Complete guide to finding all Charm Notches in Hollow Knight with strategies and optimization tips
Understanding Charm Notches and Their Importance
Charm Notches in Hollow Knight serve as essential equipment slots that determine your character’s customization potential. These limited inventory slots govern how many magical enhancements you can simultaneously equip, creating meaningful build decisions throughout your journey through Hallownest.
Beginning adventurers start with only three available Notches, which significantly restricts early game options to basic utility charms like Wayward Compass or Gathering Swarm. This intentional limitation encourages strategic thinking about charm combinations and forces players to prioritize either exploration aids or combat enhancements.
The distribution method for acquiring additional slots varies significantly – some can be conveniently purchased from merchants, while others demand thorough map exploration, discovering secret areas, and overcoming challenging boss encounters. Understanding this progression system is crucial for optimizing your character’s development path.
Purchasable Charm Notches from Salubra
The most straightforward method for expanding your charm capacity involves visiting Salubra, the charm merchant located in the Forgotten Crossroads. Her offerings follow a progressive pricing structure that requires both Geo currency and total charms collected.
Here is the complete purchasing progression from Salubra:
- First Additional Notch: 120 Geo with 5 different charms in your collection
- Second Additional Notch: 500 Geo with 10 different charms discovered
- Third Additional Notch: 900 Geo requiring 18 unique charms
- Fourth Additional Notch: 1400 Geo with 25 total charms obtained
Pro Tip: Prioritize gathering low-cost charms early to meet the collection requirements faster. The Gathering Swarm charm pays for itself quickly by collecting extra Geo from defeated enemies, effectively reducing the grind for these purchases.
A common mistake is overlooking the charm collection requirement and focusing solely on Geo farming. Always check your charm inventory before attempting to purchase notches to avoid wasted trips.
Exploration-Based Notch Locations
Beyond merchant purchases, several charm notches require adventurous exploration and specific ability acquisitions. These hidden notches often present greater challenges but provide earlier access to additional slots if you know where to look.
Fog Canyon Secret Area: One notch is concealed in a well-hidden section of Fog Canyon, accessible only after obtaining Isma’s Tear. This ability allows you to navigate through corrosive acid pools, unlocking previously inaccessible regions. The notch is cleverly tucked away in an area that tests both your platforming skills and exploration diligence.
Fungal Wastes Ogre Guardians: Another notch is protected by two formidable Ogres in the Fungal Wastes. This encounter demands combat proficiency as you’ll need to defeat both guardians simultaneously. The strategic approach involves using the environment to your advantage – the narrow corridors can be used to separate the Ogres if you’re struggling with the direct confrontation.
Navigation requirement knowledge is crucial: without the appropriate abilities like Mantis Claw or Monarch Wings, some notch locations remain literally out of reach. Plan your exploration route accordingly.
Challenge and Boss Reward Notches
For players seeking greater challenges, the Colosseum of Fools and certain boss encounters offer additional notches as rewards for demonstrating combat mastery.
Colosseum of Fools – Trial of the Warrior: Completing this initial trial in the Colosseum awards a charm notch along with Geo and reputation. The Trial of the Warrior serves as an excellent introduction to the game’s combat challenges, testing your skills against waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Preparation is key – ensure you have healing-focused charms and nail upgrades before attempting.
Troupe Master Grimm: Defeating this optional boss in the Grimm Troupe storyline unlocks access to an additional notch, but with a unique twist. The notch doesn’t automatically appear in your rewards – you must return to Grimm’s tent after the battle and search the area thoroughly. This post-victory collection mechanic often catches players off guard, so remember to revisit the location.
Advanced players should note that these challenge-based notches typically require superior combat skills and fully upgraded equipment. Don’t attempt them until you’ve mastered basic enemy patterns and have significant nail damage output.
Advanced Charm Loadout Strategies
Mastering charm notch management opens up sophisticated gameplay possibilities beyond basic character enhancement. Understanding advanced mechanics can significantly improve your performance in challenging content.
Overcharmed State Mechanics: This high-risk, high-reward strategy allows equipping charms exceeding your available notch capacity. While in this state, you take double damage from all sources, making it extremely dangerous in most situations. However, the Overcharmed state shines in specific scenarios like the Hall of Gods where death carries no permanent penalty, enabling experimental builds that would otherwise be impractical.
Area-Specific Loadouts: Smart players develop specialized charm combinations for different regions. Exploration-heavy areas benefit from mobility and mapping charms, while boss battles demand combat-oriented setups. The ability to quickly swap loadouts at benches becomes increasingly important as you acquire more notches and charms.
Charm-less Challenge Runs: For ultimate bragging rights, some veterans attempt complete playthroughs without equipping any charms. This self-imposed challenge demonstrates mastery of core game mechanics and provides a unique perspective on combat and movement. It’s not recommended for first-time players but offers excellent replay value for experienced ones.
Remember that charm effectiveness often depends on synergy between multiple equipped charms. Experiment with combinations to discover powerful interactions that suit your playstyle.
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