Upgrade Health — Early Mask Shards Guide

Understanding Health in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Health in Hollow Knight: Silksong is represented by Masks, with each Mask providing one hit point of protection against damage. Unlike the original Hollow Knight where you started with a modest health pool, Silksong requires strategic collection of Mask Shards to increase your maximum health. This system makes health upgrades both more valuable and more challenging to obtain.

Key Health Mechanics:

• Mask Shards combine - Multiple shards form one complete Ancient Mask
• Permanent upgrades - Each new mask permanently increases maximum health
• Strategic importance - Higher health allows for more aggressive exploration
• Resource investment - Some shards require significant Rosary expenditure

How Mask Shards Work in Silksong

The Shard System

Collection Mechanics:

• Multiple shards required - Several Mask Shards combine to form one Ancient Mask
• Permanent health increase - Each completed mask adds +1 to maximum health
• Various acquisition methods - Purchase, find, earn through quests, or complete challenges
• No loss on death - Once collected, Mask Shards are permanently yours

Strategic Value

Why Health Matters:

• Exploration safety - More health allows deeper exploration without retreat
• Boss fight endurance - Extra hits mean more learning opportunities during difficult encounters
• Risk tolerance - Higher health enables more aggressive play styles
• Quality of life - Less frequent trips back to benches for healing

Early Game Health Priority Route

This guide focuses on the four most accessible and efficient early Mask Shards that provide the best return on investment for new players.

Overview of Early Route (4 Pickups)

1. Bone Bottom Shop - Guaranteed purchase (≈300 Rosaries)
2. Wormways Secret Pool - Hidden room behind breakable wall
3. Shellwood Cracked Wall - Secret near Shakra, requires basic pogo
4. Far Fields Puzzle - Above the Seamstress, requires Drifter's Cloak

Route Logic: This order balances accessibility, resource requirements, and movement ability prerequisites while providing steady health progression.

Detailed Location Guide

1. Bone Bottom — Shop Purchase (Priority #1)

Location: Bone Bottom village vendor Cost: Approximately 300 Rosaries Requirements: Access to Bone Bottom + sufficient currency Difficulty: Very Easy

Why Start Here:

• Guaranteed availability - No RNG or skill checks required
• Early accessibility - Available as soon as you reach Bone Bottom
• Immediate upgrade - Provides instant health boost for upcoming challenges
• Currency efficiency - Relatively affordable for the significant benefit

Navigation:

1. Locate the vendor - Find the general merchant in Bone Bottom village
2. Verify funds - Ensure you have approximately 300 Rosaries saved
3. Purchase immediately - This should be your first major purchase after basic tools
4. Confirm upgrade - Check your mask display to verify the shard was added

Rosary Farming Tip: If you're short on currency, use the nearby fastest Rosary farming routes to quickly accumulate the needed funds.

2. Wormways — Hidden Pool Room (Priority #2)

Location: Secret wall in the tall water room Requirements: Swift Step (dash) recommended for easier elevator navigation Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Step-by-Step Route:

1. Start from Mosshome - Begin at the familiar bench area
2. Head west over abandoned lifts - Navigate the elevated platforms into Wormways
3. Survive the chase sequence - In the chase room, keep right using platforms for cover
4. Reach the tall pool room - Navigate to the vertical water-filled chamber
5. Enter the water - Drop down into the pool area
6. Strike the right wall - Attack the wall to reveal the hidden passage
7. Collect the Mask Shard - Enter the revealed room and claim your reward

Safety Tips:

• Use Swift Step carefully - Dash ability helps with elevator tops but isn't mandatory
• Maintain cover - During chase sequences, use environmental protection
• Check wall surfaces - Look for subtle visual cues indicating breakable walls

3. Shellwood — Cracked Wall Secret (Priority #3)

Location: Upper-right corner of Shakra's tall room Requirements: Basic pogo/jump control, confidence with white bloom mechanics Difficulty: Moderate

Detailed Route:

1. Navigate to Shakra's room - Find the tall Shellwood room where Shakra sets up shop
2. Climb to upper-right corner - Use platforming skills to reach the highest area
3. Identify the cracked wall - Look for visual damage indicating a breakable surface
4. Break the wall - Attack the cracked area to reveal the secret passage
5. Complete the platforming sequence - Navigate the white bloom pogo corridor
6. Claim the Mask Shard - Collect your reward at the end of the sequence

