Today is the day! Three months after the last update, right on schedule, the Mounts of Mayhem update is upon us. What are the mounts? What is the mayhem? Well, you've come to the right place to find out.

We're going to go over some of the most notable changes, but for the full, detailed changelog, check that out on the official Minecraft website.

Items

Netherite Horse Armor

I've been waiting for this for a long time, but it is a small addition - Netherite Horse Armor. We've had Diamond for a while, but now that can be upgraded in a smithing table to get a slightly better Netherite variant.

Spear

The only major item added in this update is the Spear. It is as versatile a weapon in-game as it is in real life, being usable from on a mount or on-foot. It has a charge attack that can dismount enemy riders, and a stab attack with a much larger range than any previous melee weapon. It comes in all standard varieties, with damage scaling appropriately. Notably, the Spear does more damage the faster you are going. This means that while it's great on mounts, it can be even better while falling, riding a Minecart, or even flying with an Elytra. You can also enchant your spear with the "Lunge" enchantment, making it possible to force your enemies to dismount. One thing to keep in mind though - if you are too close to a target while attacking with a spear, you won't do any damage, so make sure to keep your distance!

Using the Spear, you can Jab or Charge. Source: Minecraft.net, "Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11" (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-1-21-11)

This is my favorite part of the update - the implications of speed-based damage are very fun. Imagine a jousting competition or having an ice-boat race with Spears.

New Mounts

Zombie Horse

You have probably already seen Zombie Horses in Creative mode or in Minecraft modpacks before, but it has never been available in vanilla Survival until now. They can spawn in Plains and Savanna biomes. They come with hostile Zombies riding them, but the Horses themselves are friendly once separated from their Spear-wielding riders. How Zombies can figure out how to ride a Horse and wield a Spear at the same time, but still cannot open doors, is still a mystery that remains unsolved. To ride this flesh-spare mare, just kill the Zombie and hop on, simple as that.

After many years, the Zombie Horse finally makes a debut. Source: Minecraft.net, "Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11" (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-1-21-11)

Nautilus

Nautilus Shells have been in the game for a while, now they finally have a living counterpart - the Nautilus mob. This is the crown jewel of this update, in my opinion. It is the very first underwater mob that is rideable (I'm a bit sad they didn't make squids rideable too.). It spawns naturally and is passive, so all you need to do is give it some Pufferfish to tame it. You can equip it with a Saddle and various types of armor. It glides through the water very quickly, making traversing large oceans a breeze, especially if you have an aquatic entrance to your base. While riding, it gives you the "Breath of the Nautilus" buff, letting you breathe underwater.

The new Nautilus mob. Source: Minecraft.net, "Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11" (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-1-21-11)

New Mobs

Zombie Nautilus

In addition to the standard Nautilus, there is a Zombie Nautilus that spawns with a Drowned on top of it, wielding a Trident. There is also a variant of the Zombie Nautilus that has bits of coral growing on the shell, only found in the Warm Ocean biome.

A Zombie Nautilus with a Drowned rider. Source: Minecraft.net, "Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11" (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-1-21-11)

Camel Husk

The Camel isn't new to the game, but the Husk variant is! Similar to the Zombie Horse, the Camel Husk has rotting flesh and is ridden by not one, but two hostile mobs! The first is a standard Husk, but with a spear. The second is the new "Parched", a desert-themed Skeleton with devastating arrows that apply Weakness. This trio of terror is a force to be reckoned with. If you run, you get shot by an Arrow. If you fight up close, you get stabbed by a Spear.

A Camel Husk with the Husk and new Parched riders. Source: Minecraft.net, "Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11" (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-java-edition-1-21-11)

Other Changes

Among the smaller changes, you can find improvements such as texture filtering, more advancements related to the new features, various visual and performance changes, and other miscellaneous changes. For the full changelog, check out the official Minecraft website.

Conclusion

This update is a fun one. I have wanted more mounts for a long time, and the spear is an unexpected bonus. I'm also looking forward to how players are going to stable their tamed nautilus in their bases!

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