on YouTube and on the Silksong subreddit are two Silksongers of the admirably deranged, number crunching variety: Each one independently tested the DPS of every crest (weapon moveset) in the game, and their results exactly corroborate each other.
Such analysis is possible thanks to XiaoHaiNB's mod on the Nexus, which reveals both a bar and the hidden numerical value of every enemy's health. The DPS values focus on damage from straight nail attacks, with both authors noting that this doesn't show the whole story: General feel, platforming utility, charged attacks, and tool/spell combos are all [[link]] factors to consider as well. That said, here are their numbers, with Visic reporting flat damage at max upgrades, while D4CLoveTrainn shows percentage (plus or minus) vs. the base Hunter crest.
- Beast with temporary buff: 78.9 / +55%
- Hunter (with max no-hit bonus): 69.4 / +36%
- Wanderer: 68.3 / +34%
- Beast (no buff): 52.4 / +0%
- Hunter (no bonus): 50.9 / +0%
- Architect: 50.2 / +0%
- Witch: 45.7 / -10%
- Reaper: 41.6 / -18%
- Shaman: 41.5 / -18%
Both crest investigators praised Architect's charge attack, which offers a powerful multihit with high burst damage. Indeed, Architect's middle of the road DPS is less of an issue with that attack in mind, as well as its focus on using Silksong's powerful tools as opposed to regular attacks.
Beast and Hunter at the top slightly oversell them, as they require a great deal of skill and timing to take advantage of: Beast is tied to a five second buff that triggers when you heal, and Hunter's max damage requires landing 12 hits in succession without taking damage yourself—though there is also a middle bonus for just six hits in a row.
Which leaves my go-to, the Wanderer, as the de facto nail attack DPS king when it comes to consistent, real world use. Wanderer also just feels good, with attacks that come out super fast and a more straightforward down air "pogo" move like in the first Hollow Knight, [[link]] as opposed to the Hunter's diagonal dive.
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But even with Architect and Wanderer looking like the real S-tier picks, I'm impressed at how balanced the movesets still are overall. Wanderer is held back slightly by suboptimal tool slots, while even the bottom of the barrel Reaper, with low DPS and no game changing bonus, has a niche as a long range, relatively "safe" pick with a nice feel. Shaman has a spellcasting specialization, while Witch has a unique offensive heal and strong charge attack in its own right. Hunter and Beast, meanwhile, seem like they could have a lot to offer high-skill players who can avoid getting hit or take advantage of a limited attack window—D4CLoveTrainn sees speedrun potential in them.
Both authors have more to their analysis than just DPS numbers, like potential tool combos with different crests. Visic also breaks down damage per hit for different moves, while D4CLoveTrainn shows the damage bonus for each level of nail upgrade, plus a subjective assessment of how each crest feels to play. They're worth diving into for Silksicko power gamers. As for me, I'm just going to keep hitting things with crazy Wanderer DPS.