Plague Knight (Shovel Knight) – DEATH BATTLE! Analysis

Background

The Order of No Quarter is a group of knights led by the Enchantress, who have all claimed the Valley for themselves. One of these knights was an alchemist who sought to create the Ultimate Potion called the Serum Supernus. Because of this love for alchemy, he was shunned by the Village people. Due to this and being defeated by an undead warrior called Specter Knight, who was recruiting other knights, Plague Knight had no other choice but to join the Order of No Quarter.

However, Plague Knight still wanted to create the Serum Supernus. He, alongside his partner Mona, began researching ways to accomplish their goal so that they could become famous alchemists. After finding out that the key ingredients were the Essences of the Order of No Quarter knights, Shovel Knight, and the Enchantress, Plague Knight defected from the group, and began fighting against them.

His whole motivation to create the Serum Supernus was actually one most wouldn’t expect: love. Specifically, Mona’s love. Plague Knight thought that if he could create the Ultimate Potion, he wouldn’t be weak anymore and would be worthy of her love. After successfully obtaining every Essence, he soon found out that she already loved him, which induced a mental battle with himself and the unstable Serum Supernus. This internal battle that he won made him realize that he already had everything he ever wanted and is fine being just the way he is.

More Info

• Genius alchemist
• In love with his partner Mona
• Owner of the Potionarium and previously the Explodatorium
• Likes to blow up his own minions
• Learned how to dance from the Troupple King
• Owns a gold mask
• Shy at parties
• Was once “rejected” by a girl for a horse man

Equipment

Bombs

Bombs are Plague Knight’s main weapon for fighting. They’re obviously used to blow stuff up, and are reliable for long-range combat and explode automatically when they touch an enemy. Plague Knight also doesn’t get hurt by the explosions he causes, can delay his landing when throwing them downward while in the air, and can change out the casing, powder, or fuse of them for a variety of effects. Plague Knight can mix and match types, even on the fly in the middle of battle. In total, there are 4,896 different potential bomb combinations Plague Knight can throw. The following is a list of all the different bomb parts Plague Knight can swap around:

• Casing: Alter the trajectory of bombs.
• Bounce Casing: Thrown bombs will bounce on the ground for a bit before exploding.
• Lob Casing: Thrown bombs will be thrown upwards in an arc. Depending on the fuse, they will land on the ground.
• Float Casing: Thrown bombs will float upwards. They will continue to go up until they explode.
• Orbit Casing: Thrown bombs will orbit around Plague Knight, acting like a shield. They can even pierce through walls.
• Drop Casing: Thrown bombs drop near Plague Knight’s feet from both in front and behind him. They will bounce a few times depending on the fuse before exploding. He usually throws two bombs with this, but will only throw one when the powder limit is three and two bombs are already out or the limit is one.
• Whirl Casing: Thrown bombs will return back to Plague Knight in a boomerang-like fashion. He will catch them should they come back to him and not behind him. If Plague Knight doesn’t catch them, they will continuously go back and forth until he does or they explode.
• Powder: Alter the explosions of bombs and the amount Plague Knight can throw at once.
• Black Powder: Causes regular explosions. Plague Knight can use up to three at once.
• Tracer Powder: Produces two green fireballs that travel across the ground and climb up walls. Plague Knight can use up to two at once.
• Cascade Powder: Creates four purple fire pillars on the ground or walls. Plague Knight can only use one at a time. Although, he is able to throw up to three at the cost of each bomb only producing one pillar of fire each.
• Component Powder: Produces a small pink sphere that damages enemies. If Plague Knight adds another bomb in, it will grow. A third will cause the pink sphere to explode and shoot four fireballs in different directions. He can also throw the bombs in different direction to cover the area in those pink spheres. If the spheres don’t grow in size, they will disappear after one second. Plague Knight can use up to three at once.
• Cluster Powder: Releases a lingering explosion that damages enemies multiple times. Plague Knight can only use one at a time. 
• Sparkler Powder: Produces bolts of electricity twice at different intervals. These don’t detonate conventionally. Plague Knight can use up to two at once.
• Fuse: Alter how bombs detonate.
• Standard Fuse: Bombs will blow up after one second.
• Long Fuse: Bombs will blow up after one and a half seconds.
• Quick Fuse: Bombs will blow up after three quarters of one second.
• Sentry Fuse: Bombs hover in the air and seek a nearby target before locking on and homing in on them. These also detect Plague Knight himself. After four seconds, they will blow up if they don’t find a target.
• Remote Fuse: Bombs will only explode when they are manually detonated by Plague Knight himself.
• Impact Fuse: Bombs will explode immediately after making contact with anything.

