So, you’ve just landed on your very own deserted island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and you’re eager to start digging! But wait, where’s the shovel? You’ve likely noticed that some essential tools aren’t immediately available, and the flimsy shovel is one of them.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Getting your hands on that first crucial tool for digging up fossils, planting flowers, and unearthing buried treasures is a key early-game milestone. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to acquire your very first shovel, setting you on the path to island customization and collection.
Unearthing Your First Shovel: The Flimsy Shovel Guide
Welcome to island life! As a brand new resident of your personal paradise, you’re probably itching to get your hands dirty. One of the most fundamental tools you’ll need is a shovel, and the first one you’ll acquire is the flimsy shovel. This basic tool is your gateway to interacting with the earth, whether it’s for unearthing buried items, planting seeds, or making way for your dream island layout.
The Importance of the Flimsy Shovel
Before we dive into the ‘how-to’, let’s quickly touch upon why this humble tool is so vital. The flimsy shovel is your first step towards:
- Collecting Fossils: These are crucial for donating to your island’s museum and earning Bells.
- Planting Flowers and Trees: Essential for beautifying your island and growing fruit.
- Digging Up Buried Items: You’ll find bells, furniture, and sometimes even tools hidden underground.
- Moving Trees: Later on, you’ll be able to dig up and relocate trees.
Without a shovel, your island exploration and development will be severely limited. Fortunately, it’s one of the earliest tools you can craft!
Step 1: Arriving on Your Island and Meeting Tom Nook
Upon arriving at your new island, you’ll have a brief introductory sequence with Tom Nook and the Resident Services team. You’ll be given some basic instructions and set up with your initial tent. This is the starting point for everything.
Step 2: Talking to Tom Nook for Your First Diy Recipes
After you’ve settled into your tent and had a chat with Tom Nook about your island life, he’ll offer you your first set of DIY recipes. These are the blueprints for crafting various items in the game, including your tools.
Tom Nook will guide you through the process of crafting your very first tools. He’ll likely give you the recipe for the Flimsy Fishing Rod and the Flimsy Net first. Keep talking to him; he’s your main source of information in these early stages.
Step 3: Acquiring the Flimsy Shovel Diy Recipe
The flimsy shovel recipe isn’t always given out immediately with the fishing rod and net. You’ll need to progress slightly further in your island’s development. Here’s how it typically unfolds: (See Also: how to get flimsy shovel animal crossing)
- Talk to Tom Nook: After receiving your initial tool recipes, continue speaking with Tom Nook in the Resident Services tent.
- Island Development Goals: Tom Nook will then start giving you tasks related to developing your island. One of the key early goals is to collect resources and craft items to improve your living situation and attract more villagers.
- The DIY for Beginners Book: Eventually, Tom Nook will present you with the DIY for Beginners book. This isn’t just a book; it’s a crucial item that unlocks several essential DIY recipes that weren’t immediately available.
- The Flimsy Shovel Recipe is Inside! The DIY for Beginners book contains the recipe for the flimsy shovel. When Tom Nook gives you this book, you’ll automatically learn the recipe.
If you’ve just arrived and are wondering where the shovel is, don’t panic! You simply haven’t unlocked the DIY for Beginners book yet. Keep interacting with Tom Nook and completing his initial requests.
Step 4: Gathering Materials for Crafting
Once you have the flimsy shovel DIY recipe, you’ll need to gather the necessary materials to craft it. The recipe is incredibly simple:
- 3 x Iron Nugget
Wait, iron nuggets? That might sound daunting at first, as you probably don’t have many iron nuggets lying around. Here’s how you can get them:
Where to Find Iron Nuggets
Iron nuggets are found by hitting rocks on your island. You have a limited number of times you can hit each rock per day (usually 8 times), and each hit can yield different resources. These resources include:
- Clay
- Stone
- Iron Nugget
- Money Rock (sometimes)
To maximize your chances of getting iron nuggets, you need to hit the rocks repeatedly. Here’s a crucial tip for efficiently mining rocks:
The “Digging Trick” for Rocks:
- Dig Holes: Before you start hitting a rock, dig two holes directly behind your character.
- Position Yourself: Stand in front of the rock, facing it.
- Hit the Rock: Use your flimsy axe (or even your flimsy shovel if you have it already, though an axe is better for wood) to hit the rock.
- The “Ricochet” Effect: When you hit the rock, it will send resources flying out. The holes behind you prevent your character from being pushed back by the impact of each hit. This allows you to get all 8 hits in without moving, maximizing your yield from each rock.
You’ll find rocks scattered all over your island. Make sure to hit every single one you come across daily to gather enough iron nuggets for your shovel and other crafting needs.
