Stop the Tsunami tools are easiest to understand as a defense kit: some tools create or remove sand, some shape the barrier, and some reinforce weak points. Start with the Spade and Shovel, then use the shaping tools after the basic wall exists. The important distinction is that the Spade adds sand while the Shovel removes material to create a hole. A good defense normally combines both actions rather than relying on one item.
Stop the Tsunami tools at a glance
The table below groups the tools by their practical job. Use it as a quick reference when deciding what to equip before pressing START ROUND.
| Tool | Main role | What it does | Where to get it | Best use in a defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spade | Basic sand tool | Digs sand that can be piled into walls | Starting tool | Build the first continuous barrier quickly |
| Shovel | Digging tool | Creates an empty hole or trench | Shop tool section | Make space for a trench or remove material from a weak area |
| Tamper | Compaction tool | Packs or reshapes parts of a sand wall | Shop tool section | Firm up a wall after piling sand |
| Glue Bottle | Reinforcement tool | Glues wall or mud sections, slowing water and helping the surface stay stable | Shop tool section | Treat seams, the back of a wall, and spots likely to wash open |
| Sculpting Trowel | Finishing tool | Smooths and shapes irregular wall areas | Shop tool section | Close uneven patches and finish a rough barrier |
| Sand Trencher | Advanced digging equipment | Digs a large trench faster and can help form a higher sand wall | Reported as a 300-coin purchase | Prepare a larger defense layout when basic digging is too slow |
The rows describe functions rather than a complete progression list. The available Shop inventory, prices, and menu labels can change, so use the current in-game panel when a purchase or upgrade matters. The Sand Trencher is the clearest example: the available material describes it as a purchasable tool, while the game summary also treats large equipment as a separate Machines category. Its function is useful either way, but its final menu placement should be checked in the current UI.
What each tool is for
Spade: start the wall
The Spade is the basic sand-building tool. Use it to dig sand and pile that sand into a wall. It is the natural first step because it lets you turn open beach space into a continuous defense without requiring a machine or an advanced purchase.
Use the Spade to establish the outline before spending time on fine shaping. A wall with an obvious break is a more urgent problem than a wall that is slightly uneven. Work along the intended defense line, connect separate piles, and then inspect the edges where the wall meets open ground. The aim is not simply to make one tall mound; it is to create a connected barrier that covers the area you are trying to protect.
The Spade and Shovel are not interchangeable. Local gameplay footage describes the Spade as the item for digging sand and the Shovel as the item for making an empty hole. If you equip the wrong one, you can change the layout in the opposite direction from what you intended. Choose Spade when you need more wall material and Shovel when you need to remove material or create a channel.
Choose the right digging tool for a wall or hole
This moment supports the Spade-versus-Shovel distinction and the advice to check the Shop for better tools.
Shovel: make room for trenches
The Shovel creates an empty hole. That makes it useful for carving a trench in front of a wall, behind a wall, or around a section that needs a different layout. A trench can give water somewhere to collect or can reduce the amount of open material immediately in front of the main barrier.
Treat the Shovel as a layout tool, not as a replacement for the wall. A hole on its own does not protect the town, and a trench that breaks your own barrier can create a new weak point. After digging, walk the perimeter of the defense and confirm that the wall remains continuous. If the trench is part of a wider layout, keep its relationship to the wall deliberate: use it to support the barrier rather than leaving disconnected holes across the beach.
The same distinction matters during repairs. If a section is too high, misshaped, or blocking the intended channel, the Shovel can remove space. If a section is simply too small, switch back to the Spade and add sand. Alternating between the two is usually more controlled than trying to solve every problem with one item.
Tamper: pack and reshape the barrier
The Tamper is for compressing or changing the shape of parts of the wall. It is most useful after the Spade has produced the main form. Use it on loose-looking or uneven areas, especially where separate piles meet and where a smooth face will make the defense easier to inspect.
Tampering can change a wall’s shape rather than only making it stronger. The supplied gameplay evidence specifically warns that the tool may lower or alter some sections. For that reason, do not assume that one pass always improves the whole defense. After using the Tamper, check the crest, both sides, and the ends of the wall. If the top has dropped or a gap has appeared, restore the missing material with the Spade before starting the round.
The Tamper is therefore a preparation and maintenance tool. Use it to turn a rough sand pile into a more stable shape, but keep the wall’s overall height and continuity as the decision criteria. A neatly packed section that leaves a low corner is still a problem.
Glue Bottle: stabilize seams and mud
The Glue Bottle reinforces wall or mud sections. Its practical value is in slowing water and helping the treated surface remain stable. Apply it to seams, the rear face of the wall, and areas that are likely to be opened by the incoming water. It is especially useful after the main sand shape is already in place, because glue supports a structure but does not replace the structure’s height or continuity.
Think of the Glue Bottle as a targeted treatment. Do not spend it as if every exposed grain needs the same coverage. First identify the places where the wall changes direction, where two piles join, or where the surface is thin. Then use the bottle on those risk areas. If the main barrier is too low or has a visible break, return to the Spade or use the Shovel to correct the layout before relying on glue.
Glue also belongs in the mid-round repair plan. The game’s tools can be used to patch damage caused by a tsunami, so a player who notices a seam beginning to open can reinforce it rather than abandoning the whole defense. The exact amount, range, duration, and upgrade statistics are not established by the supplied evidence; follow the current tool behavior and Shop panel for those details.
