Muhit Rahman lives off two things: gaming marathons and endless cups of tea. He writes guides, reviews, and occasionally forgets that real life doesn’t come with checkpoints. His favorite genres are Soulslike and Metroidvania, with Dark Souls III, Hollow Knight, and Dota 2 forever holding top spots on his all-time list.
Recommended replacement: The Great Conchflies are a pair of optional bosses in Hollow Knight: Silksong, found in the Blasted Steps area. This guide covers their exact location, complete moveset, winning strategies, and the Needlestrike ability reward you’ll earn for defeating them.
For more information about Hollow Knight: Silksong, check out the official website here.
Key Takeaways
- Location: Upper-west Blasted Steps, blue banner entrance
- Difficulty: Moderate (two-boss fight, predictable moves)
- Required: Cling Grip ability
- Rewards: Needlestrike ability from Pinstress
- Estimated Time: 10-15 minutes
Table of contents
Great Conchflies Location in Blasted Steps
Navigating to the Boss Arena
Great Conchflies can be found in the upper-west section of the Blasted Steps. After activating the shortcut to the Bench in the zone, head upward and right until you enter the next area.
From here, run to the far-right wall and use Cling Grip to climb up. Continue jumping across the platforms upward and to the left until you spot a passage marked with a blue banner. Enter this passage to reach the boss arena.
Map Location Reference
The image above marks the exact location of the Great Conchflies on the map.
Great Conchflies Moveset and Attack Patterns
Great Conchflies have a relatively simple moveset. The tricky part of this fight is that you’re facing two bosses at once. Here are their primary attacks:
Drill Attack – Primary Move
This is their main attack and the one you’ll see most often. Using the drills on their heads, the Conchflies burst in and out of the arena floor or walls. As they start drilling, there’s a short opening for you to land one or two hits before they disappear off-screen.
Drill Spit Projectile Attack
One of the Conchflies will float in the arena and, opens it mouth for a brief moment. Then it spits out a drill projectile from its mouth. Similar to the drill attacks used by the Driznit enemies in this zone, the projectile bounces around the arena a few times before vanishing.
Great Conchflies Battle Strategies
Reading Smoke Indicators for Positioning
Compared to the mainline bosses you’ve faced earlier, the fight against the Great Conchflies isn’t too difficult. While it’s technically a two-on-one encounter, their predictable moves make it fairly easy to dodge and react to whatever is happening on the screen.
When the Conchflies are about to burst through one of the surfaces, watch for smoke rising from the floor, walls, or ceiling. This indicates where they’ll come from, giving you time to position yourself and avoid the Drill Through attack.
Punishing During Drill Spit Windows
When one of the Conchflies uses Drill Spit, that’s your best window to punish. Use the opening to land a few clean hits, but be careful of the projectile as it bounces around in the arena for a while. Of course, don’t get too greedy and back down after a few hits. Otherwise, you can get hit by the drill attack of the second Conchfly.
Healing Opportunities and Pressure Management
Aside from this, the fight is straightforward. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to heal and recover as long as you make use of their openings and keep the pressure up.
Once you defeat one of the Conchflies, the other one runs off, ending the battle. Here’s a video showcasing our attempt at defeating the Great Conchflies:
Rewards for Defeating Great Conchflies
Accessing Pinstress’s Hut
Defeating the Great Conchflies lets you access the western part of the Bastard Steps. It leads to a platforming section beyond which, you’ll find the Pinstress’s hut.
Learning the Needlestrike Combat Ability
Talk to the Pinstress to learn the Needlestrike combat ability.
Optional Boss Status
The Great Conchflies is an optional boss and you don’t have to defeat them to progress through the main story of Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Great Conchflies located?
The Great Conchflies are in the upper-west section of the Blasted Steps. From the Bench, head upward and right into the next area, climb the far-right wall with Cling Grip, then jump across platforms to find the entrance marked by a blue banner.
What abilities do I need to fight Great Conchflies?
You need Cling Grip to reach the boss arena. No other abilities are strictly required, though having Dash helps dodge their drill attacks more effectively.
How do I avoid the drill attacks?
Watch for smoke rising from the floor, walls, or ceiling – this shows where they’ll emerge. Position yourself away from smoke indicators and jump when they burst through surfaces to avoid the Drill Through attack.
What do I get for beating Great Conchflies?
Defeating the Great Conchflies opens access to the western Blasted Steps, leading to a platforming section. At the end, you’ll find the Pinstress’s hut where she teaches you the Needlestrike combat ability.
Can I skip the Great Conchflies boss fight?
Yes, the Great Conchflies are an optional boss. You don’t need to defeat them to progress through the main story of Hollow Knight: Silksong, but you’ll miss the Needlestrike ability if you skip them.
This concludes our Great Conchflies 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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Muhit Rahman lives off two things: gaming marathons and endless cups of tea. He writes guides, reviews, and occasionally forgets that real life doesn’t come with checkpoints. His favorite genres are Soulslike and Metroidvania, with Dark Souls III, Hollow Knight, and Dota 2 forever holding top spots on his all-time list.
