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Gear Upgrade Planner

Build a perfect upgrade roadmap for Hornet. Plan resources, prioritise key tools, and align upgrade windows with boss pacing and ending requirements.

Early Game (Act 1)
Stabilise core survivability and mobility

Priority Upgrades

  • •Swift Step reinforcement
  • •Silk Bind Rank 2
  • •Needle tempering

Key Resources

  • •Silk Threads x6
  • • Moss Resin x3
  • •Echo Shards x2

Strategic Notes

Rush the first Needle upgrade before Last Judge to smooth out damage checks.

Mid Game (Act 2)
Unlock advanced traversal and resource sustain

Priority Upgrades

  • •Aerial Silk
  • •Ancient Bell calibration
  • •Guardian Shell lining

Key Resources

  • •Silk Threads x12
  • •Coral Alloy x4
  • •Bell Fragments x2

Strategic Notes

Use Coral Forest side routes to double dip threads while scouting Crystal Resonator.

Late Game (Act 3)
Maximise DPS and endgame resilience

Priority Upgrades

  • •Silk Weaver's Needle
  • •Twin Silk Reservoir
  • •Silk Bind Rank 3

Key Resources

  • •Ancient Rosaries x4
  • •Crystalline Cores x3
  • •Queen's Silk Spools x2

Strategic Notes

Prioritise Rosaries—the final upgrades unlock Shade Weaver access and secret endings.

Resource Routing

Silk Thread Farming
Thread veins respawn every two Bells. Chain Moss Grotto → Deep Docks → Greymoor in one loop to collect 9+ threads with minimal backtracking.

Pro Tips

  • •Equip Thread Compass to highlight threads on the mini-map.
  • •Breakable walls hide double-value threads; listen for subtle resonance.
  • •Return to Moss Mother arena post-clear for new thread spawns.
Ancient Rosary Route
Rosaries gate high-tier upgrades. Focus on NPC questlines and Coral Guardian rewards to secure 3 before entering Act 3.

Pro Tips

  • •Complete Weaver's Trial immediately after Act 2 for an early Rosary.
  • •Secret Bell Tower puzzle yields both a Rosary and cooldown reduction for the Ancient Bell.
  • •Shade Weaver challenge requires all prior Rosaries—leave one optional Rosary as backup before that fight.
Crystal Heart Enhancement
Crystal Hearts extend temporary buffs. Upgrade them sequentially for stacking bonuses during boss rush and NG+.

Pro Tips

  • •Find the first heart fragment in Coral Forest's underwater ruin hidden behind a musical puzzle.
  • •Crystal Caverns contain two fragments guarded by prism sentries—use parry counters to break their shields.
  • •Combine three fragments at the Resonance Shrine to unlock the extended Invigoration buff.

High-Value Gear Synergies

Guardian Shell + Twin Silk Reservoir
Alignment: Boss Slayer / Challenge Runner

Convert overhealed Silk into temporary shielding. Perfect for attrition fights like The Widow and multi-phase endurance arenas.

Ancient Bell + Thread Compass
Alignment: Explorer / Completionist

Bell reveals hidden lore cues while Compass marks unexplored resources, enabling efficient 100% completion runs.

Silk Weaver's Needle + Crystal Resonator
Alignment: Speedrunner / Boss Slayer

Needle boosts base damage while Resonator exposes weak points, delivering huge crit windows in Act 3 encounters.

Pre-Endgame Checklist
Run this quick audit before committing to the final ascent and optional superboss routes.
  • •Unlock the Build Calculator preset for each archetype and record resource usage after major bosses.
  • •Stockpile at least 6 spare Silk Threads before every act transition to avoid progression bottlenecks.
  • •Scan each new area for Bell shrines—fast travel shortens farming loops dramatically.
  • •Document lore hints from Ancient Bell activations; several link directly to Rosary quest triggers.

Synchronise With Build Planner

After each upgrade milestone, update your preset in the build calculator to keep combat stats accurate for boss testing.

Open Hornet Build Calculator