Sculpting Trowel: finish irregular sections
The Sculpting Trowel smooths and shapes uneven wall areas. Use it after the basic barrier has been built and after larger changes have been made with the Spade, Shovel, or Tamper. It is a finishing tool for reducing high and low spots and making the surface easier to read before the wave arrives.
A smooth surface is useful because it makes weak points visible. Look for abrupt changes in height, thin corners, and rough transitions at the ends of the wall. Use the Trowel to correct those local problems, then inspect the full line again. It should not be treated as a substitute for adding enough sand: smoothing a low section does not create the same defense as building it up.
The Trowel can also help with post-impact maintenance. Once a round has damaged a wall, use it to tidy an irregular patch only after the missing mass and main shape have been restored. If the structure is still too small, use the Spade first. If the problem is an empty channel or an unwanted mound, use the Shovel first.
Upgrade tools to build a sturdier wall
This moment supports the Tamper, Glue Bottle, and Sculpting Trowel upgrade guidance and the sturdier-wall use case.
Sand Trencher: scale up digging
The Sand Trencher is described as advanced digging equipment. It can dig a larger trench faster and can help create a higher sand wall. The available summary reports a price of 300 coins, but it does not establish a full upgrade tree, exact speed, range, or durability. Treat that price as the reported purchase detail and verify the current Shop before saving for it.
The Trencher is most valuable when the defense plan depends on a broad trench or when manual digging is slowing down a large layout. It can also support a bigger wall footprint, but its presence does not remove the need to inspect edges and seams. A larger defense still fails if it has an open end or a thin section facing the wave.
Because the evidence places the Sand Trencher between tools and machines, look in both the current tool and machine areas if you do not see it immediately. Do not infer that a missing button means the item has been removed; menu grouping can change as the game adds equipment. The function and the in-game purchase panel are the useful checks.
A practical tool order before START ROUND
Use the following sequence when you have enough open beach to prepare a defense:
- Outline the barrier with the Spade. Build a continuous first line and connect its ends to the area you intend to protect.
- Carve supporting space with the Shovel. Add a trench where the layout calls for one, while keeping the main wall unbroken.
- Pack the shape with the Tamper. Firm up joins and broad faces, then recheck the crest because the tool can alter wall height.
- Treat vulnerable seams with the Glue Bottle. Focus on corners, joints, rear faces, and places where water is likely to open the surface.
- Finish irregular patches with the Sculpting Trowel. Smooth visible weak points without flattening the barrier into a low line.
- Use the Sand Trencher when scale is the bottleneck. It is a reported 300-coin option for faster, larger digging, subject to the current Shop display.
- Inspect before starting. Confirm that the wall is continuous, the trench is intentional, and no tool action created a new gap.
This order is a decision aid, not a mandatory animation sequence. In a multiplayer round, players can divide the jobs: one player digs or piles, another compacts and smooths, and another patches the wall during the wave. The game description says players share one coin wallet and machines, so coordination matters more than everyone buying the same tool.
Buying and upgrading tools
Tools are purchased through the Shop’s tool area according to the supplied gameplay evidence. Surviving tsunami rounds provides coins, which can then be spent on better shovels, tools, or equipment. The progression is therefore tied to repeated preparation and survival: build with what you have, earn coins by holding back waves, and invest in the tool that addresses your current bottleneck.
Choose purchases by job rather than by name alone. If you cannot create a connected first barrier quickly, prioritize a better digging or sand-building option. If the wall exists but breaks at joints, a compaction or reinforcement tool is more relevant. If large layouts are taking too long, the Sand Trencher may address the scale problem. The supplied material does not establish a universal best purchase order, exact prices for every item, or complete tool tiers, so a claimed ranking would go beyond the evidence.
The game supports Easy, Medium, and Hard modes, and the beach expands as stages are cleared while waves grow larger. That means a tool that feels sufficient on an early layout may not solve the same problem on a wider beach. Reassess the shape of the defense after each stage instead of assuming that the previous wall design will scale automatically.
Tool limits and current-value checks
The supplied evidence identifies the core roles of these tools but does not provide complete numbers for every item. It does not establish universal prices, levels, effect ranges, durability, timing, or a complete upgrade order for the Spade, Shovel, Tamper, Glue Bottle, or Sculpting Trowel. Use the current Shop and tool behavior for those mutable details.
The safest fixed rules are functional: Spade adds sand, Shovel makes an empty hole, Tamper changes and packs the wall, Glue Bottle reinforces surfaces and seams, Trowel shapes rough sections, and Sand Trencher accelerates larger digging. Build the main defense first, use specialized tools on the weak points they actually address, and inspect the whole barrier after every major change. That approach keeps the tools complementary instead of treating one upgrade as a substitute for a sound layout.
Stop the Tsunami tools FAQ
What is the difference between the Spade and Shovel?
The Spade digs sand that you can pile into a wall, while the Shovel creates an empty hole for a trench or layout change.
Which tool should I use on a wall seam?
Use the Glue Bottle on vulnerable seams, joins, rear faces, or sections likely to wash open. Add sand first if the wall is too low or broken.
Can the Tamper lower a wall?
It can alter the wall’s shape, including lowering some sections. Check the crest and ends after using it, then restore missing height with the Spade if needed.
How much does the Sand Trencher cost?
The supplied game material reports a 300-coin purchase, but you should confirm the current Shop panel because prices and menu placement can change.