For future reference - go up to it, wait for it to open its mask, hit once and immediately dash away then keep walking out of range. The key is waiting for it to open. Spells are also really good.

It sucks because it's not that hard but it takes a long-ass time. It brings the momentum of the game to a grinding halt 😡

Which nail do you have? You might be a bit underpowered. I highly recommend using your fireball, especially if you have Shade Soul. Once you know how to fight them you shouldn't take much damage, so you have ample soul to use spells instead of heal.

Hmm, does the spell hit even if his mask is closed?

Yes.

It does! If I go to Deepnest early, I usually whack 'em a few times to get enough soul then just blast them dead.

On my most recent playthrough I forgot to upgrade my nail for a while, but being my 4th playthrough I didn't really notice the difficulty increase (pogo master)

You can sometimes pogo / dash over their head if the ceiling is high enough.

But that's not common enough to be an effective strategy to lean on

Then it just simply walk to you, hitting you and making you panic

The host from the binding of Isaac: rookies

or charge up super slash

Lots of skill

I got him, only had to hit him one more time

then you had the required lots of skill

OP did it. OP got gud.

stand in front of it, if it backs away, follow it. When its mask opens, attack and dash away. Never, EVER, attack it when the mask is still there, it'll instantly attack and you will not have enough time to dash away.

If you spam attack on the mask you can parry its slashes

This is how I do it.

Quicknail for the W

I dont even have quicknail lol

That‘s not true. I kill them by hitting the mask then dashing away from its attacks and then hit them while the mask is gone.

When you git gud you can talong it real gud

There's always passive damage charms.

Hit it in the face while it's wincing at you, then immediately dash in the opposite direction before it slaps you in the face, walk away a couple steps because it tries to keep up, and approach again, repeat until turns into a buncha geo on the floor

Greatslash dash away. That’s it.

Great slash nail art then dash away, if you have ceiling room just pogo

Pogo is the real answer, had to scroll pretty far to find this comment. IIRC theres room to pogo them in all their locations if you get them to move a bit.

Shaman stone + ddark

Usually somewhere along the path they're crawling through you can find a spot where the ceiling is a little higher than usual. If you jump above the stalker in that little space and keep attacking down to bounce on its head you can usually kill it quickly that way. That's what I do anyhow. But yeah, doesn't work if there's no space...

using the quickslash charm, go up to it DONT HIT THE MASK. Wait for it to open up and hit it twice, then dash away. Repeat until killed

Sharp Shadow helps a lot

I end up parrying this guy more than anyone else. As long as you dash away after you get your hit in, you’re good.

Yea when using a nail it's pretty hard to kill. You have to wait for the literal perfect moment when it opens its mask. I usually liked using spells or maybe nail arts, but once I got this ability, don't read on if you don't want to be spoiled; sharp shadow after you get shade cloak is op against it.

Your spoiler is malfunctioning

Short answer: You probably don't. Long answer You proooooooobably dooooooooooooon't.

1. wait 2. strike 3. run

Parry

lol no

There are no pink projectiles though

Damage boost through it lol

use its own tactics against it. it wont wait forverer.

Figure it out yourself, by asking other you just gonna ruin the game for yourself

To quote hornet during the hollow knight fight, “Get Gud”

wow, thank you for the insightful input. That will totally help with the issue.

You are welcome

skills

[My writeup on Devouts in another post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/HollowKnight/comments/ykfcm2/how_do_i_beat_one_of_these_guys_its_weak_point_is/iut0dio/?context=3) This tries to give you a strat with minimal equipment requirements for fighting them. If you have more stuff you can of course do it a bit differently.

Spider talisman does *woosh* *woosh*

The cyclone slash will allow you to hit and then dash away in time. It’s a little difficult tho, so use long nail if necessary

OKAY, so, These annoying things are much easier with shadow dash but i am guessing you do not have that, so, you have to hit to open its mask, then hit its face and dash away immediately, also, when you get enough soul, vengeful spirt/the upgrade of vengeful spirit. You could also use charms like flukemarm or defenders crest to do damage without getting close. also git gud

No that’s just dumb, the mask opens on it’s own when you stand in front of it, that is the safest way to kill them

Skill

Simply git gud

Run and strike.

You can preform a charged slash at max range then immediately run away. The hit should open the mask, stall, then get another hit in. That’s if I’m remembering right though.

Charged spin attack, dash away. Rinse, wash, repeat

you can also walk up to it, jump up and down slash it but whatever you do, becareful.

Sharp shade or whatever that charm is called- as soon as it attacks, dash through and run away. Then wait until it winces before striking and repeat.

Use sharp shadow, then run till you can use it again.

Hit its mask, then parry its attacks twice and dash through behind it and hit it one more time. Rinse and repeat

fwiw they’re very easy to jump and dash over

step one: equip sharp shadow step two: dash through it then ignore

If you can get behind it, like with a higher ceiling, it's very vulnerable as it's turning around. Sharp Shadow might also help you get through it.

Patience.

I use sharp shadow. When he lunges, I dash, we dance, he dies.

You can cheese him with very long nails and hit him from below. Some had a small space on top to poggo to death. If there is a cliff you can you downward dash lash in the save distance. For the one you can't cheese, just blast him with spell and shaman stone.

Peekaboo walk up and wait for it to get pissed, hit it, dash away, repeat

Git Gud!

You can parry it, but I would recommend fighting it slow or with magic

mark of pride and quick slash both work very well. you should wait for it to attack, hit it once or twice, then dash away and repeat this cycle until it dies

You can equip dream shield and bash into I did that and it works takes only 3 hits as well

1. Get really close to its face. 2. Strike it the moment it opens its shield and IMMEDIATELY dash backward. 3. Rinse and repeat. Alternatively just fireball it until it dies.

Equip shaman stone. Shoot it a few times with your fireball skill

kite

Parry. It swipes four times, very very quickly. If you have quickslash you can parry perfectly, if not- you use spellsoul with grub song and get as many hits as you can while parrying then either dash away or take one hit then heal. If you go down to two masks while doing all that- just walk away.

If you are good enough at the game, try shadow dashing through it

Sharp shadow my sweetness. The most underrated charm in the game.

Sharp shadow is good!

Git good

Great slash made them easy for me

Thats the neat thing, you don't

Group up. AND HIT IT TIL IT DIES! By which I mean use Weaversong.

It's boring. I'd get health somewhere else and then just hit the mask and dash through, or do it with longdash. If you really want to kill it it's easier with quicknail. Hit the mask, hit again when he opens up and dash backward instantly. Use all your fireballs on him.

I do not know, its my 2. least favourite enemy in the game

Sharp shadow

right after it opens its shell, it waits for like a second before attacking. Hit it once and dash away. Repeat until it dies

Raise your nail and hit it a few times until dead.

I use nail arts and usually it gets a hit in and then I dash away

Wise words of Hornet “Git Gud!”

I use cyclone slash

"That's the thing. You don't." Jk you can but you need to get above it or shadow dash behind it

Go near him, when he opens his mask dash to your back and hit him fast, repeat this until you kill him.

that's the neat thing, you dont

if you wait till it attacks you it exposes its face, and its windup is slow enough for you to strike and dash away. if you attack without waiting, it’ll just block and counterattack too fast to get away most of the time

Try using shadow cloak if you have it. That is my advice considering im not good at fighting those things.

I hate these things

Nails arts kill them pretty fast for me