After your encounter with Lace in the Deep Docks, you might think you have seen the last of her. However, as you make your final ascent toward the Citadel, she appears once again, ready to block your path. For round 2, she’s not going to go down easy.

In this guide, we will cover Lace’s location, moveset, strategies, and the rewards you will get for defeating her.

For more information about Hollow Knight: Silksong, check out the official website here.

Lace Location

Lace is found in a location called The Cradle. However, to reach it, you’ll have to activate the elevator above the bench in the lower part of Cogwork Core, located just below Cogwork Dancers’ boss arena. 

You need to first complete all three Melody quests, which become available after defeating the Cogwork Dancers. Once the quests are complete, return to the boss room and speak to the NPC there. You will then be able to use the elevator to ascend further and reach Lace’s arena.

The image above marks the exact location of the elevator used to access the arena on the map.

Lace Moveset

Lace retains most of her moves from your first encounter, but this time the intensity and speed are amplified. Several of her attacks also gain additional follow-ups as the fight progresses. The battle is split into three phases.

Triple Slash

Lace steps forward three times, slashing with her cane on each step.

Dash Attack

As in the first encounter, Lace lifts her cane to her face and quickly dashes toward the player. In the second phase, she can chain into a second dash immediately after the first.

Uppercut Slash & Dive

Lace performs two uppercut slashes, then pauses briefly in the air before diving diagonally toward the player. If you are hit at the start of this attack, she cancels the dive and simply drops back down.

In the second phase, her uppercut slashes leave behind three AoE markers that explode as she dives.

Parry Counter

Lace raises her cane in a defensive stance, blocking any frontal attacks. Striking her during this stance causes her to counter with a flurry of slashes.

• Aerial Counter: Lace leaps upward and slashes diagonally toward the player.
• Ground Counter: Lace takes a quick step forward and slashes directly ahead.

Special Aerial Slash (Final Phase)

Lace gains a new attack when the final phase of the battle hits. She marks an AOE in the arena. After a brief delay, she slashes in the marked zone and ends with a dive. She chains this attack twice in a row. 

Lace Strategies

The first encounter against Lace was not too difficult. Her attacks were slow, heavily telegraphed, and easy to react to thanks to their long wind-up. This time, however, Lace is far more aggressive. She chains combos relentlessly, leaving you with very few chances to attack or heal.

For most of the fight, you will have to focus on dodging her attacks. Only go for one or two pokes when you are sure you won’t get punished. Trading hits with her is never a good idea, since many of her moves hit twice in quick succession.

You also need to be careful with the arena itself. Falling off either ledge will cost you two masks of damage. If you take a hit and have Silk available, heal immediately. The faster healing tool is especially useful in this fight if you have it unlocked, allowing you to get the heal off before she’s done with her attack animations. 

The best opening to strike back comes right after Lace finishes her Uppercut Dive attack. Watch her closely as she jumps up, and as soon as she goes into her dive attack, dodge towards her. This will put you in her back giving you the chance to hit her quickly as soon as she lands. Dodge backward immediately after hitting her, as she sometimes transitions straight into a parry.

For both her Dash and Three-Slash Combo, pogoing on her is a safe way to deal damage. Avoid mashing the attack button, though. If she parries, it is extremely difficult to dodge the counter. You can punish her parry if you manage to get behind her, but the timing is very tight, especially when she uses the ground parry.

If you accidentally hit her during the parry, jump and dodge backwards immediately. If she goes into the aerial counter, get behind her from underneath to get a free hit. 

You can also stagger Lace multiple times during the fight. A stagger gives you the chance to land three hits or heal, depending on your situation. If she staggers near the edge of the arena, you can even knock her off the ledge. This counts as two hits and also gives you enough time to heal before she returns.

When the second phase begins, her attack windows remain the same, but you must watch for the AOE explosion at the end of her Uppercut Dive. Pay attention to her Dash as well. If she locks into a backward-facing pose after the first dash, she will immediately follow up with a second dash.

The third phase is where the fight reaches its peak intensity. Lace chains her attacks relentlessly and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and slip up. When she starts charging her Special Ariel Slash attack, you can sneak in one or two hits if you’re fast.

Stay calm and focus fully on dodging her attacks. Wait for her to leave an opening and always back off after one hit. Even though her speed increases, her attacks are still readable if you do not panic. 

The following video shows you our attempt at beating Lace: 

Rewards for Beating Lace

Defeating Lace unlocks the road to The Cradle. She’s a mandatory boss required for progressing the story of Hollow Knight: Silksong.

This concludes our Lace boss guide for Hollow Knight: Silksong. For a complete walkthrough or related guides, be sure to check out our main hub for the game. 

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