Technical Requirements:

• Pogo skills - Must be comfortable bouncing off white blooms
• Platforming fundamentals - Basic jumping and movement control
• Pattern recognition - Ability to read environmental cues for secrets

4. Far Fields — Above the Seamstress (Priority #4)

Location: Upper area above the Seamstress chamber, accessed via puzzle solution Requirements: Drifter's Cloak (glide ability) from completing the Seamstress hunt Difficulty: Moderate-Hard

Complete Sequence:

1. Complete the Seamstress hunt - Required to obtain Drifter's Cloak (glide ability)
2. Return to the Seamstress room - Navigate back to the chamber where you fought her
3. Glide upward - Use your new Drifter's Cloak to reach the upper areas
4. Use explosive ground - Interact with environmental elements to open blocked paths
5. Solve the upper puzzle - Navigate the platforming and puzzle elements
6. Drop the hot coal - Use the coal to break through the floor barrier
7. Collect the exposed shard - Retrieve your Mask Shard from the newly accessible area

Prerequisite Guide: See Unlock Wind Gliding for detailed Seamstress fight strategy and Drifter's Cloak acquisition.

Requirements and Preparation

Movement Abilities Needed

Essential Skills:

• Basic platforming - Jumping, landing accuracy, timing
• Swift Step (dash) - Recommended for Wormways navigation
• Pogo techniques - Required for Shellwood white bloom sequence
• Drifter's Cloak (glide) - Mandatory for Far Fields upper area

Resource Requirements

Currency Planning:

• 300 Rosaries minimum - For the Bone Bottom shop purchase
• Additional funds - Reserve extra for tools and emergency purchases
• Farming strategy - Plan efficient Rosary collection routes

Consumables:

• Healing items - Carry 2-3 healing consumables for safety
• Full health start - Begin each shard hunt with maximum health
• Bench planning - Know checkpoint locations for safe retreat

Progression Dependencies

Story Gates:

• Bone Bottom access - Requires normal progression to the village
• Wormways navigation - Need to have reached the area through exploration
• Shellwood availability - Must have progressed to this biome
• Seamstress completion - Far Fields shard requires defeating this boss

Optimization Strategy

Why This Order Works

Efficiency Logic:

1. Guaranteed start - Shop purchase eliminates RNG and provides immediate benefit
2. Skill progression - Each location builds on previous movement mastery
3. Ability gating - Respects natural progression of movement abilities
4. Risk management - Safer locations first, more challenging ones after health upgrades

Alternative Approaches

If Short on Rosaries:

• Farm before starting - Use efficient Rosary routes to fund the shop purchase
• Skip shop initially - Start with free shards if currency is extremely limited
• Return later - Shop is always available, can be purchased at any time

If Missing Abilities:

• Focus on accessible shards - Collect what you can with current abilities
• Plan return trips - Mark locations for revisit after gaining required skills
• Prioritize ability unlocks - Rush movement upgrades to access gated content

Tips and Common Mistakes

Navigation Tips

General Guidance:

• Use map pins - Mark shard locations for easy tracking and return visits
• Study visual cues - Learn to identify breakable walls and hidden passages
• Probe thoroughly - Check pool edges and dead-ends for secret entrances
• Plan retreat routes - Always know how to return to safety

Resource Management

Currency Strategy:

• Farm efficiently - Use proven Rosary farming loops to accumulate funds quickly
• Spend wisely - Balance shard purchases with essential tool acquisitions
• Budget planning - Reserve funds for unexpected opportunities or emergencies

Skill Development

Platforming Improvement:

• Practice fundamentals - Master basic movement before attempting advanced sequences
• Learn from failures - Each miss teaches timing and positioning
• Gradual difficulty - Start with easier shards to build confidence

Common Troubleshooting

"I Can't Afford the Shop Shard"

Solutions:

• Use the Mosshome loop - Safe, reliable early-game Rosary farming
• Explore thoroughly - Many enemies drop small amounts of currency
• Plan farming sessions - Dedicated currency collection before shard hunting
• Reference farming guide - See fastest Rosary routes

"I Can't Find the Hidden Walls"

Techniques:

