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The seasonal game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it includes the first new weapon introduced into the title since the heavy club made its debut. The javelin is now available and it has the potential to revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, particularly when you thrive on pandemonium.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also adds several new features and updates centered around riding animals in the game. That central theme made the spear the perfect fit for this update, as the creators had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," stated a lead developer. "We experimented with a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also looked good for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your companions on steeds, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an attack excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is one of the biggest functions for the spear, and it's so much fun," the developer continues. "The spear has two attacks: You have the jab attack, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you couch your lance and inflict greater injury [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for knightly combat."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The unruly pleasure isn't limited to there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've been to The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] perfect for strapping on the elytra and flying forth and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now possible, and it deserves to be an competitive event without delay.

Another significant inclusion in this latest drop is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is inspired by the nautilus shells we've all been collecting for years, can be tamed and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it move you through the water more swiftly than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to come up for air for fresh air.

The other inclusions are primarily things that seek your demise, as is the tradition of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a undead nautilus spawning in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you manage to defeat the Drowned, though, you can befriend the zombie Nautilus — or the standard version, for that matter — with a puffer fish.

"We've pondered this challenge 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 developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a few different ideas for aquatic rides that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus concept art looked striking, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also notes that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: regular and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] add variety to what you find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Other additions include the Parched, desert-exclusive undead archers that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. Camel husks have an striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some highly requested tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can cross waterways while mounted on a horse. Also, high-tier barding is now craftable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the top-tier safeguarding it is worthy of.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

Overall, the year-end release of the year is a notable addition. The spear by itself — and the mayhem it enables — 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 Mayhem Mounts content drop is available for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.