Minecraft's Mounts of Mayhem Drop Brings Forth a Beautifully Chaotic New Spear to Your World

The winter game drop for Minecraft has arrived — and it features the first new weapon added to the title since the heavy club made its debut. The spear is finally here and it has the potential to change how you play Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates several new features and enhancements related to riding animals in the game. That central theme made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would add some more range, and we envisioned it for fighting from atop a creature," explained a lead developer. "We experimented with a few different ideas, but the spear was the one that both played wonderfully when we ran our trials and also looked good for the intended purpose."

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

"Mounted lance combat] is a major applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer adds. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the jab attack, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you lower your spear and get greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] perfect for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure can extend beyond there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are in the end-game, [spears are] excellent for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and unleashing absolute pandemonium," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now a reality, and it should be made an competitive event without delay.

Another major addition in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the seashells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and ridden for deep-sea journeys. Not only will it move you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also conserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The rest of the additions are mostly things that want to kill you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a rotting sea creature spawning in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you succeed in dispatch the Drowned, though, you can claim the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've long considered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also bring in something for underwater," the lead elaborates. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked compelling, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] give some flavor to what you discover underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you venture in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are minor quality-of-life improvements, including some highly requested changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse bodies of water while riding a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the last content update of the year is a pretty good one. The spear on its own — and the potential for chaos — would have felt like a considerable upgrade. Throw in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is available for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.