How to beat the Craw Lake gauntlet in Silksong

The Silksong Craw Lake gauntlet is rather brutal in Greymoor, and you'll be completely forgiven for feeling that way - it's tricky.

Between its flying enemies that wield knives that get thrown at you, to charging at you, to simply being a smaller battle area, this Hollow Knight: Silksong fight will test the skills you've learned so far.

On that note, here's how to beat the Craw Lake gauntlet in Silksong.

How to beat the Craw Lake gauntlet in Silksong

The Silksong Craw Lake gauntlet can be reached by heading right from Shakra in Greymoor, and it's a pivotal thing to pass if you want to navigate Craw Lake safely. We highly recommend visiting Shakra and sitting beside her to rest like you would do with a Bench - this gives you a safe space to return to if you die.

The gauntlet happens in five waves, each wave is slightly different from the last but here’s how to get through each one:

• Wave one
• Wave two
• Wave three
• Wave four
• Final wave

Wave one

The first wave is by no means an easy introduction to the gauntlet. This wave consists of one smaller enemy that charges at you mid-air and a slightly larger one that throws three knives out at you as well as being able to knock into or squash you.

For this wave, you should focus on taking out the smaller diving enemy first while avoiding the daggers being thrown by the other enemy. If you’re struggling to dodge the knives then, try to keep underneath the larger enemy while you're targeting the smaller one - they can’t seem to throw knives directly underneath them. Though, if you use this strategy, get ready to dash as they can float down to try to squish you.

When the smaller enemy is down, keep underneath the bigger one and slice at it from underneath when you can. If you find, however, dodging their knives is easier above them, or if they come down low, then you can definitely pogo on them.

Wave two

The second wave gives you a false sense of security - do not fall for it. You’ll now have two smaller diving enemies to contend with. Attack them from underneath when you can and jump over the top of them when they dive down, this can be a good chance to pogo too. If you can lure both of them together on one side, their attacks will be easier to anticipate.

If you're low on lives, heal and this wave is a good chance to recharge.

Wave three

This wave throws a new enemy at you alongside another small flying one. Like you did in the first wave, take out the smaller diving enemy first as they can cause serious damage while you're trying to dodge the bigger one.

Once it’s just you and the bigger one, we recommend pogoing on them as much as you can while they’re at ground level. You'll need to be careful if you’re on the ground with them, they can lunge at you with their weapon. Try to stay behind them if you need to be grounded with them.

However, once this enemy gets into the air then you need to dodge underneath them. When they start to aim their weapon you'll know which direction they're going in, head in the opposite direction! Do not jump, they can spear you. You can attack them from underneath if you're brave.

Wave four

This is another small diving enemies wave, only this time there are three. Employ the same strategy that got you through wave two earlier on and again, this is the perfect time to charge or heal up for the last wave.

Final Wave

This is where things would usually go awry for us, so be patient. This wave throws the knife-wielding enemy and the larger spear enemy at you together. The rule of thumb is to focus on taking either one out first, but we found it easier taking out the knife enemy before turning our attention to the spear one - it meant there were no projectiles to run or dodge into by accident.

That's it! If you stick with it, you’ll pass this gauntlet soon enough and continue your adventure through Greymoor.

That's all for now! If you're looking for more Silksong help, check out our Greymoor walkthrough or Tool locations and our Wishes locations pages.