So, you’ve landed on your own deserted island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and you’re eager to start digging for buried treasures, planting those beautiful flowers, and maybe even unearthing some fossils to donate to the museum. But wait, where’s the shovel? It’s one of the most fundamental tools in your island-building adventure, and without it, your progress will be significantly slower.
Don’t worry, getting your hands on a shovel is a straightforward process, and it’s usually one of the first tools you’ll acquire. This guide will walk you through exactly how to get a shovel on Animal Crossing, from the very beginning of your island life right through to upgrading to more durable versions.
Unearthing the Basics: Your First Shovel
When you first arrive on your island, Tom Nook, your ever-helpful (and sometimes pushy) raccoon guide, will equip you with the essentials. Among these are the basic crafting recipes for some of your initial tools, including the Shovel. However, the absolute first shovel you’ll get isn’t crafted; it’s handed to you!
Step 1: The Nookling’s Gift
Upon arriving on your island and completing the initial setup with Tom Nook, he’ll give you a set of DIY recipes for your very first tools. This usually happens after you’ve set up your tent and participated in the introductory activities. Among these recipes, you’ll find the recipe for the Shovel. Before you can craft it, though, you’ll need the materials.
Step 2: Gathering Materials for Your First Shovel
The recipe for the standard Shovel requires 3 pieces of Iron Nugget. This is where the adventure truly begins! You’ll need to:
- Find Rocks: Your island is dotted with various rocks. Hit these rocks with a Stone Axe (which you’ll also get a recipe for early on) or a Flimsy Axe. Each rock can be hit up to eight times before it breaks or stops yielding resources.
- Collect Iron Nuggets: With each successful hit on a rock, there’s a chance you’ll get Iron Nuggets, Stone, or Clay. Keep hitting those rocks until you’ve collected at least 3 Iron Nuggets. It might take a few tries and a bit of patience, as the drop rate isn’t always 100%.
Step 3: Crafting Your First Shovel
Once you have your 3 Iron Nuggets, head over to a Workbench. You’ll find one in Resident Services, and later, you’ll be able to craft your own. Interact with the workbench and select the Shovel recipe. Craft it, and voilà! You now have your very first shovel, ready for digging! (See Also: how to get shovel knight spirit)
Beyond the Basics: Upgrading Your Shovel
The standard Shovel is great for starting out, but it has a limited durability. Eventually, it will break, and you’ll need to craft another. To save on resources and time, you’ll want to upgrade to more durable versions. The primary upgrade path leads to the Shovel, and then the highly sought-after Golden Shovel.
The Shovel: A More Robust Companion
The Shovel is the next step up from the basic Shovel. It lasts significantly longer, meaning you’ll be replacing it far less often. The crafting recipe for the Shovel is obtained from Nook’s Cranny once it’s upgraded and stocked.
How to Get the Shovel Recipe:
- Develop Nook’s Cranny: Initially, you’ll start with Timmy and Tommy’s small stall. To get access to Nook’s Cranny, you need to contribute 30 of each type of wood (Softwood, Hardwood, Wood) and 15 of any one type of Iron Nugget to Tom Nook. This will trigger the construction of the full Nook’s Cranny shop.
- Purchase the Recipe: Once Nook’s Cranny is open, you can purchase the Shovel DIY recipe from the shop. It’s usually available for purchase from the item counter.
- Gather Materials: The recipe for the Shovel requires 1 Iron Nugget and 1 Hardwood.
- Craft the Shovel: Head to a workbench and craft your new, improved shovel!
The Golden Shovel: The Ultimate Digging Tool
The Golden Shovel is the pinnacle of shovel technology in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It boasts incredible durability, meaning it will likely never break during your normal gameplay. Plus, it has a special ability: when used to plant a bag of 10,000 Bells in a glowing spot on the ground, the resulting Money Tree will yield 30,000 Bells – a 20,000 Bell profit!
How to Get the Golden Shovel Recipe:
The Golden Shovel recipe is not bought; it’s earned. You’ll receive it after you’ve successfully dug up 100 shovels. This includes any shovel that has broken or been used.
Here’s a breakdown of how to achieve this: (See Also: how do you spell shovel)
- Track Your Progress: Keep track of how many shovels you’ve crafted and used. The game automatically tallies this for you.
- Craft or Find Shovels: The most consistent way to reach 100 shovels is by crafting them. Make sure you always have enough materials to craft a basic Shovel whenever one breaks.
- Receive the DIY Recipe: Once you hit the 100-shovel mark, the DIY recipe for the Golden Shovel will automatically be added to your repertoire the next time you interact with a workbench or receive a new DIY.
