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The winter content update for Minecraft has arrived — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it has the potential to revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, especially if you thrive on pandemonium.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mounts of Mayhem drop also adds several new features and updates focused on animal mounts in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had already known it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we aimed for a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," explained a lead developer. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both felt great when we tested our prototypes and also made sense for the intended purpose."

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

"Mounted lance combat] is a primary applications for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the lead says. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and get greater injury [with] the more pace you have. So [it’s] ideal for knightly combat."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're advanced sufficiently into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for strapping on the wings and taking to the skies and creating genuine chaos," she teases.

In other words: Sky jousting is now real, and it should be made an competitive event without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This underwater creature, which is based on the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be domesticated and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also conserve your oxygen levels, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for oxygen.

The remaining new features are primarily things that are out to get you, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Naturally, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, sometimes with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a blowfish.

"We've been thinking about this challenge for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also bring in something for underwater," the lead explains. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a several proposals for sea mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus concept art looked compelling, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was already in the game."

She also adds that there are actually two distinct kinds of undead nautilus: regular and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you discover underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can endure the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you venture in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on desiccated dromedaries, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their ribs poking out. The applies equally to undead steeds, who have a similar exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness 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 long-overdue adjustments to riding horses. Now, you can cross rivers and lakes while riding a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can provide your steed with the ultimate protection it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

All told, the last content update of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the pandemonium it invites — would have felt like a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and new threats seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

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