Mattock (2)

Type:	Melee Weapon
Function:	Limited digging through blocks
Source:	Shops Crates (0.97% chance) Found in the Moon Challenge Excessively rarely dropped by Cave Moles
Cost:	$7200 + $800
Damage:	1 (Melee)
Notes:	Breaks after a random number of uses, leaving a Mattock Head.

A Mattock is a handy digging tool that can also be used to damage enemies.

It can be bought in certain Shops or found in Crates with a 0.97% chance of dropping. A Mattock is also a guaranteed spawn as part of the Moon Challenge.

Mattocks also have an extremely rare chance to drop from Cave Moles.

Functionality

Digging

Mattocks are a held item that will destroy the tile in front of the user when activated. If there is no tile directly in front of the user, it will instead hit the one below that space.

The Mattock can dig through any solid block, but not liquids, web, ladders or the level border. It also cannot damage background objects like the Moai or platforms.

Mattocks can only be activated if the user's feet are on the ground, but can still be used midair if activated prior.

Durability

Mattocks have limited durability. In true Spelunky style, Mattock durability is not consistent and random for each Mattock the player finds.

Mattocks in Spelunky 2 generally tend to have around the same durability as their HD counterparts, with its durability being somewhere between 40 and 60 uses. Under three use tests of Mattocks, they broke after 47, 57, and 56 hits.

When a Mattock breaks, it will leave a Mattock Head on the ground, which may only be used as a throwing object.

As a Weapon

Using a Mattock to attack enemies does not reduce its durability. It deals the same damage as the whip, but is generally not recommended for combat due to its tile-destroying properties and it not being able to be used while jumping.

On the other hand, Mattocks may be used to damage stunned entities, which can be useful for finishing off tougher adversaries like Cavemen, Mantraps and even Shopkeepers.

Mattocks do not receive any benefits from the Powerpack.

Strategy

• Mattocks can be incredibly valuable items to the player. They allow them to edit the world around them with surgical precision and let them enter secret areas or uncover treasure without spending bombs while lessening the risk of accidently angering adjacent NPCs.
• In the Moon Challenge, multiple Mattocks are technically permitted for use. If more than one is present in the challenge room, the challenge will be completed upon the destruction of the Mattock that was originally found inside of the challenge room.
• It is possible to use a Mattock to hit hard to reach tiles by either dropping down from a nearby tile or performing a "Mattock Jump", a frame-perfect maneuver where the player uses the Mattock the same frame they jumped.

Trivia

• While similar, Mattocks are not pickaxes. The primary difference between a Mattock and a pickaxe is that Mattocks have a flattened adze instead of a chisel head, making it more akin to a shovel and more effective at digging through dirt and chopping wood.