Snare Setter is a Red Tool in Hollow Knight: Silksong that lets Hornet seed the ground with silk runes that ignite when enemies approach. It’s easy to miss early, both because it sits in a concealed space and because you’ll need mid-game traversal to reach it. Here’s how to get there, what you need equipped, and when deploying traps actually pays off.

Location and requirements

You’ll find Snare Setter inside Weavenest Atla, a Weaver complex tucked to the east of Moss Grotto. To enter the facility, play your Needolin at the sealed door. From there, you’ll need two movement abilities to reach the item’s room:

Detailed route (Weavenest Atla)

  • From the entrance, ride the lift/teleporter down to the lower level of the facility.
  • In the hallway immediately above that lower pad, wall-climb on the right side and move left into the plant-filled corridor.
  • Continue left until you see water/greenery and a curved, domed ceiling overhead.
  • Double-jump into a hidden opening in that ceiling to access a vertical shaft.
  • Use Cling Grip to climb up, then head right across the upper passage.
  • Snare Setter rests on a table/pedestal at the end of that short path.
Tip: If you don’t see the upper hole, look for the first room in that hallway with a rounded ceiling profile. The opening is slightly off-screen and only reachable once you have double jump.

What Snare Setter actually does

  • Places a silk rune on the ground that ignites when enemies get close, dealing burst damage.
  • Consumes Shell Shards to use; you’ll have a small number of charges in your pouch and can replenish with more shards.
  • Color/type: Red Tool (offensive, consumable-based).
  • Capacity: typically five uses in a base pouch before you need to reload with shards.

The rune triggers on proximity, so it’s best set just ahead of advancing enemies or in places where you can funnel targets (narrow platforms, doorways, or boss pathing lanes).

Where it shines (and where it doesn’t)

  • Boss fights with predictable movement: You can seed multiple runes along common routes, forcing damage as the boss advances or repositions.
  • Add control: When encounters spawn waves or minions, traps buy space to heal or reset.
  • Less efficient for routine trash: Most standard enemies will fall faster to direct Needle pressure; traps are overkill in open rooms.

Good pairings include other ranged or area tools that keep enemies at bay while your runes arm, such as Straight Pin or Silkshot. Layering Snare Setter with Tacks can create a compact kill zone that punishes both movement and standing still.

Common pitfalls and quick fixes

  • Can’t find the room: Make sure you’re in the hallway above the lower teleporter, not the bottom floor itself. The tell is a plant-lined corridor with a curved ceiling and water to the left.
  • Missing the jump: You need the double jump to reach the off-screen hole. Without the Faydown Cloak, you’ll see nothing unusual.
  • No entrance to Atla: The front door only opens after playing Needolin at the doorway’s silk motif.

How it fits into late-game progress

Snare Setter is one of the components the Caretaker will ask for during the “Silk and Soul” wish in Act 2’s endgame run-up. If you’ve already collected it from Weavenest Atla, it fulfills that step; otherwise, you’ll be sent to retrieve it. After meeting the wish’s broader requirements and confronting the final boss, you’ll be prompted with a specific post-fight action tied to Needolin to move the story forward into Act 3. If you’re chasing endings, expect the wish to reference three named souls and this Weaver device.

Note: Players aiming for total completion often focus on major combat and traversal tools; Snare Setter isn’t typically required for a 100% counter.

Practical tips to get value from traps

  • Pre-plant during downtime: If an arena offers a calm moment (between waves or phases), set two to three runes along likely approach lines.
  • Bait, then burst: Place a rune, retreat just past it, and jump over the target as it commits, forcing a trigger under its feet.
  • Conserve shards: Spend where traps replace risky melee. If you’re shard-starved, revert to Needle pressure and save charges for phase transitions.
  • Stack effects: Use a throw tool to stagger or corral foes (Straight Pin volleys, Silkshot angles), steering them into your planted rune.

FAQ

Can I grab Snare Setter before the late-game wish?
Yes. Once you have wall climb and double jump and can enter Weavenest Atla with Needolin, you can pick it up from its hidden room.

How many charges does it hold?
Expect a small pool (around five) before you need Shell Shards to reload. The exact count you can carry scales with your pouch capacity and upgrades elsewhere in the game.

Is it just a trap version of Tacks?
They overlap, but they’re not identical. Tacks punish ground travel over an area; Snare Setter is a proximity rune with a stronger on-contact burst, which tends to matter more in boss arenas where you can predict pathing.

Key takeaways

  • Abilities required: Cling Grip and Faydown Cloak.
  • Entrance required: open Weavenest Atla with Needolin.
  • The room to find: above the lower teleporter, plant-lined hallway, domed ceiling, hidden hole.
  • Best use: boss pathing control and add suppression; conserve charges elsewhere.

If you’ve cleared the abilities checklist and still can’t spot the ceiling opening, sweep the hallway slowly while jumping against the rounded roofline — the gap doesn’t reveal itself until you’re within double-jump range.