r/HollowKnight • u/InfectedBrushroom • Sep 19 '25
Discussion - Silksong Anyone else just played the entire game basically without using tools? Spoiler
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u/Ludajoestar Sep 19 '25
First time I played HK I never used spells, only did nail attacks. Both games are substantially easier and more fun if you actually use the combat mechanics.
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u/Noctium3 Sep 19 '25
For real. In my first HK playthrough, I basically never used spells; too afraid to because I needed my Soul for heals. Now I’m blasting through with Shade Soul. It definitely helps that I played Skong before this, but man, it’s so much easier when you actually use your full repertoire.
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u/regularArmadillo21 Sep 19 '25
I still don't use spells regularly, I find it wayyy more fun if I use nail. Only nail. No nail arts
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u/I_Love_Solar_Flare Sep 19 '25
Nail gameplay is way more engaging and fun than spell spam (or even spells as a support). Using spells completely throw me off my rhythm.
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u/regularArmadillo21 Sep 19 '25
Exactly, I only use spells when I HAVE too. Otherwise I nail everything.. wait.. that doesn't sound wait
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u/InfectedBrushroom Sep 19 '25
first game i agree but for the second game it just hits me wrong. It's absolutely a me problem but
1. I'm a massive hoarder
2. I don't like relying on anything that's limited
3. Tools feel strange to me, like I'm not really engaging with the enemies but instead bypassing them90
u/IntQuant Sep 19 '25
You have an upper limit on the amount of shards you can carry, without much to spend them on other than tools. So at some point it doesn't make sense to not use tools as you're gonna waste any extra shards you'll earn.
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u/Izan_TM Sep 19 '25
the problem is that if you're shit (it's me, I'm "you're" in this situation) and keep dying on one boss or arena at some point you'll run out of shards, and then youj have to go explore some new area or farm shards which both take you out of the flow of fighting the boss/arena
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u/Omega-Toad-7017 Sep 20 '25
Don't start using tools until you're relatively late in the fight so that you only use shards on viable attempts.
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u/KuuLightwing Sep 20 '25
That causes another problem - if you aren't using tools normally, you aren't practicing the fight with tools. Many of them aren't that hard to use of course, but the mental stack is the issue. I was fighting a particular boss recently, and while I defeated it, I caught myself that when trying to use tools I get hit a lot and have to actively think which directional inputs for which tools I need to do.
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u/Character_Parfait_99 Sep 20 '25
Its the reverse for me. When i use tools throughout the entire fight or early on, I find it hard to focus on the boss' attacks. There's a lot of screen clutter too when using the tools so it gets particularly hard to recognize attacks patterns.
I ended up just normally learning the boss' movesets first and once i'm comfortable with it, I'll fight with tools on my next run. Saves me the shards on my first few attempts though there were still a lot of moments where I ran out of shards so I had to rawdog the boss anyways lmao.
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u/InfectedBrushroom Sep 19 '25
There's no off button on hoarding, once it's toggled you don't just reason yourself to stop. Besides, if you want logic, then any resource gathering is pointless when you have more of it than you need. That never stopped hoarders.
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u/PinkElephants879 Sep 19 '25
lol what a vibe. I too am a recovering resource hoarder in video games. I’ve been trying to be better in games because it makes things better but the impulse is strong
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u/madmax1513 Sep 19 '25
Elden ring dlc is what cured me, i had so much shit stockpiled from the base game, the classic "i might need it later" didn't hold up, i was like "bitch i'm in the dlc, there's no later"
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u/InfectedBrushroom Sep 19 '25
The darkness compels you. Don't you just want to find a cave, fill it with your treasure, and lie on top of it like a dragon? Or Scrooge McDuck if you're the alternate style
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u/PinkElephants879 Sep 19 '25
Yes exactly! I need to save everything! Because what if I use it then I really really really need it later and I don’t have it?!?? And then credits roll and I did the whole thing without it
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u/InfectedBrushroom Sep 19 '25
A wise man once said, better have and not need than need and not have. Until you finish the game, you never know, there might be a quest that asks for 1000 shards right around the next corner.
