Fresh from Plague of Shadows, the maniacal alchemist bursts onto the battlefield with a boom!

Plague Knight

Plague Knight is a technical, high mobility character. He’s at his strongest when constantly on the move, so make sure you don’t get caught flat-footed. His attacks are relentless, but try not to be too predictable! Mix up your moves and your movement to keep enemies guessing about your next frantic attack.

Bomb Toss

Plague Knight has all new casings for his explosives! Or were these the casings he used before collaborating with Mona in the Potionarium? Either way, these casings cause his projectiles to travel in a straight path before exploding. They’re a bit slower and larger than the bounce casings from Plague of Shadows, which means they’re better at covering space. They’re also much more visible on stages of any size!

You can throw three of these in rapid succession. Vary the timing up to annoy enemies trying break through your barrage. Attacking while in the air will direct your throw at an angle. Sail just out of reach and go for the perfect bombardment.

Double Jump

Not all characters in Showdown have a double jump… and Plague Knight’s may feel a little weak on its own. You can use it in a pinch, but it really comes in handy when you combine it with your Burst! Remember that you’ll need to land on solid ground before you can use your double jump again.

Spin Burst

Hold down attack to charge up your spin, and release to go flying in a direction! From mobility to combat, this move is absolutely critical for the Plague playstyle!

Bomb Burst into a double jump will allow you to cross vast distances with ease. Need a course correction? You can also use your double jump to stop at a moment’s notice.

While the Spin Move is quite flashy, it has a few drawbacks. It will not damage nearby enemies when it detonates, and Plague Knight is vulnerable while he elevates initially. Even once the spin has started, you can be hit right out of it. Start your cannonball from a distance and skillfully bowl into unsuspecting enemies from a tricky angle.

Staff of Surging

One well-timed use of this arcana will disburse enemies in front of and above you! Plague Knight doesn’t have too many melee attacks, so this move can be incredibly useful.

But be careful…you’ll be locked in during the follow-through descent. A savvy enemy will certainly take advantage of a free hit during your free fall.

Bringing It All Together

Plague Knight has a variety of unpredictable movement options at his disposal. Keep a bird’s eye view of the battlefield, and prepare to to jet off to the most advantageous objective at a moment’s notice, whether that’s a score of gems, a critical item, or just a slightly safer vantage point. Up close, Plague Knight is a little less scary, frequently losing out to other fighters’ fast hitting melee strikes.

But it’s not all flight. Plague Knight’s seemingly erratic motion can lead to a barrage of attacks from all sides. Spin Burst can cannonball into unaware enemies, but they’ll soon begin to catch on and counter with a parry. Switch it up with a surprise bomb toss, double jump, or even another burst!

If your opponents are being overly aggressive, then you can parry out of your Spin Burst, too.

Plague Knight’s a little lighter than other characters, so he’ll be flung farther by an attack. When this happens, keep cool under that mask and focus on recovering safely from a distance. Master the timing of all your moves to ensure you’ll always be ready to charge up a burst in a pinch.

If you want to build some muscle memory for Plague Knight’s Burst, then there’s no better training regimen than his very own game: Plague of Shadows! You can also check out our write-up on mobility in Plague of Shadows for a quick refresher on playing with Plague Knight.

That’s it for today’s alchemical assembly! If you’re ready to dig into more, then check out Shovel Knight’s character spotlight and read more about Showdown’s universal mechanics.