• Look for visual damage - Cracked or discolored wall sections
• Test suspicious areas - Attack walls that look different
• Check environmental context - Dead-ends often hide secrets
• Use audio cues - Some walls sound different when struck

"The Platforming Is Too Difficult"

Improvement Strategy:

• Practice in safe areas - Use familiar locations to build skills
• Break down sequences - Tackle complex sections piece by piece
• Study movement patterns - Learn optimal timing for jumps and dashes
• Use easier alternatives - Come back when you have more health or abilities

"I Keep Dying on the Way"

Safety Measures:

• Increase health first - Collect easier shards before attempting harder ones
• Plan checkpoint usage - Rest at benches to create safe restart points
• Carry healing items - Always have emergency recovery options
• Learn enemy patterns - Many encounters can be avoided or simplified

Advanced Health Upgrade Strategies

Long-term Planning

Completion Goals:

• Track progress systematically - Use guides or checklists to ensure no shards are missed
• Plan efficient routes - Combine shard collection with other exploration goals
• Balance risk and reward - Higher-risk shards often provide better progression value

Integration with Other Systems

Synergy Opportunities:

• Combine with currency farming - Collect shards during Rosary grinding sessions
• Coordinate with ability unlocks - Time shard collection with movement upgrades
• Support exploration goals - Use health upgrades to enable deeper exploration

Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Health System Questions

Q: How many Mask Shards do I need for one health upgrade? A: Multiple Mask Shards combine to form one Ancient Mask, which provides +1 maximum health. The exact number of shards required may vary, so collect as many as possible early.

Q: Can I lose Mask Shards if I die? A: No, Mask Shards are permanent collectibles. Once obtained, they remain in your inventory regardless of death or other setbacks.

Q: Should I prioritize health upgrades over other purchases? A: Early health upgrades provide significant quality of life improvements and enable more aggressive exploration. The Bone Bottom shop shard is especially valuable as a first major purchase.

Location-Specific Questions

Q: What if I can't reach the Far Fields shard yet? A: The Far Fields shard requires Drifter's Cloak from defeating the Seamstress. Focus on the other three shards first and return later with the required ability.

Q: Is the Wormways shard really behind a secret wall? A: Yes, in the tall pool room, drop into the water and attack the right wall. It should break to reveal a hidden chamber containing the Mask Shard.

Q: How do I know if I have enough Rosaries for the shop? A: The vendor will show the price when you interact. If you're short, use the nearby farming spots or return after collecting currency elsewhere.

Strategy Questions

Q: Should I collect all early shards before progressing? A: It's not necessary to collect every shard immediately, but the four listed here provide excellent early-game value and should be prioritized when accessible.

Q: Can I come back for shards later? A: Absolutely! All Mask Shard locations remain accessible throughout the game. Feel free to return when you have better abilities or more resources.

Q: Are there any missable Mask Shards? A: Generally no, but some may become temporarily inaccessible due to story progression. The early shards covered here are all permanently available.

Q: What's the maximum health I can achieve? A: The maximum health depends on how many total Mask Shards are available in the game. Focus on steady collection rather than worrying about theoretical maximums.

Related Guides and Next Steps

Essential Preparatory Guides

• Fastest Way to Get Rosaries - Currency farming for shop purchases
• Unlock Wind Gliding Guide - Required for Far Fields shard
• Basic Movement Techniques - Platforming skills development
• Bone Bottom Complete Guide - Area navigation and vendor locations

Advanced Health Guides

• All Mask Shard Locations - Part 1 - Comprehensive early shard guide
• All Mask Shard Locations - Part 2 - Mid and late-game shards
• 100% Completion Route - Optimal routing for completionist runs
• Combat Optimization with Health - Leveraging health for aggressive play

Area-Specific Resources

• Far Fields Complete Guide - Detailed area exploration including Seamstress fight
• Shellwood Navigation Guide - Safe routes and secret locations
• Wormways Exploration - Hidden areas and chase sequence strategies

Interactive Map Preview

Open Interactive Map

Opens the full interactive Silksong map in a new tab.

Open Map

Sources

• Video guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koMUbWLEhm4
• Community testing of shard locations and requirements
• Launch-window guides corroborating early placements and requirements
• Player optimization strategies and route efficiency analysis

Open Interactive Map (All Areas)

Opens the full interactive Silksong map in a new tab.

Open Map