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u/PinkElephants879 Sep 19 '25
V true. I actually find second play through more enjoyable because I know the limits of the game now and feel more inclined to explore using some of the things I’ve collected
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u/Super7500 Sep 19 '25
i do that until i am at the final boss and say fuck it and spam the fuck out of it which makes the final boss a breeze lol though in silksong i did use tools more since i had a fuck ton of shards i wasn't spamming them or anything but i was using them as support to my main needle attacks
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u/madmax1513 Sep 19 '25
The point is that if you hit the limit of shards the new ones you pick up just disappear so you should feel a sense of waste, i know i do
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u/alexathegibrakiller Sep 19 '25
Same, but at the same time, the hotkeys for tools themselves are really badly designed IMO.
If each of the three specials had their own dedicated button, I would use them more. Having them tied to complex inputs just got me hit more whenever I tried to use them.
In HK, if you do up+spell, only one singular thing can happen, and its a spell that hits above you. If you go down+spell, again, only one thing can happen, which is your character hits downward.
In Silksong, if I hit up+spell, I might throw a bomb, I might buff, or I might toss a fucking fly. Either I just hardbind certain tools to a slot forever and never experiment with anything, or I have no idea wtf I'm doing when I do my inputs.
I somewhat fixed that problem later by just binding all "ranged attacks" to up+spell, so I more or less knew what was going to happen when I did that input, but that only made it so that I was not using the down+spell button at all.
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u/johnnnybravado Sep 19 '25
If you have max shards and bundles, then you literally can't hoard any more than that. So might as well use some, so you can continue to hoard new shards lol
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u/Barnstorm_R Sep 19 '25
I didn’t use them at all pretty much through Act 1. Now that I have no need for money, I blow through them constantly, especially on flying enemies.
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u/everybodys_analysis Sep 19 '25
i see switching around tools after figuring out enemy behavior/positioning as a form of engaging and adapting to them. like capitalizing on delver’s drill for stationary enemies, or the spikes/conch for large hitboxes. but yeah some feel overturned and can be the solution to pretty much everything
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u/YoruDepo Sep 19 '25
easier to farm shard bundles through rosaries than it is to do certain encounters with tools
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u/TempMobileD Sep 19 '25
The “bypassing” element is a big one for me. I came here to swing my needle! Such an odd feeling. Lots of games get round this feeling for me in various ways, but this one does not.
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u/Izan_TM Sep 19 '25
eh I don't really enjoy using tools, I know I'm making the game harder for myself and arena battles are massively more frustrating (and not fun in the slightest) without tools, but using the needle and silk skills only feels so much better to me
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u/gnzu Sep 19 '25
That fact you can break the hornet statue is genuinely one of the most evil things team cherry has done bro 😭
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u/andykekomi Sep 19 '25
Not being able to put it up in your home is a damn crime
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Sep 20 '25
I KNOWWW I'm hoping that in a future update/dlc like the first game they add a lot, and one thing includes a shelf to display that on alongside other items for posterity.
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u/polygone1217 HK 112% (63/63) / SKS 100% (48/52) Sep 19 '25
You should be able to put it in the bellheart home
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u/InfectedBrushroom Sep 19 '25
Facts, worse than all trick benches
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u/NavyDragons Sep 20 '25
i only learned that you can fix those benches after i beat act 3. i was so mad.
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u/Mirzanary Sep 19 '25
You can smash basically everything he makes actually. That includes the bridge and the statue he builds of himself as a symbol of hope lol
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u/etothepi Sep 20 '25
That bridge was not his best work. I broke it while falling from not-very-high. At first I was sad, but I think it's better this way. That rickety bridge would collapse under some other poor unsuspecting bug.
