The Shaman Crest in Hollow Knight: Silksong shifts Hornet into a rune‑casting style: swings project blade waves forward and Silk Skills gain stronger effects. It’s an Act 3 pickup with a slot layout tailored to white Silk Skills, making it ideal for spell‑centric play with supportive blue tools.

Requirements and key details

• Availability: Act 3 only.

• Area: Ruined Chapel (Bone Bottom region).

• Movement needed: Silk Soar for vertical access.

• Base slots: 3 White (Silk Skills), 0 Red, 0 Blue, 0 Yellow.

• Late slot upgrades: +2 Blue (no Red/Yellow on the crest itself).

• Combat changes: normal swings fire forward waves at slower swing speed; Needle Strike produces a larger shockwave.

Route to the Shaman Crest (Act 3)

Step 1: From Bone Bottom, enter the side doorway that leads into the Ruined Chapel. This side entrance sits to the left of Bone Bottom’s main approach.

Step 2: In the first chamber, move to the far end and stand near the lore tablet. Use Silk Soar to reach a hidden tunnel above.

Step 3: In the upper tunnel, strike the right‑hand weak wall to open a passage. Breakable walls are slightly hollow‑sounding and crack under repeated hits.

Step 4: Proceed to the next weak wall and break it as well. The crest rests in the room beyond.

Step 5 (alternate access): If you approach from the opposite side, wall‑jump into the small hole at the top of the barrier to drop behind the breakable section.

Can’t reach it? Quick checks

  • Confirm story progress. The doorway and pickup are Act 3‑gated; arriving earlier won’t surface the route.
  • Verify you have Silk Soar. The hidden tunnel sits above normal jump height; Soar is required to climb safely.
  • Re‑scan walls. Some breakable segments hide behind decor. Test suspicious sections with a few safe strikes before moving on.

Slots, upgrades, and what they enable

• At base, Shaman supports three white Silk Skills and nothing else. This lets you stack offensive, defensive, or utility Silk Skills simultaneously.

• Late in the game, Shaman gains two blue tool slots. These add sustain and utility (e.g., silk economy, shock/volt effects), while the crest continues to omit red/yellow on its own.

• Global slot expanders (vesticrest‑style upgrades) can add colored capacity across all crests. With these in place, you can layer a small number of non‑white tools onto a Shaman build.

Suggested Shaman loadouts (examples)

Burst and boss pressure.

  • White: a high‑damage Silk Skill for openings, a quick‑cast for interrupts, a survivability or gap‑close option.
  • Blue: Spool sustain, on‑hit volt effects, or cast‑support tools to keep Silk cycling during offense.

Why it works: The forward wave on swings lets you poke safely while saving Silk for punishes; blue tools stabilize Silk and add chip damage between casts.

Safety and control.

  • White: one defensive Silk Skill (guard/heal/escape), one control tool (lingering hitbox), one reliable ranged cast.
  • Blue: silk generation on hit, or cost‑mitigation tools for frequent small casts.

Why it works: Longer spacing from wave swings reduces contact damage; with steady Silk income, you can recast control tools to manage adds and keep safe windows.

Notes on tool picks: Community‑tested blue choices like Spool‑focused extenders and volt‑type filaments pair well with Shaman’s Silk demands and frequent contact damage. Adjust to taste based on boss patterns and region hazards.

Combat tips specific to Shaman

Step 1: Space your pokes. The projected wave travels farther than a normal swing, so play a half‑screen back when possible to minimize trade risk.

Step 2: Respect the slower swing tempo. Buffer movement or a short hop between swings to avoid getting clipped during the recovery window.

Step 3: Use Needle Strike for crowd moments. Its larger shockwave helps clear small foes and buys time to reset positioning.

Step 4: Budget Silk proactively. Enter boss openings with enough Silk for your key cast; use light hits between phases to refill rather than spamming on cooldown.

Frequently asked

When can I get Shaman? Only in Act 3.

Where exactly is it? Ruined Chapel, via a hidden upper tunnel near the first room’s lore tablet, behind two breakable walls.

What’s the slot layout? Base: 3 White. Late upgrades: +2 Blue. No Red/Yellow on the crest itself.

Does it change basic attacks? Yes. Swings fire forward waves and the swing cadence is slower; Needle Strike creates a bigger shockwave.

Once you know the Ruined Chapel route and bring Silk Soar, Shaman is a quick pickup that shifts Hornet into a precise, Silk‑driven playstyle—great for methodical spacing and planned burst windows.