[FONT=]Shovel Knight[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight is, well, exactly what you'd expect: a knight wielding a shovel. Despite the unconventional weaponry, Shovel Knight is a respectable fighter. His strength and agility allow him to make the best of his Shovel Blade. His signature Shovel Drop makes him an aerial menace. He hails from an indie platformer that quickly became a modern classic. Taking inspiration from Mega Man and other classsics, Shovel Knight is a love letter to the NES days. Since his game's release, Shovel Knight has made numerous cameos in other indie games. And now, he's dug his way into Smash![/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovelrous Stats[/FONT]
[FONT=]
Size: 4
Weight: 7
Ground Speed: 4
Jump: 4
Air Speed: 8
Fall Speed: 7
Traction: 8
[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight is a relatively balanced combatant. He stands just shy of Mario's height; the tips of his horns sitting level with the plumber's nose. His armor affords him some surprising weight, adversely affecting his fall speed. He moves at a brisk, yet below average pace. His jumps are decent, enough to get him where he needs to be. His aerial control, however, is exceptional, allowing him to easily approach from the air. Thanks to the weight of his armor, his traction is also good. These stats contribute to a versatile fighter capable of adapting to the matchup at hand.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=]Specials: Steel Thy Shovel[/FONT]
[FONT=] Neutral Special – Flare Wand/ Flareo Wand[/FONT]
[FONT=]With a tap of B, Shovel Knight very quickly brandishes a gilded wand before firing a Kirby-sized fireball from its tip. This fireball flies straight forwards at Mario's dash speed, and has infinite range. Upon contact, these fireballs deal 6% damage and light shoving knockback that will not KO. If B is tapped again while the Flare Wand is still out, Shovel Knight can fire another fireball with almost no lag, for a maximum of three fireballs on screen. If B is held rather than tapped, Shovel Knight instead brandishes the Flareo Wand. This special Relic creates a large fiery blast shortly in front of Shovel Knight. This last is roughly double the size of a Flare Wand fireball, and lingers place for roughly a second and a half. If a foe is hit, they are temporarily held in place until the fire blast fades away, which launches them with knockback that KO's around 190%. While trapped, the foe takes 5% every half second, for a total of 15% if the foe is held for the blast's entire lifespan. The Flare Wand is Shovel Knight's most simple and reliable projectile; not very powerful or impressive, but important nonetheless. One saving grace is the fireballs' size and limitless range. Meanwhile, the Flareo Wand is great for handling over aggressive foes. The Flareo Wand blast's size makes it a reliable damage racker, but it admittedly suffers from higher start lag than the simpler Flare Wand.[/FONT]
[FONT=] Side Special – Propeller Dagger[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight draws another trusty Relic, the Propeller Dagger. Immediately afterwards, the Dagger drags Shovel Knight through the air at double his dash speed. He travels roughly a Battlefield platform before stowing the Dagger back in his inventory. If used on the ground, Shovel Knight flies just above the floor; in air he flies forwards at his current altitude, ignoring gravity until the attack ends. This can be used twice before Shovel Knight enters helpless. Upon hitting anything solid, be it foe or the stages, Shovel Knight bounces backwards and up. This can aid in recovery if he bounces on the edge. Hitting a foe does 7% and knocks them high enough to allow a second hit if it's still available. This move will not KO, but is great for mobility and recovery.[/FONT]
[FONT=] Up Special – Tow Anchor[/FONT]
[FONT=]Struggling slightly, Shovel Knight prepares the mighty Tow Anchor. After a short bit of lag, he throws the anchor in a high arc, landing about a Bowser length ahead of its takeoff point. However, the anchor drags him with it. The Tow Anchor is a very powerful projectile of sorts, dealing 15% and knockback that KO's at 150%. The high arc also aids Shovel Knight's recovery. However, due to the Anchor's weight, Shovel Knight experiences a hefty bit of endlag as he picks himself off the ground. Try and use this sparingly, as it's very possible to throw yourself off the bottom blast zone. Since Shovel Knight does not release the Anchor, reflectors have no effect on this attack.[/FONT]
[FONT=] Down Special – Chaos Sphere[/FONT]
[FONT=]From his unimpressive crouch, Shovel Knight unleashes the most unpredictable projectile in his arsenal. The Chaos Sphere is roughly Kirby's size and bounces wildly across the screen. It's speed and bounce height vary every time it hits something. Only one Chaos Sphere can exist at a time, and they last for roughly 7 seconds before fading away. On hit, the Sphere ricochets off the victim, dealing 10% and knockback that KO's at 180%.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Standards: Strike The Earth![/FONT]