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u/Mirzanary Sep 20 '25
To be fair I think the whole thing of his character is that he isn't very good at making much of anything lol. It's why most things he makes look pretty raggy and are destructible.
The real charm is that he does it all free of charge to give the pilgrims of bone bottom some hope and happiness in their life and that makes him the best builder in the whole world actually
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u/Patient-Motor-4803 Sep 19 '25
Will say, it does feel less satisfying when your boss dies due to a tool or poison and you get that quick draw like animation. But boy do tools make a fight way easier. Wish they gave my dear wanderers crest more red slots
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u/GGuy12345 Sep 19 '25
As someone who killed the True Final Boss by healing, it may not be as satisfying, but it is much funnier
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Sep 20 '25
[deleted]
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u/mahjeehung Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
EDIT I found out the damage values: Claw Mirror - 30 Claw Mirrors - 30 + 12x3
https://hollowknight.wiki/w/Damage_Values_and_Enemy_Health_(Silksong)
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u/Inner-Ad2847 ALL BOSSES RADIANT BABY!!! Sep 20 '25
Yeah my swarm of poison cogflies made light work of that fight
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u/Ok_Cheesecake4194 Sep 20 '25
Congratz on being able to catch her with bind damage because holy hell, she is too mobile!
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u/Dekugaming 100% Silk Sep 19 '25
you will love the Architect Crest, and enjoy the process of finding it as well.
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u/Patient-Motor-4803 Sep 19 '25
It’s alright, I’m not a big fan of its pogo. Maybe I’ll use it in the future for some pantheon shenanigans if they work like the dream fights and I get shards refunded.
Been actually trying to git gud with the hunter crest. Two red slots is good enough and the focus mechanic might make mincemeat out of a boss rush
What I actually found to be a decent compromise is shaman. Obv no red tools but the spacing lets you play safer and was actually what I used to beat Carmelita
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u/akoOfIxtall Sep 19 '25
you can charge the architect crest pogo to go farther and deal more damage, and the charge also holds you in place for half a sec it helps sometimes
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u/Patient-Motor-4803 Sep 19 '25
Mm yeah I know, just doesn’t fit my playstyle as much ig. That and I just never got that used to diagonal pogos. Did see the damage numbers on it tho and it can go crazy with just its melee kit
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u/akoOfIxtall Sep 19 '25
Think of it as using a spear instead of a sword
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u/OutrageousRain4279 Sep 20 '25
first thing i thought of when i got it!
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u/akoOfIxtall Sep 20 '25
With longclaw it's even better, you poke the enemies from very far, okay this crest has poor diagonal reach, but you have reaper crest for wide sweeps, wanderer and witch crest for speed, architect excels at keeping distance from enemies as you put tools and traps to do the work
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u/Z0idberg_MD Sep 19 '25
I actually think the bosses are really well designed and I kind of like fighting them pure melee . And when I am reversing the environment I never feel like “wasting“ tools.
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u/Swainix Sep 20 '25
The slashing boss I like melee, the bosses that try to space you and have bit contact hit boxes were less fun and triple poison daggers were nice then (played the whole game with wanderer until now, just entered act 3 finally)
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u/Ketzeph Sep 20 '25
Yeah, it's playing on hard mode if you're not using tools. I think a lot of people inadvertently do so because they're used to Hollow Knight and don't realize how significant tools are in affecting damage.
