’s best suited for experienced players, who can effectively manage silk usage, allocating primarily toward offense, rather than healing. Mastering this approach, despite its challenges, leads to expeditious progression through various areas.

4

Witch Crest

Great for Fighting, Not for Healing

Acquiring the Witch Crest necessitates navigating one of the most engaging and unique questlines in Silksong. However, its actual use proves more intricate than truly practical.

The attack combinations are both impressive and visually stunning. Additionally, it’s required for unlocking the most secret ending within the game. Yet, similar to the Beast Crest’s challenges with pogoing, the Witch Crest presents obstacles when it comes to healing.

Since recovery requires striking enemies at close range while binding, it becomes almost impossible to create distance for regrouping after a poorly executed offensive, a situation commonly faced throughout the game.

Experienced players seeking to maximize damage output may find this to be a suitable choice, particularly given its ability to accommodate three blue and two red skills. Nevertheless, mastering its difficulty requires significant effort, even after a comprehensive completion of the game.

3

Reaper Crest

Reap Them Apart

Likely being the first Crest players obtain following the default option, the Reaper play style stands out for its ease of use and reliability.

Its move set mirrors that of Hollow Knight, making the gameplay more intuitive, reducing reliance on precise diagonal movements and encouraging methodical attacks owing to its more controlled speed.

Its core strength stems from the lingering silk filaments left after each attack, bolstering energy reserves for both healing and skill execution, proving particularly useful for players struggling with the game’s difficulty.

While I quickly adapted to Hornet’s core movements, making the Reaper Crest feel slightly unnatural, I acknowledge the effectiveness of its consistent approach, especially given the demanding nature of the game.

Furthermore, its evenly distributed skill slots encourage experimentation to meet various exploration, combat, and survival demands. While less compelling for experienced players, it proves invaluable during the early to mid stages of the game.

2

Wanderer Crest

Feels Like Home

In contrast to what I mentioned previously, the Wanderer Crest offers the most nostalgic experience for those who want to feel as though they’re back in Hallownest, owing to its close resemblance to the gameplay of the series’ inaugural title.

While having more yellow skill slots, the least useful type within the game, represents a drawback, the attack speed afforded by the crest more than makes up for it through its superior damage per second (DPS) output.

This setup requires closer attention to player positioning, given the need to engage enemies more directly to effectively land attacks. However, the increased effort pays off through the elevated damage output delivered.

Additionally, movement is remarkably fluid, thanks to this being Silksong‘s easiest pogo technique, facilitating both platforming challenges and encounters with enemies that Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email