What If I Can’t Find Enough Iron Nuggets?
It’s common to need a few days to gather enough iron nuggets, especially if you’re unlucky with your rock drops. Don’t get discouraged! (See Also: how much to shovel a driveway)
- Continue Playing: Just keep playing the game, hitting rocks as they respawn and gather other resources.
- Visit Nook Miles Islands: Once you start unlocking Nook Miles Ticket opportunities (usually after your first few days and paying off your initial loan), you can visit Nook Miles Islands. These islands often have multiple rocks, and you can farm iron nuggets there more efficiently.
- Trade with Friends: If you have friends who play, they might be able to trade iron nuggets with you.
Remember, patience is key in Animal Crossing. You’ll get those iron nuggets!
Step 5: Crafting Your Flimsy Shovel
Once you have 3 iron nuggets, you’re ready to craft your flimsy shovel!
- Access a DIY Workbench: You’ll find your first DIY workbench in the Resident Services tent. Later, you can craft your own or purchase one.
- Interact with the Workbench: Approach the workbench and interact with it.
- Select the Flimsy Shovel: In the crafting menu, you should see the flimsy shovel recipe available. Select it.
- Craft! Confirm that you want to craft the flimsy shovel.
And there you have it! You’ve successfully crafted your very first flimsy shovel. Congratulations!
Using Your Flimsy Shovel
Now that you have your flimsy shovel, a whole new world of island interaction opens up:
- Digging Up Fossils: Look for star-shaped cracks in the ground. Use your shovel to dig them up!
- Planting Flowers and Saplings: Equip your shovel, select the spot where you want to plant, and use it.
- Finding Buried Treasure: Keep an eye out for those tell-tale star-shaped dig spots.
- Moving Trees: Once you’ve eaten a piece of fruit, you can dig up and move trees.
Important Note on Durability: The flimsy shovel is, as its name suggests, quite fragile. It has a limited number of uses before it breaks. This is intentional, as it encourages you to upgrade to better tools.
Upgrading to a Better Shovel
While the flimsy shovel is essential for starting out, you’ll quickly want to upgrade. The next step is the Shovel (often called the ‘Stone Shovel’ by players, though the in-game name is just ‘Shovel’).
To get the recipe for the standard Shovel, you’ll need to:
- Donate to the Museum: You need to donate at least 15 different items (fossils, fish, bugs) to Tom Nook for Blathers to set up the museum.
- Blathers Arrives: Once Blathers arrives and sets up his museum, you’ll be able to get more DIY recipes from him and through general gameplay.
- Unlock the Shovel DIY: The recipe for the standard Shovel is usually obtained shortly after the museum is established, often through Tom Nook or by finding it as a message in a bottle on the beach.
The standard Shovel requires: (See Also: how to keep snow from sticking to your shovel)
- 1 x Iron Nugget
- 3 x Stone
This upgraded shovel has significantly more durability and is a worthwhile investment early in the game.
Troubleshooting: Can’t Find the Diy for Beginners Book?
If you’ve played for a day or two and are still wondering how to get the flimsy shovel recipe, and Tom Nook isn’t offering the ‘DIY for Beginners’ book, here are a few things to consider:
- Are you talking to the right NPC? Ensure you are consistently speaking with Tom Nook in Resident Services.
- Have you completed his initial tasks? Tom Nook will guide you through setting up your tent, gathering resources for Nook’s Cranny (which you’ll need to build), and paying off your initial Nook Miles loan. Completing these usually triggers the DIY for Beginners book.
- Is the game updated? While unlikely to be the cause, ensure your game is up to date.
The progression is generally linear in the early game. Keep interacting with Tom Nook, and he will eventually provide you with the book containing the flimsy shovel recipe.
Recap: The Quick Path to Your Flimsy Shovel
For those who just want the quickest rundown:
- Start the game, talk to Tom Nook.
- Receive initial tool recipes (rod, net).
- Continue talking to Tom Nook and completing his tasks for island development.
- Tom Nook will eventually give you the DIY for Beginners book, which includes the flimsy shovel recipe.
- Gather 3 x Iron Nuggets by hitting rocks.
- Craft the flimsy shovel at a DIY workbench.
It’s a simple process designed to ease you into the crafting mechanics of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Enjoy digging!
Conclusion
Getting your hands on the flimsy shovel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a straightforward process, primarily guided by Tom Nook in the early stages of your island adventure. By following his prompts and gathering the necessary three iron nuggets from rocks, you’ll soon be able to craft this essential tool. This humble shovel is your first step towards uncovering fossils, planting flowers, and truly shaping your island paradise.
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