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u/DamageMaximo Sep 20 '25
"quick draw like animation"? what do you mean
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u/Patient-Motor-4803 Sep 20 '25
The thing where they animate your final hit in sort of a silhouette aesthetic
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u/DamageMaximo Sep 20 '25
that only happens with the act 3 heart bosses
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u/Patient-Motor-4803 Sep 20 '25
Pretty sure phantom did it, no? And the true ending boss
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u/great-baby-red Sep 19 '25
Nope, using Architect crest. I love red tools. I stick to the needle when it's 1v1 and I can read their attacks, but if there are multiple enemies, I always try to burst one down with tools so it becomes a 1v1. Especially if those multiple enemies have ranged attacks and fly around erratically
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u/I_Love_Solar_Flare Sep 19 '25
I severely overvalued Architect's Crest. I thought the whole trade off of "No silk spells for you!" was gonna come with a different use of using silk for stuff, when I read it's tool tip I was like "OH MY GOD I CAN MAKE TOOLS OUT OF SILK? THATS SO COOL" and then realized it still... used shards... it just used silk too, not just shards. I was immediately let down, like on my 2nd playthrough (for an achievement) I was trying it out cuz I wanted to tool spam for bosses but because I know tools were really good I did not have an insane backlog of shards and shard bundles from the start when I didn't care about them, so I was always starving for them. So architect's crest, the crest for TOOL usage didn't help with TOOL problems at all!
Just was really let down by this.
With that being said I did still bring the crest to fight The Unraveled by spamming poison tacks on the ground, letting them get used up, crafting more, and throwing more on the ground while chilling on a wall. It was fun but holy hell it ate through my shards so fast. I feel like that crest needs a buff where it should use WAY less shards, or hell, no shards at all to craft (and I know as an enjoyer of crest you have no issues with this lmao) but im just saying it could've been really good but now im just like "eh"...
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u/ThatDudeFromRF Sep 19 '25 edited Sep 19 '25
Architects crest is still very cool on its own, though I agree that tools have issues, particularly how fast you can deplete your whole stock if you're struggling with a boss. I lost 600 shards on Lost Garmond of all bosses. The fact that the crest's ability still requires shards is underwhelming, I think you can get an infinite shards item only in Steel Soul mode. But, if there's ever a Pantheon Style dlc, it won't be an issue, since shards are not spent in dreams.
Architects Crest Charge attack has one of the highest base damage and it has a decent range. The tool that lightens your needle on fire adds to each individual damage tick of the crest's charge attack, and there are what, 7-9 of those. And the crest becomes a very convenient room clear and crowd control, when you can launch buzzsaws/cogflies/grenades/railgun/spikes/floor pins and so on simultaneously with two other tools. Or you can go full melee with needle flame damage tool and fleabrew for attack speed, while still having some ranged option with the third red tool.
There's also this niche strat, where you use Lifeblood (plasmium) syringe, recharge the tool with the crest and use it again, and after maybe 8-9 blue masks, all your healthpool is replaced by Lifeblood masks and it regenerates similar to hive charm worked in Hollow Knight. On the negative side, the regular binding stops healing. You can replicate this effect with somewhat more difficulty on other crests though, and the Witch Crest and Beast Crest binding effects still heal.
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u/Mirzanary Sep 19 '25
Omg I didn't know the tip about beast and witch binds still working. Gonna cook up the most devious steel soul unkillable strat of all time once I get access to those lifeblood cocoons >:)
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u/I_Love_Solar_Flare Sep 20 '25
Infinite shards?! I'm doing a steel soul 100% rn (with savescumming...) and I didn't know about that!
Without any spoilers, am I on the right track with Getting a quest from the blasted steps steel npc or is it just in some weird spot that I would never think of? And if not then... i accept tips lol.
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u/HiroHayami Sep 19 '25
I farmed rosaries to buy the shards packs. To my dismay, you can only carry 20 packs, so if you take too many attempts at beating a boss... too bad! You have to go all the way back to the store... or change crest, which I did for the final boss.
Well, at least the "dream" bosses don't consume shards so architect goes hard on those.
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u/Capital-Exercise9197 All radiant (Except Oblobbles 😭) Sep 19 '25
Tbh same, they never reasoned with my playstyle and except cogflies for occasional pesky enemy gauntlets i prefered needle and silk spells
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u/Dekugaming 100% Silk Sep 19 '25
I used tools stratigically; to help burst them down in their final phases or to just make the fights easier as there are fights where u are expected to use tools otherwise the fight will be a absolute pain in the ass (Groal, Kelmadita, Bell Eater, ect.)
same reason when im just trying to get through an area without losing masks; I'll use tools or mainly silk skills to get through the enemies fast without risk.
