Part 23

Your expert guide to Shovel Knight's Part 23, covering the Stranded Ship ice level, new enemies, and the Armor of Chaos.

Alright, Ghost of Shovels! You've just taken down that tough boss, Kratos. Congrats! He's going to give you a little something, the [_GRAVE DIGGER'S SHOVEL_]. Now, you can't actually equip this thing, but the game wants you to visit a smithy. Go on back to the ARMOR OUTPOST and chat with the Shove Smith. He can't do anything with it either. Then, talk to the Armorer. He'll take it... and then he'll break it! Ugh, right? But hey, good news: he's turned it into armor for you! Say hello to the [_ARMOR OF CHAOS_].

Give this new armor a spin! It's got a Kratos skin and turns your regular attacks into a slick three-hit combo, just like the Blades of Chaos. Your downward slam gets a fiery boost too, which is pretty awesome, even if it slightly messes with your mobility. Plus, when you kill enemies, you can store a charge attack that unleashes a fiery shockwave. The game also throws in some orbs as you play now. Seriously, this is some great armor.

Now, let's head over to the STRANDED SHIP. This is our ice level, so get ready for some slippery fun! As soon as you arrive, take out those beetles and then destroy the lower-right wall. Grab the gem inside before the bomb goes off, then keep moving. The next screen splits into an upper and lower path. Stick to the upper path as you move right. You'll encounter a new wolf enemy here; he usually takes two hits and likes to charge headfirst. There are more of them up ahead, and thankfully, they'll probably just run into the pits themselves. Keep to the upper level, deal with them as needed, and you'll reach a [_CHEST_]. From here, you can drop down or break the last block to the right to snag some gem deposits. The one on the right has a mole in it! If you want more gems, you can break the lower blocks to the left, but watch out for those respawning wolves. When you're ready, head right.

You'll see another wolf and a new enemy type. Let's call him a Barbarian! You can actually bounce off his head to grab the gems here – they're kind of teaching you that mechanic. Grab those gems, then take him down. To the right, there are some ice blocks and a SPARKLE in the pit. Save the bottom ice block and use it to fish out a [_GOLD FISH_]. Now, deal with the barbarian and watch out for the wolf that might join the fray. To the right is a third barbarian. Take him out – the Flare Wand is super effective here – and hit the wall behind him. Watch out for the bomb and loot the [_CHEST_]. Break the grey blocks and drop down to the right to continue.

This next room has our first checkpoint. Keep an eye on the Ice Magician above; he shoots ice balls that turn into snowflakes. Fun! Dig up the deposit and head right, dodging the snow. Go up, take out the magician, and then collect the gems as you head left and up. You'll run into some more horse enemies, ice versions of course, but they go down the same way as before. Hit them from behind or use the Flare Wand and press on.

The next room features several ice blocks and a new dragon-like enemy. These guys have pouches on their bellies, which are clearly their weak spots. Destroy the upper layers of ice here and be mindful of falling bombs – they might just take care of the dragons for you. If not, handle them manually. Clear out the ice and head downwards.

You'll enter a room where you'll hit some soft ice and fall right onto spikes below! Yikes! It seems a bit alarming, but the ice here is actually safe, and it's meant to show you how it works. Make sure to grab the ice block to the right for some gems, then head down again.

Down here, an ice horse is jumping around on the bottom level. You need to bounce off him and destroy the upper-left wall to access a hidden area. Inside, break the upper ice blocks and look for a bomb at the end. Below, an ice magician will fire an ice ball. You can knock it out of the sky, zap him with the Flare Wand, or just avoid the snowflakes on your way to the [_CHEST_]. After you defeat him, destroy the wall behind him for a gem, then head back to the previous screen.

Take out the horses here and drop through the soft ice. Grab the gem below on the right, just to be safe. Also, the upper wall to the right hides a gem (and a bomb)! Nab it, then continue right. Hit the checkpoint here and then interact with the weird statue. This thing creates paths for you, but it does rise up if you give it a chance. You'll be using it quite a bit in this level. Hit it to the right to go down, then hit it to the left for some gems, and then head back.