Many people know the popular sandbox game “Minecraft” and its many updates over the years. Mojang, the game’s developer, has brought forth many additions that many players have found somewhat lackluster. However, as of December 9 last year, an update with some major changes to the game and the player’s progression reignited the hugely popular title’s rabid fanbase.
From the introduction of spears and enchantments for said spears to the new nautilus, parched and camel husk mobs (short for mobile entity or object), as well as armor variants for the nautilus and horse, this isn’t just an update—it’s nearly an overhaul. These new armor variants are the netherite variant of horse armor and nautilus armor, ranging from copper to netherite. The nautilus armor can be found in any treasure chest on a beach or in a shipwreck, excluding the netherite variant and needs to be upgraded from diamond armor using a netherite upgrade template and a netherite ingot.
At this point, if you’re not a Minecraftian, perhaps you’re lost. That’s okay. It’s never too late to start building. The iconic game is available on all platforms, so start with a basic tutorial, and then come back when you’re ready for the big kid stuff.
In this new update, Mojang also revealed that zombie horses would be officially introduced in Survival Mode. For many years, the zombie horse was not available to players besides spawning it via Creative Mode, but now it can spawn naturally with a zombie on its back.
The reintroduction of the zombie horse into the base game has also made a new and far more challenging mob—the zombie horseman. This new mob, much like how a baby zombie will ride a chicken, is an adult zombie riding a zombie horse while wielding an iron spear. This both builds up speed and deals repetitive damage to the player, making it a difficult mob to face early to mid-game.
“I think the update brought a lot of fun mechanics to the game, especially when it comes to Player vs. Player combat,” Justin Hauglid (12) said. “I like how many ways you can use the spear, but my favorite part is the skewering and repetitive attacks.”
Alongside the reintroduction of the zombie horse, a new mob called the camel husk can spawn during the night in the desert. Much like the zombie horse, the camel husk spawns with a husk riding it, holding an iron spear and a parched as a passenger. The husk is an already existing mob that decreases the player’s hunger stat when hit, which leads to taking away the player’s natural regeneration. The parched is a new skeleton variant that shoots arrows of weakness, causing the player to lose attack strength.
With the desert being an already dangerous and uninhabitable environment, the introduction of more deadly mobs has only made playing conditions more challenging, even for veteran players. Unlike the grim conditions of the desert, the ocean has meanwhile become a more lively environment with a new creature made to help you explore the depths of the waves—the nautilus.
The nautilus is an all-new ocean mob that can be found in nearly any ocean and can be tamed with a pufferfish and ridden with a saddle. While riding the nautilus, you will gain a status effect known as Breath of the Nautilus, which prevents the player’s oxygen from dropping, but doesn’t replenish it. However, if the player has no oxygen, then the effect will stop the player from taking damage.
“I love when the game adds variations to mobs [because] I like the creativity it adds,” Jazzy Negron Rucker (12) said. “Imagine building a pyramid with zombie camels—that’s awesome. I think it opens the door for more fun, [as] it is a sandbox game meant for creativity after all.”
With the oceans being more vibrant and accessible, there comes a new challenge as well. The zombie nautilus is an undead variant ridden by a drowned carrying a trident. Both the zombie horse and zombie nautilus can be tamed via a red mushroom and a pufferfish, respectively. Even though players can tame these monsters, they will still need a saddle and armor so they don’t burn in the sunlight, much like other undead mobs.
In general, this update has brought many unique additions to the game and has made it a much more interesting and diverse world in which to play. These new mobs and items will likely encourage even the most jaded Minecraftian to pick up the game and play it again. Then again, while these new additions will probably liven up your “Minecraft” world and experience as a whole, it’s also possible that “Mounts of Mayhem” may be just another two-week phase with diminished replayability.