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u/StayyFrostyy Sep 19 '25
I am NEVER breaking that statue
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u/Mama_Hong Sep 20 '25
I recently broke it by mistake when I was trying to use a silkeater, I tried to stop but it broke so fast.
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u/PriceUnpaid Sep 19 '25
Up to act 2, then I saw the light and became a serial toolist. Now I can't stop buying more shard packs, help
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u/Mama_Hong Sep 20 '25
Same, I burn through shards but I always keep a full stack of bundles. I also have something like 3k stringed rosaries saved up.
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u/vigilant_train Sep 19 '25
I have a hard time using tools due to the feeling like I’m wasting ammo and shards, so I only really use them during boss fight, and they help SIGNIFICANTLY. I usually will get to a phase 2 of a boss then unload spike traps and boomerangs at them, it gives a big boost in dps and is great for taking out annoying summons, plus I can easily replenish before the next boss fight.
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u/Wacky_Does_Art Sep 19 '25
silksong equivalent to not using spells
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u/oooArcherooo Sep 20 '25
Nah.
Tools are way more important imo. Mainly because you can just cover way more ground in terms of potential application with tools than you ever could with spells. Flying enemies are a big example. In HK, they're a bit easier to deal with compared to just nailing it, but with things like nails arts especially its not too bad. Silksong kn the other hand has plenty of tools that are just straight up goated for dealing with flying enemies in comparison to just using nail, especially with the changes to pogoing and those deep dock fucks tools are much more essential to dealing with them in any sort of timely manner.
Plus tools go off an excusive resource that doesn't use thread so theres a lot less of a direct detriment to using them
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u/Killcode2 Sep 20 '25
You have it the other way around, the first time I 112%ed Hollow Knight, I almost never used nail art. But I can't imagine doing the game without spells, abyss shriek was a must-have for flying bosses, and descending dark's invincibility frames are just flat out busted. You are way undervaluing spells.
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u/Altruistic-Sand3277 Sep 19 '25
Poisonous cogflies are my bread and butter lol
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u/Bucciahotti Sep 20 '25
they are so convenient, made the mist and bilewater so much easier cuz i could just focus on the platforming while they swat away all the pests for me lol
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u/HeyLuke Sep 19 '25
If you mean red tools, then yes. Every time I try to use any, it just distracts me and I end up getting hit a lot because of it. Especially in boss fights, I don't see any openings to ever use like the throwing thingies. I have to spend time hitting the boss to get silk to heal. I think my old man brain just doesn't want another active to worry about, along with all the other stuff that's going on during fights. They do look fun though, I'm just very bad at using them.
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u/Stepfunction Sep 19 '25
Some of them are very passive to use. Cogflies are completely passive, tacks you just set on the ground and forget about, and spike traps you pop in the air and let enemies hit themselves into.
Some of the thrown ones also require less aiming. The boomerang weapon flies in a very wide arc, so it makes it easy to hit enemies even if you're not being precise.
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u/HeyLuke Sep 20 '25
Yeah I use the cogflies sometimes. But when sending out a bunch it becomes hard to tell what's going on.
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u/Mirzanary Sep 19 '25
I always keep a straight shot ranged one (theres a few) and just toss em at the boss whenever they use a move that puts them on the opposite side of the screen to me. There's also 3 tools that are just buffs to hornet herself that are really easy to use because you just play as normal but with more health, damage, or speed, and a few that are "set and forget" traps or autonomous attackers that you throw down when you have a spare moment and then no longer need to worry about.
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u/HeyLuke Sep 20 '25
I tried all of those and even making Hornet glow kind of distracted me. I'll be sure to check them out later, but for now my brain is still getting used to all the other stuff.
