The Plains, also known as the Plains of Passage, are the first stage in each campaign of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. The area's end is usually guarded by Black Knight, although King Knight also encounters Specter Knight there in King of Cards.
The Plains serve as an introductory stage to the basic game mechanics of each protagonist: Shovel Drop, Bomb Burst, Dash Slash, and Shoulder Bash.
Due to either Shovel Knight's or Black Knight's presence inside the puzzle box, an illusory copy of The Plains can be found inside the Pocket Dungeon.
Description[]
The Plains of Passage mark the entrance to the Valley. This lush, green forest-like area inhabited by Boneclangs, Beetos, and other different creatures. It has many secret destructible walls and large caverns, moving platforms, bottomless pits, spikes, and large dirt piles. In this stage, checkpoints are indestructible.
In most campaigns, the Plains is traveled during daytime. In Specter of Torment and the Spectral Ravine in King of Cards, the sky is set to night and the environment has a darker, reddish tint. In the Valley of Dawn in King of Cards, the Plains are traveled at dawn.
Story[]
The Plains of Passage have been the only route to enter the Valley. This is where King Knight first met Specter Knight, who came to recruit him into the Order of No Quarter during his quest for glory. After this, the Plains were blocked by Black Knight, in his attempt to keep commoners from The Enchantress's evil aura, spreading from the Tower of Fate. He left his post when Specter Knight came to recruit him, going on a personal quest to find Shield Knight.
After the formation of the Order, Black Knight returned to his personal duty at the Plains of Passage, where he will meet Shovel Knight or Plague Knight. He leaves the Plains once again to pursue them across the Valley, believing they are out to harm The Enchantress.
In Pocket Dungeon[]
The Plains serve as the setting for Pocket Dungeon's tutorial, in which Chester and Puzzle Knight teach a newly-arrived Shovel Knight about the game's mechanics. From that point on, the Plains then serves as the first level of any new quest. Because of this, its shortcut for Percy's cannon is already unlocked upon starting a new save, and is functionally identical to entering a new quest the traditional way.
The Plains features only dirt blocks as obstacles (unless Tinker Knight is being played). As the introductory level, it is the only one that never spawns Chester's item shop. It also features no mini-bosses. The only three enemies that are encountered include Blorbs, Beetos, and brown Boneclangs. In the Legendary Path, Divedrakes are added to the common enemy pool, and the Dozedrake appears as a mini-boss, providing the game's only source of Bubbles. The Plains is the only stage that receives no stage hazard mechanic in the Legendary Path.
When a boss is added to the Plains, such as with a Hat effect, the stage's boss is always Black Knight, or Shovel Knight himself if playing as Black Knight.
Trivia[]
- As the easiest stage in the game, it is the only one where the boss possesses twelve hit points instead of the usual twenty.
- In many above-ground areas, the Tower of Fate can be seen in the background.
- There actually is an Order of No Quarter icon for the Plains for when the stage has not been completed yet, although it reuses the one for the Explodatorium. This is normally unseen by the player since the Plains is always completed first. It was shown in the demo versions of Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment,[1] and can still be seen in the world maps of the full versions of both aforementioned campaigns and Shovel of Hope in the secret demo mode.
