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The winter content update for Minecraft has landed — and it features the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is now available and it has the potential to revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also adds several new features and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That driving concept made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"We knew initially that we wanted a new weapon that would add some more range, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," stated a senior product manager. "We tried out a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also was visually fitting for the use case."

If you're curious whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your friends on horseback, the answer is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an combat move perfectly suited for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest use cases for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you lower your spear and deal increased harm [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun isn't limited to there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the wings and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it needs to become an competitive event right away.

Another key feature in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This sea-dwelling mob, which is modeled after the seashells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also maintain your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to come up for air for fresh air.

The remaining new features are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the nature of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a zombie Nautilus appearing in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this issue periodically, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the right time to also introduce something for underwater," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for sea mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus concept art looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two distinct kinds of zombie Nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you encounter underwater."

Parched Perils & Overdue Enhancements

Further inclusions include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another new mob. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their bones protruding. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a analogous rib-popping design and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue changes to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Furthermore, netherite horse armor is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the best defense it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have constituted a considerable upgrade. Combine that with the Nautilus, and additional creatures trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is available for all major editions of Minecraft.