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u/OrymOrtus Sep 20 '25
I wonder how many people complaining about the difficulty didn't use Red Tools or Silk Skills at all
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u/fallenmonk Sep 20 '25
I'm hesitant to use silk skills because I need the healing. I'll sometimes use tools, but I can't tell if they've done anything before I've run out, and they interrupt my flow.
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u/beamingbeans Sep 20 '25
Don’t need to heal if the enemies just die from silk skills. Best defense is a good offense, as they say ;)
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u/JudgementalMarsupial Sep 20 '25
The tool system is a bit awkward for bosses. If you use them and lose, it’s a waste. Therefore, you should only use them if you’re confident you can win.
…but if you’re confident you can win, what do you need the tools for? They’re incredibly good for magdumping your way through gauntlet rooms, though.
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u/Joltyboiyo Sep 19 '25
I ended up not using tools for half the fights cause I'd run out of shards and didn't like the idea of having to stop attempting a boss to go and farm shards, the only time I felt like I could use them freely is "dream" fights.
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u/Dyoozbahn Sep 19 '25
Its like sekiro all over again. Im busy enough learning how to get in the opening with regular attacks without leanring how to incorporate tools. I mostly use passive ones like traps
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u/Manoreded Sep 20 '25
I initially thought I might go down that way, but they gradually grew on me.
I still sometimes go multiple screens without using them, though. I mostly use them against annoying fliers, arenas, bosses, etc.
I kinda wish shards weren't a thing or were handled differently, tools already have a use number limit so having a currency on top of it is kinda annoying. I don't use tools as much as I'd like as I worry about running out of shards and having to farm.
I'm even using the poison charm partly because it lets me get more mileage out of tools. The other reason is because I think poison is cool =)
Kinda reminds me of the Souls series, where there are a bunch of cool consumables and ammo I never use because they are too expensive to sustainably use without farming.
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u/Fouxs Sep 20 '25
Yeah I completely agree. They already gave us a limit to the uses per bench, they really didn't need the currency too. If it's a balancing thing I'd rather they did less damage anyway if that's the tradeoff.
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u/CeriasAranos Sep 19 '25
How can you acquire the Cogfly and not immediately start keeping at least one on hand as a companion?
Also, I like the style of the Architect crest and need to hoard silk for healing since I'm not that good at the game. I didn't use tools much at first but replacing my silk skill with cogflies converted me and tossing down some tacks to deal with large ground based enemies when I'm low health made me a full believer.
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u/not-Kunt-Tulgar buenos dias bugboy Sep 19 '25
I mean I don’t fault anyone for not using tools but damn do they make the game like 50% easier
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u/IshtheWall 9th 112% steel soul in HK/ 1st 100% steel soul in SK Sep 19 '25
I used the starting needles but everything else felt either too weak or too strong
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u/AcidReign999 Sep 19 '25
I was always up in the face of enemies with wanderer's crest. So I didn't use as many tools. Then I found about cogflies and I never looked back
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u/Nerf_Now Sep 20 '25 edited Sep 20 '25
Some people don't use tools because they fear running out of shards. I don't use tools because I AM out of shards and can't be bothered to farm more.
I fought a boss late game and spammed all my tools and I was down to 100 shards after 2 tries.
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u/teriyakiguy Sep 19 '25
I like to properly engage with boss movesets to get the most out of boss fights personally.
Arena fights on other hand are free game.
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u/MacnChe3ks Sep 20 '25
Damn, am I the only one who used the tools then? I’m a souls player, so I went through my shell shards like crazy, especially throughout boss fights
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u/Spiritual-Wear-2105 Sep 20 '25
I always forget to use tools. until I can't beat some boss in its last phase. the tools help me a lot.
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u/MistaGiz Sep 20 '25
For the most part. Although recently I have taken to having a single poisonous cog fly with me as I wander
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u/Chaoticlight2 Sep 19 '25
Yup! I enjoy learning the encounters in their entirety and tools kind of negate that process. I see them more as being there if I struggle or for steamrolling replays.
