All good shovel knights must take the Shovel Knight's Oath before they can truly call themselves a Shovel Knight. The oath is a simple document proclaiming your undying (which is something of a misnomer considering how much you will be dying if you choose to join the Shovel Knights) commitment to protecting your fellow employees and the interests of The Company with your weapons.

I, ____ solemnly swear to never go down without a fight. I will not stand for the existence of vile fiends such as Brackens, Nutcrackers, and Bunker Spiders. I will live and die by the weapons I wield. by the end of the day, my shovel will either be soaked in blood or I will be; and that is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Live by the Shovel, die by the Shovel.

To all aspiring novice Shovel Knights, know that shotguns are not out of your grasp! The task of taking down a nutcracker may seem daunting, given their extreme lethality and brazen disregard for basic firearm safety. Fret not, for in two simple steps, you can take down any nutcracker with ease! I have personally even done this technique with my eyes closed!


Follow closely behind the nutcracker, not too close that it will kick you though, and wait for it's eye to pop out. This is the most dangerous part, for the nutcrackers can turn on a dime and kick you before you have time to react. if you stay vigilant however, you will move on to


just as the nutcracker's eye pops out, throw a stun grenade. Now here is where I must address some controversy within the Shovel Knight's Guild. Some people feel that using flashbangs is against the very concept of being a Shovel Knight! I must disagree, however. Being a shovel knight is not about the weapons you use, but the reason you use them! Any melee weapon, even knives, can be used and you may still consider yourself a Shovel Knight. (Shotguns on the other hand are too easy for the common folk to understand. A Shovel Knight is permitted to use such weapons, but one cannot call themselves a shovel knight if they only know how to use a shotgun)

with that out of the way, throw the flashbang right as the Nutcracker's eye pops out. Then wait about one second before charging in with reckless abandon! Just start smacking the thing again and again! Don't stop smacking! The stun grenade should go off before the nutcracker guns you down, giving you enough time to bash the vile fiend until it dies.

This strategy is easy with a shovel, but even easier with a knife. If you happen to have one of those, use it instead!

This method is the most preferred method for many shovel knights (myself included) and you can find numerous guides to it in other places, so I shall be brief but accurate.


Get the Nutcracker mad at you by walking while he can see you when his eye is up. Then, hide so it walks close to you. Make sure you have some obstacle to run around during the fight


Dodge the Nutcracker's first shot walking in front of it until you hear the little wind up noise. Because the Nutcracker will have already shot at you once from when you made him mad in the previous step, he will then reload. Be weary! for every time you complete this step except the first, you will have to dodge two shogun blasts before it reloads!


As the Nutcracker is reloading, run in and bonk the evildoer with your shovel. Retreat and repeat step two. There are a few different patterns you can hit it in, but my preferred one is to hit him twice on the first reload, then once on the second reload, and then twice on the third and final reload. It is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE that the Nutcracker is NEVER AT ONE HITPOINT while he is not reloading! If a Nutcracker is ever at one HP, it no longer has to "wind up" every shot; and you will end up more filled with bullets then the average intern upon encountering a turret for the first time!


Congratulations Shovel Knight! The fiend has been smitten by your hand, and you may rest easy knowing any further Nutcrackers can simply be gunned down with the shotgun at your leisure.