Hollow Knight: Silksong is full of difficult encounters, but few early bosses stand out like Moorwing, the huge, razor-tailed bird-like insect that blocks the path through Greymoor. This airborne foe deals heavy damage, attacks quickly, and can overwhelm unprepared players. Fortunately, with the right strategy—and a little patience—you can turn this frustrating fight into a manageable challenge.
Moorwing’s arena is located in the southwest corner of Greymoor, beyond the Halfway Home checkpoint. The nearest bench is also at Halfway Home, making it your best respawn spot if you need multiple attempts. Defeating Moorwing unlocks the path west into Bellhart, one of Silksong’s next major hub areas. If you’d rather not fight, there are also ways to skip the encounter altogether (covered later).
How to Prepare for the Fight
Before dropping into the arena, there are a few steps that can make the battle easier:
- Recruit Garmond and Zaza – Two NPC allies who can assist during the fight. If they’re not waiting above Moorwing’s chamber, explore Greymoor to meet them and exhaust their dialogue. After resting at a bench, they’ll relocate to the room above the boss and can be summoned.
- Equip the right Crests – The Reaper Crest is especially useful since it increases range and Silk generation, making both healing and ranged attacks more reliable. The Warding Bell can also help prevent interruptions while Binding.
- Use ranged tools – Skills like Silkspear or Thread Storm allow you to hit Moorwing from a distance, reducing the risk of getting clipped by its high-damage body.
Moorwing Moveset and Counters
Moorwing has a set of powerful but learnable attacks. Recognizing visual cues is key:
- Dive Attack – Moorwing dives across the arena at high speed. Jump over it or bait it into slamming into the side ledges, which stuns the boss briefly and opens a safe window for attacks.
- Disc / Gust Projectiles – Fires spinning discs or gusts that deal two Masks of damage. Early in the fight these come singly, but later phases add multi-disc and looping patterns. Time short jumps or dashes to avoid them, then punish quickly.
- Slice / Claw Flurry – Moorwing shrieks before unleashing rapid tail or claw strikes. The telegraph is brief, so avoid being directly beneath or too close to its body when it winds up.
- Advanced Orb Patterns (Phase Two) – Includes double or triple gusts and looping projectiles that rebound across the arena. These require patience; prioritize dodging over aggression and only attack once the sequence ends.
Each hit of contact or attack usually costs two Masks, so survival depends on clean evasion.
Strategy to Defeat Moorwing
The safest approach is a pattern-and-punish loop:
- Bait dive attacks to crash Moorwing into a wall. Land quick combos while it’s stunned, then retreat.
- Stay mobile—jump, dash, and reposition constantly to avoid being trapped by discs.
- Aim for opportunistic strikes, such as downward attacks during dives, but don’t overcommit. Missing can mean taking massive contact damage.
- Heal smartly—Bind mid-jump or while Moorwing is stunned. Never try to heal on the ground while it’s active.
- Use your allies—Garmond and Zaza chip in with extra hits, giving you breathing room, but don’t rely on them to carry the fight.
Moorwing typically needs to be staggered five times before going down, with the fifth stagger ending the battle.
Alternate Ways to Handle Moorwing
1. Skip the Fight with the Flea Caravan
Rescue five Fleas across Pharloom and then visit the Flea Caravan. If you ride with them to Greymoor, they’ll stop at Moorwing’s arena and the boss simply won’t appear—allowing you to bypass the battle entirely.
2. The Cheese Method (Exploit)
Although patched in some builds, many players discovered a way to defeat Moorwing without risk:
- Equip the Reaper Crest.
- Lure Moorwing, then retreat to the upper right corner using the air current.
- From the nook near the entrance, perform repeated downward slashes through the floor.
Moorwing cannot reach you, and after enough cycles of stunning and recovery, it eventually falls. While not the most exciting method, it’s effective if you’re stuck.
Rewards for Defeating Moorwing
Unlike many other bosses, Moorwing does not drop a direct item or resource reward. The victory is mostly about progression: defeating Moorwing clears the path into Bellhart, unlocking new NPCs, quests, and story content that make the effort worthwhile.
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Quick Tips to Beat Moorwing in Silksong
- Don’t rush the fight—patience and rhythm matter more than constant offense.
- Focus on survival during projectile phases; you’ll have chances to attack afterward.
- Remember that skipping is always an option if the fight feels like a brick wall.
Moorwing is designed to test your mastery of Silksong’s dodging, spacing, and resource management. Once you learn its rhythm, you’ll find the fight less about brute force and more about precision—a fitting challenge on Hornet’s journey through Pharloom. Play Now!