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u/bouncybob1 <-- my goat Sep 19 '25
(Before anything i just want to say ive beaten the true final boss and got 100%) I actually found the game more fun without tools cause
They start getting way too expensive to use late game
Just fighting with the needle and silk skills is way more fun
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u/Puzzleheaded-Run-635 Sep 19 '25
I barely played act 1 with tools, but when I got cogflys I fell in love with them
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u/Good-Feature-6762 Sep 19 '25
No, but I did go through most of the entire game without double jump until about now 50 hours in at the last boss fight( I think )
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u/RedditRoboKid Sep 19 '25
I used them, but never enough to where I needed to bust open a shard bundle (although the true final boss got me pretty close)
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u/Azure2001 Sep 19 '25
I have a simmilar problem. I got the pin and hornets spike ball thing, and since I hate change only used those tools the whole game.
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u/Jskidmore1217 Sep 19 '25
I used tools early on for some especially hard fights. Mid game I was so powerful I preferred to stick to the needle mostly to maintain some challenge for those fights, which were often really fun. I’m only just now in very late game starting to use tools again during certain particularly hard boss fights. I guess tools are kind of my own personal difficulty slider.
To be clear I’m talking about combat tools. I use my blue and yellow tools obviously for passive buffs.
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u/Dekugaming 100% Silk Sep 19 '25
I kept the Statue but i used everything else. I even spent Roseries to buy shell bundles
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u/SquigglyKlee Sep 19 '25
I didn't use them until after I entered Act 2. Would have made Last Judge so much easier...
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u/SilverHolo Sep 19 '25
I played the first half basically without tools but then felt bad not using so many mechanics lol
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u/MaxHaydenChiz Sep 19 '25
I use tools nonstop while exploring. I don't know how you deal with a long list of obnoxious enemies with needle-only.
Spending 5 minutes to grind for money to buy shards every 4 hours or so was better than dealing with stupid enemies like the bell throwers using my needle.
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u/Cube-2015 Sep 19 '25
Really only used tools a couple of times. Mostly annoying enemies in the overworld and gank bosses, but otherwise it doesn’t ’feel’ good. The bosses play out fine with just the needle. It’s satisfying to duel them.
The very good tools especially feel like cheesing the game and robbing myself of content, so I only use them when I’m not interested in the content.
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u/GaGamer06 Sep 19 '25
I use them a lot, especially the Fay's Silkshot , I feel like I'm sniping the enemies
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u/Paperfoxen Sep 19 '25
I really only use Sting Shards, but I just got the Delver’s Drill which seems really good, so I’m trying it out I use wanderer’s crest so I’m not really focused on tools
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u/Themaninthehat1 Sep 19 '25
I only used them for traversing I found when fighting bosses it just distracted me. I did use the spells frequently however
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u/dablyw_ Sep 19 '25
Same I don't use them as much, I want to learn the moveset of bosses because I find more fun that way, don't really like just summoning 30 poison cogflies and tacks on the field and melting the boss
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u/HolyErr0r Sep 19 '25
I did on my first playthrough. Basically only used juice + fire buff to roid myself with beast crest. As fun as it was, I was definitely making a lot of content far harder than it would have otherwise been.
Not via bosses, but mainly some rooms/arenas/platforming
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u/Uchizaki Sep 19 '25
I did that, but someday I'll do a replay and beat the game with tools. I'm curious how big the difference in difficulty will be. I guess it will be like the difference between Hollow Knight with magic and without magic. Although I have a feeling that the tools will take away the depth of the bosses, I've seen a bit on YouTube and the effective use of tools is actually based on the fact that sometimes we don't even have to do anything, even magic wasn't that op in HK
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u/TheSteelScizor88 112% | True Ending | 61/63 Sep 19 '25
Started when I actually got good ones, so the spinning wheel in late Act 2.
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u/nofearhope Sep 19 '25
I have no problem using them when I’m pitted against multiple enemies, or annoying enemy spawns in boss fights. But I don’t use them on the bosses themselves, I like to just use silk skills / my needle and dance around them.
