Welcome to a battle of shovels, eternally retold! Today, we’re going to take a good look at the blue burrower himself — it’s Shovel Knight! Let’s get digging!

Shovel Knight

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!

That’s all for today! If you want to continue hitting the books in preparation, then be sure to check out our Mona character spotlight and read more about the game’s universal mechanics.