Brightflame Cactus

Brightflame Cacti are a type of cactus that appear in Hollow Knight: Vessel of the Desert. They grow in large numbers throughout the Searing Deserts, regardless of the location.

Brightflame Cacti can either be found as a normal cactus, or from enemies called Brightflame Sentinels. More on those later.

Overview
Brightflame Cacti are mostly orange and yellow, with a few hints of red. They are described to be shaped like flames. It is mentioned by an unknown NPC that the touch of a spine on the cactus feels like fire. The fluids of a Brightflame Cactus are incredibly flammable, becoming explosive if in contact with fire. This cactus can mostly be found in places like the Icy Wastelands, Desert Surface, and Searing Caverns but are scarce in other locations.

Effects
Contact with the cactus deals one mask of damage. The cacti can be broken and has a slim chance to respawn. Breaking the cacti will drop Cactus Shells, which can be sold to The Cloaked Merchant in exchange for Amber. Alongside the Cactus Shells, Brightflame Fluids will drop when breaking a cactus, which can be collected in Glass Bottles and sold to him for more Amber than Cactus Shells. If Brightflame Fluids are ignited in any way, they will explode, making the Cactus Shells and the Brightflame Fluids uncollectable. The explosion will deal two masks of damage.

Drops
When broken, the cactus will drop Cactus Shells and Brightflame Fluids. The amount of items dropped will be relative to the size of the cactus. If found in a small cactus, it will drop 1-2 Cactus Shells and 1 Brightflame Fluid. A medium-sized cactus drops 3-4 Cactus Shells & 1-2 Brightflame Fluids.

These drops can also be found from Brightflame Sentinels, which give out the most drops.

Brightflame Sentinels
These creatures disguise themselves as a normal Brightflame Cactus to lure in prey. If you come near it, it will shake and rise off the ground. When in it's Dormant Form, it will be a normal cactus. If in it's Hostile Form, it will be about twice Scorpion's height. It's a hard enemy to defeat, but it is very rewarding in the end. They can only be found in one size, and have a smaller possibility of respawning than normal Brightflame Cactus. It has about 500 HP. It acts as a widely spread mini-boss.

Attacks
The Brightflame Sentinel is a versatile enemy with a lot of HP and several different attack techniques. It can be hard to predict at times, as well as having to time jumps.


 * Thorn Spikes: It plunges an arm into the ground, which summons a row of large yellow thorns across the arena in a pattern similar to Grimm's Cape Spike attack. Deals 1 mask + Afterburn for 3 sec. when in contact.


 * Cactus Bombs: Spits out a cactus shell similar to a Moss Knight and throws it in an arc in Scorpion's most recent location. When it contacts the ground, it explodes, dealing 2 masks. It throws 3 bombs in this attack.


 * Burning Slash: It jumps closer to Scorpion, engaging in a melee attack. It then waves it's arms, creating a wave of fire. Deals 1 mask if in contact with it's arms. Deals 1 mask + Afterburn for 3 sec. if hit by the flame wave.


 * Brightflame Burst: If given the chance, it will leap from the center of the arena after the final dig and smash the ground. This releases a wave of 4-5 thorns for each side. They will arc in the air and then pierce the floor.


 * Disengage: It occasionally jumps backwards, disengaging from melee battle. If Scorpion is close enough it chains this into a melee attack, baiting Scorpion into pursuing them. If it creates enough distance between it and Scorpion it chains it into a Cactus Bomb attack.


 * Burrow Blast: Goes underground and follows the player for about 2.4 seconds until it bursts out of the ground and goes back inside. When it bursts, it will summon about 1-2 thorns that arc, similar to the Dung Defender's attack style. The impact deals 1 mask. It has a small chance to chain this attack with a Brightflame Burst attack.

Drops

 * Brightflame Heart: Can only be found on Brightflame Sentinels. One costs about 1000 Ambers when sold. It will drop only 1 Heart, but it is dropped with a 50% chance. This is NOT affected by any looting-related charms or tools.


 * Brightflame Fluids: One costs 500 Ambers when sold. It will drop about 1 bottle. This is NOT affected by any looting-related charms or tools.


 * Cactus Shell: One costs 250 Ambers when sold. It will drop about 2 shells. If equipped with any looting-related charms or tools, it will drop about 4 shells.


 * Blazing Thorns: Can only be found on Brightflame Sentinels. One costs 75 Ambers when sold. It will drop about 4 thorns. If equipped with any looting-related charms or tools, it will drop about 8 thorns.