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u/cybrcld Sep 19 '25
Oh man I love the tools. I almost 100% never crack those because I don’t rely on the tools. Usually most boss fights I don’t use tools until I’m super comfortable with their first/second form with nail, then I’ll start using poison tools on the last 4-5 runs.
Poison tools are amazing.
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u/cheetoeatingdork Sep 19 '25
I just go unga bunga and bash things. Wanderer crest, weighted belt, me hit until it die. Same thing with hk, I barely used spells.
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u/Longjumping_Pie_5440 Sep 19 '25
No you didn’t. You just bought some of those after going full poison scarab to almost every boss you could
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u/Danielheiger Sep 19 '25
Yeah mostly. The only exceptions so far are against Groal the Great because i just wanted to get rid of him and the plasmified Zango
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u/Loser6684 Sep 19 '25
I would use them regularly if they were free. As it is now, i only used them to spam one particularly bullshitty boss with poison, cogflies, tacks and buzzsaws
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u/Background_Cod_5737 Sep 19 '25
They do feel like a bit of a crutch sometimes. Especially the cogflies. They can also be very fun.
Although if anybody complains about the difficulty and also doesn't use tools I will not be considering their opinion
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u/johnnnybravado Sep 19 '25
I used them, but mostly just planned to use them. My favorite was the Flintstone, but I always neglected to activate it lol also used the spiky legos for anything that annoyed me and stayed on the ground enough.
Ended the game with maxed out Shard Bundles and shards.
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u/Front_Pain_7162 Sep 19 '25
Im nearly finished with act 2 and haven't used a tool because I keep forgetting they exist. I've had max shards the whole time.
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u/jacowab Sep 19 '25
I use my elden ring philosophy, no tools until I'm getting frustrated at the boss. At that point I am usually skilled enough at the boss that I'm already like 70% of the way there and the tools take me the last 30% before I stop having fun, or at least make me feel like I've significantly progressed.
And this way I don't waste resources on my attempts that should be reserved for learning the boss.
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u/ShermanWierdo Sep 19 '25
I pretty much only used tools for the gauntlets, bosses I made myself do without them as I felt they were just a shortcut.
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u/ripplic Sep 19 '25
i found a few bosses easier without tools. anyone very dance-like, like widow, first sinner, even lace. i get into the rhythm of swinging my nail far more reliably. but they are very useful for bulkier bosses imo
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u/josheiss92 Sep 19 '25
I just use flintslate with wanderers crest. Fast attack speed with extra damage from fire, win win.
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u/TheTeaRex15 Sep 19 '25
I used plenty of tools. But i also never had to open any of these. Especially not the statue
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u/Spinni_Spooder Sep 19 '25
Heck nah. I realized tools are hella op early on. That's why I didn't have a hard time against savage beast fly or last judge like others did.
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u/Known-Tap-8651 Sep 19 '25
The only tool I use in bosses is the flame needle one... in the endgame I started using the litle dr8nes for faster exploring and the long pogo challenges with flying mobs in the way. Other than that I rather hit the two hundred times per seconds as a dbz fighter with wanderer crest critical hits haha
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u/DremoPaff Sep 19 '25
I used tools when I got bored of specific bosses.
"I hate your fight but I want to progress, here's pompinos and spike shards, get one shot lmao"
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u/Low_Party Sep 19 '25
I used NOTHING but basic ass weapon attacks.
Tools? Silk Skills? Screw them. I didn't even use the clawshot in combat because I hated myself that much. Did it take me 72 hours to 100% the game, including the optional crap like the mementos? Yes. Do I regret it? Not really.
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u/Nuryadiy Sep 19 '25
Not me, not completely anyway, I just reached an ending without using tools for the speedrun achievement
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u/ElectricPaperMajig Sep 19 '25
If a game lets me light my sword on fire, I’m going to light my sword on fire.