Yacht Club Games kicked off the first character highlight video series for Shovel Knight Showdown.
Yacht Club Games will share a trailer starring a character in Shovel Knight Showdown every few weeks it seems.
We’re going to begin digging into the heroic and villainous characters playable in Shovel Knight Showdown… starting with the blue burrower himself: Shovel Knight!
About Shovel Knight in Shovel Knight Showdown
Shovel Knight is a well-rounded character that’s perfect for beginners and pros alike! He has a small arsenal of very reliable moves at his disposal. You’ll be making the most of every attack, no matter the match.
Dig Slash
As tried and true as Shovel Knight himself! This is a standard, close-hitting attack that is good for bashing open platters and popping item bubbles.
All shovel-wielding characters (such as our blue hero) have the ability to reflect projectiles back at opponents!
Shovel Drop
A worthy signature move! It’s unique in that it can damage enemies as soon as it’s activated. Just jumping around an enemy is enough to strike fear into their hearts and force their hand into a parry or other attack.
As always, it’s a great tool for platforming! Bounce off multiple opponents to reach higher ground and maybe the game-winning gem! I probably don’t need to tell you this, but it’s quite good at breaking up dirt blocks too!
Charge Slash
The charge slash has combat potency in spades! It’s a far-reaching, blindingly fast strike that really knocks enemies away.
Unleashing this powered slash also gives a short hop forward. It might not seem like much, but this extra distance can mean the difference between life or death while platforming!
While not all characters have charge-style attacks, all charge attacks in Showdown work the same. The charge time is identical to the time needed to prepare a Bomb Burst in Plague of Shadows. You can perform most other actions while charging, and your character will begin flashing to indicate the attack is ready. Readying the charge slash in Shovel of Hope would cause Shovel Knight to slow down to a slower walk speed, but that limit does not exist in Showdown!
There are very few occasions where you would not want to have this move at the ready. So remember your ABCs: Always Be Charging.
Flare Wand
With a flick of his wrist, Shovel Knight can hurl an orb of fiery death! It might not be flashy, but this fireball is solid for adding pressure from a distance.
There are no magic point limits in Showdown, but you can only have one fireball active at a time. Keep an eye on it to be ready for another volley.
Most projectiles in Showdown have a slower start than what you might be used to. The Flare Wand is no exception! When activating in the air, you’ll lock into place for a moment. This helps make sure your projectile remains accurate, so you don’t have to guess where you’ll be by the time it’s active.
Bringing It All Together
Shovel Knight benefits greatly from an effective and solid use of his core move-set. Pester with the Flare Wand from a distance. Use the Shovel Drop to drop in from higher ground. And be ready to lash out with the Charge Slash to keep opponents on their guard. Sometimes the most powerful Shovel Drop is one that doesn’t hit at all!