Arcana

Special items that Plague Knight uses as alternative equipment in battle. While useful, using an Arcana consumes Power, with him having a maximum of four units. Luckily, Plague Knight recovers Power over time, but if he uses it all up, he has to wait for it to recovery fully before being able to use an Arcana again, which takes 12 seconds. He can also fill it up by finding and using items called Power Jars. Lastly, an Arcana can still be used even if the amount of Power it would usually take isn’t available, though this will result in Plague Knight needing to wait for all of his Power to recover. The following is a list of all the Arcana Plague Knight has:

• Bait Bomb: A bomb that walks across the ground and hops into a pit before exploding to bring up any potential treasure or goods down there to Plague Knight. Since it’s a walking bomb, it can be used for combat, exploding automatically when it touches an enemy. It can also work as a regular bomb and not walk. It takes away one unit of Power.
• Big Boom: A bomb that creates a large explosion when it hits an enemy or the ground. It won’t explode when it hits a wall, merely bouncing off of it. It takes away one unit of Power.
• Leech Liquid: A potion that, when drunk, makes Plague Knight’s attacks drain enemies’ life energy, healing him. This lasts for seven and a half seconds. If he is attacked while drinking it, he won’t gain its effects and still waste the Power it takes away. It takes away three units of Power.
• Smoke Bomb: A bomb that releases a smoke cloud. If Plague Knight is in the smoke, he will become both invisible and intangible, preventing him from being hurt. The smoke cloud lasts for four and a half seconds, and Plague Knight is still under its effects for a little over a second when he steps out of it. It takes away three units of Power.
• Vat: A vat that Plague Knight summons beneath him to use as a platform, usually in the air. It stays in midair for a bit before falling. After two seconds have passed or a bomb is thrown at it, it blows up. Plague Knight can also summon up to eight vats at once even with more already out that have no time limit for being out. When he throws a bomb at one, the explosion of it causes a chain reaction with other nearby vats. It takes away two and a half units of Power.
• Staff of Surging: A staff that gives Plague Knight the ability to perform an uppercut attack with it that raises him into the air. It can be used for both offense and to reach higher places. It takes away four-fifths of one unit of Power.
• Fleet Flask: A potion that, when drunk, makes Plague Knight dash forward at incredible speeds. He runs so fast that he damages enemies he runs into. Plague Knight can jump during this and won’t stop until he turns around or runs into an obstacle. If he is attacked while drinking it, he won’t gain its effects and still waste the Power it takes away. It takes away one unit of Power.
• Berserker’s Brew: A potion that, when drunk, temporarily lets Plague Knight take no knockback from enemy attacks. He also deals damage just by making contact with them. Plague Knight isn’t invincible though, as he still takes damage. This lasts for seven and a half seconds. If he is attacked while drinking it, he won’t gain its effects and still waste the Power it takes away. It takes away two units of Power.
• Staff of Striking: A staff that gives Plague Knight the ability to repeatedly attack up close with it in quick succession. While it is weak, the speed of it makes up for it, and can sometimes be even deadlier than if he was attacking with bombs. When attacking repeatedly in the air, it will make Plague Knight fall much more slowly until he stops. It takes away a little over a third of one unit of Power.

Cloaks

Plague Knight has a variety of different cloaks with special attributes that he got from the Troupple after he showed him the Troupple Chalice. Actually, it’s the same cloak, but colored differently due to the Troupple King covering him in different Ichors. These Ichors are how each cloak has their unique property. However, he can only have the effects of one at a time due to it techically being the same cloak and needing the Troupple King to change them. The following is a list of all the cloaks Plague Knight can wear:

• Chemical Coated Cloak: Plague Knight’s normal cloak. It has no special properties.
• Treasure Trappings: Attracts money to Plague Knight. When he falls in battle, he’ll also lose half the money he normally would have.
• Goo Garment: Allows Plague Knight to bounce off walls when performing Bomb Bursts, which takes the effect of the Spin Burst, but he also bounces off the ground once.
• Ward Robe: Reduces the knockback of enemy attacks, but makes it harder for Plague Knight to stop running once he starts.
• Dandy Duds: The flashiest cloak around, which increases Plague Knight’s jubilance by 200%! Clearly his most useful one.
• Pandemonium Cloak: The cloak Plague Knight received from the Troupple King after he showed the Pandemonium Chalice to him. It randomly changes his bomb parts, Arcana, and Bomb Bursts every six and a half seconds, and he isn’t able to change them in his own free will. However, there are benefits to such a luck-based cloak, such as being able to throw out three bombs all the time, even for powders that would normally be less than that. It also uses the same low amount of Power for all Arcana besides the Staff of Striking, which is still incredibly low. This altogether can potentially make it very powerful if Plague Knight is lucky enough. Although, despite being random for most of his arsenal, he can’t ever get Tracer Powders, Sentry Fuses, or Remote Fuses with this cloak on.

Health Tonics

Special potions that increase Plague Knight’s maximum health when one is drunk. If he already has maximum health, drinking one will simply heal him. Normally, Plague Knight can only carry five tonics, but with the Big Tonic Bag, he is able to hold up to 10. He can also randomly find them in the environment.

Transmutation Potion

A potion that, when drunk, gives Plague Knight the ability to transmutate others into something else.

