In thisMortal ShellGuide we’re going to be taking a look at theSolomon, the Scholar Shell, which is the second Shell players will acquire within the game. I’ll be providing tips on whichSkillsto take, whichWeaponswork best with this Shell, and who should be using this Shell in their first playthrough based on its playstyle. If you’ve been wondering if this is the Shell for you, or how to best utilize it, read on to find out.
Mortal Shell Build Guide: Solomon, the Scholar
Solomon, the Scholar is the second Shell you’ll find in Mortal Shell, resting behind the firstGrishayou will encounter and through the tunnel. He is guarded by an enemy in a smallish cave, and it’ll cost you 500Tarto reveal his name, Stats and his Skills, and this should be the first thing you do after acquiring him. This can be done bySester Genessainside the broken keep inFallgrim.
Solomon, the Scholar’s Stats
Solomon has the second highestDurabilitybehindEredrim, making him especially tanky and tough to kill. He’ll be able to endure a ton of punishment before being knocked out of his Shell, and you can even increase his Health further for certain sections of the game once you’ve taken theAccretion of Resolve Ability.
Solomon has the same amount ofStaminaasHarros, but he doesn’t have any Abilities that help with Stamina management, meaning he can’t play as aggressively. Stamina management is a huge issue for Solomon, and it’s something you’ll be dealing with a large portion of the game, though it is somewhat mitigated by his ability to Parry so frequently.
Solomon has the highestResolvein the game, maxing out at 6 bars which allows him to use Parries andWeapon Abilitiesmore frequently than other Shells. This can makeBossfights and tough enemies much much easier since this can really tip the battle in your favor, particularly if you go into them with full Resolve.
Which Solomon Skills to Take
Once the Skill tree is unlocked you’ll get to see just which Skills he possesses, and looking over them you’ll notice immediately that Solomon’s speciality is Parrying. His most powerful Skill deals with this mechanic, and though this might initially appear to be less useful than some Shells, there are actually a lot of things you can do with Parrying in Mortal Shell by obtainingGlands. This makes Solomon a great choice for players who love to Parry.
Accretion of Inheritance- Accretion of Inheritance is an excellent ability that allows you to generate Resolve from being struck while Hardened. Since you’ll be struck while Hardened nearly every time you use it, and you’ll use this mechanic nearly as often as it’s off cooldown in combat, this is a lot of Resolve you can generate. You’ll use this ability the entire game, so take it first.
Accretion of Ascent- Accretion of Ascent is arguably the best skill Solomon possesses, as it allows him the possibility of refilling all his Resolve when defeating an enemy with anEmpowered Riposte. The existence of this ability, coupled with the amount of Resolve Solomon can hold, is why he is an excellent choice for those who Parry often. This ability alone can grant you many more Parries then you might ever get on another Shell.
Accretion of Resolve- Accretion of Resolve will increase the Resolve you can store at once by 1 full bar, taking Solomon to a maximum of 6 bars. You will lose this bar when carrying a Gland, but this is not all that often and you will gain Health when you do so, so there is very little downside. This will allow you many Parries and Weapon Abilities, particularly in boss fights.
Recollection of Death- Recollection of Death is a great Skill to take on any Shell because it allows you to regain “Last Chance” if you’ve lost it, which means you can be knocked out of your Shell once more before actually dying. By the time you grab this Skill you likely won’t need it as much as you once did, but it still comes in handy because mistakes get made. Take this one 4th to get some use out of it in the latter half of the game.
Most of Solomon’s other abilities are not overly useful; you barely speak withNPCs, and you hardly ever kill enemies with Weapon Abilities since you tend to save them for harder enemies that don’t die in one hit. But do make sure you get them all, and then speak with Sester Genessa afterwards, as she becomes a merchant that sells some items that you will 100% want!
Which Weapons to Use with Solomon
While Solomon can use any weapon in Mortal Shell well enough, if he manages his Stamina properly, some Weapons are better than others for Stamina management and Resolve gain. For instance, theMartyr’s Bladeuses a ton of Stamina and doesn’t gain Resolve as quickly as theHallowed Sword, so I don’t recommend it.
Of all the Weapons in Mortal Shell, the Hallowed Sword and theHammer and Chiselseem to be the best choices. The Hallowed Sword uses an average amount of Stamina per attack, and it has good Resolve gain. TheMechanical Spikeweapon ability is excellent at killing challenging enemies, and it can be acquired very early on in the game (even before you obtain Solomon himself), making the Hallowed Sword a natural choice for him. Once you’ve acquired Accretion of Resolve you’re able to use its weapon ability 3x during a Boss fight, making easy work of just about any Boss.
The Hammer and Chisel on the other hand costs even less Stamina per swing, but has slower Resolve gain on average, and it also doesn’t have the greatest weapon abilities. However, since Solomon has such a high aptitude for Parrying, the lack of a good Weapon Ability is not necessarily an issue. You’ll be using your Resolve mainly for these things, and since you have a chance to refill all your Resolve once you gain Accretion of Ascent, you should have no issues with this weapon.
Final Thoughts
Solomon is a very good choice for new players and veterans alike. He has high Resolve, allowing him to use tons of Weapon Abilities when they are needed most against hard to kill enemies, which really helps out newbies. On the other hand, he is rewarded for Parrying, helping out veterans who enjoy this aspect of gameplay.
Parries in Mortal Shell are not as powerful initially as they will be later on. This is because as you complete certain sections of the game you can change the effect of an Empowered Riposte from simply healing to other things like stopping time to creating explosions. Once you unlock these, Parries become much much more versatile and deadly. You likely won’t get to experience this in full until near the end of the game, so consider using Solomon inNew Game Plusif you intend to play again.
If you liked this article, be sure to check out our other guides on the other 3 Shells, as well as our Getting Started Guide and Boss Guides. And, if you need help figuring something else out, like the location of certain items, be sure to stop by the Official Wiki and get the help you need!
