The Silksong skull ant boss that you find at the east end of The Marrow, properly known as Skarrgard, is a tough opponent due to its sweeping melee attacks and mobility. It also doesn't help that you find it in a relatively tight space, but mastering some of Hornet's core move and unlocking a couple of extra ones in a different area of Hollow Knight Silksong will help you get through this boss soon enough. Below, I've laid out some pointers for beating Skarrgard, Silksong's red ant skull boss, so that you can proceed into the Hunter's March.
How to beat the Silksong skull ant boss fight
The big red ant boss with a skull on its head is quite a brutal step up from the Silksong Bell Beast boss fight to the point that I don't recommend fighting it until you've mastered the art of Silksong pogo-jumping and have unlocked the Swift Step ability in the Deep Docks. Obviously, you can try fighting Skarrgard as soon as you find it, but you'll be at a major disadvantage.
With that in mind, here are some tips for overcoming this big bug:
- His main double-swing attack hits hard but it can be avoided in a couple of ways: Well-timed parrying will negate the attack but is very difficult to execute, so I recommend dodging with Swift Step to quickly get out of the way.
- Pogo-jump attacks are useful, but watch out for Skarrgard's jump: If you stay above the skull ant boss for too long, it can eventually leap into the air, almost squashing you into the ceiling. This will not only deal a lot of damage but can wreck your positioning and leave you open to a follow-up attack, so don't push your luck too much!
- Get attacks in when Skarrgard after it emerges from the ground: This boss can also burrow and repair underneath you, but it's telegraphed generously, letting you get out of the way and avoid damage. Use the time it takes for Skarrgard to rise out the ground to get one or two hits in, then evade with Swift Step. After his attack has finished
- Try luring Skarrgard into the narrow tunnel: You enter the boss fight arena via a narrow tunnel which you can run back to and Skarrgard will usually follow by burrowing into the ground. The low ceiling prevents the boss from using any leaping attacks, so his main double-swipe becomes pretty much his only move.
- If it's too hard, just leave!: This skull ant boss fight is one of the few bosses where you can just run away. The entrance tunnel isn't sealed, so if you're having a bad time, just get out of there. Of course, the fight will have completely reset if you then return, but it means you can avoid losing rosaries if that's a risk.
In short, patience is key with this boss, (admittedly, pretty much all Silksong bosses require patience), due to its hard-hitting attacks and narrow opportunities for damage. Finding the right opening to get one or two hits in and then focusing on evasion with liberal use of Swift Step is what will see you through this fight.
Hollow Knight Silksong Skarrgard skull ant boss rewards
There are no tangible rewards for beating the Skarrgard in Silksong as it doesn't drop any items, but your reward is one route into the Hunter's March region of Pharloom – there is another much safer route within the Deep Docks but you must explore much of the Deep Docks and the Far Fields first. There's a room above the path that also has a bunch of Silksong Shell Shards inside.
I should warn you that Hunter's March is a tough area in the early stages of Silksong, and the path guarded by Skarrgard is especially brutal. Pogo-jumping mastery is essential to getting through and reaching the booby-trapped resting bench. After that, there's another difficult boss fight but you'll a Crest out of it.
If you're yet to explore the Far Fields, you'll need to find Silksong Hokers for their Spine Cores. And in case you've not even explored The Marrow fully, make sure you get some Silksong Mossberries for the Druid too.
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