Great Nailsage Sly

Godmaster Content

Legendary sage of the nail arts and, recently, merchant of some success. "Sagely God of the cunning and bold, Sharpen Our nails and show Us the odds, O greatest of masters, We wish to behold, That one still greater, the God of Gods!" -Prayer to the Sage

The Great Nailsage Sly is a quest boss in Hollow Knight introduced in Godmaster. He sits at the top of the Pantheon of the Sage in Godhome.

Behaviour and Tactics

Phase 1

• Slash Combo: Great Nailsage Sly slashes twice in quick succession towards The Knight. The first slash is an overhead, downward slash and the second is an upward, overhead slash. Both slashes cover the entirety of Sly. He shifts forward a little with each slash. There is about 0.5 seconds between these slashes. Sly will change directions between slashes if the Knight ends up on his other side before the first slash is over. If the Knight is close to Sly after those two slashes, he follows up with a final, special attack (again about 0.5 seconds after the previous slash). Sly does a short leap into the air at a forty-five degree angle towards the Knight. During this ascension, Sly flips around with his Nail out, becoming a flying circle of death. He flips like this for about 0.75 seconds. He stops flipping as he returns to the ground.
• Nail Slam: Sly leaps into the air, coming up short on the Knight's position, does a flip, then slams down with his Nail. The Nail strikes where the Knight was when Sly jumped. Often times, after Sly lands, he follows up with an upward, overhead slash.
• Great Slash: Great Nailsage Sly performs the Nail Art: Great Slash. He takes about 0.75 seconds to charge up this attack. He may approach the Knight before charging up. The range on the Great Slash is much longer than Sly's Nail. This attack hits for double damage.
• Dash Slash: Great Nailsage Sly performs the Nail Art: Dash Slash. He takes about 0.75 seconds to charge up this attack. Sly charges this attack up in a corner of the arena and will leap to that corner. He dashes across about 75% of the arena and the slash covers the rest. This dash occurs in about 0.33 seconds. The range of the slash is much greater than Sly's Nail.
• Cyclone Slash: Great Nailsage Sly performs the Nail Art: Cyclone Slash. He starts by leaping into the air and charging up while he's mid-air. As he spins, he floats to the ground towards the Knight. This attack lasts for about 2 seconds. He takes about 0.75 seconds to charge up this attack.
• Sprint: Sly will run towards the Knight when they are too far away to perform an attack.

Phase 2

• Frenzy: Great Nailsage Sly dashes around the arena 2 to 5 times before flipping around rapidly with his Nail. The end of this attack is a modified version of what Sly does at the end of a full Slash Combo. In this version, Sly moves laterally towards the Knight a short distance; the flipping lasts for only 0.5 seconds; and he prefaces the flipping with a single flip and a pause. After he's done flipping with his Nail, Sly flips one more time and then starts the whole process again. This is the only attack in the second phase.

Great Nailsage Sly is the final boss of the Pantheon of the Sage, the third of five pantheons. He is significantly more agile than most of the other bosses in the game. His Nail's natural range is equivalent to the combination of the Longnail and Mark of Pride Charms.

There is time to attack Sly in between his attacks but that time varies from 0.5 seconds to 2 seconds depending on the combination of attacks.

It is important to maintain good spacing against Sly and keep watch of the Shade Cloak cooldown as shadow dashing is exceptionally useful for surviving the fight against Sly. The charm Sharp Shadow increases the distance of the shadow dash and allows the player to even safely dash through the Cyclone Slash. The charm Sprintmaster allows players to run safely away from many of Sly's attacks, allowing them to save shadow dashing for absolute emergencies.

The spells Vengeful Spirit/Shade Soul and Desolate Dive/Descending Dark have the most utility against Sly. Howling Wraiths/Abyss Shriek is useful in only particular situations like after the third attack of the Slash Combo and the very beginning of Phase 2.

Healing without charms is safest when Sly is staggered and during the transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2. However, players can heal without charms if they are quickly safe from the third attack of the Slash Combo or just out of range of the Nail Slam (prompting the follow-up attack). The charm Quick Focus makes those moments safer for healing and increases the player's healing capability during a stagger or phase transition from 2 Masks to 3. To further increase safe healing opportunities, combine the charm Shape of Unn with Quick Focus. In all cases, it is best to start healing as soon the player is safe to do so.

It is recommended to stay away from Sly throughout the entirety of the Cyclone Slash as all offensive options are risky. It is recommended to stay on the ground when Sly uses Great Slash because the aerial hitbox of Great Slash is much larger than the attack looks. There are no special recommendations for dodging the Dash Slash.