- Gather Materials for the Golden Shovel: The Golden Shovel requires 1 Gold Nugget and 1 Shovel.
- Craft the Golden Shovel: With the recipe in hand and the materials gathered, head to a workbench and craft your legendary Golden Shovel!
Important Note on Golden Shovel Materials: You need a regular Shovel (not a flimsy one) to craft the Golden Shovel. This means you’ll need to have progressed to the point where you can craft or acquire a regular Shovel.
The Golden Shovel’s Special Ability Explained
The unique benefit of the Golden Shovel isn’t just its longevity; it’s its synergy with Money Trees. Here’s how it works:
- Find a Glowing Spot: Each day, a spot on your island will glow. Digging in this spot with any shovel will yield 1,000 Bells.
- Plant Bells: After digging up the 1,000 Bells, a glowing hole will remain. You can then plant Bells in this hole.
- The Impact of the Golden Shovel:
- Planting 1,000 Bells: If you plant 1,000 Bells in the glowing hole, the resulting Money Tree will yield 3,000 Bells (a profit of 2,000 Bells).
- Planting 10,000 Bells: This is where the Golden Shovel truly shines. If you plant 10,000 Bells in the glowing hole using your Golden Shovel, the resulting Money Tree will yield 30,000 Bells (a profit of 20,000 Bells).
- Planting More than 10,000 Bells: Planting amounts higher than 10,000 Bells (e.g., 20,000, 30,000) will still result in a 30,000 Bell yield. The game caps the profitable yield at 30,000 Bells for a Money Tree planted with the Golden Shovel.
This makes the Golden Shovel an invaluable tool for rapidly increasing your Bell count.
Tools and Their Durability
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, tools have durability, meaning they can only be used a certain number of times before they break. Understanding this is key to managing your resources and ensuring you always have the right tool for the job.
Durability Comparison:
| Tool | Approximate Uses | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Flimsy Shovel | 20-30 | 3 Wood |
| Shovel | 100 | 1 Iron Nugget, 1 Hardwood |
| Golden Shovel | Indefinite (Extremely High) | 1 Gold Nugget, 1 Shovel |
It’s important to note that the exact number of uses can sometimes vary slightly due to game mechanics and potential updates, but this table provides a good general idea. (See Also: how to shovel car out of snow)
When to Upgrade
As soon as you can afford and craft the regular Shovel, it’s highly recommended to do so. The increased durability means you’ll spend less time gathering materials and crafting, and more time enjoying the game. The Golden Shovel is the ultimate goal for its longevity and Bell-generating potential.
Troubleshooting Common Shovel Issues
Sometimes, you might encounter minor hiccups when trying to get or use your shovel. Here are a few common issues and their solutions:
- Can’t Find the Recipe: Ensure you’ve progressed far enough in the game. The basic shovel recipe is given early on. The Shovel recipe is bought from Nook’s Cranny after it’s built. The Golden Shovel recipe is awarded after 100 shovels are used/broken.
- Not Enough Materials: Keep an eye on your inventory and always try to gather extra Iron Nuggets and Hardwood when you see rocks or trees.
- Workbench Unavailable: The primary workbench is in Resident Services. If you’re away from that, you might need to wait until you can return or craft your own small workbench if you have the DIY recipe for that.
- Shovel Broke Too Soon: This is normal for the Flimsy Shovel. Upgrade to the regular Shovel as soon as possible for better durability.
Why You Need a Shovel (beyond Fossils and Flowers)
While digging up fossils for Blathers and planting your prized flower seeds are primary uses, the shovel is indispensable for many other activities:
- Buried Treasure: Look for shimmering spots on the ground. Digging them up with a shovel will reveal a bag of 1,000 Bells. If you plant Bells back into this spot (especially with the Golden Shovel), you can grow Money Trees.
- Tree Stumps: You can dig up tree stumps to clear them from your island.
- Burying Items: You can dig a hole and bury items, including saplings, which will grow into trees.
- Moving Items: While not its primary function, you can dig up items like furniture that have been placed on the ground, allowing you to move them.
The shovel is truly a multi-purpose tool that unlocks a significant portion of the gameplay in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Conclusion
Getting a shovel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a fundamental step that opens up a world of possibilities. You’ll receive your first basic shovel recipe from Tom Nook early in the game, requiring iron nuggets to craft. Upgrading to the more durable Shovel involves purchasing its recipe from Nook’s Cranny, and the ultimate Golden Shovel is a reward for diligent use of 100 shovels, offering unmatched durability and a lucrative way to grow Bells.
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