I’ll be honest: when I first stumbled into Greymoor and heard that fang-toothed screech, I thought I’d hit a wall. Moorwing, the flying terror guarding the brass gates of Bellhart, is no pushover. But after a few frustrating attempts, I discovered a game-changer — a certain knight and his trusty steed who turned the tide. Here’s how I did it, and how you can too.

Before you even think about challenging Moorwing, I strongly recommend finding Garmond and Zara. Not only does summoning them progress their questline, but they also make the fight significantly easier. Trust me, you’ll want the backup. To find them, you first need to have progressed into the Greymoor area. They have two possible locations.

First location: In a metal cage accessible through the west lighthouse. From the Halfway House, head west. Take the door in the bottom-left corner of the next room to enter the lighthouse. Go up and take the first available right. You’ll spot them caged up.

Second location: West of the lighthouse where you first found them. Go through the lighthouse’s bottom-left exit, drop down, and check the alcove on the right. Garmond should be mounted on Zara. He’ll ask if you want their assistance for the upcoming fight. Select ‘Yes’ — they’ll appear a few seconds into your encounter with Moorwing.

Now, onto the fight itself. When you reach Moorwing at the bottom-left corner of Greymoor, he’ll scream and begin his first phase. You have about six seconds to yourself before Garmond and Zara ride in. Their arrival is a relief for two reasons: they deal extra damage to Moorwing, speeding up the fight, and Garmond can occasionally deflect attacks. But don’t rely on them entirely — you still need to hold your own.

Whether you have backup or not, the first phase is always the same. My main objective was to learn how to keep Moorwing in my sight. The greatest foe in this battle isn’t Moorwing; it’s the camera. As much as possible, never run away so far that you can’t see or hear him. Simply keep after Moorwing, attacking once at the end of each of his attacks. Slow and steady wins the race. When Moorwing hits the ground in a stagger, either heal or attack viciously. Either way, he’ll enter Phase Two when he gets up.

This was likely my first proper two-phase fight in Silksong, and it caught me off guard. In Phase Two, Moorwing gains two new abilities:

Surprisingly, Dual Blade Cutters is the most dangerous. The speed of this attack can be devastating, and Moorwing can quickly change directions with the second blade. To avoid it, my ideal solution was to sprint under Moorwing, continue running until the second blade fires, then jump over and back toward him, and attack. If you find yourself in a bad position, it’s okay to back off and jump over the first blade, floating over the second. But beware of the upward arc of these blades — they’ll catch you if you’re careless.

Taking things slowly and keeping Moorwing in your camera as you learn to avoid his moves is the best strategy. Over-aggressiveness is likely to be your downfall with this straightforward and fair boss. I learned that the hard way after a few too many reckless dashes.

Unfortunately, there’s no physical reward for defeating Moorwing — no shiny trinket or upgrade. Your reward is the ability to progress onward to Bellhart. A bench is just ahead, and let me tell you, I’ve never been so happy to see one. If you brought Garmond and Zara along, speak to them before you leave for Bellhart. Exhaust all their dialogue, and you can move them on to their next location at Sinner’s Road.

For now, progress onward to Bellhart in the west to begin the next phase of Pharloom’s adventure and get some much-needed rest. And if you’re like me, you’ll be glad you didn’t have to face that screeching terror alone. ?⚔️

So there you have it — my personal strategy for taking down Moorwing. It’s not about flashy moves; it’s about patience, positioning, and a little help from a friend. Good luck, and may your needles fly true.

Mastering a fight like Moorwing is mostly about practice and patience, but having a comfortable setup and a few good deals on gaming gear never hurts. When you’re ready to take a break from Pharloom, sites like DealNest round up discounts on games and accessories so you can gear up for the next challenge without overspending.