Tools
Tools are equippable items that augment Hornet’s combat and traversal. They are sorted into three categories—red, blue and yellow—which correspond to offensive, defensive/support and exploration roles:
- Red tools (weapons) consume limited ammo that refills at benches. Early standouts include:
- Sting Shard: Throws a cluster of blades that detonate when struck or touched, great for aerial enemies.
- Cogwork Fly: Deploys up to three homing flies that chase targets.
- Cogwork Wheel: Sends a whirling saw across the floor and up the walls, shredding clustered foes.
- Blue tools provide passive defence and Silk management:
- Druid’s Eye: Rewards bonus Silk when you take damage.
- Fractured Mask: Absorbs one lethal hit before shattering.
- Pollip Pouch: Coats your red tools with venom for extra damage over time.
- Spool Extender: Increases your Silk bar by four notches.
- Yellow tools aid exploration and resource gathering:
- Compass: Shows Hornet’s position on the map.
- Magnetite Brooch & Dice: Attract nearby Rosaries and occasionally negate a hit.
- Shell Satchel: Increases the amount of tool ammo Hornet can carry.
- Ascendant’s Grip: Lets you cling to walls indefinitely, invaluable for platforming.
Most tools are purchased from vendors like the Forge‑Daughter or found in hidden chests and Hunts. Some require specific materials or act progression to craft.
Crests
Crests function as equippable frames that determine how many red, blue and yellow tools you can slot. Each crest also confers a unique passive bonus—for example, the Architect Crest slowly regenerates red ammo, whereas the Reaper Crest increases contact damage but lowers defence. Memory Lockets are used to unlock extra tool slots within a crest. Swap crests to suit the encounter: survivability setups for learning, damage/control combinations for speed.
Materials
Materials are used to craft and upgrade tools and to expand your needle’s power. Notable examples include Craftmetal, Pale Oil (upgrades your needle), Spine Core, Flintgem, Coral Shard, Shining Cog and Liquid Lacquer. These drop from specific enemies (e.g., Craggler shells yield Flintgems) or are found in mining nodes. Some materials can only be purchased from Grindle or found during Hunts—mark rich veins on your map so you can revisit them later.
Consumables
Consumables offer temporary buffs or healing. Examples include Everbloom petals that grant a burst of Silk, Mossberries eaten for a quick mask, and Plasmium brews which temporarily increase damage. Crafting consumables often requires materials collected during quests or from specific enemy drops.
Currency
Rosaries are the primary currency. Use them to purchase maps from Shakra, tools from Forge‑Daughter, crafting kits and Memory Lockets. Don’t hoard them—invest in upgrades that open new paths and power spikes. You can convert loose beads into Rosary Strings to avoid losing them on death. Farming spots like the Choral Chambers and Broodfeast runs provide reliable income.
Planning upgrades
Identify your current bottleneck—insufficient Silk for healing, lack of damage, limited tool slots—and craft toward alleviating it. For example, if you’re struggling to sustain, prioritise blue tools like Druid’s Eye and Fractured Mask. If you’re missing ranged options, craft the Sting Shard or Cogwork Fly. Always keep one flexible slot open so you can adapt your loadout to regional hazards or boss mechanics. Remember to revisit Forge‑Daughter and Grindle whenever you acquire new materials.