Complete Guide and Walkthrough for High Halls in Hollow Knight: Silksong (Conductor’s Melody)

As you reach the final stages of Hollow Knight: Silksong, your journey will inevitably lead you to pursue one of the three melodies essential for accessing The Cradle. Among these melodies, it is highly likely that the last one you encounter will be the elusive Conductor’s Melody.

Your path requires traversing the High Halls, a region presenting some of the most formidable enemy wave challenges in the entire game. In fact, many players have found these encounters more challenging than several designated boss fights.

To assist you in acquiring the final melody, we will provide a comprehensive guide to navigating the High Halls and strategies for conquering the formidable battle arena that lies in wait.

Accessing the High Halls

The High Halls can be accessed from the Choral Chambers. To enter this intriguing area, players should exit through the upper left section of the Choral Chambers map.

However, it is crucial to note that entry to this area is only possible with the Clawline (grappling hook) ability. For those eager to uncover all the secrets hidden within, it’s advisable to also have the Faydown Cloak (double jump) ability at your disposal.

High Halls Walkthrough and Secrets

Upon ascending via the Grappling hooks, you’ll enter a stunning area characterized by a cascading stream that flows downward. Your goal here is to navigate against the current.

The strategy boils down to mastering the art of grappling while evading enemies as you forge ahead. Your first encounter will bring you face-to-face with a sword-wielding bug known as a Maestro, alongside three smaller minions. The key here is to execute jump attacks during the gaps they create while deftly avoiding the projectiles thrown at you.

Once you’ve dispatched the Maestro, the minion bugs will scatter, allowing you to focus entirely on your main adversary.

Your journey continues into a room where you can choose to ascend via a rotating grapple or float down while exploring adjacent rooms. The lower room contains a shard cluster, but it isn’t particularly valuable, so it’s wise to head upwards instead.

As you proceed, you’ll encounter a floating enemy called a Minister. This foe can deal significant damage—up to two masks—if caught in its relentless barrage. Utilize ranged tools or aggro it, wait for its attack to conclude, and then strike with pogo attacks as the cycle repeats.

After reaching the room’s top, you’ll spot an exit overhead. Accessing this requires your double jump ability; if you have it, it is certainly worth exploring. This section features a challenging platforming sequence where you’ll need to confront two Ministers while climbing. If you can either defeat or bypass them, you’ll earn a Spool Fragment in return.

Once you’ve acquired the Spool Fragment, descend back down and head to the right. Ascend along this path until you face another Maestro. It’s best to engage this enemy, but when the two Ministers reappear shortly thereafter, consider making a beeline for the exit on the right.

This leads to a divergent path where you can ascend or descend. Going up presents a small area containing a chest filled with Rosaries—so take a quick detour there. However, you’ll want to exercise caution while using your Drifter’s Cloak to navigate down through the gaps created by spikes below.

You’ll need to strategically latch onto the grapples and await gaps in the spikes to pave your way further down. Eventually, you will arrive at a room on your left. Step inside to continue your advance.

Inside, you’ll discover a workbench where you can create a valuable tool if you have adequate Craftmetal available. This tool, the Cogfly, allows you to summon minions during battle. Although it has a high shard cost, its effectiveness in combat is well worth the investment.

Following this, descend through the running waterfall and leap through to uncover a secret path featuring another shard cluster. However, be wary: an enemy will spawn in tight quarters, which might be overwhelming if your health is low.

After this encounter, retrace your steps back to the left and keep descending. If you didn’t combat the enemy on your way in, you can evade it now, as it will not pursue you.

Navigating past the spikes leads you into another room to your left, where you will find a Frayed Rosary String nestled within a giant baby stroller. Afterward, proceed downwards to find a Ventrica Station, which you can unlock for 80 Rosaries, alongside a bench. You may also choose to purchase a map of the area for an additional 70 Rosaries.

If your Rosary count is low or if you’re saving for a particular item, you can likely forgo the High Halls map, as you will have explored the majority of the area by this point.

Now, the only remaining unexplored section is the far end of the hall to your left. A shortcut there will return you to the Choral Chamber, but further along lies the daunting battle arena guarding the path to the Conductor’s Melody. Best of luck!

