Hunter Crest

Hunter Crest
Stalk prey and attack with lethal strikes.
Slots	│││
Attacks	Standard attacks
Source	Starting item
Hunter Crest
Stalk prey and attack with lethal strikes. Build focus with successive strikes.
Slots	│││
Attacks	Standard attacks
Effects	Increases Needle damage after striking enemies 6 times; resets after taking damage or sitting on a Bench
Location	Weavenest Atla
Hunter Crest
Stalk prey and attack with lethal strikes. Build focus with successive strikes.
Slots	│││
Attacks	Standard attacks
Effects	Increases Needle damage after striking enemies 6 times; resets after taking damage or sitting on a Bench Increases damage further after striking enemies 6 more times
Location	Weavenest Atla

The Hunter Crest is the starting Crest in Hollow Knight: Silksong. It starts with no special properties. When evolved, it gains the ability to build focus by striking enemies, which increases Needle damage.

Attacks

• Neutral Slashes: Hornet strikes in a medium sized arc.
• Down-slash: Hornet does a long dash strike diagonally downwards.
• Run-slash: Hornet strikes with the point of her needle and keeps running on a miss. On a hit, Hornet is launched into the air, similarly to a Down-slash.
• Needle Strike: Hornet executes two great slashes. Unlike all other multi-hit attacks, both slashes can generate a strand of silk.

Mechanics

After being evolved, Hornet will build focus upon hitting enemies. Needle damage is multiplied by 1.3x once focus is fully built up after 6 hits. Partially built focus does not grant part of the damage bonus. Focus resets to 0 if Hornet takes damage or sits on a Bench. Focus is represented on the HUD with a bar curving around the left side of the Crest icon that fills from the middle.

With the second evolution, another tier of focus is added, with the multiplier increasing to 1.5x upon reaching it with 6 more hits, or 12 hits in total. The focus meter on the HUD Crest is extended, with a gap to separate the tiers.

• Focus does not increase Silk Skill damage. Both Challenge and Clawline build 1 hit of Focus on hit.

Usefulness

Hunter Crest offers a balance of Tool slots, attack range and attack speed.

• Down-slash can be used to dodge attacks and close distance on enemies.
• Run-slash has generous range and area coverage.
• Needle Strike can deal high damage and generate more Silk than normal.
• When fully upgraded and at max Focus, Hunter Crest has the highest sustained Needle DPS of any Crest.
• Fully evolved Hunter Crest's down-slash has the ability to generate Silk upon hitting walnuts in the passageway to the Nameless Town, making the platforming section easier. This attribute is only shared by the Clawline^{[Missing information]}.
• Weaknesses:
  • Hunter Crest's Down-slash being at a diagonal angle can make it difficult to bounce off objects and enemies.
  • Memory Lockets used on the Hunter Crest do not count towards Eva's Tool slot count for her upgrades.

Synergies

Due to the Balance of available Tool slots and no significant strengths or weaknesses, the Hunters Crest has several options for builds.

• The Delver's Drill allows Hornet to attack directly downwards from a distance, offsetting the down-slash being unable to.
• Flintslate's damage increase only stacks additively with focus; Flea Brew may therefore be a better alternative for burst Needle damage, and can also be used to build focus faster.
• Longclaw increases Hunter Crest's attack range for more consistant safety and focus.
• Pin Badge is reliable for generating both Silk and focus quickly, and also allowing longer range needle attacks to keep a safer range from enemies.
• Magnetite Dice, Cross Stitch and Warding Bell can all prevent damage, and therefore the loss of focus.
• While focus is being consistently maintained, Binding is unnecessary and Skills do not benefit like the Needle does, leading to an abundance of Silk for Wispfire Lantern and Silkspeed Anklets to passively use.

How to Acquire

This crest is available from the start, as Hornet has it equipped at base.

It can evolved by speaking with Eva in Weavenest Atla, which is found behind a door opened with Needolin at the easternmost edge of Moss Grotto. After unlocking 27 total slots on Crests (besides the Hunter Crest) and speaking to Eva again will allow Hornet to fully evolve the Crest.

• 

  Location where the Hunter Crest can be evolved

Trivia

• The Hunter Crest's attacks are based on those Hornet used as a boss in Hollow Knight.
• Hornet has the Hunter Crest forcefully equipped to her after certain cutscenes: After it is upgraded, when reclaiming her belongings after getting captured, and after entering Act 3
• After reaching the first tier of the evolved Hunter Crest's damage bonus, hitting enemies with the Needle makes a visual effect resembling Sylphsong's visual effect appear. Once Hornet reaches the second tier of the damage bonus, this visual effect is strengthened.

• 

  Evolved

• 

  Fully Evolved

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning/Explanation
Brazilian Portuguese	Caçador
French	Chasseur
German	Jäger
Italian	Cacciatore	Hunter
Japanese	狩猟者 Shuryōsha
Korean	사냥꾼 [Missing Romanisation]
Russian	Охотница [Missing Romanisation]
Simplified Chinese	猎手 Lièshǒu ?	Hunter
Spanish	Cazadora	Huntress
Internal name	CREST_HUNTER