If you're stuck in Greymoor staring down Moorwing in Hollow Knight: Silksong, I've got good news: you don't have to fight fair. Look, I get it—Greymoor is a maze, the bench at Halfway Home feels miles away, and Moorwing has a habit of turning a simple boss fight into an airborne tantrum. So let's talk about the cheese. And then let's talk about walking around the problem entirely. No judgment here. 😄
The Reaper Crest is your secret weapon
Before you go anywhere, sit at the Halfway Home bench in Greymoor and switch to the Reaper Crest. Hornet gets several Crests in the story, and each one changes her basic attack and downward attack. The Reaper Crest gives you heavy arcing slashes, extra Silk from defeated enemies, and—most importantly—a downward arc swing that can hit Moorwing from a spot where the boss simply cannot reach you. That downward arc is the whole trick. Without it, this cheese doesn't exist.
Once you're back in the arena, approach Moorwing just enough to wake it up. The moment it starts attacking, run to the right and ride the currents upward toward the ledge where you first dropped in. Now face the wall on your left. Moorwing will fly right underneath you, and you can bonk it with downward arc swings until it dies. It takes a few hits. It is also completely, almost comically safe. The boss can't touch you. It just keeps buzzing underneath like an angry ceiling fan.
Simple. Effective. A little rude.
Two ways to skip Moorwing entirely
Word on the street is that you can skip the fight altogether. As of 2026, these two methods are still the ones people bring up, though I'd take the second with a grain of salt.
| Method |
What you do |
Risk level |
| Simple Key gate |
Follow the red route on the map above and use a Simple Key to open a locked gate. You enter the boss area from the left instead of the right. |
Low, if you have the key |
| Flea Caravan |
Find the five lost Fleas for Fleamaster Mooshka in The Marrow. The Caravan then appears where Moorwing would normally show up. |
Medium—the boss may return once the Caravan moves again |
The first method is the cleaner one. You're basically coming into the fight from the wrong side of the theater, and Moorwing doesn't appreciate being ignored. The second method is wilder. You help Mooshka, the Caravan parks itself in the boss spot, and suddenly the arena is a flea market instead of a nightmare. But here's the catch: once that Caravan moves again, Moorwing might show up anyway. Trust me, I'd keep a backup plan.
Why bother?
Because Greymoor is annoying enough without a boss wall. Beating Moorwing opens the way west to Haunted Bellhart, where the Threadspun Town quest happens, and then onward to Shellwood. You're almost to Act 2. If you can save yourself ten deaths and a headache, why not? The cheese spot is safe, the skip routes are tempting, and Moorwing is a flying problem that deserves a little disrespect. 🦋
So grab the Reaper Crest, pick your method, and get out of Greymoor. Your sanity will thank you.
If you enjoy shaving minutes and headaches off a route like this, you’ll probably appreciate doing the same with your game budget. Whether you’re waiting for a sale on Silksong or hunting down back-catalog deals, DealNest is a straightforward place to compare offers and keep an eye on price changes with this price tracking tool. It’s the same small bit of preparation that saves you from a much bigger annoyance later.
