Hollow Knight: Silksong received a lot of hype in the lead-up to its release on Thursday. When the long-awaited title finally came out, a flood of players rushed to download it, but it appears some caught up in the hype were not prepared for the game’s crushing difficulty. But there is some help for struggling players near the very start of the game. 

Silksong protagonist Hornet is far more agile than the Knight from Hollow Knight, especially in her diagonal downward slash. But this angled attack is causing lots of frustration for players online, especially in areas of the game where Hornet has to bounce off objects with the slash to get past deadly obstacles. For those struggling, there is an item available almost at the beginning of the game that can change this diagonal attack to a vertical downward slash attack, making bouncing off enemies and objects much easier. 

How to get the Crest of the Wanderer in Silksong

To find the Crest of the Wanderer, start off at the main hub of the game, Bone Bottom. The vendor here sells one expensive item called the Simple Key at a whopping 500 rosaries, the in-game currency. That’s a lot of rosaries that will take time to grind out if you want to change the direction of the aerial attack, but there are places to repeatedly kill enemies so you can fatten your wallet. 

The nearest place to grind rosaries is directly above Bone Bottom, but it requires a trek through The Marrow to where you first meet Shakra, who sells you maps. There is a bench near her and multiple enemies who drop rosaries. Simply make your way through the area, clear the enemies, rest at the bench and repeat until you have 500 rosaries. 

Once you do, head back to Bone Bottom using the elevator shortcut. Buy the Simple Key and head back up the elevator (if you haven’t unlocked the elevator shortcut yet, check out our Silksong beginner’s guide). Proceed up one screen, and to your left will be what appears to be a big empty space. Give it a few seconds, and a bird will fly in your direction. Jump toward the bird and then use the downward slash to bounce off the enemy onto a hanging cage. Do it again for the next cage, and you can then reach a ledge to the far left, where it will take you to the next area. 

This area is very dangerous, as there is one giant enemy on the ceiling that spews out liquid that can deal big damage to Hornet. Luckily, there are platforms to shield you from its attacks. Once you see the enemy coming, immediately run under a platform and make sure to stay centered in the platform, as the angle of the liquid can hit you. As soon as it stops, run to the next platform and wait again for it to attack. Keep it going until you reach the end of the area. 

This next area is where a door is located, and the Simple Key will unlock it. Going through the door will take you to the Wormways area. Be careful, as spiked monsters will move vertically through the tight corridors and damage you when touched. Once here, go down the first hole you see and then head right. You will eventually return to Mosshome, where Bone Bottom is located. 

This new area of Mosshome you’re in is actually above the church, which is where the game started. Simply drop all the way down until you reach the ground. For the sake of safety, go right first to clear out the vines and unlock the door for another shortcut. That will take you back to the Church, and you can proceed to Bone Bottom, where you can finally rest. 

When you go back through the door you unlocked, keep heading left until you find a hut. Inside, there are enemies and traps, so be prepared. Once you clear out the area, you’ll be able to claim the Crest of the Wanderer and change your weapon attack. 

What does the Crest of the Wanderer do? 

Crests are equippable items that change Hornet’s moveset and switch her tool slots. They can be found throughout the game after going through some difficult areas or beating certain bosses. Hornet starts with the Hunter Crest and can find six more: Wanderer, Beast, Reaper, Shaman, Witch and Architect. 

When equipped, the Wanderer Crest allows Hornet to do quicker attacks, although they are slightly smaller slashes in comparison to the wider arcs when using the default Hunter Crest. More importantly, when airborne, pressing down and the attack button will do a vertical downward attack instead of an angled attack. This will be a big help in later levels to avoid obstacles and will make it a little easier to bounce off of bigger enemies by doing repeated downward slashes while in the air.