[FONT=] Jab – Shovel Swipe[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight performs a swing with his trusty Shovel Blade. This is a one-hit jab with surprising reach. Upon hit, this attack deals 4% damage and incredibly weak knockback that cannot KO. This jab's strength is in its low lag, allowing Shovel Knight to swing repeatedly at a respectable rate. If Shovel Knight jabs a projectile, the attack is redirected 45 degrees in the direction he's facing, meaning a projectile flying left would be deflected to fly up and right. This does NOT give Shovel Knight ownership of the projectile, it merely deflects it.[/FONT]
[FONT=] Dash Attack – Burrowing Bomber[/FONT]
[FONT=]From his dash, Shovel Knight launches forwards in a move very similar to Luigi's Green Missile. This move travels as far as an uncharged Green Missile. Upon hitting a foe or wall, Shovel Knight bounces away as he does with the Propeller Dagger. This move deals 8% and KO's at 175%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] F-tilt – Shovel Swipe[/FONT]
[FONT=]Much like Mega Man, Shovel Knight's F-tilt is identical to his Jab. The main difference is that Shovel Knight temporarily stops moving to swing.[/FONT]
[FONT=] U-tilt – Poke[/FONT]
[FONT=]Taking inspiration from his victory pose, Shovel Knight thrusts his Shovel Blade into the air for a decent anti-air. Due to the awkward motion, this attack suffers some unfortunate lag. This attack deals 6% and KO's at 200%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] D-tilt – Dig[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight's crouch is essentially worthless; it barely lowers him, to the point where it's barely visible. When using his D-tilt, Shove Knight performs an attack identical to his Jab, but grazes the ground. This kicks up between 1-5 rocks of random sizes. These rocks fly forward in random arcs. If a foe is hit, they flinch and suffer between 1-5% depending on the rock's size. However, being hit by one rock makes it likely that all the rocks will hit. Additionally, this move retains the Jab hitbox. This attack is great for damage racking and defending against aggressive attackers.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Smashes: Shovel Justice![/FONT]
[FONT=] F-Smash – Charge Handle[/FONT]
[FONT=]Interestingly for a Smash, upon input, Shovel Knight performs his Jab before charging. The Jab acts as normal. Also unique for a Smash, Shovel Knight can move very slowly while charging, even having access to one jump. The charge can be held indefinitely, at the cost of requiring a full charge to attack. C-Sticking this Smash results in Shovel Knight jabbing. Thankfully, this Smash charges much faster than most, and Shovel Knight blinks rapidly to signify that it's ready. Upon release, Shovel Knight performs an instantaneous slash with the Shovel Blade. This has absolutely no lag, hitting on frame one. This attacks deals an impressive 20% and KO's at 140%. This is a very scary KO move, but predictable. Additionally, this move reflects projectiles much like Mario's Cape. However, the intense velocity doubles the speed of reflected projectiles.[/FONT]
[FONT=] U-Smash – Trench Blade[/FONT]
[FONT=]When charging, Shovel Knight pushes the Shovel Blade into the ground with his feet. Upon release, Shovel Knight quickly flings a large chunk of earth into the air. This chunk follows the high arc of the Tow Anchor. Depending on charge, the chunk can be anywhere between a Pokeball to Kirby in size. Depending on the size, this move deals between 7-18% and KO's between 180-150%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] D-Smash – Drop Spark[/FONT]
[FONT=]Upon charging, Shovel Knight simply enters his crouch while flashing. Upon release, he performs his Jab. However, at the same time, a spark of energy flies across the ground. This Drop Spark will crawl the stage at Pikachu's dash speed until it hits a foe or a ledge, even climbing wall if need be. The Drop Spark deals 10% and KO's at 180%. If charged, Shovel Knight will perform multiple Jabs and launch multiple Drop Sparks. At max charge, he Jabs three times and releases three Sparks.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Aerials: Azure Aerialist[/FONT]
[FONT=] N-air – Ornate Flip[/FONT]
[FONT=]Showing impressive gymnastic skill, Shovel Knight curls into a ball and performs a midair somersault. This acts as a generic get-off-me N-air, but is decently fast. This deals 3% and KO's at 300%. If Shovel Knight lands while doing this, he sticks the landing expertly, suffering no landing lag.[/FONT]
[FONT=] F-air – Shovel Swipe[/FONT]
[FONT=]Once again, this move is identical to his Jab.[/FONT]
[FONT=] B-air – Shovel Swipe[/FONT]
[FONT=]This is the final Shovel Swipe, I promise.[/FONT]