Preparing for the Conductor’s Battle Arena

While entering this crucial fight may yield a victory, it’s advisable to prepare adequately to enhance your chances of success. Although nothing is strictly essential, these recommendations can significantly ease the difficulty of this encounter.

Here’s a recommended setup for your Crest and Tools:

Tool/Crest Type	Tool Crest
Crest	Crest of the Reaper
Red Tool	Cogfly
Red Tool	Threefold Pin
Blue Tools	Warding Bell
Blue Tools	Weavelight
Yellow Tools	Ascendant’s Grip
Yellow Tools	Scuttlebrace

The significance of the Crest of the Reaper lies in its ability to help players collect silk passively, correlating to more consistent healing opportunities. The Warding Bell acts as a safety net when healing isn’t feasible.

For your yellow tools, the Scuttlebrace enhances mobility, though feel free to swap it out for alternatives if you have personal preferences. The Ascendant’s Grip is essential for this setup, especially during the final phase of the battle. This tool allows you to cling to walls indefinitely, providing much-needed respite from incoming attacks.

Lastly, the Twofold Pin and Cogfly serve crucial roles in crowd control and inflicting damage from a safe distance, particularly effective towards the battle’s conclusion.

Securing the Conductor’s Melody

Now, let’s take you through the battle one wave at a time.

The first wave features an Envoy and two Reeds. Focus on eliminating the airborne enemies by continuously pogoing in mid-air, subsequently tackling the less threatening Envoy amidst its charge attacks. You can manage this wave without ever touching the ground.

Next up, you’ll face two Choristors, known for their formidable thread attack that can inflict two masks of damage. Evade their attacks by timing your jumps wisely, and retreating across the room for safety if necessary.

Afterwards, a Reed, Bellbearer, and Clawmaiden will appear. It’s advisable to prioritize taking out the Clawmaiden first, as it will drain your silk and mitigate your healing potential. If you have silk available, consider healing or using a silk skill immediately to safeguard your resources, all while remaining alert to the bouncing bells cast by the Bellbearer.

You’ll then face two Ministers, familiar foes from the High Halls. This time, however, a solid floor below you allows for more leisurely planning as you create openings for strikes. Refrain from excessive pogoing to minimize risk; it’s safer to engage them on the ground.

Just a note: defeating one Minister will trigger the appearance of a Clawmaiden again. Quickly utilize your silk and dispatch it with haste.

Your next challenge involves two Maestro minions. Keep your focus on eliminating one of them quickly while remaining alert to attacks from the other side of the screen. With one down, handling the remaining foe becomes relatively easy.

Defeating these minions will lead to the first mini-boss encounter: the Choir Clapper. This formidable opponent showcases several clearly telegraphed attacks. Be cautious of the standard slam, which mandates an immediate retreat to avoid damage. Other attacks include a slam creating a light bubble AOE, a pulsing wave along the ground, and a jumping slam.

Utilize walls to bypass the bubble attack, quickly engage post-ground pulse attack for hits, and dash beneath the jump attacks to retaliate from behind. While practice is required, you should be able to conquer this enemy with relative ease.

Following this intenso confrontation, you will find yourself facing two Reeds and a Bellbearer. If feasible, attempt to eliminate the Bellbearer first to avoid being blindsided by rogue bells. The subsequent encounter mirrors this composition but with two Bellbearers and one Reed; remain vigilant as a Clawmaiden may reappear unexpectedly.

The next wave features a Bellbearer and two Ministers. Take down the Bellbearer with speed, as this should simplify your approach to the Ministers, who are generally more manageable on the ground.

Your second-to-last wave presents a Reed and a Maestro. If your Threefold Pin is activated against the Reed quickly, it makes handling the Cogfly more feasible. Finally, you face an arduous last phase, where two mini-bosses appear simultaneously.

Your best strategy here is to unleash all available weapon tools and quickly ascend to the top of the screen, using the wall for protection. Concentrate on eliminating one of the mini-bosses swiftly, then retrace your steps downward to face the remaining foe as you did with the initial mini-boss.