Serum Supernus

The Ultimate Potion Plague Knight created in order to win over Mona. Made from the Essences of Shovel Knight, the Order of No Quarter knights, and the Enchantress, this potion is thought to have unlimited power. While it is a one-time use, it is powerful enough to cause an explosion that leveled the Tower of Fate.

Powers & Abilities

Double Jump

Plague Knight can perform a second jump while in midair, which helps for reaching higher places. It also helps to increase or stop his momentum after performing a Bomb Burst.

Teleportation

Plague Knight can teleport by throwing a bomb onto the ground and disappearing alongside the explosion. He then reappears somewhere else in another explosion. Plague Knight also teleports away when he’s defeated in battle.

Duplication

After teleporting, Plague Knight has the option to duplicate himself up to two times for a total of three Plague Knights. These clones copy his movements, so they can do everything the original can, and it doesn’t waste any stamina for him to produce them. He can also create the second clone while the first one is already out to both get another clone and restore the health of the first one. However, the clones can only take so much damage before disappearing in an explosion. They also disappear when Plague Knight is defeated in battle.

Bomb Bursts

By charging up and using his own bombs on himself, Plague Knight can propel himself through the air, letting him attack while also getting to places out of reach. He can also do multiple while in the air. Plague Knight has several different bursts with a variety of effects. The following is a list of all the Bomb Bursts Plague Knight can perform:

• Basic Burst: Causes an explosion that launches Plague Knight forward.
• Float Burst: Causes a large explosion that launches Plague Knight forward and slows down his momentum and descent after reaching the highest he can go. He is able to cancel this effect though at any time should he want to get to the ground faster. However, he can’t charge a new burst while floating down, but can if he cancels it.
• Bullet Burst: Launches off a fiery projectile where Plague Knight was before sending him forward. This burst has no explosion when it launches him in the air.
• Frost Burst: Drops snowflake projectile beneath Plague Knight as he’s sent forward. This burst has no explosion when it launches him in the air.
• Spin Burst: Causes a small explosion that launches Plague Knight and makes him spin forward like a cannonball, cutting through any enemies that come in his path.

Feats

Strength

• Bombs casually blow up walls
• Leveled the Tower of Fate with the Serum Supernus, which caused an earthquake that could be felt from the Village (calced here)
• Defeated Black Knight while he was powered up by the Enchantress powered up by the Enchantress, who can call down six meteors (calced here)

Speed

• Outran cannonballs
• Kept up with Shovel Knight, who can swing his Shovel Blade at speeds that keep up with lightning (calced here)
• Dodged meteors (calced here)

Durability

• Survived being catapulted high into the sky before falling back down to the ground
• Took hits from Shovel Knight
• Can take hits from the Enchantress
• Took hits from Black Knight while he was powered up by the Enchantress, who can call down six meteors (calced here)

Training & Experience

• A knowledgeable and talented alchemist
• Defeated a group of guards to take over the Armor Outpost single-handedly
• Took out all the guards in the Hall of Champions
• Overcame his mental battle against the Corrupted Essence
• Succeeded in his quest to create the Serum Supernus
• Defeated Black Knight (three times), Reize, Mr. Hat, Baz, Phantom Striker, and all of the Order of No Quarter

Weaknesses

Plague Knight mostly relies on long-ranged attacks, with very few close-range options. This is because he is physically one of the weakest knights. While his Arcana are very useful, they require him to have enough Power to use, and if he depletes it all, he won’t be able to use them for awhile. His many different cloaks are also useful, but he can only use the effects of one at a time, and while the Pandemonium Cloak can be deadly, it’s still too dependent on luck to be consistently useful. Plague Knight’s clones have much less health compared to himself, so they can be easily dispatched. Sometimes, when he thinks he is victorious, he can leave himself wide-open to attacks and end up losing instead. Also, Plague Knight can be a bit insecure about himself, to the point where he views himself as weak and needing to prove himself to others. This has led him to missing what’s right in front of him at the worst of times. Lastly, while the Serum Supernus is the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, it can only be used once due to blowing up.

Summary

Advantages

• Has a variety of different bombs, Arcana, and Bomb Bursts for most situations
• Can heal using the Leech Liquid or Health Tonics
• Can become invisible and intangible with the Smoke Bomb
• Can handle knockback better with the Berserker’s Brew or Ward Robe
• Has many useful cloaks, especially the Pandemonium Cloak with how deadly it can be
• Can alter others by drinking a transmutation potion
• Has great air mobility through the use of his double jump and Bomb Bursts
• Is tricky and can confuse others by using teleportation and his clones
• The Serum Supernus is incredibly powerful and is his strongest weapon

Disadvantages

• Has very few close-range options
• Physically very weak
• Arcana requires Power to use, and if he uses it all up, he has to wait for it to fully recover
• Can only use the effects of one cloak at a time
• The Pandemonium Cloak is very luck dependent
• Clones have low health and can be dispatched easily
• Can leave himself wide-open if he thinks he’s already won
• Can be insecure about himself
• Can miss what’s right in front of him at the worst of times
• The Serum Supernus is a one-time use weapon