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The winter content update for Minecraft has landed — and it features the initial fresh armament introduced into the title since the mace made its debut. The lance is finally here and it might just alter your gameplay in Minecraft, particularly when you enjoy mayhem.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also adds several new features and enhancements focused on riding animals in the game. That focus made the spear the perfect fit for this release, as the development team had long felt it was time for a fresh combat tool.

"From the outset, we understood that we wanted a fresh armament that would provide extended reach, and we designed it specifically for fighting from atop a creature," explained a senior product manager. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both handled superbly when we tested our prototypes and also looked good for the intended purpose."

If you're wondering whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your companions on horseback, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an combat move excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead says. "The spear has two attacks: You have the jab attack, where you pierce your enemy. But you also have a powerful lance where you couch your lance and inflict greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] tailor-made for mounted duels."

Aerial Mayhem & Deep-Sea Exploration

The chaotic fun can extend beyond 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] perfect for strapping on the wings and going out and creating genuine chaos," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now real, and it should be made an Olympic sport immediately.

Another key feature in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is based on the seashells found in-game for years, can be domesticated and ridden for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water quicker than swimming, it'll also maintain your air supply, so there's no necessity to return to the surface for oxygen.

The other inclusions are primarily things that seek your demise, as is the way of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you manage to take care of the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've long considered this problem on and off, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the right time to also unveil something for underwater," the developer explains. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a several proposals for aquatic rides that we wanted to test, but the Nautilus concept art looked compelling, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing 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 find underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Additional features include the sun-proof skeletons, biome-specific skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on camel husks, another new mob. Camel husks have an excellent design that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The same goes for zombie horses, who have a comparable rib-popping design and can sometimes be spawned in the darkness with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The last two things on the drop's list are refinements, including some much-anticipated tweaks to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse waterways 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 final game drop of the year is a solid offering. The spear by itself — and the potential for chaos — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Add in the Nautilus, and new threats trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a touch more chaotic.

The Mayhem Mounts content drop is available for all major editions of Minecraft.