Spelunky is © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC, and is used under the [Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt). spelunky.ai is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Mossmouth. The game and its assets may not be sold. Music by George Buzinkai and Jonathan Perry; sound effects made in SFXR. From Spelunky Classic 1.1, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC. # The Mattock's double wind-up From the spelunky.ai wiki: . Verified against the spelunky.ai port [v0.1.10](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/releases/tag/v0.1.10) on 28 October 2026. The Mattock's double wind-up is a quirk of Spelunky Classic in which each Mattock swing makes its wind-up twice, hurting a monster behind the player twice over. | Quirk | | | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Status | GML + Oracle | | Where | [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:497-509`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L497-L509) | | Pinned by | `fidelity/replays/weapon-mattock-wind-up-twice.txt` | | Row | [docs/quirks.md §1, Bugs and leftovers in the 1.1 source](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/blob/main/docs/quirks.md#1-bugs-and-leftovers-in-the-11-source): “The Mattock makes its wind-up twice a swing.” | A swing of the [Whip](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/whip), the [Machete](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/machete) or the [Mattock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mattock) begins with a wind-up behind the player, which hurts a monster there. The Mattock makes its wind-up twice, a step apart, so a monster behind the player takes twice the Machete's wind-up damage from it. ## What happens With his back to a [Yeti King](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti-king), the player swings a Mattock. Its wind-up is made behind him twice, and the two take 12 of the Yeti King's 30 hit points in four steps: 2, 4, 4 and 2. The hit in front breaks the block under him, and he drops into the hole[^1]. **Clip: The Mattock makes its wind-up twice a swing.** With his back to a yeti king, the player swings a mattock: its wind-up is made behind him twice, and the two take 12 of the yeti king's 30 hit points in four steps, 2, 4, 4 and 2. The hit in front breaks the block under him, and he drops into the hole. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/1d3f433106e37ef1/clips/quirks/mattock-wind-up-twice/clip.mp4)) ## Why The player's step makes a swing's wind-up on its first two steps, once a swing: it checks that none exists yet. The Mattock's branch is a copy of the Machete's that makes an `oMattockPre` but still checks for the Machete's `oMachetePre`: ```gml objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:497-503 else if (holdItem.type == "Mattock") { if ((sprite_index == sAttackLeft or sprite_index == sDamselAttackL or sprite_index == sTunnelAttackL) and facing == LEFT and image_index < 2 and instance_number(oMachetePre) == 0) { obj = instance_create(x+16, y, oMattockPre); obj.sprite_index = sMattockPreL; } ``` [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:497-503`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L497-L503), from `spelunky.gmk`, Spelunky Classic 1.1's source, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC ([Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt)). An `oMattockPre` isn't an `oMachetePre` (both are kinds of the Whip's `oWhipPre`), so the check always passes, and it makes one on each of the two steps. Each lasts 3 steps[^2] and takes its 2[^3] on every step it touches a monster, with no wait between[^4]. From a monster both touch throughout, that's 2, 4, 4 and 2. The [Tunnel Man](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tunnel-man)'s swing with empty hands checks for an `oMattockPre`, and makes one[^5][^6]. ## Reproducing it Swing a Mattock with a monster close behind the player: every such swing in play hits it twice over. The replay of the clip's staged scene, on a custom level, makes the two wind-ups a step apart and takes a Yeti King's hit points to 28, 24, 20 and 18[^7]. ## In the port The spelunky.ai port reproduces it exactly: it's in docs/quirks.md's list of the 1.1 source's bugs[^6], and the oracle's fingerprint of the replay pins every hit. No option turns it off. ## FAQ ### How much damage does the Mattock's wind-up do in Spelunky Classic? 12 hit points a swing to a monster behind the player that both of its wind-ups touch throughout: 2, 4, 4 and 2 over four steps, where the [Machete](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/machete)'s single wind-up takes 6. ### Why does the Mattock swing hit behind the player twice? The [Mattock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mattock)'s code is a copy of the Machete's, and still checks for the Machete's wind-up before making its own. There never is one, so it makes a wind-up on each of the swing's first two steps. ### Does the Tunnel Man's swing do it too? Not with empty hands: the [Tunnel Man](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tunnel-man)'s own swing checks for a Mattock's wind-up, and makes one. A Mattock he carries makes two, as anyone's does. ## See also - **Related:** [Mattock](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/mattock), [Machete](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/machete), [Tunnel Man](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/tunnel-man) ## References [^1]: Clip quirks/mattock-wind-up-twice [^2]: [`objects/oWhipPre/create.gml:3-5`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oWhipPre/create#L3-L5) [^3]: [`objects/oMattockPre/create.gml:3-4`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oMattockPre/create#L3-L4) [^4]: [`objects/oEnemy/collision_oWhipPre.gml:1-8`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemy/collision_oWhipPre#L1-L8) [^5]: [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml:511-523`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step#L511-L523) [^6]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md) [^7]: Replay `fidelity/replays/weapon-mattock-wind-up-twice.txt` ### Source code - [`objects/oPlayer1/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPlayer1/step) - [`objects/oMattockPre/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oMattockPre/create) - [`objects/oWhipPre/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oWhipPre/create) - [`objects/oEnemy/collision_oWhipPre.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemy/collision_oWhipPre)