The Stranded Ship is the ice-cold lair of Polar Knight and one of the last main stages of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.
Due to Polar Knight's presence inside the puzzle box, an illusory copy of the Stranded Ship and the surrounding snowy forests can be found inside the Pocket Dungeon.
Appearance[]
The Stranded Ship is a large wooden wreck trapped in the Frozen Tundra, in the south-east of the valley's third quadrant. Ice-covered platforms are the main hazard in this cold environment, as well as the hungry wolves and various hostile fauna. Polar Knight's own crew of warriors guard the ship with their lives. Snow Drifts help covering spikes to form safe platforms, and Rainbow Bridges procure mobility through chasms and icy cliffs. Polar Knight himself awaits for a worthy opponent on the easternmost side of the tundra, past the weathered ship's hull.
In Shovel of Hope and Plague of Shadows, only the Frozen Tundra and the ship's upper bridges are explored, and the night sky is bathed in the pink light of an aurora. Specter of Torment and King of Cards feature an abandoned temple sunken in an ice cavern beneath the tundra, where part of the lower bridges of the Stranded Ship broke through. The end of the temple is guarded by Hurlsvelgr. The aurora beneath the starry sky outside is also tinted green.
Story[]
The Stranded Ship and the temple beneath the Frozen Tundra were claimed sometime by the mighty Polar Knight and his crew before the rise of the Enchantress. Specter Knight later defeated him to recruit him and his men into the Order of No Quarter. Loyal to his new master, Polar Knight continued to keep watch over the Stranded Ship.
Polar Knight finally ended his watch when Shovel Knight or Plague Knight defeated him.
Obstacles[]
In Pocket Dungeon[]
The Stranded Ship is the eighth level visited in a run of Pocket Dungeon. It is one of four levels to spawn the Shrine Portals necessary to complete the true ending. The stage also features Spike hazards, though unlike its previous incarnations, these spikes are mechanical and metal as opposed to being upside-down icicles. Once visited naturally, a shortcut for Percy's cannon can be purchased for 16,000 Gems.
The stage's main spawn is the Spinwulf, with Freezorbs and Hoppicles making up the supplementary spawns. Because of the frequent stacking of Spinwulves, large chains can usually be made in this area, which is beneficial to pay the toll of this level's pricey Shrine requirement. The level also features its own mini-boss, the Frostmeister, an ice-themed version of the beast-form Alchemeister which throws other units around in damaging ice blocks. The Legendary Path replaces this enemy with a green variant called the Frostbitester that hops around the stage. In addition, Tundread enemies spawn in the normal enemy pool, which attack a space behind the player with their spear, allowing them to harm other enemies or demolish Potions.
If this stage is given a boss, such as with a Hat, the boss will be Polar Knight.