Let me paint you a picture: back in Hollow Knight, Hornet was the boss who made me hurl my controller across the room in Greenpath and later in Kingdom's Edge. Now, in Silksong, I finally get to play as her. But the universe has a twisted sense of humor, because Lace has arrived to fill the vacant role of 'nightmare that lives in my head rent-free.' If you have already fought Lace once in Deep Docks and thought that was the end of it, surprise! She is back for round two near The Cradle, and she has not come to cuddle. I was on my way to confront Big Momma Silk when Lace jumped me for the second time, and honestly, I was not emotionally prepared.

This guide is written from the perspective of an ordinary player—me—who got absolutely shredded by Lace 2 the first few tries. I will walk you through where to find her, what to equip, and how to survive all three phases without losing your mind.

Where This Rematch Happens

I will not lie to you: getting to Lace's second fight is a mini-quest in itself. You will need to collect the threefold melodies required to operate the elevator near Cogwork Core. That means:

• Clearing Whispering Vaults, which includes finding a secret sound cylinder for one very particular NPC.

• Surviving High Halls, home to one of the deadliest battle arenas in Silksong.

• Getting through Cogwork Core, a platforming and puzzle combo that will test your patience.

Once you have all three melodies, return to the elevator, play the tunes, and ride it up. Fair warning: the moment you step out of that elevator, the fight starts. No dramatic cutscene to catch your breath. Lace is just there, ready to ruin your day.

Preparing for Round Two (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cogfly)

Before I talk strategy, let us talk gear. Honestly, there is no single must-have item for this fight, but after my own trial and error, I found a combination that kept me alive long enough to actually enjoy the choreography.

Here is what I ran with:

The core idea is to stay mobile. Standing still against Lace is basically asking her to turn you into a pincushion. Keep moving, keep poking, and let the Cogfly do a chunk of the heavy lifting when things get chaotic.

How To Beat Lace 2

Phase One: The Needle Dance

The first phase is all about reading Lace's quick stabs and closing the distance before retreating. Her main attack is a steady string of stabs that she uses to chase you down. My advice? Sprint away, and when you are out of room, pogo off her head to escape.

She also has a jump-and-diagonal lunge. Watch where she is going to land, jump above the impact point, and pogo on her after she touches down. Her thrust attack is even nastier: she slides across nearly the entire arena in one motion. The trick is to wait for her to commit, leap up, pogo on her head, and then haul yourself to the opposite side.

One more thing that caught me off guard: her parry. If you hear the clink of her blocking your attack, run. Fast. She will immediately launch into a flurry that can drain two masks if you are too close. Treat that sound as your early warning system.

Phase Two: Bubbles of Doom

After you stun Lace for the first time, she decides to get a little more creative. Her jump attack now leaves behind three light bubbles that deal damage if you touch them. Instead of trying to dodge around them, I found it more consistent to dash under her jump and hit her from behind—there is a small safe pocket between the bubbles if you time it right.

Beyond the bubbles, phase two is mostly the same as phase one. Keep chipping away at her health, avoid the new AOE trick, and you will eventually stun her again. That is when the real chaos begins.

Phase Three: Thread Storm Nightmare

Phase three is easily the worst. Lace takes flight and marks out a huge circle covering much of the arena, then unleashes a flurry of attacks that looks a lot like your own Thread Storm ability. The saving grace? It is very well telegraphed. Whenever you see that large glowing circle with white light fizzing in the center, dash away as fast as you can.

This is also the moment I started spamming my Cogfly minions like there was no tomorrow. They deal solid damage and can shorten this terrifying phase so you do not have to survive her barrage any longer than necessary. If you can stay calm, keep moving, and let your little mechanical helpers chip away at her, you will finally put Lace down for good.

Rewards (Or the Lack Thereof)

After all that effort, you might expect a shiny new crest or a pile of currency. Nope. Lace 2 gives you no tangible reward. Instead, she unlocks access to The Cradle, the game's final gauntlet between you and the credits. So in a way, the reward is more pain. But hey, that is Silksong for you.

Look, I am not going to pretend this fight is easy. But once you understand the rhythm—poke, retreat, pogo, dash—and you save your Cogfly spam for phase three, Lace 2 becomes less of a wall and more of a very sharp, very angry dance partner. Just remember to breathe, keep those Silkspeed Anklets on, and do not let the bubbles pop your morale. You have got this.

Regardless of how many attempts it takes, that moment when Lace finally crumples is well worth every death. Once you push through The Cradle and roll credits, you may find yourself craving another challenge that tests your reflexes and patience just as fiercely. If you are looking to expand your collection without emptying your wallet in the process, checking out the best game deals curated by DealNest is a great way to stumble upon your next obsession for a fraction of the price.

And who knows—maybe a discounted gem will introduce you to a new favorite that gives you that same addictive blend of triumph and despair. Either way, you have more than earned a break. Go play something that lets you be the one dealing two-mask damage for a change.