For the Frenzy attack, the most consistent tactic is to stay near the middle of the arena and wait for Sly to slow down. Once he slows down, the spin is coming shortly so get out of his Nail's range and quickly turn around to strike him either with the Nail or a Shade Soul (there are other useful options, including Sharp Shadow). Repeat this process until Sly is defeated.

Variations

	Great Nailsage Sly "I await you at a Pantheon's peak" "Cunning god of opportunity"
	Pantheon	Pantheon of the Sage, final boss
	Health		800/250
			1200/600
	Arena changes	No changes

Dream Nail Dialogue
Remember... you are brothers... Point your nail at the thing you seek! Dreams of glory...

Gallery

Before the fight

Cyclone Slash attack

Dash Slash attack

Slash Combo attack

Arena

Nailsage Sly Radiant (Hitless) Hollow Knight

Achievements

	{S} Focus
	Complete the Pantheon of the Sage

Trivia

• In the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer, Sly's arena had a more light yellow background like Paintmaster Sheo and Brothers Oro & Mato, opposed to the darker background the arena has in the final version.
• Sly seems to be using the Nailmaster's Glory during the battle, as his Nail Arts only take half of a second to charge, unlike the Nailmasters who take about 2 seconds to charge. Sly himself is also the one who grants the charm in the main game.

References

1. ↑ Nailmaster Sheo: "But no, I should stay on my current path and keep working at my art. If the Great Nailsage ever comes by, I want to show him how far I've come."
2. ↑ Discord message by Graig.

Compendium
Main Game	Crawlid • Vengefly • Vengefly King • Gruzzer • Gruz Mother • Tiktik • Aspid Hunter • Aspid Mother • Aspid Hatchling • Goam • Wandering Husk • Husk Hornhead • Leaping Husk • Husk Bully • Husk Warrior • Husk Guard • Entombed Husk • False Knight • Maggot • Menderbug • Lifeseed • Baldur • Elder Baldur Mosscreep • Mossfly • Mosskin • Volatile Mosskin • Fool Eater • Squit • Obble • Gulka • Maskfly • Moss Charger • Massive Moss Charger • Moss Knight • Mossy Vagabond • Durandoo • Duranda • Aluba Charged Lumafly • Uoma • Ooma • Uumuu Ambloom • Fungling • Fungoon • Sporg • Fungified Husk • Shrumeling • Shrumal Warrior • Shrumal Ogre • Mantis Youth • Mantis Warrior • Mantis Lords Husk Sentry • Heavy Sentry • Winged Sentry • Lance Sentry • Mistake • Folly • Soul Twister • Soul Warrior • Soul Master • Husk Dandy • Cowardly Husk • Gluttonous Husk • Gorgeous Husk • Great Husk Sentry • Watcher Knight • The Collector Belfly • Pilflip • Hwurmp • Bluggsac • Dung Defender • Flukefey • Flukemon • Flukemarm Shardmite • Glimback • Crystal Hunter • Crystal Crawler • Husk Miner • Crystallised Husk • Crystal Guardian Furious Vengefly • Volatile Gruzzer • Violent Husk • Slobbering Husk Dirtcarver • Carver Hatcher • Garpede • Corpse Creeper • Deepling • Deephunter • Little Weaver • Stalking Devout • Nosk Shadow Creeper • Lesser Mawlek • Mawlurk • Brooding Mawlek • Lightseed • Infected Balloon • Broken Vessel Boofly • Primal Aspid • Hopper • Great Hopper • Grub Mimic • Hiveling • Hive Soldier • Hive Guardian • Husk Hive Spiny Husk • Loodle • Mantis Petra • Mantis Traitor • Traitor Lord Sharp Baldur • Armoured Squit • Battle Obble • Oblobbles • Shielded Fool • Sturdy Fool • Winged Fool • Heavy Fool • Death Loodle • Volt Twister • Zote the Mighty • God Tamer Xero • Gorb • Elder Hu • Marmu • No Eyes • Galien • Markoth Wingmould • Royal Retainer • Kingsmould • Sibling • Void Tendrils Hornet • The Hollow Knight • The Radiance • Shade • Hunter's Mark	a
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Hidden Dreams		a
	Grey Prince Zote • Winged Zoteling • Hopping Zoteling • Volatile Zoteling • White Defender	a
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The Grimm Troupe		a
	Grimmkin Novice • Grimmkin Master • Grimmkin Nightmare • Grimm • Nightmare King Grimm • Seal of Binding	a
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Lifeblood		a
	Hive Knight	a
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Godmaster		a
	Flukemunga • Pale Lurker • Brothers Oro & Mato • Paintmaster Sheo • Great Nailsage Sly • Pure Vessel • Void Idol • Weathered Mask	a