[FONT=] U-air – Rising Dagger[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight brandishes a variant on his Propeller Dagger. This Rising Dagger pulls Shovel Knight upwards his own height. This does not put him in helpless, but can only be used once before landing. This deals 7% and KO's at 180% vertically.[/FONT]
[FONT=] D-air – Shovel Drop[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight's signature technique. He mounts the Shovel Blade much like a pogo stick, with the blade pointing downwards. This does not change his fall speed or air speed. Upon hitting a foe, Shovel Knight bounces up a short distance before falling back down, still in the move. This deals 4% and light shoving knockback to grounded foes. With finesse, Shovel Knight can chase a grounded foe and rack up impressive damage. However, after three successful hits, the foe no longer flinches on hit, and can attempt to escape. Hitting an aerial foe causes a light spike effect. This move can be canceled by inputting any other aerial or special.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Grab: Simple Hold[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight takes a hand off his Shovel Blade and grasps forwards. This is decently quick, but with poor range. Dashing increases both the range and the lag.[/FONT]
[FONT=] Pummel – Headbutt[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight, in an uncharacteristic moment of viciousness, headbutts the foe with his helmet. Slow, but deals a respectable 5%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] F-throw – Batter Up[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight releases the foe before quickly performing an F-smash. This behaves identically to his F-smash, dealing 20% and KOing at 140%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] B-throw – Discard[/FONT]
[FONT=]In an animation inspired by Percy from the Plague of Shadows expansion, Shovel Knight tosses the foe over his shoulder, shaking his head disapprovingly. This causes the foe fly behind Shovel Knight in a low arc. This throw deals only 5%, but can KO if Shovel Knight has his back to the ledge.[/FONT]
[FONT=] U-throw – Throwing Anchor[/FONT]
[FONT=]Taking inspiration from a trusty Relic, Shovel Knight tosses his foe skyward in an arc identical to his Tow Anchor. This gives him a second to breathe. This throw deals 4%.[/FONT]
[FONT=] D-throw – Bury[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight releases the foe before quickly digging a pitfall under them. This causes a light pitfall effect that is easily escaped, but can allow a follow up. Deals 6%.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Final Smash[/FONT]
[FONT=]Catch Her[/FONT]
[FONT=]Shovel Knight looks skyward as the stage becomes bathed in white light. An arrow appears somewhere at the top of the screen. After 4 seconds, Shield Knight falls from this position. Should she hit the ground, she'll vanish in red smoke, ending the Final Smash and dissipating the white light. If Shovel Knight catches her, however, a massive flash of red light bathes the stage. This deals 50% to all foes, and causes a crumple effect much like Ryu's Focus Attack.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Extras: For Shovelry![/FONT]
[FONT=]Up Taunt: Shovel Knight takes a Troupple Chalice from his inventory before quickly downing its contents. Depending on the color of the ichor within, one of three effects takes place:[/FONT]
[FONT=]Ichor of Renewal (Red): Restores 5% health.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Ichor of Boldness (Blue): Grants three hits of super armor. Shovel Knight glows blue while this is active.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Ichor of Fortune (Yellow): Attracts items for 5 seconds. Also increases Luck, meaning the next D-tilt will always have 5 rocks, and they are more likely to be large rocks.[/FONT]
[FONT=]The Up Taunt is a valuable asset to Shovel Knight, but can be interrupted, preventing any benefits. The three ichors always cycle in the order Red-Blue-Yellow.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Side Taunt:
Shovel Knight embeds his Shovel Blade in the ground before pulling a map out and examining it thoughtfully. He then stows the map away and returns to his idle stance.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Down Taunt:
Shovel Knight crouches for a moment, before a rainbow liquid begins cascading from his helmet. This taunt can be held indefinitely. The liquid pushes foes lightly. This could be used on the ledge as a casual ledge defense.[/FONT]
[FONT=]Boxing Ring Title: The Blue Burrower[/FONT]
[FONT=]
Palettes
[/FONT]
[FONT=]Stalwart Plate (Blue Team)[/FONT]
[FONT=]Final Guard (Red Team)[/FONT]
[FONT=]Conjurer's Coat[/FONT]
[FONT=]Dynamo Mail[/FONT]
[FONT=]Mail of Momentum[/FONT]
[FONT=]Ornate Plate (Yellow Team)[/FONT]
[FONT=]Toad Gear (Green Team)[/FONT]
[FONT=]Fish Head[/FONT]