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The winter game drop for the block-building phenomenon has touched down — and it includes the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is finally here and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts drop also introduces several new features and updates centered around animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the development team had long felt it was the moment to introduce a new weapon.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a new weapon that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for mounted combat," stated a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the intended purpose."

If you're wondering whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your friends on steeds, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an attack 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 two attacks: You have the jab attack, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a sprinting strike where you couch your lance and get greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] ideal for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The wild enjoyment doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are very late, [spears are] perfect for equipping the elytra and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she hints.

In other words: Jousting in the clouds is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is based on the seashells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it carry you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for oxygen.

The remaining new features are largely things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a zombie Nautilus appearing in the water, often with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to dispatch the Drowned, though, you can tame the undead mount — or the standard version, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've pondered this issue on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also introduce something for underwater," the lead explains. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for underwater mounts that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus design sketches looked compelling, and we have the link 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] give some flavor to what you discover underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the Parched, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that environment. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another fresh creature. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their bones protruding. The same goes for undead steeds, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be found at night with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested adjustments to riding horses. Now, you can cross bodies of water while riding a horse. Also, netherite horse armor is now obtainable at the crafting table, so you can give your horse the ultimate protection it deserves.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

Overall, the final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Add in the Nautilus, and additional creatures seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

The Mayhem Mounts update is out now for all major editions of Minecraft.